The new issue of the official Star Trek Magazine, like last month, is dedicated to the new Star Trek movie. This month’s issue has lots of behind the scenes info and interviews. We have excerpts from the interviews with Orci & Kurtzman and Eric Bana and more info below.
Excerpts from Star Trek Magazine #19
Excerpt of Interview with screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Where did you come up with the idea of making this film a genesis story for the original crew, or was that a no-brainer as far as you were concerned?
Alex Kurtzman: When we were first asked in the broadest sense if we would ever consider doing Star Trek, it was like someone had just punched us in the solar plexus just the idea that we would be able to inherit something like that. Before we even had any specific conversations, the idea of joining the legacy was so intense and frightening, frankly, because it meant so much to us as kids. The fear of messing it up was the first feeling that we had. But talking about it, that’s when we realized that’s exactly why we had to do it. When something is that important to you, you have to protect it.
The immediate answer for all of us was that the only way we were interested in this was to do Kirk and Spock, going back to the genesis of the ship. We weren’t interested in The Next Generation. This is where we wanted to live in it.
But we faced an immediate problem: we knew the fate of all the characters.
Roberto Orci: It occurred to us very early on that the show began on the five-year mission, and we realized that we hadn’t actually seen all these characters meet and go on their first adventure. That became an obvious place to explore because the goal was to make sure that we had a Star Trek that made new audiences learn why fans like Star Trek. It couldn’t rely on a previous knowledge of Star Trek. The fact that the origin story had not been covered, and that’s what you’d naturally want to do to get new fans, just made it seem like a perfect thing to do.
Excerpt of Interview with Eric Bana (Nero)
Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have noted that their successive iterations of the movie script beefed up the character of Nero, but for Eric Bana, many of the ingredients were in place from the start. "Essentially, I was trying to draw on an incredibly tragic and brutal past," he says. "For me, that was the most important thing about him. I felt like Nero had this incredibly tragic back story, and had become a villain as a result of the things that had happened to him. That was more interesting than just him being born as the villain. To me, he was just a Romulan who had had a lot of amazingly treacherous things done to him, so whilst he wasn’t human, I felt there was some sort of characteristics there that humans could definitely relate to, and I wanted to draw on that." Bana agrees that the days have gone when audiences will accept two-dimensional bad guys.
"I always like it when we have a reason to know why our villain is the villain, and not just have to accept that he’s the villain because we’re told that he is." However, that initial reading did flag up one potential problem. "I guess the only concern I had initially was that I identified the fact that Star Trek was definitely a heroes’ movie’ not a villain’s movie,’ and the danger would have been to not have given enough to Nero," he says. "But J.J., Robert and Alex were already attentive to that, so that really came along and was being really well serviced by them. They gave me enough to play with!" One element really attracted him. "I was fascinated by the notion of Nero being in jail on Rura Penthe for so many years, him biding his time, and being unbelievably patient in enacting his vengeance," Bana says, adding, "Some of that is not played out in the film, because it’s not in the final cut, but it’ll be out on the DVD."
Much more in Star Trek Magazine on sale now
Issue 19 of the official Star Trek Magazine goes on sale at newsstands today (June 23rd). It goes on sale in the UK (as Issue #146) July 9th.
Here is the official press release for the mag:
ISSUE SPOTLIGHT:
MEET THE CREW
The latest issue of Star Trek Magazine starts our exclusive account of the making of Star Trek, with the first batch of interviews from the key personnel involved in the creation of the film, including writers, director of photography and the costume designer.
FEATURES:
NERO AND AYEL
We interview the villains of the new movie in the latest issue, as Eric Bana explains why he became involved: "The script was incredibly smart, well written and well structured. I thought the writers had done an unbelievable job of paying enough service to many characters so succinctly but thoroughly." Meanwhile, his lieutenant, Clifton Collins Jr remembers the disorienting feeling when he came to shoot his first scene on the Bridge of the Narada. "My heart started racing and I thought, ‘This looks like that Star Trek thing… Wait a minute, this is Star Trek!"
ROBERTO ORCI & ALEX KURTZMAN
The writers and producers of Star Trek talk honestly and openly about the genesis of the movie, and some of the paths they decided not to take. Learn what role Nurse Chapel might have played, and why the description of Nero as a trucker works so well for them. Plus, an explanation as to what forces guide Kirk to meet Spock Prime, the thinking behind the Spock/Uhura romance, the original name for the U.S.S. Kelvin, and why Bones was so worried about going into space when travelling from Iowa to California.
COSTUME DESIGNER MICHAEL KAPLAN
Lavishly illustrated with exclusive costume designs from the film, the award winning designer explains the roots of the various different outfits seen in Star Trek from the 23rd Century casual wear sported by Jim Kirk to the faux fur that adorned Nero’s costume. Learn which famous designers from the 1960s inspired the Vulcan Academy outfits and just how far away the Romulan costumes were made from the Paramount lot!
Newsstand cover for Star Trek Magazine #19
The magazine is just starting to show up and can be ordered from TFAW.
Or just Subscribe to get all the upcoming issues of Star Trek Magazine.
May Souvenir Issue still available
The Previews exclusive cover version of the special May movie souvenir issue of Star Trek Magazine (STM #18) is still available from TFAW (discounted from $9.99 to $8.99). [See TM preview of that issue]
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STM #18 |
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For more information visit: titanmagazines.com/startrek
1st! i cant wait for the new movie!!
I really need to get these magazines!
Nero looks like Darth Maul’s cousin from florida on that second cover.
Heh.
The Spocks look great, as does the content of the new issue. Might have to grab this.
-P
WOW, does Pine look young on that cover!
The interview with Giacchino is my favorite part of the new issue. There are tidbits like how he originally did several themes that were more in the “space opera” (Williams, Goldsmith) kind of vein, He says J.J. said for the theme to sound almost unfinished as Kirk himself is unfinished. Think of the longing, sad theme as the opening logos play… that is Kirk. Giacchino goes on to say how the Kirk theme melds with the Enterprise/Trek theme at the end and how his space opera stuff may come back in the sequel! Great great stuff.
Also the interviews with Alan Dean Foster & Chris Doohan’s diary from the set are worth the cover price as well.
Great stuff as usual!
The final version shows a far less Darth Maul-ish Nero – something we’ve very consciously worked to avoid now that we’ve seen the movie (the original Previews cover was, because of print deadlines and such things, put together about four weeks before the world tour began, let alone the premiere!)
#4 –
yeah – looks like airbrushing takes 10-15 years off ya!!!
^5 Thanks for the kind words about the Giacchino piece – I am a great fan of film music so he was virtually at the top of my request list for interview way back at the start of 2008 when we were planning these issues. Fascinating guy to chat with – as were they all.
#8- no problem!
also, watch out for the pages of costume designs!! they blew my mind.
6. It’s nice that you’re thinking about it, way to be. Good looking cover aside from that comparison. You could also say he looks like Carrie.
Looking forward to reading these, regardless.
I’ll purchase these as opposed to sitting in our local joseph beth with a coffee like it was my living room.
-P
Is it just me, or does Chris Pine look unusually youthful on that cover? It looks like he was photoshopped to look more like a child than an adult. It also looks like is forehead was embiggened as well.
I just want to take a bullhorn and tell whoever did the re-touching on that pic of Chris Pine to step AWAY from the Photoshop. Yeesh.
#3 – “Nero looks like Darth Maul’s cousin from florida on that second cover”
That was pretty damn funny.
Interesting that Bana mentions the Rura Penthe scenario is on film and will be on the DVD. Maybe a scene depicting the destruction of 47 Klingon ships by the narada, as narrated by Uhura will be there too. I doubt that Bana is that privvy as to what will be on the DVD.
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I hope this is the case, because Nero, as presented in Star Trek was a poorly motivated character, a total mental breakdown the only answer for what he does. I also hope they have a plausible explanation as to why the Klingons got nothing from the Narada in 25 years of trying.
Maybe good old 24th Century encryption and defense mechanisms, mayhaps?
Like I always said, I’d gladly park my butt and pay top dollar for a 3 hour Star Trek extravaganza, be it in theater or in my easy chair in the video cave.
Chris Pine looks 12.
And i love how it says bright new future on a cover of a red-hot Nero.
Chris Pine definitely does not look like himself there. Where are all the creases and lines on his face? This looks more like a botox ad than a starship captain. Curse you Adobe for what you’ve created.
“Curse you Adobe for what you’ve created.”
—-
LOL
#9 – i agree. the costume designs are fantastic! i cant wait to see more stuff like this. has anyone heard about the release of concept design books or a visual dictionary for the film? i would LOVE to have a visual dictionary (like the ones for star wars and doctor who) of the film.
there are also some cool pics in the magazine that we havent seen before :-)
That looks absolutely ridiculous.
Whoever was in charge for publicity photos for this movie needs to get a clue that when you overdo the airbrushing and photoshopping – IT’S REALLY OBVIOUS.
#14—-“I hope this is the case, because Nero, as presented in Star Trek was a poorly motivated character, a total mental breakdown the only answer for what he does.”
I had no trouble with his motivation.
Romulans and Vulcans have the same origins. Biologically, they are close to identical (accounting for some ‘post-exodus’ difference in evolution)—-which means that the violent and sometimes irrational tendancies that stem from emotions which “in many ways run deeper than in humans” are as inherent in Romulans as they are in Vulcans.
While Vulcans curb those natural instincts and keep those emotions in check by means of serenity and devotion to logic, Romulans depend upon a patriotic and slavish devotion to a militaristic and ridgedly structured state to create a sense of discipline in order to achieve similar results (with far different goals in mind of course).
We have seen Spock (who is only half-Vulcan) stripped of his logic and ability to control his emotions and what effect that has upon him (”All Our Yesterdays” is a good example of that)—-and we have seen full-blooded Vulcans succumb to complete irrationality under similar circumstances as well (ENT). Stripped of his own ability to depend upon the structure, discipline, and devotion to empire—- the Romulan Nero shouldn’t be expected to act or think rationally.
His placement of blame may not be what you and I would consider rational, but once again—- it isn’t supposed to be. However, Nero (like any Romulan) still craves a degree of order to his existence. The overwhelming desire to exact revenge upon those he perceives to have been either responsible for or complacent in the lack of action which caused him to lose so much is that ordered existence he seeks. I think that this is what gives him some semblance of control, and probably is the only thing which prevents him from behaving like a 100% stark raving madman.
” I also hope they have a plausible explanation as to why the Klingons got nothing from the Narada in 25 years of trying.”
That assumes alot. It assumes that they actually captured the Narada, rather than just Nero. I don’t think that has been made clear to be the case. It also assumes that, if they did capture the Narada, they actually “got nothing” from her. To be fair, we don’t know whether they were able to make use of any 24th Century technology or not.
#20
As good as that explanation was, I still have to side with #14. As an average movie-goer (and moderate Trekker), I was completely turned off. Whatever is presented on the surface, or rather on-screen, matters! If it takes a Trekkie to scrutinize the nooks and crannies of the Romulan/Vulcan backstory to arrive at a conclusion, it doesn’t make Nero’s motivations any better because a lot of people didn’t read the comic either. Not everyone who saw the movie was an intellectual/anthropologist/psychologist/die-hard Trekkie.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Coming from a person who once lost a few family members (within two days), I didn’t lose my mind and start going after other people. To say that “his planet was destroyed!” can only lead to empty, speculative debates because no one on earth has been in that position and it would be silly to try to empathize with a fictional character who just lost his home planet. In my own opinion, Orci and Kurtzman wrote a poor villain, simple as that. I could say a lot more, but I’ve already exhausted my thoughts on the film as a whole in many debates at home.
There are good interviews with Eric Bana, Clifton Collins, the writers, the cameraman, as well as sketchbooks for the movie, and more behind the scenes stuff. This issue and last issue are movie souvenir issues. These are all you need as souvenirs from the movie.
I got my issue in the amil and read it yesterday. I noticed that more than one person interveiewed or wrote about mentioned that they “were” or “are not Star Trek fans”.
Interesting little fact , I thought, that the production company had not fans or into Star Trek until this film. I hope that they appreciate us fans now. I was very incouraged by the article from the writers and how they will see what works and did nto work with fans.
Jeez, could they have applied more airbrushing / Gaussian blur / whatever to that photo of Chris Pine? He looks like he should be standing inside Madame Tussuad’s.
Somebody hit the young button when they went to photoshop that cover with Pine. I prefer Pines look when he first met McCoy, nice and scruffy, with that sense of adventure and charm in his eyes.
I thought it was just me at first. That may actually be
Chris Pine as a 15 year old Kirk – but definitely not the
28 year old in the movie…..Just a point, not to be
insulting.
If a casual observer looked at that airbrushed pic of Chris Pine, then it is no wonder some of the complainers called it “Star Trek 90210″….sure they were young, on the beginning of their “voyage”….but they weren’t kids for cripes sake!
“Welcome to Burger King.” That is what I hear when I see that photo of Chris Pine, doesn’t do him or Trek justice. I prefer the side shot of Kirk in the red cadet uniform glaring down at his accuser, Spock. I think there was another one with Zack looking that young, and I am happy he did not look like that in the movie.
‘We weren’t interested in The Next Generation’.
I hear that!
how can I order the magazine from EUROPE ?
And we have to wait till 9th July for this in the UK because…?
it sucked when Star Trek Communicator closed it’s doors, it took 8 months to clear up the check that I wrote a month before for 3 years. It turns up that they did the easy thing and did not cash the check, so it took me 8 months to learn the money was free to use again.
I do not use plastic money or spend money I do not have, I guess I’m not part of the 99.95% of America today and I’ll never make it as a Politician today.
The problem is I tried 3 months ago to order it, but they want plastic not paper to have it mailed out of England. Looks as if they want to be able to sell your name to mailing lists thus earning them a few pennies.
I like to try to keep my name off those lists, at least to help save a tree or liquidized Dinosaur. I never believed Al Bore’s Global Warming thing, but I still wish to help prevent waste on the planet.
But I’m sure each issue will please all whom get it.
8 Paul Simpson
will there be lots more lengthy Trek09 coverage in future issues or has the bulk been done in issues 17-19 for now?
To all those who mentioned the airbrushed picture of Chris Pine – that’s how the pictures are supplied.
31: You have to wait for the very simple reason that the issues are printed in the USA and have to physically get across the Atlantic Ocean before they can be distributed. We try to get them out before the date listed (and have succeeded more than not in recent times) but it’s out of our hands.
33: Oh believe you me, it’s not over yet! Issue 20 contains our JJ interview and an interview with makeup supremo Mindy Hall. Issue 21 will have Roger Guyett from ILM, and Ben Burtt and others are still waiting in the wings.
And for those interested in the earlier movies, we’ll also have a major interview with Star Trek II, IV and VI’s Nicholas Meyer coming in the next few weeks as well.
That second cover for issue 19 would make an awesome Steelbook case for the Blu-ray.
#21—“…it doesn’t make Nero’s motivations any better because a lot of people didn’t read the comic either.”
Nor did they have to. Nero explains himself to Pike within the dialogue of the film, and those circumstances are expanded upon in Spock Prime’s meld (in which Spock, too, professes a feeling of responsibility) with the young Kirk.
“Coming from a person who once lost a few family members (within two days), I didn’t lose my mind and start going after other people.”
I would hope not. But then again, you’re a human being—not a Romulan. You also did not experience the loss of your planet and its entire culture.
“To say that “his planet was destroyed!” can only lead to empty, speculative debates because no one on earth has been in that position and it would be silly to try to empathize with a fictional character who just lost his home planet. ”
I disagree. My ethnicity has never experienced a real attempted genocide either, nor am I old enough to have been alive during the Second World War. However, even when viewing a fictional account of a Holocaust experience, I am not incapable of empathy.
But the bottom line is really this. ST09 is not a villain-centric film. Nero is a peripheral character, who just so happens to be the catalyst for the events which alter the timeline and allow this origin tale to be told.
And he is not worthy of empathy. The moment he chooses vengeance over justice/positive action (which is before the audience even learns of the causes for his pain), he has surrendered any moral ground he might have otherwise held. Nero is not a sympathetic character simply because he wasn’t always a bad guy. There is a clear difference between reason and actual justification for his actions. Although he has the former (albeit irrationally arrived at), he does not possess the latter.
” In my own opinion, Orci and Kurtzman wrote a poor villain, simple as that.”
Why? Is he as colorful as Khan? No. But he isn’t supposed to be. Real villains rarely are. Like most villains, Nero is just an a$$hole who thinks that he has been wronged and wishes everyone else to pay for it.
The story isn’t about Nero. He shouldn’t have been expected to steal the show. It is about Kirk and Spock. Why would a peripheral character whose motivations (compared to his actions) hardly even matter result in you being “completely turned off”?
#36
Well, my expectations of enjoyment (i.e. the film itself) never revolved around Nero, but a good villain definitely fleshes out the narrative and sets the stakes. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Kirk and Spock in this film either, so it just all fell apart for me.
#37—Well, they were never going to please everyone. Who knows? Had they succeeded in pleasing you (whatever that was going to take), they may have fallen short with me.
The goal was to please as many people as possible. Considering the fact that is extraordinarily difficult to succeed in getting two Star Trek fans to agree upon anything other than the fact that each enjoys Star Trek in one incarnation or another, and ST09 is now the most attended film in the Star Trek film series—-they have to feel pretty good about it.
Phasers set to botox much?
#34 “You have to wait for the very simple reason that the issues are printed in the USA and have to physically get across the Atlantic Ocean before they can be distributed. ”
Perhaps you could try putting them on one of these new-fangled aeroplanes? I believe they take only a couple of hours to get from the USA to London. Amazing, this modern technology!
#34
#40
There’s also this new thing called the internet…
Chris Pine didn’t look that young when he was that young.
Photoshop CS4 is better than plastic surgery… cheaper, less painful and doesn’t make someone’s face look like stretched elastic.
40 The cost differential is prohibitive!