Star Trek’s new Uhura Zoe Saldana’s next big role is in the upcoming action movie The Losers. Set visit interviews with Saldana were released today on a number of sites to promote the film, which included some talk about the Star Trek sequel. Zoe revealed that she is expecting to have to get back to the gym to fit into her Trek mini and she revealed that JJ Abrams has promised her a fight scene. Details below.
Zoe Talks Star Trek sequel
The set visit group interview transcript (via SuperheroHype) of course mostly focuses on The Losers, but it does diverge into Star Trek territory, here is an excerpt:
Q: How excited are you to go back to "Star Trek"?
Saldana: Well, they’re perks. Besides the financial perks of signing onto films that turn into franchises is that you get to work with the actors and the directors all over again. Sometimes I almost feel like a three month experience for something that will last forever is not fair for the actor. Because what you guys get to watch, that’s for you. The part of shooting the movie, that’s for me. I take all those memories and that experience with me. And to get to go back to "Star Trek" and see Chris’ baby blue eyes and get to kiss Spock, Zachary [Quinto] and to work with J.J. [Abrams] I couldn’t have been in a better environment from the writers to the producers, etc. To get to relive that experience in another adventure in space. I’m not looking forward to the dress though. It just means I have to hit the gym two months before we start shooting, so I’m not looking forward to that.
Saldana in "The Losers"
Abrams promises Zoe fight scene + Star Trek cast/producers email group
In her interview with HitFix, Saldana talked about action scenes in The Losers and how she plans to do it again with the Star Trek sequel, here is the excerpt:
Q: We’ve heard that at the end of the film there is a big stunt where your character jumps 120 feet in the air. Are you going to do it yourself?
Saldana: I hope so. I think I can. My mom isn’t that keen on it. [She shows her bruises]. This is not Jane Austen. I was an athlete my whole life, but to be able to challenged not only emotionally, but try to tackle a character which would also be challenged physically, I’m in my phase of action film exploitation. After "Avatar," for two years of being harnessed and jumping off of wires I wanted to keep exploring that. In "Star Trek" I had so much fun, but the boys had all the action. J.J. promised me in the sequel she will have at least one little fight. At least kick a guy in the groin or something.Q: Have you been E-mailing J.J. Abrams about what you are doing here so he realizes what you’re ready for?
Saldana: [Expletive] yeah! If you guys could really see, we all have each other on a massive E-mail group and all the producers and J.J. and just to read the back and forth between Karl Urban and Simon Pegg and Chris Pine and John Cho. I’ve been having tons of fun. The last two years have been fun because I’ve been working with amazing actors and amazing directors. Whether they have been prolific directors or fairly new directors or highly promising like ["The Losers" Sylvain White] or J.J. I just have been having so much fun.
Read the rest of the Saldana interviews at hitfix.com and SuperheroHype
The Losers opens April 23rd.
"The Losers" poster featuring Saldana
Awesome!!!
Where can I sign up?! ;-)
I’m absolutely on board with an Uhura fight scene, especially since the closest we’ve ever come to such a thing would be pointing a phaser at Mr. Adventure. (Or the fan dance…ugh.) But can we get rid of the dress, please? It was such a great thing to see female Starfleet members on the Enterprise in pants, showing that there are alternatives that aren’t so Sixties Miniskirt. Perhaps we can get Uhura into one of those for the sequel? I know the skirt is iconic, but it felt so weird to have her with no visible rank insignia, and being one of the only bridge officers with legs bared.
PLEASE dont turn Uhura into some Buffy/Lara Croft type…
god i love her…
I think we forget that movies aren’t just for us. Actors are, well… actors. It’s their jobs. We do what we do, they do what they do. The only difference is that most of us aren’t in the same public eye as them.
Let the skirt out a little!
Am I the only one who thinks she’s a little TOO skinny?
– Harry
I’d like to get a copy of that poster! And I’ll have to check out this movie as well!
Just a few years ago, few people were familiar with Zoe Saldana. Now after doing “Star Trek”, “Avatar” and “The Losers” she is quickly becoming a superstar and a force in Hollywood.
She is incredibly smart, hot and talented. If one person were to kick me in the groin, I would choose her!
she is so sexy dual wielding those guns
I’m fine with the skirt staying as long as there are other prominent female characters in the pants uniform AND she gets some sleeves. It’s absurd that there was no visible indicator of her rank in the last film.
Yes, this will solve every problem that Uhura’s character has. Don’t give her any opportunities to perform her duties in a professional manner during a time of crises, don’t put any of her dozen or so skills that we were constantly reminded of to good use. Just give her a fight scene.
$20 says this fight scene is going to be a cat fight. Uhura and this currently unnamed lady person are going to duke it out, Uhura manages to beat her senseless, to which Uhura promptly calls her a bi***. Do not want.
At this point, no matter what kind of
fight scene they create for Uhura,
Zoe will make it work – she has a
massive amount of talent and now
she’s saving the experience.
Can’t wait!
#11
$20 says Uhura beats the crap out of a Klingon (male or female) in the sequel.
And I think she will also get some clever lines and show off her skills.
I have faith in Bob.
Can’t bring myself to read a word she says after the “I enjoy sex” revelation.
Honestly, I know it was probably her agent’s idea to make such an obvious and low-brow grab for a hornier readership, but the fact that she went along with it so convincingly speaks volumes.
Uhura was never in any fight scenes because she didn’t have to be… her character had duties to perform. She even had the odd bit of compelling dialogue – now how’s THAT for a laugh? A black woman in the 60’s had more to do on screen than a black woman from the 21st century.
I really hope they iron this out for the next movie.
14 – Re-watch: “Gamesters of Triskelion” & “Mirror, Mirror”
On the set of “Star Trek: No Khan ‘Do.” JJ Abrams has not decided whether or not to CGI-in Ricardo Montalban’s chest, but he has stated there will be no mullets. [This conversation has been heavily edited to make it suitable for The Sean Hannity Show.]
JJ: OK, this is the fight scene, Zoe. You can at least kick a guy in the groin or something.
Zoe: Great. I know a move they’ll be feeling this til summer and it never fully heals. But, sometimes I almost feel like a three month experience for something that will last forever is not fair for the actor.
Chris Pine: Wait, can we at least protect ourselves?
Zoe: My mom isn’t that keen on it.
Chris Pine: What is she keen on?
Zoe: My mom is Denise De Arman. She likes to see Chris’ baby blue eyes and watch him kiss Spock, Zachary.
Zach Quinto: I’m not looking forward to the dress though.
JJ: We’re just glad to have you back, Zoe.
Zoe: In “Star Trek” I had so much fun, but the boys had all the action… the back and forth between Karl Urban and Simon Pegg and Chris Pine and John Cho.
Denise: I just have been having so much fun.
Star Trek… warping your movie-going experience in 2012.
The latest Star Trek movie is a mess. Nero wants to save Romulus by destroying all of the federation planets, that’s not going to stop the Romulus sun from going Super Nova in the future. If he had a brain he would go to Romulus and warn them about what will happen in the future. Old Spock tells young Spock that young Kirk was told that universe ending paradoxes would ensue if he broke his promise, when did old Spock tell young Spock this in the movie, or is old Spock lying to young Spock?
#17
You’ve already posted that on another thread. Try coming up with something new and relevent to the article.
I’d welcome som action for Uhura, Nichelle never got in on that in TOS. The closest was “Gamesters” and she was pitiful in her attempts at it. She just got knocked around in “Mirror.”
Kick some butt Uhura!
But to her credit she did look good taking the phaser from Marlena!
Uhura in a fight scene? She’s the communications officer. Her place is in the kitchen…er….the bridge.
Just kidding people. Just kiiiiiiiiding!
#19
You have to remember that back during the years of TOS, there were very few roles (if any) for black women on television. Also, NBC wasn’t too happy with Gene Roddenberry hiring a black actress. So the development of Uhura was limited as a result of Gene and NBC compromising to allow Nichelle Nichols to join the show. And even white women were limited in what roles they played back then. If it was up to Gene, I think Uhura would have seen more action. I thought she was great in “Mirror, Mirror”. She was able to hold her own against the mirror Sulu.
I do think we will see bigger parts for Uhura as well as McCoy in the sequel. A bigger part for Uhura is definitely a must as it is for McCoy.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Saldana as Uhura is one of the main things I’m looking forward to in the Star Trek sequel.
Keep the dress, but she should totally kick the asses of four or five Klingons. :-)
What a sweetie she is.
I’m looking forward to her action scene as well as the return of William Shatner as the one and only James T. Kirk in the next ST film.
Can’t wait for Star Trek 2 or is it 12?
Yeah, cuz if there’s one thing Trek needs more of in its’ 2 hour movies three years apart, is fight scenes with secondary characters.
The secondary characters were so underused in TOS, that I’d welcome anything they got to do in the new one, even fighting. Uhura’s expanded part in ’09 was one of the better thinga bout it.
I’m glad to see Q has kept himself occupied interviewing celebrities like Ms. Saldana since his last appearance on Voyager… And he asks good questions!
hehehe ;)
OK lack of sleep is probably messing with my sense of humor.
#7 :: Nope! I agree she’s too skinny. Especially her arms. Not to the point of Desperate-Houswives-anorexia, but it might just be her figure… Genetics, and all. Still. Bothers the heck out of me.
I don’t really care if Uhura’s kicking butt or not, but she needs to have as big a part in the sequel as she did in this last one. That was great.. just keep her either at her post or doing something productive! Jumping up every five minutes to be with her BF = not cool.
Wish I was a Fly on the wall on that email list, I hope that Christine Chapel is on Screen and more then a Voice on screen, Can’t wait to see Uhura Fight, Also find some Screen time for the Organza Uhura!
I know you’ll give us a great ride Bob Orci and Co!
Is so hot…
They can keep the miniskirt on Uhura if they, as I’ve suggested before, get another major female character in, a security chief (NOT Janice Rand or Christine Chapel). Make her a lieutenant commander and of course have her wear trousers (No miniskirt for her). Anna Torv anyone? Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman, this is your show, and I believe it’s a swell idea.
Oh, baby!
She should beat up the entire bridge crew and take over the ship! After they were taken over by brain slugs of course! Then she can use her awesome communication skills to summon Dr. McCoy to the bridge to cure them.
An Uhura fight scene sounds pretty cheesy to me. It’ll just be “oh the hot girl gets to kick ass” cliche.
If I have to watch another Uhura/Spock love scene I’ll vomit and throw it at the screen.
Fight, fine. Uhura was always feisty…. but please ABANDON the romance angle. It was clumsy and it’s time to get on with other things.
and yes, KEEP the skirt, but add sleeves and rank.
Zoe will you let me take you on a date :)
#19–Oh, really? In Mirror, Mirror, Uhura sucessfully disarmed Marlena with a couple of nifty moves.
This is great news!
However, could we get the spoilers out of the article title? Plus maybe a [SPOILER] tag? Can’t be too careful about these things. Thanks.
#3
Clearly you are not familiar with the original series ;)
Uhura kicked Sulu’s ass, took a phaser from Marlena, and actually tried to fight Spock in Mirror Mirror.
I Do love Zoe too though I gotta say.
: )
I want to join
Wasn’t there a TOS episode where the Klingons try to take over the Enterprise?
Let’s make that into a movie and see Uhura duke it out hand to hand with a couple of turtle-heads! Or that shot of her with dual pistols is working for me, too… Whatever… ;-)
She’s certainly a highlight of Trek 09. Did they ever decide if she’s an African national anymore? That was a major part of her TOS persona.
Okay, we don’t really know the circumstances yet so we can’t evaluate the how appropriate her “kicking arse” will be. But, I am all for it. Uhuru is a strong character and we should see that physically demonstrated.
Again, can you see a situation where we *would* want Uhuru (Zoe) to have to defend or protect her interests??
While Uhura did have a couple of fight scenes in the series the only time I can recall where she (and the rest of the female crew for that matter) really kicked A** was in The Animated Series.
Now that would be a gutsy move for the next Trek film: to build a screenplay on a TAS script.
I’m certainly not averse to Uhura kicking butt and taking names, but the whole “action grrl!” thing is kind of cliche, to be honest. I’d rather see Uhura save the day with some sort of brilliant, science-y thing than another fight scene.
On the other hand, they made Sulu a sword-swinging orbital skydiving badass and made it work, so they might just take this in an interesting direction…
Remember – we get 2 hours of new Trek every 3 years. Do we REALLY need fight scenes? How about a good, comprehensible plot and clever dialogue? Maybe conflict that comes from the characters and the story, not from the actors’ desire for attention?
I don’t mind a minor fight scene with Uhura. It will probably be like one minute out of 120 minutes, not a DragonBall Z length fight where it goes on for forty or fifty minutes.
Just because Uhura is getting a fight scene doesn’t mean there won’t be plot and clever dialogue.
Just one thing is that I want a Christine Chapel who has a face and not just a voice. And an M’Benga figuring Jim is going to get into trouble and Spock is going to jump in front of phaser-fire.
Not loving her as Uhura, sorry. a bit skinny, and as I have noted before; more Uhura=less McCoy.
Let’s have more McCoy, and shorter skirts!
#48
Why can’t we have both? I think it is important that both Uhura and McCoy get more screen time in the sequel for different reasons. McCoy because of the Kirk-Spock-McCoy relationship and Uhura to appeal to female audience members.
#49: I for one would accept reduced screen-time for Kirk and Spock in exchange for more McCoy and Uhura.
And by “accept” I mean I’d do a little Snoopy dance.