Abrams: Star Trek Sequel Has ‘Really Cool’ Story

At the premiere of his latest production Morning Glory, JJ Abrams talked a little about his Star Trek sequel, giving an enthusiastic endorsement to the story the writers have come up with…but no details of course. Video and photos from premiere below. Plus in other Abrams news, some are wondering if JJ will return to his TV roots.

 

Abrams: Star Trek 2012 has cool story

At the New York City opening of Morning Glory, which he produced, JJ Abrams talked to EPIX about the Star Trek sequel, giving a short update on status and his assessment of the story: 

We are working on it now. The script is being sort of fully outlined and then the writers will start working on the script. But, the story is really cool!

Well that’s not much, but what do you expect from JJ Abrams this long before production starts? If you want to see him say it, watch the video at the Epix Facebook page.


Click to see video of JJ at "Morning Glory" première

On the subject of a possible Alias movie, Abrams didn’t seem interested, telling  TheCheapPop.com "I don’t know, I feel we sort of did it – that story".

Premiere Photos


Producer J.J. Abrams and wife Katie McGrath attending the premiere of “Morning Glory” at the Ziegfeld Theatre on November 7, 2010 in New York City


Abrams and actress Alexandra Wentworth


"Morning Glory" star Harrison Ford


"Morning Glory" star Diane Keaton


"Morning Glory" stars Rachel McAdams and Jeff Goldblum

Morning Glory, a comedy produced by JJ Abrams and starring Harrison Ford, opens this weekend. And if you are wondering what Morning Glory is all about, here is a trailer/featurette explaining the film.

Does JJ need to return to his TV roots?

As reported last week, JJ Abrams latest TV series Undercovers was cancelled by NBC. Today The Daily Beast asks "Is J.J. Abrams Too Big for TV?". With hits like Felicity, Alias and Lost, JJ Abrams made a big splash with innovative TV series. However, The Daily Beast notes that since he started splitting his time between TV and movies in the last five years, his small screen work has suffered. The article sums it up by saying:

Feature films may bring more attention and more cash, but television viewers are hoping that Abrams doesn’t go all Hollywood on them. If Undercovers is any example, it’s proof positive that viewers aren’t taking to Abrams-lite. Instead, they want to lose themselves in the types of stories that Abrams used to tell on the small screen. While not every story needs to involve mysterious numbers or smoke monsters, Abrams’ fans have come to expect more from him than just married spies with catering woes.

Of course Abrams could mix his film and TV work together and bring Star Trek back to the small screen with a show that can capture a new generation of viewers.

It’s a thought.

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Would like to see Jeff Goldblum in Trek 2012. Whoever Alexandra Wentworth is, she looks like that drunk stepsister that you want to pretend is not embarrassing you at a family gathering.

Star Trek back on TV?

Definitely!

Is it possible that JJ and his wife have interchangeable eyeglasses? Here is one person who is wondering if they both have 20/20 version and that this is all designed to provide the genius cool look…if so, it works pretty well!

A “really cool story” for the next movie? Well, really, what else WOULD he say?

By saying “really cool story” J.J. has raised the bar!

“Morning Glory” looks interesting; kind of like a similar film I loved in the ’80s called “Broadcast News” with Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks (that film was also a behind the scenes of television movie with a terrific ensemble cast).
My curiosity is piqued…

As for JJ Abrams’ tantalizing line about the ‘really cool story’ for Star Trek 2012? I don’t suppose it would do any good to ask Bob Orci (if he’s here) if he could elaborate on JJ’s statement? : D
Oh well, it was worth a try…..

; )

To 3D or not 3D? That is the question. It’s great that J.J. Abrams is excited about the next Star Trek movie. But 3D is a big issue in future releases of movies. See “Harry Potter, The Deathly Hallows” in which the first installment was removed from a 3D release because of quality.

I don’t hate 3D movies and will pay extra to see them EXCEPT when they are conversions from 2D. Trust me my fellow Trekkers, I saw “Last Airbender” (2010). Absolutely horrible. Too dark. Special effects not designed for 3D were worthless. Conversions stink. “Piranha 3d” was also a conversion but that director knew they were going to convert it. It still was too dark. (wikipedia article on Piranaha 3d below) Watching “Avatar” which was shot in 3D, those problems did not exist.

We know from this site (link below) that J.J. Abrams is not sold on 3D. I will continue to fight for any future Trek movie that Paramount wants to release in 3D to be shot in 3D. Trek Nation deserves the same quality that “Avatar” had. I will happily pay extra to see Star Trek (2012) in 3D if it’s shot in 3D, no conversions. What do you say Paramount? It you want 3D, expand the budget and let the directer shoot it in 3D.

1. Wiki on Piranha 3D Article notes conversion was not an afterthought and well received.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranha_3-D#Production

2. This site, J.J. Abrams not sold on 3D

https://trekmovie.com/2010/07/22/jj-abrams-talks-3-d-movies-super-8-at-comic-con-full-abramswhedon-panel-report/

My kids saw Avatar in 3D but after a while found the glasses really annoying, especially as one of my sons has to wear glasses.

I think they should make two versions of Star Trek (2012), 2D and 3D, if they can afford to. If not, just make a good 2D Star Trek sequel. After all, it is the story that matters most, anyway.

I’m so glad that J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the next Trek film will be a “really cool story.” I was afraid he was going to say that it was “a really crappy story,” “a re-imagining of something Rick Berman left behind in the bathroom,” or “some random junk we threw together that really doesn’t make much sense, but i’m sure we’ll figure it out on set.” Because, you know… he could have said that. I mean, mindless self-promotion never happens in Hollywood.

Thanks to your confirmation, I now know *for sure* that the next film will be a masterpiece. Thanks so much, J.J.!

In this one the Smoke Monster comes forward in time and takes over the Enterprise!!

And this one may even make sense, doubtful, but possible.

Needs more lens flare.

Trek movies are great, but what made us all fans in the first place were the shows. If they want a new generation of trek fans, make a new show. Get the right people, and you’ll have a hit. Just make sure the guy who canceled enterprise doesn’t hear about it.

Alexandra Wentworth looks a bit long of tooth to be giving JJ much of a thrill with her tongue. : )

I wouldn’t mind a Star Trek reboot series on TV. =D In fact, i’d like it very very much.

Star Trek: Kelvin

developed by JJ Abrams.

Has a nice ring to it….

Harrison Ford in the Trek sequel in some capacity please (Villian, Starfleet Admiral, corrupt captain etc)

Aha, I’m glad a new article about the sequel’s plot has surfaced. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post summarising my own ideas about what would make a good storyline for the next film, but it ended up getting buried near the end of an extremely long thread which had fizzled out. So, here it is again, this time with a couple of amendments & additions: For argument’s sake, let’s assume that – in the period between ST09 and the sequel — Spock Prime has confidentially given the higher echelons of Starfleet Command and the Federation government a huge amount of intelligence about “what’s out there”, either voluntarily or via Section 31’s machinations (or both). If he’s done this voluntarily, then it would make sense for Spock Prime to have taken a “needs of the many” viewpoint and provided the relevant information in the interests of protecting the Federation. Following on from that, there’s a lot of scope for the next Star Trek movie being a really exciting “Seven Days in May”-style political thriller, especially because of the danger of such information being used for nefarious purposes. If, thanks to Spock Prime, the most senior figures in Starfleet already know about the various major threats in the galaxy — not only those depicted in TOS, but also in DS9, Voyager, and some of the movies — then that could include people who will decide that the best way to safeguard the Federation is to pre-emptively eliminate/neutralise those threats. It could even include a variation of the “One Percent doctrine”, especially as the genocidal destruction of Vulcan could provide them with a way to plausibly justify their actions. In fact, the horror of Vulcan’s sudden obliteration could be the main trigger for the idealistic officers starting to “think the unthinkable”, resulting in what happens next. Tying that in to the “Seven Days in May” theme, the movie could show a cabal of highly experienced and decorated senior Starfleet officers correspondingly setting a plan in motion to engineer a military takeover of the Federation government, backed by Section 31 and led by a determined & respected Admiral who inspires tremendous loyalty and has an outstanding career history (I was thinking that George Clooney or Jon Hamm might be good choices for the “Burt Lancaster” part, as they’re obviously charismatic and also have the right personas for this role). Kirk & co uncover this plot and go all out to try to prevent it from succeeding. This also has scope to address the issue of Kirk being “promoted to Captain too quickly” — the Admiral involved could condescendingly dismiss Kirk’s objections by saying he’s far too naive and inexperienced to know what he’s talking about. In fact, the Admiral could be one of Pike’s friends, so there’s scope for conflict on that front too (including Pike being torn between Kirk and his friend, especially if thinks that — to a great extent, albeit not entirely – from a coldly rational strategic viewpoint the other Admiral is indeed justified in his “pre-emptive attack” stance). Kirk himself obviously isn’t averse to bending/breaking the rules if he thinks it’s justified (as we all know) and can therefore see the merit in the conspirators’ plan, but (after thoroughly debating the issue with Spock and McCoy) he ultimately opposes them because a) it would overthrow the Federation’s democratic system, b) he’s objective enough to know how power can often corrupt even well-meaning people, c) he believes – accurately – that it would risk engulfing the entire galaxy in war, especially because enemies aren’t always defeated as easily as intended, despite whatever strategic & technological advantages you might have, d) particularly realistically, if the conspirators’ aim is to remain in power until all confirmed foreign threats to the Federation are neutralised, then (despite their claims/intentions) that would effectively signal the end of the Federation in its present form and result in a permanent military dictatorship. There are numerous parallels for this from our own real-world history, both from relatively modern times and also going much further back – for example, unlike the Starfleet conspirators, Julius Caesar was obviously driven mainly by personal ambition rather than necessarily a desire to “protect the safety of Roman citizens”, but think about the transformation of the Roman Republic into an Empire via Julius’s dictatorship and subsequently via Augustus (technically the first Roman Emperor). Kirk knows that an Empire is exactly what the Federation would ultimately turn into, especially if the military/political leaders eventually believe that the most effective way to eliminate threats is to keep annexing defeated foes’ territories (the Romans also sometimes used the “pre-emptive attack” rationale to justify their own “defensive” wars of expansion). The Klingons could also be brought into the story. Considering that the Klingon Empire is… Read more »

^^” If, thanks to Spock Prime, the most senior figures in Starfleet already know about the various major threats in the galaxy — not only those depicted in TOS, but also in DS9, Voyager, and some of the movies”

Correction: Include the major threats depicted in TNG too.

18 – great story but wouldnt Spock Prime have factored in all those pitfalls and then choose not to disclose any info on the future (a future that obviously wont pan out the same as in his universe)

spock considers every detail and probability remember

#18/19 – Sorry, but your idea doesn’t sound very “Star Trek” or even very interesting. After rebooting the franchise with a fresh dose of optimism and hope, you want them to veer into political intrigue and Federation-infighting over VERY obvious, thinly veiled, real-world parallels. Instead of “Space, the final frontier,” you seem to want a mix of DS9 and the show “Jericho.”

Your story has nothing to do with boldly going, strange new worlds, alien civilizations, or any of the other elements that were missing from ST09. And no, your story does not “write itself.’ I think it’s not even remotely something that could be turned into a movie. (Can you imagine trying to explain your plot to non-Trekkie fans of ST09? It doesn’t sound remotely like Star Trek.)

It might make a decent fanfic, and I encourage you to try that.

(Sorry if any of this seems harsh, but you’ve posted this story twice, so you obviously want some kind of response.)

there was a sequel novel planned about Spock Prime and his future info but it got cancelled

cant recall the name of it now but i know i was pretty gutted when it got cancelled as i was looking foward to that one – dunno if its planned for release anytime soon? (im assuming it was already written)

#19 Interesting concept, but where are the Talosians? :] Seriously, I like it though, but I would think that this story might be so broad in scope that it would take two movies to really flesh it all out?

JJAbrams Okay! …. I believe in you! … I’m hoping for a great story for the sequel of Star Trek! … because I can only wait after all 2012 is still far, right?… LOL!.

Doctor Bashir has his new starship now. He and his buddy Garak have now travelled back in time into the same time era as Kirk. Thats probably the story that JJ’s soo excited about !

Please make the interior, especially the bridge of the Enterprise feel more comfortable and warm. In the first movie it felt like they were in a hospital…

And Bring back Shatner as Prime Kirk and team him up with Prime Spock for one last adventure :)

J.J. Abrams, “The story sucks, but we are going to film it anyway and hopefully audiences will disagree with me.” Honestly, what else could the guy say except “cool story”?

@27

Haha, so true, but he could have also just been really tactful about not saying it sucks, “we’re confident, we’re still retooling, blah, blah…”

That said, I like Rachel MacAdams.

Why doesn’t she work more? I thought she’d be a huge star after The Notebook (for that matter, same with Gosling, though I get the feeling good work is what motivates him, not stardom).

Anyway, Rachel MacAdams would make an awesome Chapel. :)

Also in my dream-world Lena Olin (of Alias and Romeo is Bleeding) would be the perfect Number One.

On this:

If Undercovers is any example, it’s proof positive that viewers aren’t taking to Abrams-lite.

Pssh. I hate when the media just makes stuff up so they can have a sound-bite.

That show failed because the advertising was awful (NBC “more colorful” …huh?), the pilot was “meh”, and the premise was too wishy-washy….romantic? comedy? adventure?

It’s a shame too, because the leads were good.

I wish Harrison Ford would lose that stupid earring.

OK, i’m not PC.

I doubt that Harrison Ford is in the budget. Really now, an old Han Solo in Star Trek? That’s the mother of all typecasting problems!!

Nicholas Meyer should Direct!

The best medium for Star Trek is definitely TV. More stories, more character development.

Also, Is it me or doesn’t it look from the picture that JJ is not enjoying his lick from actress Alexandra Wentworth?

Of course he’s going to say the story is “really cool”! It’s not like he would say “yeah it really sucks”

DUH

@33 Well, as long as he doesn’t tell us it’s a “valentine to the fans”, we’re still good.

@Boborci: Please, tell us it’s not just “really cool” but that it’s “really, rrrrrrreally cool”.

@18/19: That’s your pitch? Too much windup, and wanders like a knuckleball to the plate. Any reference to “Seven Days in May” however redeems you. Don’t neglect “Thirteen Days” too. If you want an Admirals-Gone-Wild story though, we already have my personal favorite: Fleet Captain GARTH, ready to go! (And with crazy green Orion women, Andorians and Tellarites!)

By the way, what is he going to say? Would you expect him to say the story we are working on kind of sucks?

It would be spectacular to have Harrison Ford involved in the new Star Trek film.

Denny, re: #20

“18 – great story but wouldnt Spock Prime have factored in all those pitfalls and then choose not to disclose any info on the future (a future that obviously wont pan out the same as in his universe)

spock considers every detail and probability remember”

Good point, and it’s something which occurred to me too (another commenter also mentioned this on an earlier thread). On the other hand, like I said in #18, Spock Prime might take a “needs of the many” viewpoint and divulge a censored version which brings the main threats to Starfleet Command’s attention. As for the issue of the information being exploited, he might weight up the odds (as he usually does) and decide that it’s worth the risk, considering the number of lives that are at risk. He’s a very smart guy but he’s not infallible, as we know from the fallout of his actions leading up to ST09.

Also, remember that the strategic intelligence he possesses isn’t just about the future, it’s also about the rest of the galaxy — meaning he knows about the Borg and the Delta Quadrant, the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant (plus the wormhole near Bajor), etc etc. Those two factions in particular are lurking in wait, keeping an eye on the Alpha Quadrant from a distance, and with their own plans about aggressively dealing with the Federation when they eventually encounter them.

So, the events of ST09 will result in some aspects of the Alpha Quadrant’s future having been changed (including the Federation), as you’ve correctly mentioned, but others will not have been affected — not yet, anyway. The same applies to other parts of the galaxy.

I also think that Section 31 would deviously do whatever they could to obtain as much intelligence as possible from Spock Prime, irrespective of whether or not he was willing to divulge that information voluntarily. They were already active during the “Enterprise” era and that part of canon obviously hasn’t been changed via Nero’s incursion, so they’d still be present during the timeframe of the new movies. And it’s been established that Section 31’s priority is to safeguard the Federation by any means necessary, and that they’re not particularly scrupulous about the legality or morality of the methods they use.

Incidentally, I don’t think Spock Prime needs to be depicted in the film (especially as Leonard Nimoy isn’t going to be appear in the sequel, as far as I know), although he would obviously be mentioned. Same for the Dominion/Gamma Quadrant, Borg/Delta Quadrant etc – their territory can be depicted on a galactic map during high-level Starfleet discussions by the conspirators (and it’s another easter egg for long-term Trek fans), but it’s not necessary for them to actually appear in the movie – in fact, given the fact that the new movies constitute a “fresh reboot”, those particular adversaries definitely shouldn’t be the villains in this case.

The primary, and immediate, target in this instance is the Klingon Empire – and the Klingons definitely could play a major part in the sequel in terms of the storyline I’ve suggested. During the time period of the new films, they’re still the Federation’s main rivals, and (unlike the Dominion, Borg etc) they’re also the “villains” which the non-Trekkie mainstream audience is the most familiar with.

Hugh Hoyland, re: #23

“#19 Interesting concept, but where are the Talosians? :] Seriously, I like it though, but I would think that this story might be so broad in scope that it would take two movies to really flesh it all out?”

No Talosians in this case ;) As for the length, I think it could fit into a 2.5 hour epic if handled properly. There are some good non-Star Trek precedents for longish films which managed to include a lot of material, such as “Gladiator”, the extended DVD version of “Kingdom of Heaven” (much better than the cinema version), and of course “The Dark Knight”. So it could be done, although it would need to be very tightly written and the pacing would also have to be carefully handled.

For a relatively recent Star Trek example, remember the two-part Mirror Universe episodes towards the end of “Enterprise” – they managed to fit in a hell of a lot of brilliant characterisation, historical/political exposition and drama in just two hours. It was also very gripping because the storyline was so unpredictable.

Daoud, re: #34

“@18/19: That’s your pitch? Too much windup, and wanders like a knuckleball to the plate.”

Not so fast. I’m setting the chess pieces on the board and providing details of the first series of moves along with one side’s endgame. How both sides actually execute their respective strategies, with one side achieving ‘checkmate’ by the end of the movie, is in the hands of Bob Orci, JJ Abrams etc — the sequel is obviously their baby and therefore their vision ;)

“Any reference to “Seven Days in May” however redeems you. Don’t neglect “Thirteen Days” too.”

Thank you ;) I’ve seen “Thirteen Days” and yes it’s a brilliant film too.

I suggest they find “Sherlock”‘s Benedict Cumberbatch a role, maybe as a bad guy – he’s been superb in whatever he’s played in. Watch him on “Sherlock” and you’ll see what I mean.

18/19
Obviously very well thought out but like what 21 says not very Trek like.
The story youre trying to tell here has a very long arc and would require a lot of characters. You only have two hours to tell the story.
It would make for a very interesting mini series though. Just not with Trek characters.
Youre on the right course when you say you would like to see an epic scenario that pushes Kirk and co to the limits.
I do not want to see any politics or paper thin allegories to our time.
I would like to see the dillema test Kirk on a personal level PAST his limits,
It doesnt have to be Klingons Romulans or any type of villain.
The Doomsday device or the Galileo 7 type of dillemmas.
Don’t rip off those stories make the drama inspired from those ideas.

ST On TV = I’d love JJ forever. (I’d be nice to see nuST cast have a show)

Wait…I thought they were already working on the script…at least they just started to. JJ is being inaccurate lol

#9

*sigh*

@43

Sarcasm was the tool they employed when forming their response.

41

Most people on this site, including me, trust his “judgement” over yours.

I just don’t get why some people feel the need to knock J.J Abrams AFTER ONLY ONE MOVIE. “Star Trek” was a hit movie. It was also easily the most critically and financially successful Trek film to date.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think Bob’s interest in the JFK assassination pegs him as a general fan of dark conspiracies all over the map.

I don’t want to see some baloney utopian future, but the military industrial complex we have now seems too overboard for the Star Trek future as well.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but significantly better would be cool.

JJ’s wife is either very tall or he’s very short.

Jeff Goldblum? Back on screen? Why wasn’t I notified! lol

And ya’ll know what’s cooler than cool? ICE COLD!!!!

Decloaking . . .
NOT falling for this line, again!
Recloaking. }:-D>

“Star Trek Sequel Has ‘Really Cool’ Story”

And Brannon Braga said “These are the Voyages” was going to be a treat for the fans.

My point? Unless they tell us what the story is about, don’t their word for it. I could say that what’s in this box is really cool, but there is is just piles of rocks. Sure, I think they’re cool since their from Nebraska, but to some they’re just rocks.

49

To paraphrase Han Solo

“Well, I’m glad we have you here to tell us that! Chewie, take her into the back…”