Star Trek Stars At Sundance: Yelchin Taks ‘Ridiculous Happy’ Chekov + Quinto Sells Margin Call + Photos w/ Saldana

Some of Star Trek 2009’s stars have been generating buzz at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah over the last few days. Anton Yelchin is talking about the ridiculously happy Chekov and getting good reviews for his role in Like Crazy. Zachary Quinto has closed a deal for his movie Margin Call, and Zoe Saldana is there to support her sister. Details and photos below.  

Trek stars at Sundance

Some of the cast of the 2009 Star Trek movie are getting big buzz at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The LA Times sums it up in an article titled "Set phasers to stunning performances", which notes: 

Three of the most impressive performances at this week’s fest are being turned in by alumni of J.J. Abrams’ 2009 "Star Trek" reboot: Anton Yelchin (Chekov) stars as the endearing furniture maker Jacob in the young love drama "Like Crazy"; Zachary Quinto (Spock) plays the whistle-blowing math wizard Peter Sullivan in the Wall Street meltdown story "Margin Call"; and Bruce Greenwood (Pike) leads the cast of "Meek’s Cutoff" as mountain man Stephen Meek in the arty western.

Yelchin: Chekov is ridiculous/happy character + Actor gets buzz for "Like Crazy"

For his part Anton Yelchin is riding a wave of good buzz starring in a new indie romance titled Like Crazy. In an interview about that film, Yelchin was asked by HitFix about pivoting from indie films to blockbusters like Star Trek:

Is it hard when you make a project like this, which is so involved and there is so much rehearsal to then go and make Star Trek 2, or is it just easy

Yelchin: It is just fun, I think. I think the goal for every movie is to find the legitimacy of that character. Even if it is Chekov, who is such a ridiculous character and he is over the top, it is finding why. What makes him tick? I remember going "he is just a joyful guy." You watch the old Star Treks, he is just always happy. Unless he is freaked out by Khan or whatever. So every character you look for what legitimizing them and what makes them sympathetic to them.

The actor fielded a similar question from The Hollywood Reporter:

The Hollywood Reporter: How conscious of a choice has it been to take on both mainstream and indie roles? 

Yelchin: I think it just sort of happens that way. I think my job is such that you can find joy and explore different universes. I loved playing Chekov (in Star Trek). I loved working on Terminator. And then I had an amazing experience on Like Crazy, too. Both types of films afford you the opportunity to experience these different lives — completely different lives in completely different places. And for me, the characters are important and what you can find in them, what you can bring to them, and what you can do with them. That’s usually what guides how I assess projects, aside from obviously the filmmakers, the other actors and the script. I think that’s why I don’t think, “Oh, this is a little indie. I’ll do that.” I feel lucky to be in whatever I’m in. I feel lucky to be working. 

Yelchin was in Sundance to promote the indie film Like Crazy, which is a romance about a long-distance relationship between an American furniture designer (Yelchin) and a British writer (Felicity Jones). The film has been getting excellent reviews from the festival and yesterday it secured a distribution deal with Paramount.

Here are some photos of Yelchin from Sundance.

Actor Anton Yelchin attends the “Like Crazy” Premiere – 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah.

Actor Anton Yelchin attends the Variety Studio at Sundance on January 23, 2011 in Park City, Utah

Zachary Quinto’s Margin Call Picks Up Distribution Deal 

Zachary Quinto, Star Trek’s Spock, latest project Margin Call also has good news from Sundance. Quinto produced the film set on Wall Street about the recent financial crisis and is part of the ensemble cast which includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci. Quinto just arrived in Park City today for the premiere of the film, but over the weekend Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate announced they had purchased the distribution rights for the film.

Here is the official release:

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS AND LIONSGATE PLACE A MARGIN CALL

Benaroya Pictures, Before the Door Close One of the First Major Deals During the 2011 Sundance Film Festival

Park City, UT (January 23, 2011)- Steve Beeks of Lionsgate and Howard Cohen of Roadside Attractions jointly announced today that the companies have partnered to acquire and release J.C. Chandor’s thriller, MARGIN CALL. Following all night negotiations, the deal was negotiated by Cassian Elwes and Rena Ronson of UTA on behalf of MARGIN CALL producers. Howard Cohen negotiated on behalf of Roadside and Steve Beeks on behalf of Lionsgate. The film’s world premiere is Tuesday night at the Eccles Theater, and a 2011 theatrical release is planned.

MARGIN CALL stars a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci. The film was written and directed by Chandor and produced by Michael Benaroya and Barnum of Benaroya Pictures, and Quinto, Dodson, and Corey Moosa of Before the Door Pictures and Joe Jenckes. Elwes, Laura Rister, Randy Manis, and Joshua Blum are executive producers. Myriad Pictures represents international rights on the project.

Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, Margin Call is a thriller entangling the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster. Expanding the parameters of genre, MARGIN CALL is a riveting examination of the human components of a subject too often relegated to partisan issues of black and white. Chandor’s enthralling first feature is a stark and bravely authentic portrayal of the financial industry and its denizens as they confront the decisions that shape our global future.

Margin Call premieres on Tuesday at Sundance. Quinto just arrived Monday night and sent out this photo via Twitter from the Altoids photo Kiosk.

Paul Bettany and Zachary Quinto at Sundance Altoids photo booth, in Park City UT  January 24th

As for Bruce Greenwood’s film Meek’s Cutoff, it had already secured a distribution deal with Oscilloscope at the Toronto Film Festival last September. 

Saldana in Sundance 

While Star Trek’s new Uhura doesn’t have a film showing in Sundance, Zoe Saldana still made the trip out to Park City, telling her Twitter followers she is there to
support her sister Cisely, who has a film screening and was honored at the Levis "Shape of What’s To Come" event. Here are some photos of Zoe at Sundance.

Cisely Saldana and Zoe Saldana attends Levi’s (r) Shape What’s to Come At The Levi’s Showroom during the 2011 Park City on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah.

Actors Elizabeth Banks, Emile Hirsch and Zoe Saldana attend the Tide Loads of Hope Screening of “Espwa” on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah