Another tea leaf regarding the status of the Star Trek sequel has emerged in the form of a brief comment from Damon Lindelof. In an interview the Star Trek co-producer/writer says that the team are still "in the midst" of writing. Details below.
Lindelof: In midst of Star Trek sequel script
This week DC comics celebrated the 900th issue of their Superman "Action Comics" by bringing on some big named guest writers, including Dark Knight scribe David Goyer, Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner and Lost/Star Trek writer/producer Damon Lindelof. Lindelof did an interview promoting the issue with CBR, mostly focusing on the comic, but there was this tiny Star Trek scripting tidbit.
And now you’re knee deep in the script and story for "Star Trek 2," correct?
Yes. We’re in the midst of writing the script and we’re looking forward to making it.
This again confirms our reporting that the first draft for script for the Star Trek sequel is still not considered complete. We also know that Damon is not currently holed up with his Star Trek sequel writing partners Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, because this morning Lindelof notified his followers on Twitter that he has returned to London for the second time this year. Presumably Lindelof is in the UK for Prometheus, which he wrote and director Ridley Scott is currently filming at Pinewood Studios. Prometheus comes out June 8th, 2012 (three weeks before the release date for the Star Trek sequel).
Lindelof back in the UK with Ridley Scott currently shooting "Prometheus"
As for how Lindelof got involved with Action Comics #900, the writer says that he has always been a Superman fan in comics and especially the Donner movies so he was very eager when DC approached him, noting how "supercool" it is for him to share a byline with Donner. For his part, Lindelof wrote a 10-page story which he calls an origin story from "a slightly different angle." You can read Lindelof’s story and others in Action Comics #900 in comic stores now.
Thanks to Rick for the link
Isn’t midst another word for middle?
YIKES!
There’s no frakking way that the movie is coming out in Summer 2012. I’m not sure who dropped the ball or why, but the ball most certainly has been dropped.
We’ll most likely see a movie depicting how the CIA killed Osama Bin Laden made in the timeframe that it takes the Trek sequel to get into production!
#3- Yeah. And it’ll probably premier on SyFy in a couple of months!
2013, here we come!
You people are over-reacting. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, there’s plenty of time to get it done.
I’m excited for Star Trek 12 and very intrigued with the idea behind Prometheus. At first I was like “Alien prequel, really?” then I was like “Ridley Scott…back on the Alien franchise! Yes!” Then I was like “So wait, its not an alien film anymore?” Then I was like “Wait, its a different title, new series, but still set before Alien and part of that universe? Interesting…” so I’m intrigued to see what they come up with. Will it finally answer the big myster of who the dead alien on the ship is?
#1 Hasn’t Orci said here several times that they were in the 70% or whatever mark? That should be more than in the middle (obviously), but they’ve been there so long…
What’s that old song?
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU!
Note to Lindelof:
ADD THE PROPOSED KIRK PRIME SCENE TO START OFF THE MOVIE & TIE ST XII to “ALL; THAT HAS GONE BEFORE”.
YOU GUYS WILL CLEAN UP.
*deep breath everyone. Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Find that special peaceful place you love or dream of going. All is quiet, all is good in the world.
Now say these words. (regarding our movie and it’s release date)
“It will all work out.” – “It will come to pass.”- “It will be on time”…
Do this 5 times and see if you don’t feel any better afterwards.
I don’t practice this, but thought it may relieve some of the stress around here! LOL…. AND, I still think it will be on time!
Peace out…. :)
As young Kirk told young Spock in the Jellyfish – “It’ll work” then again, “It’ll work”.
I think he also needs to tell the Bad Robot team just to “Do it, do it, do!”
And it shall be done…
In all honesty there is no reason why you can’t play out that scene or the Spock young side of it with the hologram at the start of the next one sort of.
Easy.
Have the pre credits bit like in the TV show whatever that is for this movie.
Play credits with voice over “These are the voyages”
Next scene Enterprise at Starbase
Spock prime gives young spock the pendant as the Enterprise is about to leave the starbase
Play out scene.
Young spock walks on to the bridge
Young Kirk: so are you ready to go?
its odd 2 hear Lindelof talking about this stuff on here,its usually Bob. but,they are looking 4ward 2 it anyway! whenever it gets done….
13. Trekker 5…
Not to criticize, but you sound like a 13 year old girl, would it have hurt you to type 4 (four, not for) more characters?
It seems to me that there’s too many other things going on with the writers/ producers right now.
Until the moviemakers can give the ST sequel their TOTAL ATTENTION, they should forget about 2012 and aim for 2013–and do it right!! The sequel deserves that much.
#14 not 2 criticize,but i live in a free land,so i’ll type how ever the hell i want to!!!!
I don’t know…I have my doubts.
Writers “in the midst of writing the script” for the sequel usually post here.
However,I don’t remember seeing any post by Mr. Lindelof ,here, recently…
Nice try, sir.
:)
Paramount is not going to lose out in having a blockbuster in-place going into the 2012 Fourth of July weekend; are you telling me that motion picture professionals (above and below the line) cannot enter production later this summer and be ready for a release of a 2-hour film within 10 months? I’m certain they can and will…
I told Paramount that I would both write and direct the sequel. But noo they had to use A list guys!
Speaking of Alien, maybe they hope to repeat the success of Alien 3 and make the script up as they go along (or even afterwards).
I’m amazed that Alien 3 turned out to be even half good when you know how it got made. I guess great cinematography and a beautiful score goes a long way…
I think these writers are not good at math… boborci had not spoken in something like 70%?? … some time ago… LOL
OK… I ‘m thinking that Damon Lindelof is not referring to “how much” the script was done… he’s talking about something like ” we’re in the middle of it “… if you know what I mean… +LOL
And Mr.Lindelof do not disappoint me now, please! … because I really liked the end of Lost… ++LOL
Faster, faster! Write!! Better, better!!!!
This confirms what perceptive folks realized awhile back: the sequel will not be ready in time for the release date.
19. Hugh Hoyland – “I told Paramount that I would both write and direct the sequel. But noo they had to use A list guys!”
[laughs] They never got back to me either!
Looks like Lindelof and Orci will have to abandon the terrorist storyline in the next movie following the death of Bin Laden!
i don’t know about you Aurore,but Mr.Lindelof is not my boss! i only talk to Bob!
@23 Agree completely. I think its just a matter of time before we hear from Paramount about the date being pushed back. At some point, the powers that be have to admit what’s becoming increasingly plain to the rest of us – a movie with a supposed release date in 13 months doesn’t even have a script. And we’ve gone from nearly finished to tweaking to in the middle since first reports late last *year* that the script was due so the film could go into pre-production.
I’d love to think they’re smokescreening us all, and its really finished, but I’m not sure even this crew could pull off that kind of sleight-of-hand.
Of course it’s coming out on time. Jeez.
How can anyone still think that the movie is going to come out on time?
There are only 13 months until the release date and the script isn’t even finished! There’s no way you can do pre-production, filming, and post-production on a major motion picture in 13 months. It simply isn’t possible.
At this rate, they would be lucky to get it finished by Christmas 2012, but i don’t think they would want to release it then anyway. Summer 2013 is all but official now.
I think the root problem here is that JJ and Damon and all of these guys have really over-committed themselves. I really wish they would focus on doing one project brilliantly instead of doing a dozen projects half-assedly.
Olivia,
Mr. Orci talks to you?!
You must be one of his best consultants ,then!
:))
Aurore,well,our talking is kind ofone sided at times,but,that doesn’t mean hes not listening!!! :) :) :)
@30 – Bill – you cannot blame them for pursuing and taking on projects that they are interested in pursuing and given an opportunity to have produced. Anyone of us would have the same thing, given the opportunity; in fact, we do the same thing in our own professions.
There’s no guarantee that if they focused solely on STAR TREK it would be brilliant. Some people need to be busy on multiple projects to function. That may be their level of performance.
Is it that don’t like successful people, because what these writers have worked on the last couple of years is not half-assed in terms of result, i.e. making money for the producers and providing enetertainment to viewers. That statement of yours is not quantifiable.
you know, wish i felt that the wait for the new TREK film was going to produce a better product. however, now that we see them hurrying, seemingly at the last minute, to get to film written and into production, i don’t see much difference between this situation and that of past TREK films.
if these intervening years were spent in careful pre-production, i’d share the optimism of my fellow-fans that this could result in a superior film. however now we’re seeing that these delays are simply due to the needs of the professionals making the films and the studio’s typical ambivalence to TREK and it’s fans.
yet, i’m now sensing that there are fans quite enamored of the new TREK producers/scribes and that they appear to have an unchecked enthusiasm regarding all things JJ-TREK. considering, the enormous talent of the current team, i’d agree. but i think the theory that it’s better for them to have more time between TREK films, is pretty much being undermined by this last-minute rush.
of course, i wish them all so much success since i enjoyed TREK2009 and given the absence of TREK from series-television, we’re all basically starved for any TREK at this point (well, maybe not a return of ENTERPRISE). lol.
Didn’t Anthony Pascale say that a lot of post-production (ILM work etc) can be done while they are still filming? As for the “soft-prep” that Bob Orci talked about, I would say that means that everything is being dusted off, and once the green light is given, then official pre-production time could be short indeed. I suspect that it will be just a matter of gathering all the actors together, handing them their scripts and for them to start the full-on learning of lines and rehearsing before the cameras start rolling.
While the actors are doing their thing, any model making or whatever could be done at the same time, along with any filming not involving the actors. The people who will have to get up to speed are the make-up people, so that filming is not held up too much…
If all the teams/units do their thing at much the same time, it does not necessarily mean a big rush and having the movie ready for release by 29 June is do-able. Otherwise, a Christmas release date could work. For me, it would constitute a nice birthday and Christmas present, if I can just hang on for another six months…
@35, I’d love to agree, but I’ve followed too many movies for too long not to read the tea leaves of a delayed script as a delayed movie. I’d love to be wrong.
Maybe I’m snakebit, but I’m hearing echoes of the script problems that plagued ST:TMP over 30 years ago….granted, the circumstances are different, but still…the script is everything….and it isn’t there yet.
…good effing god, enough with the Kirk Prime scene. Will someone just do a Shatner mash up so we can get past this??!!?? This mule is way past dead, so stop beating it….
Referring back to Alien 3 again – watch the extra on the DVD or Blu-Ray entitled Wreckage and Rage in which Fox production supervisor Jon Landau says
“as a studio we set out to make a release date not a movie”
just saying…
I think some folks here are taking the word “midst” way too literally.
Don’t really have a dog in this fight, not caring much when, or even if, the world is blessed by the arrival of more AbramsTrek. But my guess is that Paramount will ultimately have its movie on time, and on budget.
They’ve been trying to write this script for the better part of a year now. Im not convinced it will get done on time. It keeps being delayed. Didn’t they say the rough draft was due at the end of March? The delays seem to tell me they are having a hard time writing it good enough to top the last movie.
@40 They’ve been writing the script since October.
ILM has the Enterprise models, so that’s not going to be a problem, they don’t have to build many sets. . . the bridge is done, the Narada set was modular and could be painted and reconfigured to several different looks. . . JJ likes to use real-world locations for added realism and soft-prep probably includes scouting them out.. . .they know the plot of the story, so they know the characters that they have and probably have feelers out for the actors to portray them. . . unless something catastrophic happens, the movie will most likely be done on time. . . these people are professionals. . . they know what they are doing (even if you don’t like it). . .
~FS
Bob Orci also said that the script is never really done until the movie is done. They are always tweaking some aspect of it… I think this may be fairly normal. There is a picture of Chris Pine receiving a last minute script rewrite for a scene he was to do for Welcome to People.
#24 Christopher Roberts
Maybe we can go after ST3 then? lol
25. John from Cincinnati – “Looks like Lindelof and Orci will have to abandon the terrorist storyline in the next movie following the death of Bin Laden!”
Section 31 capture and waterboard Spock for info about the future. Starfleet then locate and board the S.S. Botany Bay, killing Khan… but others of kind get clean away.
43. Remind me next decade and I’ll clear my whole schedule for it. I always fancied trying to break Rick Berman’s record for the most hate mail ever received! :}
34. p’trick – “of course, i wish them all so much success since i enjoyed TREK2009 and given the absence of TREK from series-television, we’re all basically starved for any TREK at this point (well, maybe not a return of ENTERPRISE). lol.”
Oi! I’ve been waiting in vain for that for 6 years now. :(
25. (continued from 44.) While the current situation might potentially increase the Al-Qaeda threat, I’d prefer Star Trek to give us a view of the future free from the terrorist concerns of the present. Or at least,
My suggestion of a waterboarded Nimoy Spock and Khan as Bin Laden, was intended to be a satirical take on how subtle Hollywood is.
46. (cont) Or least, more colourful metaphors than sabre rattling about how we’ll never be able to escape our post 9/11 world.
Still in the midst!? Really, who am I to say but ugh. really? Im putting money down that the movie is being pushed back. One year plus 2 months opening day which means the movie has to be done before, not happening. Talent cant be rushed. Pre production, filming, music. special effect and computer graphics, post production, promotion..I just dont see it in one year. But now we would at least have teasers.
41. “These people are professionals. . . they know what they are doing (even if you don’t like it). . . ”
Heh. True.