Chris Pine Says Trek Sequel Has ‘Better Story’ + Kurtzman Says It Has ‘Bold Moves’

Chris Pine’s new movie People Like Us opens up this weekend and the actor has been out doing lots of publicity. While promoting his new film he and director Alex Kurtzman also been talking some Trek, Pine saying the sequel has a better story and Kurtman talking about "bold moves." Check out all the latest video from Chris’ publicity tour below, inlcuding talking about his small butt and how he would do a nude scene.

 

Pine: Star Trek sequel story is ‘better’ + Kurtzman: Sequel has ‘hugely bold moves’

Pine isn’t revealing spoilers, but did have this to say to AICN about the Star Trek sequel:

The movie is relentless, and for the visually inclined people who want to see major sequences, there are a couple specifically that I think… I’m not a huge 3-D fan, but I think will be incredible. But what I’m more excited about and what I think they did so well is that really the story is that much better, and the journey that these guys go on is that much more, and what they always talked about is that even though they’re a crew from what we know about the original team, the fun of getting there is following that journey to where they become that tight-knit crew. It’s no fun if they’re already a tight-knit crew. So suffice it to say, they’re still learning how to get along.

And People Like Us director Alex Kurtzman also weighed in, talking more about the arc and interactions of the bridge crew:

[The bridge crew] only really came together as a team at the end of the first movie as a function of story. But the bridge crew from the original series, they aren’t those people yet, neither in age nor in experience. So I think the worst mistake that we could have made was to assume that they were there already at the top of the movie and skip that stuff. And the other thing I’ll say without revealing too much is that in the first TREK, we made choices–in our invention of the story–that were extremely controversial. Blowing up Vulcan, hugely controversial choice, and we knew that die hard Trekkers were either going to skewer us or accept it based on the emotional architecture around that choice. I think for us, TREK is at its best when it is making hugely bold moves like that, and there will be hugely bold moves in this one.

MORE TREK TALK FROM CHRIS

Speaking to RedEyeChicago Chris Pine talked about how he feels that Star Trek fans warmed up to him after some initial reluctance.

Chris, what’s something that surprised you about Capt. Kirk, either from playing him or people’s reactions to how you played him?
CP: Well, I will say my favorite comment that I get from hardcore fans, and they mean it as a compliment and it is, but it’s quite funny when it comes out on their lips, is, [talking quietly, seriously,] “You know, when we found out you were going to play Capt. Kirk, we were so angry. We were so sad. We were so nervous. But you turned out to be pretty good.” That’s the most backhanded compliment of all time.

Why do you think they were nervous or sad at the time?
CP: Certainly because I hadn’t done anything in my career that would—“Star Trek” fans are very protective, and understandably so. I’m sure there was nothing in my great, teeming body of work to prove that I could take on the character.

I’m sure they wanted Shatner back with a good makeup job.
CP: Totally. Totally. What was surprising to me … well, I will say this, having not been a born and bred [“Star Trek”] fan, the first time that all of us were on the bridge and I sat in the captain’s chair … looking around, it was like points of light in the audience. When that moment happened, there were real fans in the crew, grips and gaffers, the art department people, they had come just to watch that moment. Because for them it was a really momentous occasion, and I, not really understanding the gravity or the coolness of it, was kind of unaware until I saw these people light up … What it means to sit in that chair is quite powerful. Anyway, the chair became this wonderful, beautiful touchstone that was reflective of not only the journey in the film but also who you are and what you are as a person and how you want to sit in your own chair, for lack of a better metaphor. It was really cool.

And speaking to HitFix, Pine said that shooting the Star Trek sequel was "like camp that you get paid for." He also gave this assessment of the upcoming movie:

The new one is just as exciting if not bigger than the first. I think the character story…the great thing that Alex, Bob, JJ and Damon are good at is marrying small character driven films with big blockbuster actors. I that is what sets them apart from other film makers.

Here’s the video

MORE PINE VIDEO

Chris, along with People Like Us director Alex Kurtzman and co-star Elizabeth Banks, has been on a whirlwind publicity tour. Here are some of the latest videos with Chris.

AP: Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks debate Star Trek v Hunger Games future. There is also a discussion of the smallness of Pine’s butt.

Tonight Show: Pine talks about Mantivities and how he felt he got a lot less enthusiasm from fans at the 2009 Wondercon Star Trek panel. In Part 2 he denies rumor he will be appearing in Fifty Shades of Grey movie, but says he is open to doing nude scene.

Buzzsugar: Alex Kurtzman talks about what he saw in Pine on the set of Star Trek that convinced him he was right for People Like Us.

Good Morning America: Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine talk People Like Us.

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Oh no! The mention of CP nude?

Cue the Keachick diatribe and drooling…..;)

“Bold moves” = “Yussa somebodee gonna die?”

…It just won’t be Spock this time…

I spat my wine all over my keyboard when I read Alex Kurtzman’s line about “emotional architecture”.

Christ, does one have to live in California in order to start speaking like that?!

C’mon, everybody, let’s all get together and talk about the nothingness of being!

The fans in Japan still prefer Shatner. I attended a ST meet up and was shocked to find how narrow minded Japanese ST fans are. The foreign movie market itself is dwindling by the minute over here…please avoid the sequel flopping like its predecessor and start advertising!!!!! I heard that Transformers 4 doesn’t have a single footage of anything but still has something to show at Comicon!!!! WTF JJ!!!! I thought you were more a producer than a director!!!!!

3 – He’s a professional. He’s simply using the terminology of his trade.

5.

One can write a great script without resorting to new age pseudo-babbling.

#3

C’mon, man, it’s like a thing you have to like have a degree in to understand. Like you know, majoring in emotional architecture and stuff. Not sure what it is exactly… I slept through those classes….

But basically it’s what holds the buildings up, man.
Love, Peace, and Concrete. It’s all there.

#4

“please avoid the sequel flopping like its predecessor”

Pretty sure the first film was far from a flop.

@4 “The fans in Japan still prefer Shatner. I attended a ST meet up and was shocked to find how narrow minded Japanese ST fans are.”

They allow the despicable practice of whale hunting in Japan as well. Shatner is nearly as big as a whale, so maybe these two seemingly disparate facts might be connected in some way?

“The world is a vampire…..”

(just kidding!)

I’ve read and re-read what Pine had to say there and can’t find any mention of Harrison Ford or Han Solo.
I’m very happy to see Chris is up to speed now! He’s even getting the importance of that Chair.

“Bold move”? As in “move Delta Vega closer, because we could?” :>

“Blowing up Vulcan, hugely controversial choice… accept it based on the emotional architecture…” Uhhh, what?

It’s now clear why they blew it up – they have no idea why the phrase “emotional architecture” should not be uttered in the same sentence as the name Vulcan.

Expressions like “emotional architecture” come from the level of ones literacy.

The writers have a greater depth of understanding of narrative structure, meaning and values than we do. This is probably why they are so accomplished and have had so much success in Hollywood.

#1 – Huh?

“Definition of DIATRIBE
1 archaic : a prolonged discourse
2: a bitter and abusive speech or piece of writing
3: ironic or satirical criticism”

I have not written diatribe about Chris Pine.

Yes, I would like to see him naked (front and back). I suspect he would look just as lovely without clothing as he does with clothing.

I wrote a scene in a Star Trek story outline where Kirk was seen butt naked. He lets the towel that he had wrapped around him fall as he is *surprised* by the sight of a nuli… I wrote this scene with the assumption that by the time we reached Star Trek’s 23rd century the only reason for reaching for a towel as he got out of the hot pool was to prevent becoming chilled and to not get the floor wet. Concern about whether anyone sees him naked would not be a consideration.

Apologies everyone. My post has more or less repeated itself. I thought that I had not posted the one at #13 as it had not turned up when I checked so I re-wrote it. Probably the post at #15 is a more concise one and not such a prolonged discourse – the archaic meaning of diatribe.

“Emotional architecture” – I don’t know what the big deal is, sounds pretty understandable in context: the framework in which blowing up Vulcan would elicit an emotional reaction in Spock (even Prime Spock).

Chris Pine saying it is both visually exciting and decidedly story-driven gives me confidence and whets my appetite, even though the sentiments come from someone who is invested in the success of the film. His words sound genuine.

“Hugely bold moves” = completely disregard cannon

@15

Reeled in……….

Beautiful!

:)

I do enjoy your wikipedic responses.

Live long and prosper. X

“3. Harry Ballz – June 26, 2012
I spat my wine all over my keyboard when I read Alex Kurtzman’s line about “emotional architecture”.

Christ, does one have to live in California in order to start speaking like that?”

Yeah, evidently. That and calling things “sexy” that are not or having nothing to do with……and another big artsy Hollywood thing to say is to use the word “organic” all the time. “The story just evolved in such an organic way”. Blah, blah, blah….(yawn). I avoid both of those words now because of that.

“Emotional architecture” isn’t a very difficult concept to grasp, if you have any sort of idea what tension and release in storytelling is.

Recently saw Prometheus. Lindelof is a bad writer. I’m very worried.
Cluelessness masquerading as vagueness.

Like i said in the Bob Orci article i think the bold move of this movie in that the Klingons foreheads are not rigged and Benedict Cuberbatch is a Klingon.

BTW i coppyrightet this idea. or was it Bob Orci?

Is this what we are going to get for the next year? Vague…very vague.
When you withhold ALL information about a film, there’s a thin line between keeping us in anticipation and boring us.
At this point, I’m mostly bored.

# 21 I heard that. Wasn’t impressed with Prometheus at all. Here’s to hoping the Star Trek sequel is better.

“I’m telling’ ya kid, it’s gonna be Bolder, Bigger, Better! With a ship twice as big to fit two whole breweries and…explosions. Huge explosions, last time we exploded a planet, now we’re gonna explode the whole damn universe ’cause that’s what the public wants. In fact, get me Michael Bay! But until the premiere; hush hush, not even a teaser trailer, mind you.”

Releasing it in 2D, now THAT would be bold!!!

Elizabeth Banks is looking fine.

In other news, anyone see Gates McFadden make a guest appearance on Franklin and Bash last night?! Doctor Crusher as a judge, who woulda thought…

I like what CP said about the captain’s chair. He wasn’t a fan at first, so he didn’t understand the importance of it. But now, after (as he stated) watching the entire TOS episodes and movies, and, of course, playing Kirk, he seems to be aware of how momentous it was to first sit in that chair as the captain. I’m sure it helped when seeing the production crew all light up at that moment, and listening to the reactions from fans.

Dude’s got it.

26. Yeah, not bad for an old lady. (Kidding! She’s the same age as me!)

@ 3

Lol. yea.

I think in terms of bold moves, the boldest would be moving it from next summer, to this Christmas… :))

Probably not going to happen though.

@29

38 is young.

To me anyway.

I’m starting to think we’ve all had it wrong all along. Trek fans have been convinced that his trilogy would be “his Batman,” ie Christopher Nolan. Therefor, the second film would be the best. However, I believe JJ views this as his Star Wars. The second film will be used to set up the third. So what if Khan IS in the movie… Sortof. Okay, Cumberbatch is playing a Klingon fleet commander (original, not Kor) attacking new Vulcan or wherever. After much CGI fun was had, Kirk and Co are heading home and the mood is up beat. Then Uhura gets a message she relays over speakers. It’s admiral Pike aboard the brand new Excelsior. And he’s got incredible news! They’ve happened upon an old Earth ship, DY-500 maybe, drifting in space. It may be a sleeper ship of some kind. “The science and medical teams are beaming over now. Scans show the name as… What is it Ensign? Ss Botany Bay. Pike out.” The movie ends ominously with the bridge crew looking at each other, seemingly “knowing.” How pumped would you be for the third one? The third film could “compress” the Space Seed-esque takeover of the Excelsior but provide Khan (please, Jesus, let it be Del Toro or Jaquim from No Country) with the superweapon and giving a heavy nod towards TWOK. A bit FanFic? Sure. But I still say JJ sees this as his Star Wars, not his Batman.

The word bold is unfair to use on trekkies.

It’s one of those triggers like the bells for Pavlov’s dogs . Kurtzman is playing a jedi mind trick by using words that immediately pull out an emotional response to make us see things in a favorable light.

I’m not so weak minded myself but some of you are putty to be played with.

@33

Drugs are illegal.

I could say something constructive yet what’s the point with all the negativity in all these comments?

Prometheus, wasn’t poorly written. You just need half a brain to figure it out.

I find it amazing how some are upset because they are not getting things their way. Sit back and relax, less stress for all involved.

If the term “bold moves” is being used to qualify the notions of destroying Vulcan, etc, then I think we’d better be prepared for something just as “big” in JJTrek2. As in *really* killing off a main character? Destroying the Enterprise? Splitting off one or more of the “main” crew onto a separate ship? Sending off a main character to, say, prison for some startling act? Sure sets up a JJTrek3, in any case.

“Rigged” for ridged.
“Cannon” for canon.
I thought TREK fans were better read than that.

As far as “emotional architecture” being Californian? Nope, just Hollywood.

i’m sensing a big “cliffhanger” in s.t. 2013. how are we gonna be patient as spock is encased in carbonite for 4 years while we wait for s.t. 2017?

The story is going to be better? That can’t be too hard. Trek XI wasn’t bad, but the story certainly wasn’t that movie’s strong point. Really, I’ll just be happy if Cumberbatch is a better villIn than Nero.

I like the idea that the characters are still forming into the crew. Perhaps this movies is about the Augments but ones that are on another sleeper ship. This ship has another group with one of the other leaders, this one played by BC. Who knows?

#37, they performed their “Bold Moves” in a contained story the first time,
I think they can do it again.
I highly doubt there is going to be a cliffhanger .
At least, not a direct one .
Major new threads ?
Maybe .

What we know so far about the sequel:
It’s hugely bold, blindingly brilliant, face-melting and mind blowing. Oh, and Khan is not the villain. Did I miss anything?

20. Brian “tension and release in storytelling”

Oh, Brian, I have lots of experience with tension and release in storytelling.

Especially every time I watched Star Trek:Voyager and saw Jeri Ryan prance around in her skin-tight outfit!

MEOW!

@43 No Janice Rand :( Although maybe Alice Eve’s character can provide similar blonde pulchritude and voluptiousness.

Having ANY story makes it better than ST ’09!

While I’m by no means a fan of what the writers did to Vulcan…

Bolder, at least differentiates the new universe from the original.

It’s right that they continue to push away from what fans expect.

A different timeline has advantages they ought TO BOLDLY GO for.

reading these comments really has me thinking that i got lost in a mirror universe. so many trekkies responding like this. everybody just take a breather and calm down, or at least wait for a trailer.

43

Yes

@45 Daoud

Well put.

And punchitude and voluptuousness are two words that are not used enough in my opinion and should always be in the same sentence!