Today Zachary Quinto was at the Summer TCA event and spoke a bit about the 2016 Star Trek movie, expressing interest in seeing the characters evolve and showing enthusiasm to see Roberto Orci in the director’s chair. Quotes below.
Quinto excited for 5-year mission & Orci directing
Star Trek’s new Spock Zachary Quinto had his executive producer ears on today, promoting the upcoming documentary series The Chair at the Television Critics Press Tour in Beverly Hills today. While at the even Quinto was asked about the next Star Trek film and he discussed his enthusiasm for how the new crew are finally off on their ‘five-year mission’ (as seen at the end of Star Trek Into Darkness), noting (via IGN)…
I think the five-year mission will be a part of this next film in some way. We’re coming up on the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic sci-fi series in entertainment history, so it’s inherently an ongoing story. But I do think that we’ll feel some sense of evolution in these characters that’s been building through the first few films.
Zachary was also enthusiastic about Roberto Orci directing the film (which is expected, but not yet completely ‘official’)…
Bob [Orci] is definitely sort of a purist about the Trek universe, so I’ve spoken to him a number of times about his ideas and they’re really exciting and I’m really excited that we get to be a part of his feature directorial debut. It’ll be a different world without J.J. [Abrams] on set every day, but this is a family and Bob is an essential part of that family and we’re all really excited to see where it goes.
Quinto’s new Starz series The Chair will give a behind-the-scenes look at two first-time directors. The show premieres in September. More info and the brand new trailer at the official site.
Zachary Quinto with first-time directors Anna Martemucci and Shane Dawson at Starz TCA event for "The Chair" – July 11, 2014 (Photo: Starz)
Agreed!
The chick on the left dresses like a Century 21 agent.
Well paid actor expresses positive remarks about his upcoming film and director-to-be
Well, duh.
3 Cygnus, Yep, and Quinto says it so beautifully ;-)
I mean, really, why do people ask these questions of actors — and even Bob? What do people think they’re going to say … “I’m not looking forward to working with THAT guy” or “Yeah I look forward to [writing and directing / starring in] a really bad movie”?
@4. Marja
““I’m not looking forward to working with THAT guy” or “Yeah I look forward to [writing and directing / starring in] a really bad movie”?”
LOL, now that would make headlines all over Hollywood.
2 – Mmmmm. She can take me on an open house anytime.
Oh wait, am I getting off topic?
TOO BAD!!!!
It’s odd that there are the same set of characters who need to be “NuTrek naysayers” every time a positive article is posted on TrekMovie. And sad, too.
Evolution of characters?
Please….
Yawn…after STID the bar is now set very low. Of course the actor is going to tout the Party Line. Nothing new here.
Zachery is such a good person and a good man. I wish you the best Zachary. you and orci.
As long as Lindelof is gone, I would say.
Yes
BRING ON TREK 3.
@10. boy – July 12, 2014
Yes, the fact that Lindelof is gone from Trek 3 a HUGE win for Star Trek. I strongly believe that every negative aspect of STID is directly related to Lindelof. From the inclusion of Khan, to the use of scenes from STII TWOK, to to the casting of Cumby as Khan (great actor, but stupid as Khan), to the loose plot threads, are all due to that hack.
I am very optimistic for this next Trek movie. A great cast is in place, some real Trek fans are writing it, the story is moving from Earth to actual space, there will be some new characters and stories, and perhaps some actual sci-fi story elements!
@11. Mad Mann – July 12, 2014
Don’t mince words, Mad Man. Tell us what you REALLY think!
[grinning, ducking and running]
Whoops – that should have been Mad ManN – left off the second N
#7
Have you noticed he posts more than the rest of us combined? What a thread hog. I expect a major meltdown when Star Trek 4 is greenlit.
#11 how do we/you know that it was all down to Lindelof? Don’t get me wrong if the one big problem for the mess that was STiD has been removed i’ll be delighted- its just I have my doubts that it was all down to him.
@15. Buzz Cagney,
“#11 how do we/you know that it was all down to Lindelof?”
Agreed. We don’t. There was plenty wrong with ST09 as well, and O&K are on the hook for that by themselves (along with Abrams).
But I think it’s safe to say Orci did not come up with the idea for Khan, based on everything he’s said. And I think many of us agree had Harrison not been Khan, STID would have been a much more interesting movie, or at least less convoluted. But once Orci was convinced to make Harrison into Khan, they were down the rabbit hole which spawned other bad ideas such as mirroring TWOK reactor death scene, and the 72 torpedoes.
One thing is for sure, if all moves ahead as currently planned, Orci and Orci alone will be 100% responsible for the content of the film, and there will be little doubt as the extent of his previous contributions to the “bad” ideas. So nothing to do but wait until 2016 (or 2017 as the case may be). The die is cast.
14 leminsworth,
let’s get anything on 3 first.
15 buzz,
probably.
14 lemingsworth oops.
4. Marja – July 11, 2014
I mean, really, why do people ask these questions of actors — and even Bob? What do people think they’re going to say … “I’m not looking forward to working with THAT guy” or “Yeah I look forward to [writing and directing / starring in] a really bad movie”?
LOL – exactly.
Hollywood film industry people who will dare to give a non-positive review to a fellow Hollywood industry person are already few and far between. It makes little sense for someone to bite the hand that feeds them and sabotage their own movie. If someone did do that, now that would be a story! :-)
7. dswynne – July 12, 2014
We are the Knights Who Say “NAY!”
And we shall say “NAY!” again to you if you do not appease us.
We want…
A shrubbery!
(one that looks nice…and not too expensive.)
@16 (Curious Cadet): what was wrong with Star Trek ’09?
16. Curious Cadet – July 12, 2014
One thing is for sure, if all moves ahead as currently planned, Orci and Orci alone will be 100% responsible for the content of the film, and there will be little doubt as the extent of his previous contributions to the “bad” ideas.
Well, that’s interesting…
Remember, Orci’s got the two frat boys writing it with him. So, while they might supply some good ideas, Orci as the director and head writer will be held responsible for failing to discern and weed out the bad ideas from the good ones and for fixing what needs to be fixed in terms of the writing. Unless the Guiding Light of Abrams overrules him, that is.
Too much time between movies. Losing interest. It would help the waiting if they put a series on TV.
I’ll never forget the incredible self-praise the TNG-cast engaged in during the pre-publicity hype for NEMESIS. They all made it sound like they’d just finished making the best TREK-film ever. Instead, we got, well, we all know what we got…
Obviously, I agree with those comments that don’t take Quinto’s quotes too seriously.
Where’s the pocket protector & the tape, Zac?
“Remember, Orci’s got the two frat boys writing it with him.”
So denigrating about people you don’t know and have little, if any, idea of the work they are capable of doing. This is just so common and drags everything/everyone down a notch. At times it can be several notches.
I know that the use of the term “frat boys” is not meant as a compliment and was just unnecessary to write in the first place.
I was described as being an example of the “lowest common denominator”, but I have to say that there are a few here who appear to be well below the COMMON denominator and it takes a massive effort to drag them UP to that of the lowest common denominator.
We have no idea how much Orci contributed to the ‘bad’ parts of the previous two movies, he was only one voice of many. It may be that it was the other writers and producers that are less familiar with Star Trek that wrote the ‘bad’ bits whilst Orci was out voted? We don’t know. We will find out in 2016.
For example, I think Lindelof pushed for the inclusion of Khan in STID, personally I think it would have been better if Khan stayed frozen. As for the Trek tech inconsistencies and various magic transporters/warp drives used in ST09 and STID again we have no idea if Orci was responsible for this or not.
I look forward to 2016 and we will see if the breakup of the supreme court has benefitted Star Trek or not.
ONE THING, BOB:
Please don’t let your movie have an orange and teal palette, there are many other colours! No blue/orange please. The sooner we all complain about this the better.
Cygnus, the two “frat boys” are Mormons, aren’t they?
I can just see them, after a hard day’s writing, kicking back and chugging six-packs of fruit juice ….
——————————————————————————————
As to the quality of Trek 3, well, that remains to be determined. As has been said, it’s on Bob Orci now. I hope he can stop working on other things while he’s working on Trek, so there are no “distractions,” but I doubt that’ll happen.
28 Flake, It will be interesting to see if the color palette is “warmed” a little for the next film. But I, for one, love the peacock blue Science tunics. They’re much more complimentary to the actors who sport them than the powder-blue Sciences tunics of days past.
I’m not sure if that’s the “teal” you meant, or if it was the intense blue of the lens flares ;-)
28. Flake
“don’t let your movie have an orange and teal palette”
What the heck are you talking about?
@ 29. Marja – July 12, 2014
“As has been said, it’s on Bob Orci now. I hope he can stop working on other things while he’s working on Trek, so there are no “distractions,” but I doubt that’ll happen.”
As a matter of fact, it was reported yesterday that Orci has left The Amazing Spider-Man 3 project. So I guess that means he will have more time for ST 13.
#29. Marja – July 12, 2014
Indeed, I’ve been trying to picture what Frat Movie would reflect such an appellation being justified?:
MANIMAL HOUSE?
It strikes me there’s no way the five-year mission can be done justice really. Partly because films are so much different to TV. Anyway that’s been done, and it’s out there. It’s the Original Series and Animated too.
In terms of this alternate reality version, I’d push for time compression. Make your third movie truly epic and span the whole thing. Have a theme that encompasses some scenes set in years one, two and three. Then the bulk towards five. Tweak the makeup and ages of the crew. Making them younger than how they are at the end, when the Enterprise is returning home.
Then if there’s to be a fourth film, go for adventures conceivably set between The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan… complete with a uniform change we’ve never seen. Second five-year mission in depth done at a slower, film-by-film basis with gaps between.
29. Marja – July 12, 2014
Just for Marja: http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2012/11/11/snl-s-romney-consolation.html
33. Disinvited – July 12, 2014
I don’t know, but I should give credit where due. I think Harry Ballz coined that nickname for McKay & Payne.
A) Orci left Spiderman when K/O split up, not yesterday.
B) The “frat boys” were hired to write the Flash Gordon reboot based largely on the initial draft of Star Trek 3.
C) Forbes was right. The haters are the only people Paramount can rely upon to absolutely, never, ever leave.
Three comments in for the snarky replies to begin. Constant complaining, constantly….
@ 37. TrekMadeMeFat – July 12, 2014
“A) Orci left Spiderman when K/O split up, not yesterday.”
Not correct. He was still attached to write ASM 3 & only yesterday the news broke out that he is no longer involved with that movie & the whole Spider-Man franchise. Check the news & see for yourself.
“B) The “frat boys” were hired to write the Flash Gordon reboot based largely on the initial draft of Star Trek 3.”
Wrong again. 20th Century Fox is the one producing Flash Gordon reboot, not Paramount. So unless you think that Fox read their Trek script, which according to Orci, Paramount itself didn’t even read, then their hiring has nothing to do with the draft.
But I agree that there is no need to call them fratboys since we didn’t see their works yet.
It is the news I’m using. You’re using collider.
@ 40. TrekMadeMeFat – July 12, 2014
“It is the news I’m using. You’re using collider.”
Really? If you search google news, you will get dozen of news stories about Orci leaving ASM 3.
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/07/11/roberto-orci-off-the-amazing-spider-man-franchise-no-clear-timeline-for-tasm-3-venom-or-sinister-six
http://screenrant.com/amazing-spider-man-3-venom-sinister-six-release-dates/
#16 for sure the pressure is now on Orci. I’m glad that many of the influences have gone from the last effort and hope that Orci was the strong link in that chain. This is his big chance to really earn the respect of all fans.
I genuinely hope he’s up to it.
38. Phil – July 12, 2014
LOL — Cheers! :-)
Re: Orange and Teal – if you haven’t noticed this trend in movies yet then thats great, I don’t want to spoil it for you because when you do notice it there is no going back :) Its ruining movies imho, its everywhere!
Just google it.
#40
Don’t take it personally. Last week, he announced that the older Star Treks were number one on Netflix. He was also very supportive of the idea that Chris Pine likes to threaten strangers in the hills whilst waving to his friend Zachary Quinto as he happens to jog past. And this was just last week.
If he seems to embrace credulity for the sake of the Prime Universe and hating on nuTrek, well that’s just how he is. You’ll have to get used to it if you want to stick around.
My 2 cents.
Yes, these comments were expected, and they’re the normal stuff that actors say all the time. They’re ACTORS; they act during interviews and stuff, too; it’s part of the job.
Still, Mr. Quinto has been very busy with a lot of projects lately, and it’s nice to know that he can still spout positive stuff about Trek when asked to do so. :-)
47. Yep. I’ve seen no evidence that Orci wasn’t part of the troubles with STID etc. I think the desire to prove himself to fans is bad for Trek — it’s a combination of arrogance, condescension, a bit of an inferiority complex and the heady brew of money, success and power, all rewards for designing products, not movies.
He needs someone who pays attention to details and, by details, I don’t mean bit of Trek minutia and name dropping. I mean not assuming that film goers are idiots. It doesn’t have to be fucking Kierkegaard. Edge of Tomorrow was relatively smart and well put-together for a summer popcorn flick.
I hope it’s good news. TASM2 was absolutely terrible — despite good work from Webb ( I think, unless the mostly terrific TASM was a fluke), Garfield, Stone and Field.
The story was lousy and had typical Orci/Kutzman retconning/insta-relationships/plot-requiredcoincidences. The dialogue was mostly terrible.The villains would have been cut from a Joel Schumacher Batman movie.
Who knows why? Could be the studio. Could be K/O. No idea.
And, btw, if you’re going to do a political thriller with shades of current events (which is still a brilliant idea for Trek… Captain America 2 was more like the movie STID should have been), look a little wider, like how TOS-style intervention and interference fuck up the world:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/07/01/american_values_are_to_blame_for_the_worlds_chaos_democracy_human_rights_ukraine_iraq
Last point: this whole idea of turnin Trek 3 into a 50th anniversary celebration retrospective is a terrible one. Terrible, terrible. It could not be more terrible. The people suggesting that the movie should be a series of vignettes from the 5-year-mission don’t understand Trek. Or movies. Or life outside their basements in the year 2014..
NO MORE FXXXING RECYCLING FROM TOS or TNG. We’ve had 50 years of pretty much constant Star Trek. Build on it and tell new stories.
The movie itself doesn’t need to (and shouldn’t) acknowledge Trek’s anniversary. At all. Period. The writers should avoid the temptation to pack it with yet more TOS Easter Eggs for the sake of packing it with Easter eggs. You’ve watched TOS on Netflix, writers, you’ve got the Internet and can see Memory Alpha like the rest of us — fine, we believe you.
A movie based on fXXXing Star Trek is a celebration of Trek’s origins by its very existence.
It’s a massive movie based on a 50-year-old TV series. That, alone is enough. Trek is 50 and there’s a 13th bloody movie coming out and it’s a major bloody summer blockbuster. That’s a huge deal.
Keep the spirit of Trek alive (hint: Master and Commander is a good movie to rent), honor the characters, be true to the universe without getting strangled by continuity (note: the Enterprise being underwater really wasn’t a big fxxxing deal…it was something we hadn’t seen before) and show us shXt we haven’t seen before. Take advantage of the ridiculous budget, 2015 technology and your bloody imaginations to tell a great goddamned yarn.
Quantum of Solace, while overrated, nodded to Bond’s history. But Trek has been doing that for these last two movies. They’re set during TOS for Pete’s sake.