Spin Up The Remastered Tholian Web Preview
StarTrek.com have put up a preview for next weekend’s "The Tholian Web" Remastered. click image to play in WMP or Click Here for QT
Articles by Anthony Pascale
Trek XI Update: Still Writing, Budgeting and Casting
TrekMovie.com is keeping an ear to the ground on what is happening now that Trek XI has got the official greenlight. Firstly we hear that even though the decision has not yet been made, there is growing support for the simple title ‘Star Trek.’ As for pre-production, it really has not started in earnest yet. Sources tell us that the script is going through a budgeting rewrite phase, which is typical. However various behind the scenes people are being lined up and told to get ready. The art department should be starting up in April with construction slated to start around June or July and shooting starting in October or November. Bear in mind that dates can easily move around (as they already have), but the release date of Christmas 2008 seems to be firm.
TNG@20: Stewart Interview
During 2007 we will peridically post retrospective interviews, features and found clips to celebrate TNG’s 20th birthday. Here is a BBC interview with Patrick Stewart from a few years ago (edited to just the Trek bits). He talks about how he got the job, the choice of Picard’s accent, fandom and the film Trekkies.
Interview: Bob Justman Talks ‘Star Trek’ and Remastering TOS
Justman talks about his days on TOS and how he knew Spock would be a breakout star.
Rumor: Garner as Spock’s Love Interest?
Well the latest rumor comes from Star Magazine, so bear that in mind as you read it. And here it is: SPOCK LOVES JEN GARNER!Star has learned exclusively that in the new Star Trek film, which is a prequel to the original hit series, the outwardly emotionless vulcan Mr. Spock has a love interest! Not only would Jen, 34, "be just the right person for Star Trek because she’s a chameleon," an insider says, but the film’s director, J.J. Abrams, cast her on Alias and has a history of giving jobs to people he worked with before! Beam her up!
Orci & Kurtzman Teaming Up With Bay for Another Sci-Fi Blockbuster
Trek XI’s scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s seem to be playing tag team between JJ Abrams and Michael Bay. The pair wrote the script for Abrams’ M:I:3 between the Bay films The Island and Transformers. Now according to TMZ.com they will produce and probably write another sci-fi blockbuster for Bay after Star Trek XI. According to the report the film will be based on the forthcoming novel, "2012: The War for Souls" by Whitley Strieber (writer of the novels behind Communion and The Hunger). Bay is slated to produce and possibly direct, but this time with Warner Brothers. The novel is based on the belief that 2012 is the year of a great transformation or apocalypse. So expect lots of things to blow up, as per Bay tradition. full report here.
Proof That Recasting Can Work
…case closed
Trek XI: The Poll
In the "Corbomite Maneuver" Lt. Baily says to Kirk "I vote we blast ’em," to which Kirk quickly replied "Thank you, Mr. Bailey, I’ll consider that when this becomes a democracy." But that attitude doesn’t stop fans from voting their opinions, including three currently running Trek XI polls on other sites. IMDB is asking for thumbs up or down on Matt Damon as Capt Kirk. Current result is a split decision of 48% for it, 52% against [UPDATE: IMDB have followed up with a new poll asking ‘if not Damon, then who?’…so far ‘an unknown’ leads with 34% with Ewan McGregor is 2nd with 11%] TrekToday also have a Trek XI casting poll going, asking what is people’s favorite casting rumor. The Sinise as Bones rumor leads with 40%. StarTrek.com have a tongue in cheek list of potential names for Star Trek XI, with "Star Trek XI: The First Generation" in the lead.
Abrams On Music And Trek XI Composer Giacchino
Among the many facets to JJ Abrams is his love of music. He plays a number of instruments and even composed the themes for both Alias and Felicity. In a new interview with Helio magazine, the Trek XI producer/director talks music and how he grew up listening to movie scores. He lists John Williams, Tom Twyker, John Barry and even Tangerine Dream among the composers he admires. Regarding his choice for composer for Star Trek XI, Abrams had this to say… Michael Giacchino, is a genius in terms of current working composers. I’m biased, but I think he’s as good as it gets, with contemporary composers.
TNG Novels Chart New Course
The last time we saw Captain Picard he was sitting in space dock fixing up the Enterprise and saying goodbye to old friends after the events of Nemesis. Now that the TNG film era is over, it is up to Trek Novels to continue the story. Riker and Troi have already set off in the popular ‘Titan’ book series, and so Picard must move on without his loyal first officer and trusted counselor. The first of these post Nemesis novels (Death in Winter) was released in hardcover in late 2005, and it focused on Picard/Crusher romance that has been brewing for far too long. That book gets re-issued in paperback later this year along with a slew of new TNG books to help celebrate the TNG 20th anniversary. In the second part of our interview with Simon & Schuster editor Margaret Clark, we find out what is next for The Next Generation.
Abrams: Choosing Trek XI Not About the Benjamins
At last week’s Cinequest Festival JJ Abrams did talk a bit about Star Trek XI, but didn’t reveal any details. However, he did discuss his passion for the script and the project: If I talk about this movie, everyone else who is involved with it knows where I live and will use that and, er, kill me. I can say that when the script came in it was so well written, it was so emotional, it was fun, and big and I found myself unable to not direct it! I couldn’t give it up. I think it’s going to be great. If in my gut I felt there was nothing else to offer, I wouldn’t do it. It’s not a business decision, I would rather take no money and do something inspiring. I hope it ends up being both a really cool, original, emotional ride and comes from something that we’re familiar with.
Interview With Daron Stinnett – Exec Producer of Star Trek Online MMORPG
The massive multiplayer Star Trek game ‘Star Trek Online’ is still a year and a half away, but Perpetual Entertainment is already building buzz about the project. Last week they showed off some of their work at the Game Developers Conference and today they put some of that artwork (below) on the official site. Now that things are starting to happen TrekMovie.com decided it was time to make first contact with Perpetual. Executive Producer Daron Stinnett made it clear that the game (like Star Trek XI) is just in pre production, but there are already 35 people working on it full time. Stinnett is a long-time fan of the franchise and apparently when the word went out that Perpetual were giving Trek the MMORPG treatment, the Trekkie game designers came calling. "A lot of great talent was attracted by it…people really excited to be part of a new vision of Star Trek," says Stinnett.
JJ Abrams Likes A Good Mystery
Wolf In The Fold Remastered Airs Today
The boys go to a ‘gentlemens club’ and Scotty ends up accused of killing one of the ladies Preview | Episode Info | Show times
Late Night Trek Chill
It is Friday night and not much going on…yesterdays interviews have some getting into a tizzy….TrekMovie suggests relaxing and taking a chill pill
Abrams Taking Advice From Futurists – May Work On Trek Game
JJ Abrams is a bit of a nerd and has a thing for technology. In a new interview with Wired, JJ Abrams talks about his influences and his views on technology. Of course he also talks about Star Trek XI. On the subject of why he chose to direct : When I read the script I couldn’t imagine — I’d feel like an idiot if I let someone else (direct) it. It’s clearly a fun, emotional and wild adventure. And I thought, if I have a chance to do it, how could I not take it? That was why I signed up. This is going to be an incredibly fun movie. I can’t believe that they’re letting us do this.
Orci & Kurtzman: Trek XI To Be ‘Reimagined’ Starship Adventure Titled ‘Star Trek’
MTV have a great interview with Trek XI screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. In it they still play things close to the vest about plot details and casting, but do reveal quite a bit. MTV is also reporting the film is not a prequel, but a ‘reimagining of the franchise,’ quoting Orci: We’re not going to start totally from scratch…We want it to feel like it’s updated and of the now. That’s actually the discussions we’re having now: how to keep the look of the universe yet have it not look like nothing’s new. It’s tricky.
New Novels To Mine Trek History
One of the bigger ‘gaps’ in Trek history is the one between the end of Enterprise and the beginning of The Original Series. Before J.J. Abrams and his band of merry men take a crack, Simon & Schuster are planning their own Enterprise sequels and TOS prequels in this period. Margaret Clark is the editor in charge of the Enterprise series at S&S and tells TrekMovie.com that she wants to make it all make sense. "I have taken a lot of what [Enterprise show runner] Manny Coto started and am taking it forward in such a way that it will make sense to Star Trek fans. So they will go "oh this is how we got to Kirk’s era" says Clark. To that end she has taken on the pos-ENT books like an executive producer and laid out an arc and an end point. The first of these novels (the recently released "The Good That Men Do") starts off by tackling the much maligned "These Are The Voyages" series finale of Enterprise. The good news for fans is that Clark feels she has ‘fixed’ it, saying "For the first time I am being allowed by CBS to contradict an aired episode."
Take a Stab at the Wolf In The Fold Preview
StarTrek.com have put up a preview for this weekend’s "Wolf In The Fold" Remastered. click image to play in WMP or Click Here for QT
Nygard and Crosby Planning Trekkies 3 – But Not Soon
In a March 5th Newsweek article about the Star Trek XI announcement there were some general reactions from George Takei, Rod Roddenberry and Trekkies documentary director Roger Nygard. Something that caught our attention was the statement that Nygard was ‘interviewing Trekkers for the latest installment of his "Trekkies" documentaries.’ TrekMovie.com contacted Nygard to find out what was up and apparently Newsweek ‘got their tenses wrong.’ Nygard says that he is not currently at work on a Trekkies 3, but that he and producer Denise Crosby are planning on doing one. "We are on a 7 year schedule," said Nygard, referring to how the previous two came out in 1997 and 2004 respectively. The Trekkies team would like to catch up with some of the Trek fans featured in the previous entries, like digital artist Gabriel Kroener who Nygard called "a Trekkies success story."
McAvoy Denies Scotty Casting Rumor – Again
Although James McAvoy recently seemed to be relishing keeping the ‘cast as Scotty’ rumors going, he has now definitively stated he has not been cast. McAvoy tells Empire “No. There’s no truth in the Star Trek rumours. I am a Trekkie, but no – absolutely not." But as a Trekkie he left the door open when asked if he would be open to a part, saying “Hmmm [smiling]…I’d have to see.” It is worth noting that the big IGN casting rumor from last week (with Damon, Brody and Sinise) also cited ‘sources’ saying that McAvoy was ‘in the mix.’ It is of course possible that McAvoy is on some one’s list at Paramount or Bad Robot (Abrams production company), but that is a long way from being cast. The same can be said about the other actors being talked about.
Kirk And Spock In Trek XI Wont Be ‘Official’ Until Actors Are Cast
Of course since the film was first leaked last April the working assumption in the media is that Trek XI will feature the classic characters of Kirk and Spock, but both the studio and the film makers have continued to say that they will not discuss plot details. Over the weekend Trekmovie.com has received some messages about an email newsletter from StarTrek.com that reads in part " …we know this: J.J. Abrams will be directing "Star Trek XI," centering on the younger Kirk and Spock characters…" Some have taken this the ‘official’ confirmation from Paramount – it is not. According to StarTrek.com, they were citing the Hollywood Reporter article which mentioned Kirk and Spock and that it is still not ‘official’. Of course TrekMovie.com long ago stated that we will no longer say ‘maybe’ or ‘reported’ with relation to Kirk and Spock, since we know it is about Kirk and Spock. However Paramount, JJ Abrams and his team have never confirmed anything about the plot or characters. The closest they got is perhaps the teaser poster that features the Kirk and Spock uniform colors and textures, but it is not ‘official.’
Trek XI Still Has No Name – Still Not An ‘Academy Movie’
One thing is fairly certain, it is unlikely that Star Trek XI will actually be titled "Star Trek XI" when it hits theaters on Christmas Day 2008. Some have speculated that Paramount have already picked the simple name "Star Trek", which is how the film is listed at Box Office Mojo. TrekMovie.com has confirmed this is not the title and that no title has been selected. "That will be a big decision that will go through a lot of debate," said a studio source. The suggestion of the simple "Star Trek" however does seem to be picking up more and more support amongst fans. One issue is how Paramount plan on marketing the film as a new and different kind of Trek film. Perhaps Paramount may take a page from Bond and Batman (the next film to be titled "The Dark Knight") and not even us "Star Trek" in the title at all. It is certainly something to debate.
TrekMovie At Wondercon
If you live in the Bay Area make sure to drop by Wondercon on Friday at 5:30 to see the panel Trek Lives! The Rise, Fall and Rise of Star Trek. The panel is set up by Geek Monthly Magazine and will feature other Treksperts ‘discussing the past, present and future of sf’s first franchise.’ I will be joined by Jeff Bond and Daren Dochterman as well as Robert Meyer Burnett (director of Free Enterprise). Daren will be showing some of his rare audio and video stuff from Trek history. I will pontificate on TOS-R, STXI and the future of Trek! I will also be hanging around the Geek Monthly booth. For more info see the Official Wondercon Site
Berman Can’t Figure Out Why Nemesis Failed
Before Paramount handed the Trek keys over to JJ Abrams, Rick Berman produced the last 4 Trek films (Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis). In the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, Rick Berman reflects on his time helming the Trek film franchise. Berman’s film tenure certainly hit a high point with the hit film First Contact which he describes as “a delight to work on from beginning to end.” But it all came to an end with Nemesis which is the only real bomb of the Trek franchise. Berman considers Nemesis his “biggest and greatest disappointment,” going on to say “I think Nemesis was a far, far better film than you’d believe from the way it was received.” The former Trek honcho just cannot figure out why it didn’t perform as well as he (and studio tracking) predicted: “I, to this day, don’t quite understand what went wrong.” .
Stephen King Trusts JJ Abrams To Make Dark Tower
The first news that JJ Abrams would be working with Stephen King on an adaptation of The Dark Tower series set off a series of ‘he wont direct Star Trek XI’ rumors. Now that all that unpleasantness is behind us there still is news related to Abrams and The Dark Tower. At a panel discussion last weekend Stephen King himself confirmed he had optioned the book to JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof for $19! Apparently King really likes Abrams and Lindelof’s work on Lost and according to a report at AICN, King says that he ‘trusted’ the pair to make his film work on the big screen. Things are still very preliminary and it is clear that there isn’t even a script yet so this looks to be a project for the Trek XI producers to tackle after they bring Trek back to the big screen. AICN’s Quint also has a new interview with King where he talks about the project.
Academy Remembers James Doohan
At the 79th Academy Awards James Doohan was among those who were remembered during the ‘in memoriam’ section of the show. Doohan got a bit of special treatment as his brief segment was the only one with any dialog.
It’s Official – Star Trek Is Back 12/25/08 – Film To Embrace Canon
Paramount have now issued their first official press release related to Star Trek XI with the headline ‘J.J. Abrams to direct Star Trek Feature Film For Paramount in Theaters Christmas Day 2008.’ Abrams is quoted as saying. If there’s something I’m dying to see, it’s the brilliance and optimism of Roddenberry’s world brought back to the big screen,…Alex [Kurtzman] and Bob [Orci] wrote an amazing script that embraces and respects Trek canon, but charts its own course. Our goal is to make a picture for everyone — life-long fans and the uninitiated. Needless to say, I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek.
Casting Rumor: Damon, Brody & Sinise for Kirk, Spock & McCoy
Now that the film is a go, the casting (and therefore the casting rumors) can begin in earnest. IGN is reporting that Paramount are in talks with Matt Damon, Adrian Brody and Gary Sinise to play ‘the big 3’ of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in Star Trek XI. Damon’s name was first mentioned last July when Marc Malkin of the Insider reported that Abrams was interested in the Oscar winner for James Kirk. Late last year Damon said he had not been approached, but would be interested if he liked the script. Brody and Sinise’s names have been suggested by many fans, but there had not previously beeny any reports connecting the actors to the production. IGN didn’t just stop with the big 3, they are also reporting that there may indeed be truth to the reports of James McAvoy playing Scotty and even threw in the name of Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim for Sulu. The IGN report also states that Damon’s talks are the farthest along.
Star Trek XI Has Been Greenlit
Official Announcement This WeekAfter spending almost almost a year in development Star Trek XI has been given the green light by Paramount. TrekMovie.com has spoken to a number of sources in and around Paramount to confirm that last week’s news of JJ Abrams decision to direct the film was indeed the last step before the film could go into pre-production. An official announcement is forthcoming, but we are told it will not include any casting information. The announcement this week will be the first official word from Paramount on Star Trek XI since the release of the teaser poster at last summer’s Comic-Con. The release is likely to not include any plot details or even a name for the film, but we have previously reported that the film is an origin story for James T. Kirk and his relationship with Mr. Spock. TrekMovie.com has also reconfirmed the film is set to be released Christmas 2008 with production starting sometime this summer or fall.