Star Trek (film)

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Star Trek is the eleventh feature film based on Star Trek. It is slated for release on Christmas Day in 2008.

The film will be produced by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, two of the creators of the hit ABC series Lost, and will be directed by Abrams. The film was written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who will also serve as executive producers, along with Bryan Burk and unit production manager Stratton Leopold.

Abrams' production company, Bad Robot, will oversee the film's production for Paramount Pictures.

Beginnings

On 20 April 2006, the Daily Variety, citing sources at Paramount Pictures, reported that production on an eleventh Star Trek feature film was officially underway. This initial report stated that not only was J.J. Abrams set to produce, co-write, and direct the next Trek film, but the story would involve the iconic characters of James T. Kirk and Spock during their days at Starfleet Academy. [1] This would not be the first time this type of story would be suggested, as such a premise had been previously explored for the proposed sixth Star Trek film, Star Trek: The First Adventure.

Several days later, Abrams confirmed some parts of the report while denouncing others, stating that the announcement was an unofficial leak and was "not entirely accurate." He also stated that, while he was given the option to direct the film, he had not decided to do so at that time. [2] [3]

One day after the original announcement, StarTrek.com reported that Rick Berman, who had overseen the Trek franchise since Gene Roddenberry's death in 1991, would not be involved in the eleventh Trek film as developed by J.J. Abrams. [4]

Early discussion and speculation

Whether or not the film revolves around Kirk and Spock's Academy days, comments from actor Greg Grunberg, a longtime associate and best friend of J.J. Abrams, suggested that the film will still revolve around the characters. Grunberg stated that the film would take place when the characters were "young", so they would have to be recast. [5] [6] Grunberg later went on to state that he would like to play a young Scotty – suggesting that the movie may take place during Kirk's voyages on the USS Enterprise during the historic five-year mission seen in the original series. [7] However, producer Bryan Burk later suggested that Grunberg was merely commenting based on false pretenses. [8]

In June, writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci alleviated some fan concerns by emphasizing their intention to be true to what has occurred on the other Star Trek series and movies rather than recreating the franchise "in the way that [Ronald D. Moore's] Battlestar Galactica has been reimagined." They went on to state that the film would feature both familiar characters and others who precede them. [9]

Fans received their first official hint as to what direction the film would take when Paramount released an early poster image for the new Star Trek film on 22 July 2006. This teaser poster depicted the emblem which was used by the crew of the USS Enterprise in the original series. The background of the poster is one-half command gold, one-half science blue, suggesting the film will be set in the 23rd century, with some scenes possibly set on the Enterprise itself.

Development

The original treatment for the film (the initial story outline) was completed in August. By the 24th of that month, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman had begun working on a first draft of the screenplay, which was completed by 12 December 2006. The final draft was completed by 23 February 2007, when J.J. Abrams finally decided to sign on as the film's director. [10] [11] [12]

Star Trek (still known as Star Trek XI) received the green light in late February, at which point pre-production officially began. [13] Paramount sent out their first press release regarding Star Trek on 27 February 2007, in which it was officially confirmed that production on the film was underway, that J.J. Abrams was directing, and that the film was set for release on Christmas Day 2008. This release also announced that shooting on the film would begin in fall 2007. [14] Shooting was initially slated to begin in summer of 2007 [15] before the filmmakers stated their belief that shooting could actually begin in April. [16]

As late as 20 March 2007, the film's script was undergoing typical budgeting rewrites. [17] As of 3 May 2007, budgeting on the film was not yet complete. By that time, some members of the art department (still being filled out by production designer Scott Chambliss) were already working on the film, albeit primarily from their homes until they could move into offices on the Paramount lot, which was possibly done by the middle of May. Set construction is tentatively slated to begin in July. Shooting is set to begin in November. [18][19]

It has been confirmed that most of the filming will take place on the Paramount lot; the stages currently planned for use are Paramount Stages 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, and 18. However, there are also plans to use a stage at Universal Studios, reportedly for "planetary shooting" requiring a larger stage. [20]

On 26 June 2007, it was reported that Star Trek and Paramount Pictures personnel have begun scouting for filming locations in Iceland, a location utilized in recent films including Batman Begins and Flags of Our Fathers. [21] Two days later, on 28 June 2007, the report was expanded, claiming that two Iceland-based production companies were vying for the project. [22]

Industrial Light & Magic will reportedly provide the special visual effects for the film. [23] This will be the seventh Star Trek film on which the company has worked.

Story

At present, there is little official information about the film's story. Abrams has repeatedly stated that it was too early to discuss plot details and that he and the others "made a pact not to discuss any specifics". [24] [25] As previously noted, early reports that the film would be set at Starfleet Academy have been referred by Abrams as being "premature" and "not entirely accurate". As evidenced by the artwork for the film's teaser poster and as reported by a number of credible sources to The Trek Movie Report, however, the film will be set during the era of Star Trek: The Original Series, will involve the characters of James T. Kirk and Spock, and will include an appearance by the original USS Enterprise. [26] [27] In an interview with Star Trek Magazine, Abrams confirmed that Kirk will indeed be appearing in the film. [28] Writers Orci and Kurtzman later officially confirmed that the film will involve both Kirk and Spock and will depict the early stages of their friendship. [29]

It has been reported that the hope of the writers is to "fill a gap" in Star Trek history and to explore the origins of the original Star Trek series. [30] Discussing his vision of Star Trek, Abrams has stated that "Star Trek to me was always about infinite possibility and the incredible imagination that Gene Roddenberry brought to that core of characters. It was a show about purpose, about faith versus logic, about science versus emotion, about us versus them. It was its own world, and yet it was our world." [31]

Some sources have reported that, besides Kirk and Spock, the film may also feature appearances by such characters as Scotty, Doctor McCoy, George Samuel Kirk, Captain Garrovick, and Christopher Pike. In addition, it has also been rumored that the film will jump from one time period or another. In this event, the film may feature scenes set in Kirk's birth place of Iowa and may cover some of his days at the Academy, a part of his service as a young lieutenant aboard the USS Farragut during the 2250s, and maybe even his first mission in command of the Enterprise. [32] [33] In any case, as noted before, it is the writers' intention to remain faithful to what was established in past Star Trek stories. [34]

In an interview posted 8 March 2007, MTV stated that Kurtzman and Orci had confirmed that this Star Trek would be a "reimagining of the franchise" and not merely a prequel. [35] Many took this to mean the film would be a complete reboot of Star Trek canon, but that is not evident from the interview. As Orci stated, "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." In that same interview, Kurtzman and Orci explained that the film will be more action-oriented and will be starship-based: "I don't know how you make 'Star Trek' without a starship... you have to trek through the stars, so you need a ship for that", explained Orci. In addition to these plot details, they explained that the film will be targeting a "broad audience to bring people into Trek for the first time" and that it would attempt to recapture "the human soul" of the original series. The writers also stated that the "intended title" for the film is simply Star Trek, without any colons or subtitles. [36] This title was made official when a second teaser poster was unveiled at the International Comic Con in San Diego, California in July 2007. [37]

According to an update from Trekmovie.com posted 19 March 2007, some of the plot details stated above may have changed. Although the film is still to be set in the TOS era and will still "embrace" established canon, some previously reported plot elements may have been removed from the script. It is unknown at this time what those elements might be. [38]

Co-writer Alex Kurtzman has stated that the script for Star Trek draws inspiration from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and that the film will involve "an incredibly great bad guy". Also, there is a possibility that the character of Carol Marcus will appear in the film. [39] In addition, the writers have repeatedly stated that the film is designed not only to appeal to Star Trek fans but to bring in new audiences, as well. [40] [41]

Abrams revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the new Star Trek will, in many ways, revolve around the character of Spock. [42] Based on a character casting sheet supposedly obtained by Ain't It Cool News (see the rumors and gossip section below), the film will involve all of the main characters from the first season of the original series and will indeed be set, at least partly, during Kirk's five-year mission in command of the USS Enterprise. [43]

Casting

Casting for the film began as early as October 2006. [44] It was confirmed in August 2006 that both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have signed contracts giving them some approval power on recasting of their characters, suggesting that actors are being sought after to fill in the roles of a young Kirk and Spock. [45] (Nimoy later stated, however, that, more accurately, he and Shatner had consultation rights when it came to recasting their roles. [46])

The first actor cast in the new film was Heroes star Zachary Quinto, who will portray a young Spock. Quinto first expressed his desire to portray the famous Vulcan-Human character in December 2006, as reported by Trekmovie.com. [47] Quinto first met with the filmmakers on 15 April 2007. He was offered the role on 7 June 2007, two days after a second meeting with Abrams. [48] Quinto being cast as Spock was first reported by Watch with Kristin at E! Online.[49] An official announcement was made at San Diego's Comic-Con International on 26 July 2007.

Also at Comic-Con, it was announced that Leonard Nimoy will reprise his role as Spock for the new film. [50] Nimoy had stated previously that he would come out of retirement to play Spock only if he thought "the project had merit." [51] Explaining his reasons for participating in the film, Nimoy praised Abrams, Quinto, and the script, and summed up his decision by stating "it was logical". [52] He later gave three explicit reasons for doing this project: the fact that it is Star Trek, his admiration for Abrams, and an "essential" and "interesting Spock role". [53] Abrams has stated that the casting of Nimoy is "critical if we’re going to look at reintroducing these characters", noting that, to make this a "great film", it must "both please the fans and those who have never seen Star Trek...having Leonard in the film shows that this film exists in a continuum of Trek history, as opposed to an absolute, page 1 reinvention." [54]

At present, the filmmakers are looking for a way to include William Shatner in the film. The role of young Kirk has not yet been cast. [55]

Rumors and gossip

As the buzz around the film was building and word spread that James Kirk and Spock were to be recast, rumors as to who would play the younger versions of Kirk and Spock also arose. One prominent rumor suggested that Abrams was very interested in casting Matt Damon as Captain Kirk, even soliciting William Shatner's aid in signing him up. [56] Damon himself denied having been approached for the role, [57] although he later told Sci-fi Wire that he would be interested in playing a young Captain Kirk if the script met with his satisfaction. [58] In March 2007, Kurtzman, although not confirming that Damon will play Kirk, stated that he was "the hugest Matt Damon fan. If he became [Kirk], great." [59] In a recent interview with IGN, Damon stated that the filmmakers were looking for someone younger than Damon. [60]

Other actors who were widely rumored to have been considered or even approached for a role in the film are Ben Affleck and Tom Cruise. [61] [62] Both of these, however, have also been proven false. [63] [64] There are also sources reporting that Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) may have a role in the film, possibly as a doctor (but not "Bones" McCoy). [65] Most recently, there was a rumor that the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, was interested in a role. [66] During a short phone interview with J.J. Abrams on his show, The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert jokingly expressed that he felt he was perfect for the role of Dr. McCoy.

Rumors from IGN stated that the aforementioned Matt Damon is, indeed, in talks to play Kirk, while Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong) and Oscar-nominated actor Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, CSI: NY) are in talks to play the roles of Spock and Dr. McCoy, respectively. The source of these rumors – IGN Film Force – also states that James McAvoy is, indeed, being sought to play Scotty while Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise guest actor and current Lost star Daniel Dae Kim was named as a contender for the role of Sulu. [67] According to various sources, however, these rumors are not true. [68] Sinise himself denied the rumor that he was in talks for a role. [69]

Among the first actors to express interest in a role in Star Trek was the aforementioned Greg Grunberg, who stated that he would talk with Abrams about possibly playing a Klingon in the film, although he later expressed interest in playing a young Scotty. [70] [71] [72] He has since decided he would like to play a Vulcan. [73] Executive producer Bryan Burk subsequently stated his expectation that Grunberg would be in the film, but did not specify what character he might play. [74]

Also showing interest in playing Scotty is Grunberg's Alias co-star Kevin Weisman, [75] while Scottish actor James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) has been rumored as a contender for the role, although his publicist has denied that McAvoy was approached. [76] [77] In the meantime, James Doohan's son, Chris, started a campaign asking fans to write to Paramount in an attempt to persuade the studio to have either himself or his twin brother, Montgomery, play their father's role of Scotty. [78]

In July 2007, actor Sam Rockwell (Guy Fleegman on Galaxy Quest and Zaphod Beeblebrox in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) announced his wish to play James Kirk in the new film, although he didn't believe he would be able to "copy" William Shatner. He also suggested that Jason Schwartzman and Halle Berry should play Spock and Uhura, respectively, and that Sulu could be turned into a woman and played by someone like Lucy Liu. [79]

In August 2007, Ain't It Cool News claimed to have obtained a partial character casting sheet for the new film. The sheet lists all the main TOS characters with the exception of Chekov, who was not seen until the second season. According to the claim, the character descriptions, along with the ages of the actors the filmmakers are looking for, are as follows:

[JAMES KIRK] 23-29 Handsome,cocky self assured and earnest. Great physical condition. 6 ft or less

[LEONARD(BONES)MCOY] -28-32 Medic on the Enterprise. Smart, clever and a bit danger-loving. Dark hair, blue eyes.

[UHURA] 25ish -African American. Brilliant, beautiful, heroic and FUN!, Uhura is almost tom-boyish - as if she grew up in a houseful of brothers.

[SULU] 25-32 -Asian American male (preferably Japanese). Helmsman on the Enterprise. Extremely fit, capable and dedicated. A bit of a wildcat

[MONTGOMERY(SCOTTY) SCOTT] -28-32 a brilliant ship's engineer. Must be able to do a flawless Scottish accent!

On 6 August 2007, IGN posted reported that "a trusted source" has revealed to them that Abrams is looking to cast his Mission: Impossible III star Tom Cruise in a cameo as Captain Christopher Pike. [80] Cruise's publicist, however, has denied the rumor. [81]

Shatner controversy

Yet another actor who has expressed interest in a role is William Shatner himself. [82] In an interview with Time magazine, Shatner claimed to have been approached by Abrams for a role in Star Trek. [83] Shatner even reported several times his belief that Abrams was planning for both him and Leonard Nimoy to appear in the film, although they would have to be meaningful roles. [84] [85]

Shatner learned he did not have a role in the film while discussing the script with Nimoy According to Leonard Nimoy, although Shatner he currently does not have a role the film, Shatner is not "furious" about it as some have reported. [86] The film's writers have stated their wish for Shatner to be a part of the film's shoot, and the filmmakers are currently looking for a way to include Shatner in the film. [87][88] It has been implied by Nimoy that the reason Shatner does not have a role in the script is due to the events of Star Trek Generations, which featured the death of Captain Kirk, suggesting that at least part of the movie takes place after Kirk's disappearance from the USS Enterprise in 2293 or after the character's death in 2371. [89]

Crew

As stated above, J.J. Abrams was given the option to direct the film from the very beginning but he refused to accept that responsibility until the script was complete and he was sure he was the right person for the job. On 23 February 2007 – after many months of speculation and anticipation and numerous rumors regarding his ultimate decision – it was confirmed that Abrams would indeed be directing the film. [90]

As of March 2007, those who have been hired or reportedly brought in to work on the film are long-time associates of Abrams. The only exceptions are some technical personnel who have worked on previous Trek productions. [91] Besides co-writers and executive producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who worked with Abrams on Alias and Mission: Impossible III, producers Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk, and Stratton Leopold have all collaborated with Abrams in the past.

In August 2006, another frequent Abrams collaborator, Michael Giacchino, was confirmed as being tapped to be the film's composer. [92] In December, Scott Chambliss was announced as having been selected as the film's production designer. This will make Star Trek the first Trek film since Star Trek V without Herman Zimmerman serving as production designer. Chambliss and Abrams, who have previously worked together on Felicity, Alias, and Mission: Impossible III, had begun working on designs for the film by 19 December. [93] Chambliss was officially confirmed as the film's production designer on 8 March 2007. Dan Mindel, who also worked with Abrams on Mission: Impossible III, was also confirmed as the film's director of photography that same day. [94]

Also in December 2006, it was announced that Stratton Leopold, a collaborator of Abrams' on Mission: Impossible III, would serve as an executive producer and unit production manager for the film. As unit production manager, he handles the film's budget. [95] This budget is expected to be higher than any of the previous Trek films. [96]

Links and References

Cast

Zachary Quinto as younger Spock
Anton Yelchin as younger Pavel Chekov
Leonard Nimoy as older Spock

Principal crew

J.J. Abrams - Director, Producer
Alex Kurtzman - Writer, Executive Producer
Roberto Orci - Writer, Executive Producer
Damon Lindelof - Producer
Stratton Leopold - Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager
Bryan Burk - Executive Producer
Dan Mindel - Director of Photography
Scott Chambliss - Production Designer
Michael Giacchino - Composer

Companies

Bad Robot Productions - Production Company
Industrial Light & Magic - Special Visual Effects
Paramount Pictures - Distributor

External links

Star Trek (film)' at Wikipedia
Template:IMDb-link

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Star Trek Nemesis

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Early poster image
US Release:	25 December 2008
Prod. #:	011
Director:	J.J. Abrams
Written by:	Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci
Producers:	J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof