Cryptic Studios, owner and creator of Star Trek Online, has been purchased for $50.3 million by Chinese game developer Perfect World. It was announced about two weeks ago that Atari was going to sell the company due to its lack of profitability. For now Atari confirms that the supported MMORPG's will not be impacted but exactly how that will change once the sale completes (which could take months) remains unknown.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, TrekMovie or another Trek blog, then you are already aware of concerns by fans that the sequel will not make its June 29th, 2012 release date. These concerns were not really addressed when Roberto Orci revealed that at least some preliminary pre-production has started based on their 70 page treatment while they wait for JJ Abrams to finish with his Super 8 obligations.
Now two industry leading websites, Deadline and AICN, has waded in and also expressed their concerns, both believing that the film will be pushed back to Christmas 2012 or even Summer 2013 due to the lack of a shooting script. This is rather significant because Hollywood does read these sites and this will increase pressure for Paramount to firm up its Star Trek 2 schedule. Deadline even upped the ante by saying that Abrams was all but signed on the dotted line to be director of the next film. The suggestion of a move is entirely based on Orci's statements and has not been verified by Paramount. Based on current information a move may even be necessary but that window is closing fast.
The reasoning, again shared multiple times here and elsewhere, is that the now 13 months that remain may not be enough time, with visual FX being the leading cause as they take a long time to complete. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an excellent example of a film that had about 13 months to hit its deadline, that worked off a rough draft and outline due to the writer's strike and the resulting film was even admitted to be poor by the director. That film had a few advantages though with a lengthy pre-production that gave VFX plenty of lead time and even then ILM had to go to a 24/7 schedule to make the deadline (about a week before the film came out).
If this film had the budget of previous non-Abrams Star Trek films (around $50 million and less) than it would be possible because the volume of effects out of necessity would be small and planned well in advance giving the VFX crew plenty of time to complete them. Assuming Star Trek 2 has at least the same budget and number of visual effects as the first film (hopefully with less lens flairs) than it might be do-able even without some of the advantages that ROTF had.
A broad estimate indicates that the film will need about three months of pre-production (design, set building, costumes, storyboards, planning FX, etc), three months of production (filming the actors, etc), and than 6 months of post-production (completing FX, adding sound, etc). So a year total. Thirteen months - one year leads to a month wiggle room. So the math indicates potential success. On top of that, JJ Abrams had done more with less twice now with both Super 8 and Cloverfield as they both filmed on essentially the same schedule (but then smaller budgets). He also comes from the world of television where the filming pace by necessity is just faster. The more time Abrams can create for post-production, the more likely the film can make its release date. His experience can make it happen.
The one huge caveat remains - the final script. Nothing can be nailed down for sure until the shooting script is written and approved. Assuming my estimates hold true, the line in the sand deadline for this film is at most the end of the first week of July (to account for 4th of July holiday). Each day after that significantly raises the odds of the film being bumped to a different release date.
Not entirely sure when it all got started but email between Star Trek writer Roberto Orci indicates that the sequel for Star Trek has at least begun some of the basic pre-production work. A 70 page treatment (basically the movie without all the dialogue) is being used with the writers waiting for J.J. Abrams to finish promoting Super 8 before sprinting for the final script finish line. In the comments over at TrekMovie Orci wrote and later added:
Just been waiting for JJ to be free to really decide if he likes the story and hear his suggestions before we finish the script. Once he says go, we’ll have it in no time. Meanwhile, our outline is detailed enough (70+ pages!) to do some prep :)
In the meetings we’ve had with JJ, he’s already given us amazing input and ideas, and that’s been while he’s been up to his eyeballs in Super 8.
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has started a YouTube channel that it is using to post interviews and behind the scenes interviews and segments for films they recently have worked on. The two part video for Star Trek has interviews with Visual Effects Supervisor and Second Unit Director, Roger Guyett as they explain their thought process and how they performed some of the special effects for the 2009 film. Sadly the site isn't big on embedding so click the links to watch - Part 1 | Part 2.
Atari has announced it plans to "divest" itself of Cryptic Studios which it had bought back in 2008. The cause is the creators of Star Trek Online, City of Heroes, and Champions Online continues to lose Atari millions, something the company can't afford considering the many times it has been bankrupt over the years. Atari has told TrekMovie, "Everything is business as usual and will be supported by Atari until a buyer is found, including operations of STO." Still the future isn't looking that good, especially if you are an employee of Cryptic.
Star Trek: Generations director David Carson spoke recently with StarTrek.com about his experience with the franchise and directing Star Trek: Generations. Of note is his story of the death of Kirk (below). His Star Trek directing credits including fan favorite episodes such as TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise" and Deep Space Nine's series premiere opener of "Emissary." Below are links for the full interview.
In the recent Nerdist podcast with Chris Harwick, Star Trek 2 co-write Damon Lindelof spoke about Star Trek including working on the sequel, and Abrams' love of keeping secrets. Thanks to TrekMovie.com here are some quotes from the interview.
I function best in collaboration so I have sought out writing partners….On Trek 1, I produced it, but was obviously very involved in the story process with JJ [Abrams], Bob [Orci], and Alex [Kurtzman], so that was great. For Trek 2 I am actually writing, but again it functions a lot more like a TV show. We are all sitting in a room together throwing ideas around and seeing what sticks…I do not like sitting by myself staring at the blank page.
It’s tough. JJ is really good at secrecy and really good at playing the game because ultimately people want to know but they don’t want to have stuff spoiled for them. … We are working on Trek 2 now and there is such an expectation that it is top secret, because everything we do is top secret. And with that expectation comes this idea that "they are going to do something that is totally mind-blowing that is going to friggin’ fry our brains!" Because we are keeping it such a secret. As opposed to the fact that we are just keeping it a secret because we don’t want the audience to know too much going in. The fact that people went to go to see Trek and they didn’t know we were going to blow up Vulcan. They might have known that time travel was involved and they knew that Nimoy was in the movie, but they didn’t understand how it all worked so when you get to that point in the movie it’s cool because you get to emotionally experience it without being primed for it. It requires a
tremendous amount of – there are only so many people you can include in your circle of trust.
JJ Abrams has told MTV that Star Trek 2 is next on his plate once he completes post-production on Super 8 which will hit theatres on June 10th. He also provided an update on the script. (via TrekMovie)
"Damon is working on the script for this one," said Abrams. "As busy as I've been with 'Super 8,' I remember that when we did the first one, Damon was that busy with 'Lost.' So it's going to be very cool to have him on board as a writer."
"There are some amazing ideas. These are not just great friends of mine, but they're great writers," Abrams assessed of the writing crew that's assembled for "Trek 2." "I'm thrilled and very optimistic that it's going to get to where it needs to get to."
"The truth is that my focus has been so much on finishing 'Super 8' that it's been something I'm looking forward to getting to, but with an incredibly compressed post schedule, there hasn't been a whole lot of time for me to be working with the writers," he admitted.
In an interview with Collider to promote Priest Karl Urban (Bones) talked a little bit about Star Trek 2 and its progress.
Do you know when you start filming [Star Trek sequel]?I find it hard to believe that at least a draft of the script has not been turned in so that pre-production can start but with JJ Abrams focused on Super 8 and its promotion it is possible that the writers' deadline is sometime in July. Considering the film is set to be released on June 29th 2012, it is going to be a heck of a trick to get the film out on time if they start shooting as late as Urban is suggesting (and his estimation isn't wrong based on the current lack of a script.
I am hearing it’s going to be maybe September or November this year.
Do you think JJ [Abrams] will be back?
I certainly hope so. He’s a phenomenal director and we had such a great time working with him on the first one so I really hope so.
