Star Trek Sequel Greenlit

Variety is reporting that in a huge sign of confidence on the success of the upcoming movie, Paramount Pictures has decided to move forward on the sequel.

The writing pair of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek, Transformers I and II) will be joined by longtime Abrams' coworker Damon Lindelof in penning the sequel. The trio will also get producing credit while Abrams stays on as executive producer. Whether JJ Abrams will return as director has not yet been decided. The goal is to have a script ready by Christmas so can have the sequel ready for theatres for a summer 2011 release.

"There's obviously a lot of hubris involved in signing on to write a sequel of a movie that hasn't even come out yet," said Lindelof, co-creator with Abrams of ABC's "Lost" who produced the upcoming "Trek" but did not contribute to Orci and Kurtzman's screenplay. "But we're so excited about the first one that we wanted to proceed."

"Obviously we discussed ideas, but we are waiting to see how audiences respond next month," he said. "With a franchise rebirth, the first movie has to be about origin. But with a second, you have the opportunity to explore incredibly exciting things. We'll be ambitious about what we'll do."

Star Trek TV Spot #4

A new TV spot has premiered, this one with baby Spock and a huge emphasis on the action. The spot is below or click here for HD version.

Official Star Trek Synopsis

The official website for Star Trek has updated with the official synopsis for the film that sadly is just as useless for information as everything else that comes out of Paramount. Do these people not know what leaks are supposed to be? :D

The greatest adventure of all time begins with "Star Trek," the incredible story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created, the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy, and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!

Family Guy TNG Episode

Last night the episode of Family Guy with the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast aired. Sadly the cast was poorly utilized with maybe a grand total of five minutes of screen time. Absolutely hilarious though, especially Patrick Stewarts, whose Family Guy and American Dad experience was taken full advantage of. It is just a shame that this was the B story instead of the A story so that all of them could have been used for more than just a line or two. For those that missed it, the full episode is below.

Final Star Trek Poster for US

Below is the final US poster for Star Trek. I thought the next posters would look like various international posters but not even close. It is very abstract image of the Enterprise warping. Not really sure what to make of it to be honest.

Family Guy: Next Generation Preview

Below is a hilarious preview of this Sunday's episode of Family Guy that is a reunion of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Based on the clip, it looks like it’s going to be hilarious. I wonder if the whole group filmed it together or separately.

Orci and Kurtzman Three Part Interview

Sci Fi Wire has posted a three part interview with Star Trek and Transformers writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. The discuss class Star Trek bits used in the film, Star Trek's trinity (Kirk, Spock and McCoy), and why the movie isn't a reboot. Below are excerpts and links to the full interview. My comments are in parenthesis.
Part I | Part II | Part III

Are there things that you wanted to put in that you couldn't find a place for?
Orci: Yes, there's a few little things. You know, in an early draft we wanted to potentially lay down the foundation for his friendship with Carol Marcus [Kirk's love interest, introduced in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan], who ends up in the original continuity being the mother of his child. In an early draft she was in, and then literally because of the nature of the introductory story and making sure that our core group of characters had the proper amount of story that they deserve, she went into the potential future draft.

Anything else?
Kurtzman: Yeah, well, the biggest is [Shatner] in the movie. There's been a lot of debate about that. ... We just, we really tried very hard to get him in there in a way that felt organic, but the problem was that because he died in continuity [in Star Trek: Generations], ... I think it would have felt a little bit cheap, is what we all decided. And, you know, we really struggled with it, because we wrote a scene that we really loved, and, ultimately, I think it might have felt like an add-on, you know? Whereas our story, without giving away too much, Spock [played by Leonard Nimoy] is such a critical part of the story that literally the story cannot be told without him.

What, in your mind, in broad terms, was crucial to keep in order to make it feel like Star Trek, and what did you feel you could change or alter or get rid of and not lose what was Star Trek?
Kurtzman: Tone was a big part of it. ... There were certain elements that seemed very ... universal in all Trek iterations that we felt ... needed to be represented in our version. Certainly, the bridge crew as a family was one of them.
Orci: You mean, too, their specific characters. We didn't feel that we could change their characters very much. Spock had to be Spock, Kirk had to be Kirk, Bones had to be Bones, Uhura had to be Uhura, Scotty Scotty, Chekov Chekov. ... So it was "Just how do you keep the same character in a new situation?"

There was an inherent difficulty, of course, in the initial premise that Gene Roddenberry set out, which is if you have a utopian Earth society, you don't have opportunities for much dramatic conflict unless you're running into hostile aliens or something. Did you find the same kind of issue in approaching this kind of story, or did you just not think about that part of it?Orci: Well, the world that we render in terms of the world that we all live in Star Trek is, I think, in our version, a little bit closer to our world today than it is to a utopia. Now, that doesn't mean that it's not optimistic, but I don't think that it's quite as utopian as it's been imagined in some iterations. And across canon you can see that the utopia is relied upon to varying degrees, and sometimes not at all through the movies. So we wanted the world in which our movie begins—and you can see this through some of the trailers that have been selected, the idea of young Kirk driving a car on the road—imagery that you're not even sure if you're in the future for a minute. So it was very consciously trying to make the world as close to ours as possible with, you know, significant advancements toward utopia, but not utopia.

Why is the time-travel element necessary?
Orci: I don't think that fits into the classic definition of a reboot. So it was necessary for that. And it's also necessary in order to both connect the world to the original Star Trek, but then also to then give us the dramatic license and the dramatic stakes of having an unknown future in the movie.
Kurtzman: Yeah, the biggest thing I think we all hiccupped on, just conceptually, when Trek was presented to us was, "Well, we know how they all died. We know what happened to them." And when you know that, it's very difficult to put them in jeopardy in a way that feels fresh or original. How do you ever have real stakes to your characters?
Orci: We didn't want it to just seem like a historical document.

This also conveniently allows you to violate canon, such as it is, if necessary.
Orci: Well, again, it's a continuation of canon. If words have precise meaning, it's not technically a canon violation.
(I still theorize the movie is launching a parallel 2.0 universe, if so then no on canon violations as that universe's continuity is being defined by the movie itself.)

There are a couple of points that fans seem to have seized upon. One is: The Enterprise is supposed to be built in space, not on the ground. What do you say to that?
Orci: Things are built in space when expense in getting it to space is difficult. But when you have a ship that can literally cross the galaxy faster than light, getting it up 100 miles above the atmosphere is not particularly expensive. Number two, ... one of the reasons to build things in space is things don't ever have to enter a gravity, because they're going to be flimsy, like satellites are fine to build in space because they don't ever need to be in a gravity well. But because we all know warp speed itself is the warping of ... space, which equals gravitation, then you want to make sure the Enterprise can actually sustain [that]. ... It's not a flimsy pleasure-cruise [ship].
(Eh this could be debated. Mostly I just think a bit of majesty is missing by doing something as pedestrian as building the Enterprise planet-side like it’s some oversized space shuttle all just so they can have a moment of Kirk gazing at it.)

Star Trek World Premiere Tickets For Fans

Last week Paramount announced that the world premiere for Star Trek would take place at the Sydney Opera House on April 7th. At first it was described as an invitation only event but now Paramount has said that tickets will be available for fans that want to attend (assuming you live or willing to travel to Australia).

The event will be attended by Star Trek director JJ Abrams and several cast members include Eric Bana (Nero), Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), and Karl Urban (McCoy). The tickets will be a limited allocation, but the number was not specified.

“Although we have a tremendous demand for tickets to this event, we are delighted to be able to make some tickets available to the general public so that they can share in the excitement of this unique World Premiere screening of STAR TREK here in Sydney,” said Mike Selwyn, Managing Director of Paramount Pictures Australia.

The limited allocation of tickets will go on sale from 9.00 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on Monday, March 30 and will only be available online via www.sydneyoperahouse.com or by phoning Sydney Opera House box office on +61 2 9250 7777.

Tickets will be $100 each plus booking fee and each ticket purchase will entitle the purchaser to a bonus souvenir STAR TREK theatrical poster.

Good luck to those trying to get the tickets.

First Look At International Star Trek Posters (Update)

Empire Magazine has premiered the new Star Trek poster for the United Kingdom. It is essentially a combination of the character shots of Kirk, Spock and Uhura with the Enterprise being built in dry-dock. It has more flair then some of the previous posters but over all doesn't really do a whole lot for me. According to the site, the Italian poster is not been offically verified.

Update: TrekMovie.com posted international posters. I think I like the UK "variant" edition more, it is close to the class Star Trek poster look.

Eugene Roddenberry Interview

Eugene Roddenberry, the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, spoke with Mania.com about the upcoming movie, sci-fi in general, his documentary "Trek Nation" and various other topics. Below is excerpts from the interview specific to the movie and Majel Barrett Roddenberry (his mother) but full interview (worth the read) is at the links below.

Part I | Part II

Dan Madsen: How do you think your dad would feel about the new JJ Abrams Star Trek film?
Eugene Roddenberry, Jr.: I think he would love it. I think he would put his arm around JJ and hand over the keys, so to speak. He would say, “This baby is yours.” You had it in an interview you did with my father in your magazine, the Star Trek Communicator, where my father said, in essence, “I look forward to the next young writer who will come up and take steps beyond what I have done to create the next Star Trek and make it better.” That was the true humble nature of him. I think, in his older years, he was more than happy to pass on the torch to someone who was young, smart and able to take the next steps with it. I think JJ would be that guy. I think if my father had been able to get to know JJ Abrams he would have gladly given the reins of Star Trek to him.

DM: You and your mother visited the set of the new film, correct?
ER: Yes, we did separately.

DM: What was your opinion?
ER: I was there on the second to the last day of principal photography. It seemed like a great crew. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto were there. JJ Seems like a very casual director. Everything was very low key and fun and loose. Not unprofessional, though. It was a machine that was working and everyone knew their place and how to do their job. He seemed like a great director. He was not one of those stereotypical dick-heads. He just seemed like a great guy. He would talk back and forth with the actors; suggest they do something, and they would say, “Like this?” And he would say, “Yeah, that’s great!” It was a very collaborative environment. He definitely seemed to be in control and knew what was going on. He was very confident and knew what he was doing. When you get someone like that, those are the kind of people you want to work for because they will collaborate and they will listen to you. They’re not scared of losing their job.

DM: Have you seen any footage from the new film?
ER: Not much, I just visited the set. After my mother passed away, I had some people come in to help me with the logistics of the funeral service and I got to focus on the things I wanted to like putting a memorial tribute video together and the music, which really allowed me to grieve and was helpful. I contacted JJ’s office and told them that I wanted to end the video tribute with a clip from the new movie of her voice as the computer. It was a way of saying she will live on. After a few phone calls, they did give us a clip. It was a ten second clip at most and they didn’t make us sign any agreements or anything. I said, “You have my word that it will be used in the tribute video at the memorial and that’s it.” It was just a very nice way that they responded. That’s all I’ve seen.

DM: Do you have any concerns about the new film?
ER: Well, I just don’t know JJ Abrams that well and while I have recently fallen in love with his series, Lost, I think he is extremely talented. He is a fantastic writer, producer and director. I know he is a fan of Star Trek. I just want to make sure this new film doesn’t become Star Wars. My concern is that it will be an awesome Star Wars/sci-fi/action movie but it will lose the subtext and metaphors that were at the core of Star Trek’s humanity. I don’t think it should go as deep as Star Trek: The Motion Picture did but I just want to make sure the bad guy isn’t a black & white bad guy like in Star Trek: Nemesis. I just want to make sure they show both sides. You get a little bit deeper into the characters and you have some empathy for both the good and the bad. In the end, they have to make that tough decision perhaps like they made in the episode The City on the Edge of Forever. I hope there is some depth in the humanistic elements.

DM: Did she finish her work on the film before she passed away?
ER: She did. She loved that sort of thing. Her health had been declining for a number of years. As it got worse and as her energy level and voice declined she would have ups and downs. I had very serious concerns when they contacted us and said they wanted her to do the computer voice again. I said, “I don’t even know if she can do it.” They would have to have somebody come to the house and they would have to accommodate her in every way – not because of her ego but because of her health. I thought to myself I still don’t know what they are going to get even with all of that. So the day comes around to record her voice work and I am just wondering what is going to happen. I am wondering if they are going to do it and just say it is not useable. Apparently, when her friend, Reina, reminded her about this her entire mood changed and she became uplifted and happy and came out with plenty of energy. She wasn’t just putting on a show. She genuinely loved doing this sort of thing for the fans and for the show. She was a “show must go on” kind of lady. I think, in the end, she was doing it for my father. Her love of him and of Star Trek was special. I heard that it was phenomenal. They taped all of her lines right there at the house. She couldn’t travel at that point.

DM: What do you believe is your mom’s greatest legacy to Star Trek?
ER: I think the lives she touched in-person. I only know half of the story because they had an entire life before I was born and before I reached any comprehension of what Star Trek was. From what I saw, it was her genuine interaction with the fans. When she met people, she was genuinely interested in them. She wasn’t like a lot of the other actors who charge $50.00 for an autograph and they don’t even look up. She would look up and smile and talk with the fans. And she wouldn’t just stay for an hour; she would stay for three or four hours until everyone got an autograph. It is that little personal touch. I keep saying to people, “Paramount owns Star Trek but they still don’t screw with Roddenberry because there is a loyalty that my mother and father earned with the admirers of Star Trek.” Whether it was speaking to them as people in-person, on stage or at the autograph table or corresponding through letters and acknowledging their support over the years, it was all of those actions that made a loyal fan base to the Roddenberry name. That is what keeps Roddenberry alive as far as Star Trek goes.

She had a feisty side to her as well. The memorial service we gave her was not a sad event. It was to acknowledge her and who she was. It was the real her. We had a number of people come on stage who talked about how feisty she was and how she would sit with the boys and tell dirty jokes! There was a Star Trek element but it was really there to remember who Majel Roddenberry was.

Star Trek Blu-Ray Movie Collection Preview

Over at TrekMovie.com is a post that a preview of some of the extra content that will be available for the Blu-Ray release of The Original Series and the movies on blu-ray. Lots of different sets are coming out at a variety of prices so if you thinking of upgrading, a little research is definitely needed to avoid accidently re-buying sets you don't need. Click here to get more information.

Scott Chambliss Interview

TrekMovie.com has posted a few quotes from Star Trek Production Designer Scott Chambliss that shows up in Star Trek Magazine issue 17 that will be on newstands soon. He briefly discusses working with Abrams and sets of the movie.

J.J. often uses the word ‘accessible’ when we work together. No matter how crazy ­ Star Trek, outer space, future ­ he wants it to be accessible to the audience so it makes sense. Things like military transport shuttles, you believe that¹s a military bus taking you some place. It¹s got the textures, it¹s got a little bit of peeling paint, the safety bars and the seatbelts that you just know makes sense in the world now, so will makes sense 200 years from now. I loved doing those little sets because they were so small, like little jewel boxes.

I was really happy with the way the Bridge turned out. I guess I have three favorite sets: the Bridge, the whole Narada [Nero's ship] interior, which is minimalist, with excessive detail, and brutalist, and the Jellyfish, Nimoy’s little ship [the ‘Jellyfish’]. That has a wonderful inside thing from J.J. and my years of working together. In the containment field in the ship is a big red ball. The ‘big red ball’ has a lot of resonance for J.J. and I: we have one in virtually everything we do. It started with the Alias pilot. I always look at a script and wonder what the big red ball is going to be this time.

GDC 09: Star Trek D.A.C.

The Game Developer's Conference is currently being held in San Francisco were gaming companies previewing their plans for the upcoming year. As part of that Paramount Digital Entertainment was on hand to provide a few details on the tie-in game to the Star Trek movie. Sadly part of the information did not include what D.A.C. stands for.

From Joystiq, here are the main new pieces of information:
- Has multiplayer mode of up to 12 players in two teams of six.
- It is Federation versus the Romulans.
- Single player and co-op mode is you versus AI bots in battle.
- It is a top down 3D space Arcade style shooter with a "large amount of strategic gameplay" that doesn't require a hardcore gamer to master.
- The new USS Enterprise from the movie is part of the game but there are other models and weapons as well.
- Sounds, probably modified, from the original series are part of the game.
- There are levels, about 10 minutes each, with one of three types of objectives for each level.
- There are methods to upgrade ships and weapons via resource gathering.
- JJ Abrams did provide input on the game including using more effects from the movie.
- There are no voices from the movie in the game and no attempt at a narrative style that follows the plot of the movie.
- The game will have ability to be upgraded later with new ships, levels, and so forth (probably for a small fee).
- The expectation is to release the game around May 8th for XBox Live and Playstation Network shortly after. No information on pricing (but I wager in the $10 range).

New Star Trek TV Spot

A new TV spot has premiered for Star Trek that includes some new footage that emphasises the action of the upcoming film. Thanks to Mark for the heads-up.

Nimoy On Returning to Trek

In the current issue of SciFi Now Magazines, Leonard Nimoy talks Star Trek and returning to a role he left behind 17 years ago when he last played it in Unification for Star Trek The Next Generation. The below is an excerpts posted by TrekMovie.com.

My approach to the character has changed, because Spock has evolved in the sense that a lot of personal experiences have affected him. On the other hand, you’ve got Zachary Quinto coming into this movie, who is even slightly before the Spock I played in the original series. You’re seeing him even before the place I was playing the character on the original series, and you’re seeing me giving a performance that’s totally after all of that. This movie contains a very broad spectrum of the Spock. I had a wonderful time making this movie. It was very close to myself, I felt totally comfortable, very much like I’m doing in my own life now. Having arrived where I am as a person and the place that Spock has arrived I felt very, very comfortable with it.

It’s a lot of fun. They’re very talented people and it’s fascinating to watch the roots of the characters that Bill Shatner and DeForest Kelley and myself and the rest of us played. When we started doing the show, we were a crew on the Enterprise going out and doing our missions. In this movie, we see the seeds of those characters being planted; where they came from before the Enterprise, where they came from before they met each other, how they met each other, and what the circumstances were and how they became that crew that we eventually played. It was great fun to watch.

Never say never, but I would think so. The torch has been handed off to a wonderful new cast and a new actor playing Spock. Would I consider being the alter ego again and coming back in some form to play a scene with Zachary Quinto to exchange ideas with him? Might be interesting, but it’s not up to me. If I got that call, I would certainly listen.

That was so weird, standing there and talking to him. We have a scene together that’s a mind twister. We’re both the same person, each coming from a different time frame. It’s pretty remarkable to stand there and talk to him and listen to him and interact with him. And by the way, he happens to be a terrific, talented, intelligent actor. It was wonderful. I admire him. I think he’s got a very interesting task and did a wonderful job of it. I think he’s special and I think very highly of him. Not just him, but I have a personal connection because of the role he’s playing.

Star Trek Soundtrack Announced (Updated)

TrekMovie.com is reporting that Amazon has posted a pre-order page for the soundtrack to the upcoming Star Trek movie. The score will be released on May 5, 2009 by composer Michael Giacchino (wiki, official website). Currently the price sits at $17.98 with not saving (unusual for Amazon) so I would wait before ordering to see if can get a better price later. The picture to the left is a sketch of JJ Abrams and Michael as they worked on the music. More pictures can be found at ScoringSessions.com.

This will be the first time Michael Giacchoino has composed for the Star Trek franchise but he has been doing video games, TV, and film for years now. He is a favorite of Star Trek director JJ Abrams, getting his big break to provide the soundtrack for Alias. He later did Lost, The Incredibles, Mission: Impossible III, Ratatouille, and Speed Racer. His current work includes scoring Abrams Fringe TV series and Pixar's next movie Up.

A question long time trekkers will ask is how much of the old themes through the years will be used for this relaunch of the franchise. Based on the sample below at least one is from James Horner in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

In a related note, click here for an interview with Composer Brian Tyler whose music was used in the recent Star Trek trailer.

As for the music that was used in the trailers, that will probably not be part of the score. Fortunately TrekCore.com identified the source of the music as from the 1985 movie "Legend" (yeah the one with Tom Cruise). One is "Down With the Enterprise" and the second is "Freedom Fighters". They can be found here.

Update: It turns out that the music is not from Legend but a mixture of music from composer Brian Tyler from Children of Dune and orginial piece from Two Steps From Hell. It is all a bit confusing, may point is the music is only for the trailers and not part of the soundtrack coming out in May. AICN breaks the whole thing down here.

Star Trek World Premiere In Australia

Paramount Pictures has announced that the world premiere of JJ Abrams' Star Trek will be at Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on April 7th. The film will be rolled with JJ Abrams and cast members Eric Bana, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban along with 1,600 guests.

"This highly anticipated premiere marks only the third occasion that a film has debuted at Sydney Opera House and the first time a film has premiered in the Concert Hall at the acclaimed venue."

"Not only are we honoured to have J.J. Abrams and the cast here in Sydney for the World Premiere of the stunning new STAR TREK, we are also very excited to present this event at one of Australia's—and the world's—most famous locations, Sydney Opera House," said Mike Selwyn, Managing Director of Paramount Pictures Australia.

Makes you wish there was a contest or something to fly out a few Trekkies to participate in the premiere. On the bright side with that many early eyeballs, the reviews should start coming in shortly thereafter. Thanks to Brian for the link.

History of Star Trek Titles

Below is a nice little video that shows the evolution of the various title logos for Star Trek: The Original Series related series and movies.

Family Guy's Star Trek Episode First Look

On March 29th, the Family Guy episode which is a reunion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast will air. Until then, the pic below is a tease on how the cast will look animated. The episode is titled "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven":

Stewie blows a fuse when he doesn't get a chance to ask his favorite ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation' cast members any questions," reads the logline. "He devises a plan, builds a transporter and beams the entire cast to his bedroom so they can spend a fun-filled day together in Quahog.

Family Guy is a fan of Star Trek making many references to the show of the years so it should be fun to see how they are treated on the show.

Sonita Henry Interview

Who is Sonita Henry? She is "The Doctor", as in the one that delivers James T. Kirk to the universe as the USS Kelvin is under attack by Nero. Below are a few choice questions with the full interview here.

Mike: Where you a fan of the series?
Sonita: Of course! My older brother and my dad were huge into the original TV show.

Mike: With Star Trek, I don't think the fans care how large or small a role is; they will be interested in your character for many years to come.
Sonita: I've been to two Comic Cons. It's always interesting to walk around Comic Cons and to see the actors signing their head shots and you're like: What exactly did you do in that TV show or movie? And they're like, "Well, I played the third lieutenant from the left." And your like: Excellent, good job, keep going (laughs) ... good for you.

Mike: Well, along those lines: You will always have a special place in Star Trek fandom because your character is the first person ever to meet Captain Kirk, right?
Sonita: Yes, I am. I am the person that delivers Kirk, holds Kirk. And I like to think that if I had sneezed or fallen (laughs) ... what would have happened to Star Trek?

Mike: Your character is listed as "The Doctor." There's no name yet?
Sonita: As far as I know there wasn't.

Mike: Do you want to give her a name right now?
Sonita: What name would she be? I don't even know what she looks like.

Mike: Really? Did they add effects later?
Sonita: Yes. There will be effects. I'm not sure where my character is from, they never told me that. I won’t know what I look like until I actually watch the movie.

Star Trek Coundown #3 Preview

AICN has posted a five page preview of the next issue of the Star Trek Countdown that bridges the gap between the end of the Star Trek Universe as we know it and the launch of a new one with the upcoming movie. The previous two issues showed why Nero traveled back in time to destroy Vulcan, now the next two cover how he gets the technology to do it.

The 3rd issue will be in comic book stores this Wednesday and the preview pages can be found here.

A New Star Trek Series?

With the upcoming movie possibly launching the 2.0 universe that wipes the slate clean on the last 40 years of Star Trek continuity, it was only a matter of time before talk of a new TV series started.

Bryan Fuller, creator of Pushing Daisies, current writer on Heroes, and previous Trek writer has indicated he would like to relaunch the franchise on the small screen.

"I told my agent and told the people of J.J. Abrams' team I want to create another Star Trek series and have an idea that I’m kicking around. I would love to return to the spirit of the old series with the colours and attitude. I loved Voyager and Deep Space Nine, but they seem to have lost the ‘60s fun and I would love to take it back to its origin."

"Somehow, it got cold over the years. I love Next Generation, but it’s a little cooler and calmer than the ones from the ‘60s, which were so dynamic and passionate. Deep Space Nine was the best of the modern ones, because it was so emotionally complicated. Enterprise was the most sterile of all of them, when it should have been the most fun. Star Trek has to recreate itself. Otherwise, all the characters start to feel the same. You always have a captain, a doctor, a security officer, and you have the same arguments based on those perspectives. It starts to feel too familiar. So all those paradigms where it takes place on a starship have to be shaken up."

Over all I have to agree with assessment of the various series. To me, the final two seasons of Deep Space Nine was Star Trek at its very best and only just hinted at the franchise's full potential. I do believe a complete return back to the TOS series of simplicity would be a mistake but a balance can be found, it just takes the right minds to do it. It is interesting to note that this seems to prove that

Star Trek Movie Tie-In Game Planned

TrekMovie.com is reporting that Paramount Home Entertainment released artwork (left) for an insert with Star Trek: TOS Season 1 Blu-ray set coming out on April 28th. The insert shows the new version of the Enterprise under attack from an unknown ship with the title of Star Trek D.A.C.

What DAC stands for is currently unknown but The Cut Scene is reporting the game will be downloadable from XBox Live Arcade and Playstation Network starting around May 8. The game will be published by Paramount and produced by Naked Sky Entertainment and had a very short development cycle. The exact nature of the game (shoot em up in space?) is unknown. Details will probably be released as get close to the movie's release date.

John Cho Talks Sulu

John Cho Talked with Sci-Fi Wire about what he is bringing to the role of Hikaru Sulu in the new Star Trek movie.

George's Sulu was a veteran, and he was always in control of the ship," Cho told reporters in a group interview in Los Angeles last week. "And ... since this is his first mission, he's thrust into the position of helmsman by accident, and all of these things are happening. ... He's not supposed to be on the ship; he's not supposed to be doing all this stuff. So ... I wanted this Sulu to be a little bit more innocent, a little bit younger and a little bit more caught off guard by all of this stuff. And I felt like it would be a nice way to begin that arc, since we're going back in time."

"It's probably more due to George Takei than Sulu [the character], but I thought, 'George is such a iconic personality,'" Cho said. "You know, he's around, and he's very famous, and I just felt it best not to imitate him. One, I do not have the vocal cords. They do not do that voice. They don't do that sound. I think there's exactly one person in the world that can do that voice. So I just felt that that would be a bad idea for me, and it would just scream imitation."

Star Trek Trailer Analysis

The new trailer has official premiered with Watchmen and online and the analysis has begun.

TrekMovie.com provides the best with a shot by shot breakdown of the trailer.

The highlights:
- Solid shots of the USS Kelvin fighting Nero's Narada with its 24th century technology.
- The USS Kelvin is TOS era Phasers and Pulse canons.
- Brief shot of the Kirk parents and baby Kirk.
- In class briefing by Spock at Starfleet Academy get glimpse of the once and future Enterprise crew.
- The black hole image of the black claw ship aka Nero's Narada more likely his method of time travel.
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- The shot of a beam weapon firing is on a mostly water based planet suggesting San Francisco Bay, not Vulcan, is under attack.
- Still no clues on what planet is imploding.
- Captain Pike is at some point captured by Nero, which puts Spock in charge. Kirk picks a fight with Spock that gets him removed from command somehow allowing the Ensign to take command.
- Delta Vega is name of the ice planet that Kirk seems trapped on and seen getting attacked by Cloverfieldish type alien.
- Person Spock is hugging is Uhura.
- Women watching attack on Vulcan is Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder).
- Towards end, when Enterprise is in some debris field, a corpse is highlighted by the sun in the background. Definitely not something would seen in old style Trek.
- Most of the starship damage shown in the film is not the Enterprise but actually the Kelvin.

A much more amusing take comes from Boing Boing with 12 things learned from the new trailer. Click the link to check it out, but below are a few of my favorites.

Abrams Talks Bana

JJ Abrams spoke briefly with Australian station 9 News about their native son Eric Bana and his role in the new Star Trek film as the villain Nero. Nothing news related really just vaguely interesting.

Abrams said he was stunned with what Bana did with the bad guy character Nero. "He just transformed," Abrams said. "He did all of these great things. To me he became this character. Eric came up with this great voice and did all these things to a degree that there were a couple of people, directors, who saw the movie and afterward said 'Who was that bad guy?' When I told them it was Eric Bana they were like 'What?'. It was so funny seeing people who would know him not recognise him."

Quinto On Trek Fights

Zachary Quinto (Spock) spoke briefly with reporters regarding the fight scene he was almost in and hints at the never pinch.

"There was originally in the film a sequence that was, I think it was, like, Spock against like six people hand to hand," Quinto told reporters in a group interview last weekend in Los Angeles. "And so I spent a lot of time learning this particular form of martial arts, and ... then, literally two days before we were shooting it, J.J. was like, 'Yeah, we're not going to do that. We're not going to do that. It's going to be a gunfight.' And I was like, 'OK ... ' It's actually worked out better, though. J.J. is always with a mind toward balance. And I think he understood in the context of the film what it needed, and it didn't need that in that moment, and so it changed."

Quinto twinkled when asked if Spock would use his patented Vulcan nerve pinch. "You know, there might be some of that," he said coyly. "We'll see ..."

Second Star Trek Trailer

The second trailer for Star Trek, currently attached to Watchmen, is officially out. Thanks to Mr. Gandia and Captain Clueless for the heads-up.
HD: YouTube | Apple

Star Trek Adaption Cover, Plot Summary

From TrekMovie is the offical from and back covers for the adaption of JJ Abrams Star Trek movie by Alan Dean Foster. As the Star Trek: Countdown is building to, it is a story of revenge and the heroes that stop them.

One grew up in the cornfields of Iowa, fighting for his independence, for a way out of a life that promised only indifference, aimlessness, and obscurity

The other grew up on the jagged cliffs of the harsh Vulcan desert, fighting for acceptance, for a way to reconcile the logic he was taught with the emotions he felt.

In the far reaches of the galaxy, a machine of war bursts into existence in a place and time it was never meant to be. On a mission of retribution of the destruction of his planet, its half-mad captain seeks the death of every intelligent being, and the annihilation of every civilized world.

Kirk and Spock, two completely different and unyielding personalities, must find a way to lead the only crew, aboard the only ship, that can stop him.

TNG Cast Not In Star Trek Movie

As a result of a comment during Wondercon, The Latino Review suggested that the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast will make an appearance. As TrekMovie.com points out, that idea is completely false.

From Latino Review:

…another writer (or artist) said that part of the movie will take place with the Next Generation cast and to look out for that. Another guy on the panel gave him a quick "uh oh" look.

After that, someone from the audience asked "So are members of the Next Generation cast in the new Trek movie?" to which the same guy replied, "I really cannot say anything about that."

From TrekMovie:

TrekMovie attended the same panel at Wondercon and certainly did not take away that Latino Review analysis. We have previously received no indication that there are any cameos of any Next Generation era actors or characters. Just to be sure, we double checked with reliable sources and can confirm that there are definitely no TNG cameos in the new Star Trek.

The source of the confusion seems to be from Star Trek: Countdown comic book series that bridges the gap from the end of the Star Trek: Nemesis movie to the beginning of JJ Abrams movie. Because of time travel things can get a bit confusing

The comic takes place about 30 years after the end of Nemesis. Picard is now Ambassador Picard (apparently ignoring Kirk's advice to never leave the chair), the revived Data is Captain of the Enterprise-D, and Spock is the Federation Ambassador to Romulus, the capital of the Romulan Empire which is more open then ever to Unification. In the comic, an accident takes place that causes a nearby star to go nova, destroying Romulus. The nova could have been prevented by Vulcan technology but the Vulcan council refused to provide it to Spock and Nero (the movie's villain). Nero's family was killed in the planet's destruction and seeking revenge he goes back in time (with Spock following) to destroy the Enterprise lineage starting with Kirk (thus the movie's opening with the destruction of the USS Kelvin with the Kirk's parents on board).

I think the involvement of the TNG cast in the back-story of the movie is what caused the initial confusion. I also believe that the time travel plot point creates the Star Trek 2.0 parallel universe. This way the William Shatner Kirk and the Chris Pine Kirk and all that follow can exist in tandem providing Paramount with opportunity to mind both possibilities from fans in books, comics and merchandise depending on what your tastes favor.

New Trailer Description and Wondercon 09 Q&A

Wondercon '09 convention is being held this weekend and the new Star Trek movie played a part in the fun. As part of the convention, attendees got to see the new trailer a week early and participate in a Q&A session with director JJ Abrams, producer Bryan Burk, writer Roberto Orci, and stars Chris Pine (Kirk), Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and Zachary Quinto (Spock).

The new trailer is reported to be a mix of new and old footage, often the new footage providing more snippets of scenes from the previous trailer such as the conversation between Captain Pine and Kirk, Vulcan under attack, Nero's motivation and just a hint of how Nero is a time traveler. It heavily features more on Kirk's revised back-story thanks to Nero's interference, space battles, and fighting.

Based on the reports the main goal of the session was to assure Trekkies that this film doesn't spit on Star Trek canon but with the caveat that it’s not perfect in that regard, pointing out that the Original Series had contradictions. Also it appears the film is 100% locked as Quinto mentioned that he couldn't speak for 20 minutes afterwards. Basically it was a huge selling session and very little was said that had not been heard before.

I am still sticking to my guns that this movie formally launches the Star Trek 2.0 universe that is considered to run in parallel with the Original Series universe, the universe "created" as a result of Nero going back in time to exact revenge against Kirk, Spock and Vulcan for the death of his family (per Star Trek Countdown). To read all a description of the trailer and the Q&A panel, use the links below.

io9 | Newsarama | TrekMovie.com Trailer Description | TrekMovie.com Panel Report and Pictures | AICN Coverage