Pegg: Cumberbatch is not Khan

In an interview in The Telegraph, Simon Pegg dismisses the rumors that Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Khan for Star Trek sequel that is currently in post-production by saying "Its not Khan. That’s a myth." Besides dismissing this character theory, he also spoke about the film and his fellow British actor while maintaining the Trek cone of silence. Speaking of Cumberbatch, below is a video from the BAFTAs where he called working on Star Trek "one of the best four months of my life."

“This time we had the benefit of being able to hit the ground running – we spent some time in the first one re-establishing the characters. Now we have a fully set-up group of people that we can just get on with straight away. So it ups the ante slightly, and we’ve all had more to do. So it’s totally incumbent on us to not drop the ball. It would be a disaster if it wasn’t as good as – or better than – the first one.” Is there more screen time for Scotty? “He’s in it from the beginning. In the last one I was the last member of the crew to be ‘discovered’ and brought in. So in this one, we’re all together from the top.”

Face to Face with Patrick Stewart

For your amusement, below is the amusing Face to Face with Weird Al Yankovic fake interview with Patrick Stewart from The Nerdist Channel.

Leonard Nimoy Nerdist Interview

Leonard Limoy, Spock, participated in a 30 minute long interview with LA Times Reporter Geoff Boucher for The Nerdist channel. In the two part interview (below), the actor discusses the original series, directing Star Trek IV, origin of the Vulcan salute, and how the first movie nearly derailed the franchise.

Cupcake Returns for Trek Sequel

TrekMovie is reporting that Jason Matthew Smith will return to the role of "Cupcake", the nickname Kirk gave him in the last movie when they met again on the Enterprise after the initial meeting in the bar fight sequence. The character is a security officer on the Enterprise who mostly recently appeared in Star Trek #8 comic. I guess this might have needed a spoiler warning but to me casting news isn't spoilers. The story and what those characters will be doing is and in this case we know next to nothing.

Redshirts

The standard Star Trek trope, the sacrificial Redshirt, has getting a new life with some new products. For those not familiar, in The Original Series, being a red shirt (for security) was a guarantee that characters was going to bite it at some point in the episode. The now pop culture joke was used in the last Trek movie when the red shirted engineer died while attempting to jump on the laser platform. Now you can (unofficially) celebrate the Redshirt with a new card game from ThinkGeek, an actual redshirt, and a new spook book that takes place on an Enterprise analog as the red shirted crewman start to get suspicious of the frequent deaths that occur on away missions.

James Doohan Reaches the Final Frontier

Tuesday morning, a little bit of Star Trek reached the stars with the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This rocket finally brings the ashes of James Doohan (Scotty) to space. The actor died in 2005 and and attempt was made to send his ashes to space in 2008. Finally he has reached the final frontier. The payload containing the ashes of him and others will remain in earth orbit for about a year before burning up on re-entry. Below is video of the launch, hit up TrekMovie.com for the tweets that Trek actors posted about the launch including one from his son Chris Doohan who wrote "Dad, May the stars rise up to meet you. May the solar wind always be at your back."

Star Trek: TNG Season 1 Blu-ray Price, Pre-order

The recently announced Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season One Blu-ray set is now available for pre-order for the July 24th, 2012 release date. Amazon currently has it on sale for $90.99 but other reports have it available on Wal-Mart for $78.86. It will be interesting to see where the price lands as get close to the release date. The full details of the set can be found here.

IDW August Star Trek Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for August that concludes to the Enterprise 2.0 crew trouble with Tribbles while the crossover with Doctor Who and the TNG crew gets to the halfway point. Three comics are being released that month. If you are interested in the books, just let your local comic book store know. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Transformers, Locke & Key and more click here.

Star Trek #12
Mike Johnson (w) • Claudia Balboni (a) • Tim Bradstreet (c)
The conclusion of "The Truth About Tribbles!" With production underway on next year's blockbuster STAR TREK sequel, the countdown continues here in the pages of the hit series overseen by the film's writer/producer Roberto Orci! The classic episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" is re-imagined as part of the timeline of the new films!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Star Trek Sequel in Iceland

TrekMovie has confirmed that while principle photography has wrapped for the actors in the Star Trek sequel, filming still continues for the crew. The 2nd unit, head by ILM's visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett, will be heading to Iceland to capture footage needed for visual effects shots. Considering Ridley Scott's Prometheus filmed the movie's alien planet there, it is pretty safe guess that ILM and JJ Abrams are using the country for the same purpose. Between the variety of terrain in the country and the magic of CGI effects, the potential alien planet could be anything from a harsh ice environment (see Game of Thrones), a hellish fire planet or even a paradise just left of an imagined Garden of Eden. TrekMovie said this is only the second time a Trek production has left the 48 states to film. The first time was a trip to Alaska for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to film the harsh environment outside of the Klingon planet Rura Penthe. The unnamed sequel's release date is May 17, 2013 so only 51 weeks to go.

Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek and Sequel Rumor Origin

Leonard Nimoy, Spock "Prime", spoke with with StarTrek.com about Trek and the possible origin of the rumors that he has a role in the sequel. Highlights below, click here and here for the entire interview. In short, he thinks the rumors were started because of a set visit and dinner.

One major side effect of J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek film was that it brought a lot of young people into the fold and many of them went on to seek out The Original Series. What did that mean to you?
Nimoy: I am getting email and fan mail now from young people who, as you say, are watching The Original Series for the first time. J.J.’s film has opened up the territory and made people conscious of it all over again. I guess we’re into a third generation by now of viewers. It’s extraordinary. I don’t see Star Trek fading. That it just keeps reviving itself is wonderful.

Speaking of J.J. Abrams, how did you enjoy your visit to the set of the sequel?
Nimoy: I visited the set one day and that started some speculation about whether I was doing the film. It’s all speculation. I talk to these people regularly. Zachary Quinto and I have dinner whenever we can. We just had dinner three or four weeks ago. I talk to J.J. about family. His parents and I go back a number of years as friends. I knew them long before I ever met J.J. So we talk regularly. I visited the set one day because I had never seen the bridge. When I was in the last film, none of my work was on the bridge of the Enterprise. So I wanted to see the bridge, and the bridge was extraordinary. It’s beautifully designed and put together. We talk. It’s great. I expect that it’s going to be a gigantic film. Look, I think he’s put together a wonderful cast of people. His writers are imaginative and energetic. I think we’re going to see another great Star Trek movie.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Score Announced

StarTrek.com has announced that Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Complete Score will be released on June 5th, 2012 by La-La Land Records. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, this score is where many of the classic sounds and music we associated with Star Trek oringated from. I assume it will be sold at Amazon and other retailers. No price yet either. An screening of the movie is also planned in Hollywood for the release, details here.

The Complete Score will be a full-throttle affair, spread across three CDs. Disc one and part of disc two will include Goldsmith’s score, along with unused Goldsmith cues. Disc three will include additional alternate takes and such bonus material as a disco version of Goldsmith’s theme, a Shaun Cassidy-sung love theme entitled “A Star Beyond Time,” synthesizer excerpts, Craig Huxley’s “blaster beam” and more. And it all comes in a clamshell package, accompanied by a 40-page booklet written by Jeff Bond and Mike Matessino, the latter of whom co-produced the reissue.

Star Trek Federation: First 150 Years Announced

StarTrek.com has revealed a few details of a new hardcover collection called Federation: The First 150 Years. The book written by David A Goodman (writer-consulting producer on Enterprise) with illustrations is a "history" book (with props) from the founding of the Federation to just about the end of the Kirk era of Trek (aka end of the TOS movies). As described on Amazon:

Assembled as a Special Exhibit on Memory Alpha, Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the United Federation of Planets.

Weller: "I’ve got my own ship"

Another, mostly useless, hint for the Star Trek sequel that just finished wrapping as JJ Abrams moratorium on revealing spoilers remains in full effect. Trek Movie spoke with Peter Weller about his role in Star Trek when the actor was walking the red carpet for RoboCop 25th Anniversary Event at the Dallas International Film Festival. First he said, "I can’t tell you. I’m sworn to secrecy. It’s something very cool" Then they asked if he was wearing prosthetics he answered "No. do I look like an alien to you? No man. Let me put it this way. I have my own ship"

So there you go. Peter Weller plays a Captain. Probably a Starfleet Captain but even that isn't guaranteed. This does contradict Weller's agent saying he would play a C.E.O. but that can be dismissed as the agent simply not being a Trekkie and not knowing the terminology. Or he just got it confused with Weller's previous role in Star Trek: Enterprise as the owner of a mining station. Not much to work with but since a JJ Abrams production, you kind of have to live with the breadcrumbs that do come up.

Alice Eve on Trek Set Pic

A new picture has surfaced on the Zachary Quinto Community site that shows Alice Eve, unknown person and Quinto posing while on a Star Trek set. When and where the photo was taken is unknown. The main point of interest is the outfit suggests a little bit more info on the character she is playing. The main point of interest is the costumes seem to match the same dark gray and black uniforms that John Cho (Sulu) and Zoe Saldana (Uhura) wore for the film. The new darker scheme also matches outfits that Quinto and Chris Pine (Kirk) have worn. So this indicates a member of Starfleet (no likely not Dr. Carol Marcus). The outfit also suggests not a member of the medical corps (so bye Christine Chapel). Since she is wearing the costume but no alien makeup unlike Quinto, she is probably a human character. This fits my theory of Yeoman Janice Rand but there are still a host of contenders including Lt. Maria Givers who fell in love with Khan and helped in escape in The Original Series episode. As usual time will tell.

Nimoy: "They Don't Need Me"

While promoting the season four finale of Fringe, Leonard Nimoy spoke briefly about the rumors of his returning as Spock for the Star Trek sequel that just finished filming. He didn't really outright confirm or deny the rumor but his comments make you wonder if they are true. From io9:

"My theory is, they don't need me. They've got a wonderful cast. Zachary Quinto has taken on the character of Spock and is well suited [to the role.] They've got a wonderful company of people. I don't think they need me." He noted the film has just finished shooting, so his window to be involved may already have closed.

Kre-O Star Trek Teaser Image

As you can see, Hasbro has released another Kre-O teaser image for Star Trek 2 via Collider. In Feburary, Hasbro announced it acquired the toy license to make toys based on the upcoming movie. The Kre-O line is Hasbro's answer to Lego. Currently the line consists of Transformers and Battleship based playsets that are pretty good. Hopefully the quality will continue and focus on the ships of the Trek universe much like Lego did with Star Wars rather then the "enviroment" sets Lego favored with their other movie licenses like Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. Time will tells as the toys are not set for release until next year.

Star Trek Sequel Completes Principle Photography

Today JJ Abrams has completed filming Star Trek 2 (or 12) and now moves on to the post-production phase. The news was confirmed by TrekMovie when Trek writer Bob Orci wrote "And... That's a wrap!" Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto also confirmed the wrap via twitter. Pegg tweeted "Time to pull on the old work clothes and hit the coal face one more time..." with pic of his costume shirt while Quinto wrote "zq. picture wrap. holy shit" with pic of his set chair.

Filming occurred from January 12th to May 8th and as expected Abrams kept everything close to the vest. In theory after nearly five months of filming the only real leaks is Spock fighting Khan and Leonard Nimoy may reprise his role. And the costumes might involve a black shirt. So that covers a few minutes of the movie. The very first trailer will reveal more than the entire production did. Quite an impressive feat in secret keeping if think about it.

The film doesn't come out until May 17, 2013 so post-production will have plenty of time to perfect those lens flares. All kinds of works remains with editing, special effects, scoring, sound effects, ADR and host of other tasks that don't involve filming but will likely keep Abrams occupied through the rest of the year. For fans, hopefully the next bit of breaking news will come via the San Diego Comic-Con in July where Trek writer Damon Lindale had indicated a desire to present something for fans. It would be a good time to premiere a teaser trailer...

Cumberbatch's Star Trek Quiz, Audition

Benedict Cumberbatch is making the rounds to promote the United States airing of Sherlock Season 2 starting this Sunday on PBS. The series already aired in the UK early this year and very much worth checking out. During these interviews (below) he was asked questions about Star Trek. VH1's Carrie Keagan tried to verify his possible role of Khan was unable but he did briefly speak about his audition story (starts at the 3:41 point). It also turns out his female fan base have a new name - the Cumberbitches. For MTV he was given a Star Trek quiz which he failed spectacularly with no knowledge on things like Klingons and Khan's original ship the Botany Bay. His lack of knowledge about the Botany could be read as meaning he isn't playing the role but it could just mean his character is different enough new origin story that the Bay is irrelevant. Also be sure to hit up YouTuber romangirl88 or TrekMovie for an interesting Sherlock Q&A panel with the actor.

Star Trek Filming at Lawrence Livermore Lab

The Mercury News is reporting that Star Trek 2 is filming at the Lawrence Livermore Lab in California. The classified government facility (so sure Abrams is in secrets heaven), is there filming unknown scenes for an unknown amount of time. "We do have a film crew on site, known only as the HH project. We are not allowing media on the set, per their request," lab spokeswoman Lynda Seaver said in an email Tuesday. The scenes are being filmed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) whose building is larger than three football fields and houses "the world's largest laser to produce thermonuclear ignition at temperatures and densities similar to those in the sun." Judging by the sample picture of the facility, it looks like it portions of it would be perfect for an engine room or maybe part of a warp chamber. (via Bleeding Cool)

Star Trek: The Next Generation Reunion Video

Last weekend, for the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the entire 1st season cast reunited for the first time at that Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. Below is the video of the reunion in five parts from cid388. The playlist can also be found here. It is worth watching as highly entertaining and amusing as the cast answer stories and relate a few stories.