Film: Star Trek (2009)

[tambourine-man]

Well, well, well... I only just found out about this!

Cast (from IMDB):
Zachary Quinto ... Spock
Mike Vogel ... (rumored)
Eric Bana ... Nero
Zoe Saldana ... Nyota Uhura
Anton Yelchin ... Pavel Chekov
Leonard Nimoy ... Spock
Chris Pine ... Kirk (in talks)

Also...

Star Trek Casting: Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu; Budget $150M+

I know I was a little let down by the Villain and Kirk castings announced earlier this week, but this shocker is more to my liking. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg has been cast as Scotty in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. Pegg joins Eric Bana (as a villain named Nero), Anton Yelchin (as Chekov), Zachary Quinto (as young Spock), Zoe Saldan (as Uhura), Leonard Nimoy (as older Spock), and possibly Chris Pine (as Kirk) who was offered the role or Kirk.

I’m a huge fan of Simon Pegg, and am glad to see him in any movie, but his casting in this film even seems strange. He’s not even on my list of the top ten people who could play Scotty (if I were to have said list). What do you guys think of Pegg’s casting?

Source: http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/10/11...-pegg-as-scotty-john-cho-as-sulu-budget-150m/

The latest Star Trek film is being produced by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof. Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are the executive producers. The script is being written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. J.J. Abrams will direct.

The project was announced in April 2006.

In June 2007 it was announced that Zachary Quinto (Heroes) and Leonard Nimoy will portray Spock in the upcoming film (related story).

There have been no other announcements regarding the film's cast.

Source: http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/MOV/011/synopsis.html

As early as 2003, Rick Berman, then-executive producer of the Star Trek franchise, began quietly discussing the possibility of an eleventh Star Trek feature film. However, because of the failures in 2002 and 2005 of the franchise, including the tenth film, Star Trek Nemesis and the cancellation of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, these statements were widely ignored. However, in February 2005, Berman finally backed up some of his statements with names, claiming in Variety that screenwriter Erik Jendresen, among others, were involved in production of a new film.[20]

Despite being tangled up in rumors of other screenplays under consideration,[21][22][23][24] the Jendresen script was widely believed to be in pre-production. It was believed that the story, titled Star Trek: The Beginning, would revolve around a new set of characters, led by a man named Tiberius Chase. It would take place in a time after Enterprise but before Star Trek: The Original Series, possibly during the Earth-Romulan War. These rumors have since been verified in large part by Jendresen.[25]

However, on February 25, 2006, Douglas Mirabello, a personal assistant to Rick Berman, made an extensive posting at the Something Awful forums in which he denied that production on The Beginning was going forward, and claimed that Star Trek was dead for the time being. "The franchise needs a totally new creative team, some time off, and a cool new approach", he said.[26] In Jendresen's words, "Essentially, what's being said is true. This is 'dead' because it's not moving forward. It's like a shark. It has got to keep moving or it's dead."[25]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek_(film)

What do people think? Is this going to be good? The last few Trek films were mundane rubbish (seriously, some bald, lex-luthor clone as Picard's evil twin brother??? Mmmmm... no.)

Not too keen on Eric Bana being in it. Never been that keen on him. Simon Pegg's inclusion is just strange. I can't even picture it working without it giving a slight whiff of the absurd. Apparently Matt Damon was rumoured to be in with a shot of playing Kirk... but was turned down for being too old. And a retard.

Allegedly.

 

[alasdairm]

Film (Star Trek XI (new trek film)

rate this movie

alasdair

 

[Belisarius]

This has been getting a lot of talk on some of the geek boards I frequent. Some people are cautiously optimistic, others want the franchise to die, and still others hate it already.

My thoughts? It's been my limited experience that "we're going back to the early days" sequels are almost always either shit, or a sign that a franchise really has run out of things to do--usually both at once. Hell, this was the very premise of the short-lived "Enterprise" series, yet these guys still think they can reinvent the wheel by bringing the TOS crew back, after a fashion.

Anyways...though I have my doubts about this--make that serious doubts--as a life-long Trekkie, I hope it works out. You can bet I'll be one of the suckers plunking $9 on it opening night, and walking in with fingers crossed...

 

[tambourine-man]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

I so want it to work for them... but you just know that they're clutching at straws with the prequel concept.

 

[DigitalDuality]

i'm neither in the camp of cautiously optimistic, nor do i wish the franchise to die ..

but the enterprise series... and this movie just seem like horrible ideas to me and i refuse to watch either.

In fact, i've never really liked the TOS movies, and only one TNG movie did i like (which could've been better). I dunno, i grew up watching TOS, TNG, DSP and e ventually half of voyager.. and i liked it for what it was. I liked DS9 the most.

I don't think they've really understood how to do a movie.. and i think every attempt at prequals is aweful.

there's something about a series that started in the 60s... and then doing it again with other series in 80s and 90s and placing it hundreds of years in the future.. THEN making a modern movie/series that is either during the time of the original series or takes place before it.

the old star trek looks dated b/c of the time period it was made.. and i think that fits. no need to modernize it when you've already taken the series much further into the future while that coicides with the acting and improved film techniques over the decades..

 

[tribal girl]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gUA35XQxxw8

Sorry, I couldn't resist

 

[tambourine-man]

Yep. I can't get past the internal style changes between TOS and Enterpise. It just doesn't sit well within the franchise.

I'd like to see a completely fresh approach. Wipe the slate clean in the same way that TNG started relatively afresh - no more Klingon War, a more established Federation, etc. In the same way, any future series or films should leap forward a hundred or so years... maybe with a Federation that isn't all perfect and gleaming - maybe a universe where they're on the brink socially. I dunno... just something that would allow some creative writing and the opportunity to tie up old ends from previous series.

Meh... I'm rambling. :D

 

[Belisarius]

<<maybe with a Federation that isn't all perfect and gleaming - maybe a universe where they're on the brink socially. I dunno... just something that would allow some creative writing and the opportunity to tie up old ends from previous series.>>

I totally hear you. TNG was a gamble that worked, and I think it's perfectly feasible to take it farther, literally and figuratively. I also agree that the Trek universe has always been too sanitized, too inside-the-box. Unfortunately, I think any franchise as old and widespread as Trek eventually paints itself into a corner, by becoming so much *itself* that it diversifies less and less, if that makes sense.

 

[L2R]

yeah it does.


*sigh* i think i've well and truely grown out of the whole "ship and it's crew vs the world" bit.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gUA35XQxxw8

Sorry, I couldn't resist

that about a dozen kinds of awesome! :D

 

[Zagenth]

i'm neither in the camp of cautiously optimistic, nor do i wish the franchise to die ..
In fact, i've never really liked the TOS movies, and only one TNG movie did i like (which could've been better). I dunno, i grew up watching TOS, TNG, DSP and e ventually half of voyager.. and i liked it for what it was. I liked DS9 the most.

I'm not a trekkie by ANY stretch of the definition, never understood the following it got. That being said, I enjoyed the Star Trek movies mainly cause I watched all the older ones with my dad who really likes them. Up to this point, I have liked the movies, they were entertaining.

As far as the series goes, the original ones sucked, never liked any of them. But to say that DS9 was the best is blasphemy. That was the second worst, made second by the worst, which was the new one, Enterprise. As far as Star Trek is concerned, TNG was the best series followed by some of the Voyager series. Any movie dating back like the Enterprise series did is doomed to fail. They need to move forward, not back.

 

[DigitalDuality]

oh come on... the Dominion war in DS9 rocked my socks

 

[Banquo]

I think a re-invention or re-interpretation of Star Trek would be better than a prequel, or maybe something like Casino Royale where there wasn't such strict adherence to the older series parts. In other words, start over. Don't get bogged down in timelines and continuity like the Star Wars prequels or the other Star Trek series.

Director J.J. Abrams has seemingly taken the geek world by storm. Most of his work which comes to mind, like Alias and MI3, is action-based. But the key to the better Star Trek storylines (imo) has been the surreal and headfuck situations. That said, I hope he doesn't follow the incredible temptation to go all Michael Bay on this. Yes, cautious optimism is correct.

 

[L2R]

yeah it will be more action, less headfuck. no way jj abrams gonna take such risks when he's succeeding with his relatively solid yet super light action route.

but the trek films have never been that deep really.


just please PLEASE leave the product placement out (microsoft joystick enterprise controls.....bleh!)

 

[tambourine-man]

I also agree that the Trek universe has always been too sanitized, too inside-the-box. Unfortunately, I think any franchise as old and widespread as Trek eventually paints itself into a corner, by becoming so much *itself* that it diversifies less and less, if that makes sense.

Thing is... and get ready for the Trek-like paradox... it's that sanitized, optimistic, courage-and-love-conquers-all scriptwriting that has been the cornerstone of it's success. TOS was sprung from Rodenberry's political ideals and I think that served the franchise well, even in the newer series - although TNG and DS9 did start to introduce more conspiratorial, darker themes as time went on.

It definitely needs a fresh start. But I'm not too keen on the idea of a complete re-set, like Banquo suggests...

I think a re-invention or re-interpretation of Star Trek would be better than a prequel, or maybe something like Casino Royale where there wasn't such strict adherence to the older series parts. In other words, start over. Don't get bogged down in timelines and continuity like the Star Wars prequels or the other Star Trek series.

Noooooooooo!

Getting bogged down in nerd-like obsession to detail is what Star Trek is all about, goddamit! :D

oh come on... the Dominion war in DS9 rocked my socks

Absolutely. The first few series of DS9 were a little slow... but it really gathered pace... and the final few series are probably the best they ever made.

Voyager was fun (if only for Seven's cup support).

 

[Belisarius]

<<it's that sanitized, optimistic, courage-and-love-conquers-all scriptwriting that has been the cornerstone of it's success.>>

Don't get me wrong--I like Trek in spite of its thematic simplicity. Furthermore, I don't think that precludes excellence at all; the two gems of the movie series, "Wrath of Khan" and "First Contact", worked perfectly within that paradigm. And for that, "Khan" had (and still has) the cheapest budget of any of the movies, and all it did was to take a great TOS episode and turn it into a great movie.

There are so many potential movie subjects in the Trek universe that have cachet with fans, but have never been touched on the big screen: the Romulans (barely), the Guardian of Forever (a personal fave), the Talosians, Lor, the Changelings, the Q-Continuum, to name just a few.

 

[tambourine-man]

<<it's that sanitized, optimistic, courage-and-love-conquers-all scriptwriting that has been the cornerstone of it's success.>>

Don't get me wrong--I like Trek in spite of its thematic simplicity. Furthermore, I don't think that precludes excellence at all; the two gems of the movie series, "Wrath of Khan" and "First Contact", worked perfectly within that paradigm. And for that, "Khan" had (and still has) the cheapest budget of any of the movies, and all it did was to take a great TOS episode and turn it into a great movie.

There are so many potential movie subjects in the Trek universe that have cachet with fans, but have never been touched on the big screen: the Romulans (barely), the Guardian of Forever (a personal fave), the Talosians, Lor, the Changelings, the Q-Continuum, to name just a few.

Oh sure man, I know what you're saying.

I had no idea about "Khan" having the lowest budget... funny really, because I always think of it being one of the best. Although the brain-eating earwig scene pretty much ensured that I didn't appreciate the film until I was much older. Once the mental scars had healed.

I would like to see how the Lor/Data/B-4 storyline developed.

 

[DigitalDuality]

they could always just make a political statement movie about capitalists, and have them meet the ferengi for the first time

 

[ChemicalBeauty]

" Target that explosion, and fire" - Sulu (Undiscovered Country - great movie)

I wish they'd make more TNG films. I couldn't ever get into Deep Space Nine, but I'm just now starting to watch Enterprise from the beginning. How bout the vulcan chick in Enterprise? Unbelievable. She's single-handedly turned me on to the series the first episode i ever saw was the one where she goes into heat when locked in the medical facility with the doctor. That's got to be the steamiest Star Trek episode of all time.

I'm looking forward to this movie, the guy playing young spock is sylar from Heroes.

 

[L2R]

I wish they'd make more TNG films. I couldn't ever get into Deep Space Nine, but I'm just now starting to watch Enterprise from the beginning. How bout the vulcan chick in Enterprise? Unbelievable. She's single-handedly turned me on to the series the first episode i ever saw was the one where she goes into heat when locked in the medical facility with the doctor. That's got to be the steamiest Star Trek episode of all time.

what about the tng episode where troi is on heat!? man, as a teen, i could barely contain myself that entire episode!

they could always just make a political statement movie about capitalists, and have them meet the ferengi for the first time

bwahahahaha! i can see it now:

president of earth: "the federation has decided to remove capitalism and the monetary system of finance. not for any political or philosophical agenda. just in spite of those fucking annoying ferengi! orange bastards!"

 

[L2R]

REALLY crappy bootleg of the teaser trailer