Rama's Screen

Comingsoon recently had a lengthy interview with director J.J. Abrams who revealed that he’s not sure if he’ll return to direct STAR TREK 2, he won’t know until the script is done which would take a while, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are in charge of the story, you can read the rest OVER THERE. That’s fair enough, I think it’s wise that a director doesn’t jump in or rush in too quickly without thinking things through. For example, all this rumor about Christopher Nolan returning or not returning to do BATMAN 3 but he’s the kind of guy who needs to have a solid story first. Anyways, back to STAR TREK sequel, the same website also heard a rumor that if the project were to happen right now, right this very moment, they got somebody in mind to play the new Khan… Read the rest of this entry »

J.J. Abrams recently said that they’re still working on the story, the script for STAR TREK 2, they have ideas but very early in the process. L.A. Times’ Geoff Boucher had a chat with co-writer Roberto Orci and director Abrams and actually got a bit of what their idea might be. Here’s what Abrams said…

“The ambition for a sequel to ‘Star Trek’ is to make a movie that’s worthy of the audience and not just another movie, you know, just a second movie that feels tacked on. The first movie was so concerned with just setting up the characters — their meeting each and galvanizing that family — that in many ways a sequel will have a very different mission. it needs to do what [the late 'Trek' creator Gene] Roddenberry did so well, which is allegory. It needs to tell a story that has connection to what is familiar and what is relevant. It also needs to tell it in a spectacular way that hides the machinery and in a primarily entertaining and hopefully moving story. There needs to be relevance, yes, and that doesn’t mean it should be pretentious. If there are simple truths — truths connected to what we live — that elevates any story — that’s true with any story.”

A STAR TREK 2 story that we today can relate to. Let’s see.. crappy economy, war in Iraq, unemployment, Kanye West being an A-hole at VMA.. so many issues to choose from.
Of course I exaggerated a little, I’m sure whatever allegory that Abrams and the gang choose to go with will be profound and still entertaining.
This is what Orci had to say..

“We’ve literally had two meetings now. We haven’t decided anything but we’re starting to circle around some ideas. We got a lot of fan response from the first one and a considerable amount of critical response and one of the things we heard was, ‘Make sure the next one deals with modern-day issues.’ We’re trying to keep it as up-to-date and as reflective of what’s going on today as possible. So that’s one thing, to make it reflect the things that we are all dealing with today.

Boucher then suggested it should be about Starfleet grappling with the ethics of torture or dealing with a rising terrorist threat like the politicized war with the Klingons. Orci replied with great enthusiasm and asked for more input.
What would be your idea for the story?

Here’s what we know so far about STAR TREK 2. A few months ago, Paramount re-hired screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman plus Damen Lindelof to start working on the sequel and they’re looking at 2011 as the release year. J.J. Abrams said that with this different ‘timeline’ but same characters, it allows them “use any of the ingredients from the past or come up with brand-new ones to make potential stories.”

Collider had the chance to ask Kurtzman and Orci some questions and they said that they still don’t know if J.J. is directing the sequel because he’s still undecided (I’m sure it’s because now Abrams is focusing on producing/developing MI:4 but I think he’d return to direct STAR TREK 2, I mean why wouldn’t he?!), they want to finish the sequel script by Christmas, Paramount wants to make the film as soon as possible (after the movie earned $235 Million in domestic box office, I don’t blame Paramount for being impatient), and they’ve been reading what the fans have been saying online (Well,.. their version of Star Trek wasn’t quite the Star Trek that the fans really grew up with but it was a cool one nonetheless).

As far as their idea for the villain.. here’s what they’re willing to say for now

“the exploration sci-fi plot where the unknown and nature itself is somehow an adversary or the villain model. That’s an active discussion we’re having right now. In terms of thinking about more than one movie, we want the movie to be self-contained in a way, but we’re discussing the idea of having a couple of threads where if the second movie works, you could pick up into a cohesive whole. No thread more exciting and shocking for me when in “Star Trek III” you realize that Spock grabbed Bones and downloaded his Katra into him. When I saw “Star Trek II” I was like, “What’s going on here?” and two years later, you’re watching it and you’re like “They’re geniuses! They’re geniuses!” So we’re trying to think is there a version of that but again, “Star Trek II” does not rely on that thread, even though it turns out to be a thread. So we’re thinking in those terms.”

I’m not a Trekker but I did enjoy J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek, so I’m all open to whatever tricks Kurtzman and Orci might have up their sleeves for the sequel. They’re probably the most bankable screenwriting duo in recent years.

We know for quite some time now that big folks at Paramount have greenlit the sequel to J.J. Abrams’ new STAR TREK movie. With an opening weekend of $76.5 Million and an estimated $116 Million after this weekend, can you blame them? And previously, it was revealed that writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will get help from Lost genius Damon Lindelof for the second installment and the thought of Khan crossed their minds.. with the possibility of Javier Bardem as the star. No confirmation yet if that’s the direction they’re going to take but Director J.J. Abrams talked to MTV and is completely open to the idea of Khan.. plus bringing back William Shatner

“Believe me, whether it’s William Shatner or Khan … it would be ridiculous to not be open to those ideas.”
“It’ll be fun to hear what Alex and Bob are thinking about Khan,”
“The idea, now that we are in an independent timeline, allows us to use any of the ingredients from the past — or come up with brand-new ones — to make potential stories.”
“The fun of this timeline is arguing that different stories, with the same characters, could be equally if not more compelling than what’s been told before.”

“[Khan and Kirk] exist — and while their history may not be exactly as people are familiar with, I would argue that a person’s character is what it is,” “Certain people are destined to cross paths and come together, and Khan is out there … even if he doesn’t have the same issues.”
“I wouldn’t rule out anything,”

What J.J. Abrams meant with ‘history may not be exactly as people are familiar with’ is that the way he might bring Khan and Shatner will not the ones that Trekkies grew up with but in a complete different look, vision, and manner because once again.. it’s Abrams’ STAR TREK, a result of alternate universe, an origin story with a twist which reminds me of the concern that Rama’s SCREEN reader Moviebuff123 expressed in his comment on my review of the movie..
“Sad Sad Sad. I REALLY wanted the origin story of the original characters. Now we’re at the mercy of J.J. Abram and what HE wants to do with these characters. They’re not Gene Roddenberry’s characters anymore… they’re Abram’s.”
As far as Shatner goes, we don’t know how Abrams might incorporate him into the storyline but for now, we know how Shatner would’ve appeared in STAR TREK.

STAR TREK 2 is set to open in 2011