Let me start by asking doesn’t “Star Trek Trio” sound like a really geeky jazz band? Someone that is musically inclined should totally make that happen. Vegas show, perhaps?
That said, three of the big names behind the Star Trek reboot, J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman, spoke independently regarding what is to come for the franchise. Being a writer, let me start with my favorite scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. ComingSoon caught up with the pair and discussed what was on deck for the sequel. Kurtzman explained how they looked to some of the best sequels when working on their own:
“I think that for us it’s always about going back to the sequels that we loved as kids and asking ourselves why we loved them. “Empire Strikes Back,” “Superman 2,” “Aliens,” “Terminator 2,” “Star Trek 2,” what do all of those movies have in common? Well, they are amazing stories all on their own. You didn’t have to see the first movie.
There was some incredibly emotional test of character in all of those movies. Superman has to give up his powers for love. The Spock and Kirk relationship is being tested by Kahn. Ripley finding a daughter, essentially. All of those things are such big ideas in and of themselves.”
The most interesting thing about that comment is the fact the original sequel, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, is mentioned. Kurtzman and Orci will have their hands full coming up with something as compelling as that film was, a movie heralded as one of the best sequels of all time. Naturally, by acknowledging Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan the question had to be asked, would their sequel also include Khan Noonian Singh (known better as “KHAAAN!” to geeks)? Kurtzman answered:
“Where we are starting is ‘Okay, where are our characters now and what are interesting complications that we can put in their lives? What feels like an organic emotional place for them to get to? How do we want to test them?’ Then you look at everything. You look everything and start asking ‘Who would be the best foe.'”
Kurtzman went onto add, “The short answer is that we haven’t landed on anybody yet.”
Meanwhile, Collider spoke with J.J. Abrams and asked whether he was going to bring new elements into the franchise or utilize existing ones from the existing universe:
“In going forward, the fun of this movie series is that we will have the opportunity, given its alternate timeline, to cross paths with any of the experiences, places and characters that existed in the original series, but we have to be really careful, doing that. I don’t want to do something that is so inside that only die-hard fans will appreciate.
We’re just now working on the script and just beginning the process of story breaking, but I guarantee you, whatever the story is and whatever the final movie ends up being, I know it will be something that will work on its own terms and be something that you don’t need to know and study Star Trek to get, but if you are a fan, there will hopefully be gift after gift of connections, references and characters that you hold near and dear. At least, that’s the intent.”
I have mixed feelings about the alternate timeline premise. As much as I’d love to see KHAAAN!…oops, sorry, bad habit…Khan in the sequel, I want to see something new in Star Trek. Defaulting to old characters or story lines just wouldn’t be doing the new Star Trek universe justice — especially since it is now in such capable hands. It’s important to honor what has come before, but just as important to give us something new.
The Star Trek sequel is set to warp into theaters in 2011.
