Screen Rant » star trek

‘Star Trek: The Art of the Film’ – Contest Winners!

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:36:48 +0000

Here are the 5 winners of our Star Trek giveaway:

Justin Biggs – Marlton, NJ
Carlos Guerra – Guatemala City, Guatemala
Marc Ciafardini – Richardson, TX
Chris Frye – Newark, OH
Samuel Bell – Pensacola, FL

Thanks to everyone who entered, and you can look forward to a really awesome Harry Potter contest coming up in December!

OK, gang, here’s a Screen Rant giveaway that you’re really going to want to enter: Thanks to Titan Books we’re giving away FIVE (5) copies of Star Trek: The Art of the Film. It’s the official book chronicling the art used in the production of J.J. Abrams’ hit rebirth of the franchise we know and love: Star Trek. This contest is open to everyone, all over the world, so that’ll make you overseas readers happy.

Here’s the official description of the book:

Director J.J. Abrams’ new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek features a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before, as it tells the story of how the brash Starfleet cadet James T. Kirk first meets a Vulcan named Spock, and earns the Captain’s chair of the Starship Enterprise. The film quickly became a critical and commercial smash hit worldwide, as audiences — confirmed Trekkers and newcomers alike — thrilled to a state-of-the-art action epic which both respected the legacy of Gene Roddenberry’s archetypal modern myth and forged ahead into an exciting future of its own. Star Trek: The Art of the Film is a lavishly illustrated celebration of that new vision, tracing the evolution of the movie’s look through a stunning array of previously unseen pre-production paintings, concept sketches, costume and set designs, unit photography and final frames. Written by New York Times-bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz in close co-operation with the film’s production team, and including a Foreword by J.J. Abrams, this is the essential companion to the film.

Here are a few samples of artwork from the book:

Fans of the early Star Trek movies may prefer this design prior to Abrams' changes

Creature designs from the new Star Trek

More concept art from Star Trek: The Art of the Film

A gallery of Star Trek aliens

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Zoe Saldana Talks Star Trek, Avatar & The Losers

Rob Frappier — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:59:05 +0000

Since her starring turn as Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, the lovely Zoe Saldana has been racking up a number of major films. Besides the inevitable Star Trek sequel, Zaldana will play Aisha in the DC comic book adaptation The Losers, as well as the alien Neytiri in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi (or is it fantasy?) film Avatar. Recently, Coming Soon snagged an interview with the fast-rising actress at the DVD/Blu-ray release party for Star Trek.

In the interview, Saldana explains that, although her busy schedule has her worn out, she hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for any of her upcoming projects.

“I’m feeling great, but there’s a part of me that’s happy it’s almost over so I can finally take off my heels…Between guns, a little dress and heels I’m a little tired physically, but I never get mentally tired of talking about these projects I’ve been a part of because it’s every actor’s dream to work with amazing directors especially for a woman in Hollywood and film.”

Saldana also touched on her upcoming role in The Losers, saying Aisha was a “badass” and a blend of her Star Trek character Uhura and her Avatar character Neytiri. Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview came when Saldana expanded on her feelings about playing Neytiri, saying that taking on the alien role was “the most challenging role I’ve ever played.”

“It just challenged me from head to toe. Not only did I have to become more in tune with my body and train for seven months to do this role, but it was also a mental thing where I had to dehumanize myself because I was playing a different species–not of a different country. I was from a different planet so it took a lot of time and it was the most amazing experience I ever had.”

While she wasn’t my favorite character in the new Star Trek, I thought Saldana did a great job making the character of Uhura her own without disrespecting the Uhura of old. It is interesting to hear Saldana’s comments about her work in Avatar. While I am still hesitant to predict Avatar’s success, (I honestly don’t know what to expect from that movie) I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on her role to see if all her hard work paid off. I’ve always imagined it would be difficult to act in a movie that is filmed entirely in front of a green screen, let alone one that takes place on another planet with a completely imaginary race of creatures.

Speaking of Avatar, USA Today recently released a new image of Saldana as Neytiri. Check it out below.

So, what do you think of Zoe Saldana? Do you see her having a long and successful career as a Hollywood A-lister?

Source: Coming Soon, USA Today

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Star Trek Blu-ray Easter Egg: R2D2 Cameo

Paul Young — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:40:36 +0000

Everybody loves a good Easter Egg – both the kind you decorate, hide, then eat and the kind that artists, directors and musicians include in their various works of art for dedicated fans to find. Going way back to 2000 when the X-Men DVD came out, fans were treated to a brief introduction of Spider-Man in the special features section. That was just the first of many eggs to come.

When Iron Man came out, many sharp-eyed fans were quick to point out Captain America’s shield laying on Tony Stark’s work table; Ol’ Cap was then glimpsed frozen in an iceberg in a deleted opening scene from The Incredible Hulk. Just recently Michael Bay inserted a hidden video of himself talking about Unicron in the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray; Bay even put a Terminator reference in TF2 with the words “T-1000” branded onto a destroyed robot’s arm.

Well, J.J. Abrams is continuing the Easter Egg trend with the help of ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) and thanks to the keen eyes at Gizmodo, everybody’s favorite little Star Wars droid can be spotted floating through space in a scene from this summer’s sci-fi hit reboot, Star Trek. Take a look at the picture:

Click the image to view a high resolution shot at Gizmodo.

Just like Gary Coleman, R2D2 must need the work because ILM is always trying to include him in just about every movie they work on, including the previously mentioned Transformer 2, which you can see here at Gizmodo. With a good list of sci-fi movies in the pipleline for ILM, such as Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Last Airbender, Star Trek 2, two Harry Potter films and an unknown film called Interstellar, I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of our white little droid buddy making his Stan Lee-type cameos.

If you want to find more movie Easter Eggs, then check out eeggs.com. They have plenty to look at and find. Have you seen R2D2 in any other films besides these and where do you think he will pop up next?

Star Trek comes out on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow November 17^th, 2009.

Source: Film School Rejects

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J.J. Abrams Discusses “Khannnnn!!!!” for Star Trek 2

Rob Frappier — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:57:30 +0000

After the outstanding success of his Star Trek reboot, director J.J. Abrams has found himself fielding questions about the film’s sequel on a near daily basis. Who will be the villain? Does Chris Pine have as hard a time with Tribbles as William Shatner? Etc, etc. Luckily, Abrams is one of Hollywood’s more nerd friendly directors, so you can always count on him giving you a decent answer.

Recently, MTV caught up with Abrams for an exclusive interview about Star Trek 2. In the interview, Abrams discusses some possibilities for the sequel and the relative leeway the screenwriters have in bringing old characters back to the big screen. Care to guess which name brought up the most excitement? You guessed it, KHANNNNN!!!!, a.k.a Khan Noonien Singh, the genetically engineered superhuman played by Ricardo Montelban in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

From the interview:

“I think one of the byproducts of doing this movie was we were able to dispel the obvious and understandable concerns—how can ‘Star Trek’ possibly exist without those original cast members? Now that we are in a parallel existence with what fans of the original series love so much, we could introduce any number of characters, settings, references and situations that the original series introduced. Dealing with Khan would certainly be a challenge, but we had an equal challenge in finding our crew of the Enterprise.”

Abrams also clarified, however, that he didn’t necessarily want to simply remake old episodes or movies.

“While I don’t want to approach the second film as a remake of episodes we’ve seen in the past… nothing is off limits in terms of what we’re discussing,” he said. “When Bob Orci and the others who know ‘Trek’ so well, the fun of working with them is they know this universe so deeply they’re the ones who are always considering what it means to deal with the stuff in the past, so it’ll be exciting.”

You can check out the full interview by heading over to MTV.

Personally, I think Khan would be an amazing character to see brought back to the big screen, especially given the excellent casting of Kirk and Spock. On the other hand, it’s becoming rarer and rarer to find a good original story in Hollywood these days, so part of me would rather they start fresh with an interesting new villain for the new look crew.

What do you think? Would you like to see Khan in a Star Trek sequel, or should the writers try something new?

Source: MTV

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Nero vs. Klingons In This Star Trek Deleted Scene

Rob Keyes — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:52:08 +0000

To help build excitement for the upcoming release of Star Trek on DVD and Blu-ray, Paramount has released a deleted scene that will be a bonus feature on the home video release of the franchise’s rebirth installment.

This scene is part of the story where Nero (Eric Bana) is held captive by Klingons and interrogated about his knowledge of the future and of the Federation. You’ll definitely recognize one line from the trailer where Nero states “The wait is over” which wasn’t a part of the theatrical release of the film. For Trek fans out there, you’ll also notice another special something from classic Trek lore.

Check the video out after the jump.

I wish this scene and the rest of this plot point of the story had been featured in the movie to help make it make more sense. There was no explanation in the film of what Nero was doing for decades in the background while waiting for Spock to arrive, nor an explanation of how they knew when and where his arrival would take place.

Note the face armor to conceal how the Klingons actually would look in J.J. Abrams’ Trek universe. I expect we’ll be seeing this fan-favorite race in Star Trek 2.

What do you think of this scene and would you like Klingons to be a big part of the next Trek movie(s)?

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek beams on to home video November 17, 2009.

Source: Spike

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Scream Awards 2009: A Report From Front Row Center

Brian Kettler — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:42:51 +0000

This past Saturday, October 17th, I attended my second year of Spike TV’s annual Scream Awards. Not only did I attend, but I had been hand-picked by the casting director to sit front row center for the show! As a fan-focused awards show, it’s much more enjoyable being seated amongst JJ Abrams, Karl Urban, Elijah Wood and Woody Harrelson. My favorite personal surprise of the evening came when the Best Science Fiction Actress nominees were being announced. I cheered (maybe a little too loudly for my girlfriend’s tastes) for Eliza Dushku when her name was announced, only to discover she was sitting right in front of me. She turned around and flashed me her lovely smile. Good thing my girlfriend isn’t the overly-jealous type.

As for the show itself, it seems as though the winners have already been leaked online, and the best surprises have been revealed, even on Spike’s own website. So keep in mind there be spoilers here.

Starting off the show was the “Most Anticipated Movie” award. I’m sure everyone there was utterly surprised by the winner. After a black and white checkerboard “red” carpet, and a Wonderland-esqe stage design, who would have guessed it would be Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland?

In all seriousness though, having Johnny Depp there was very cool. After his extremely brief appearance at the San Diego Comic Con panel this summer, I half-expected that to be his only appearance for this show. Thankfully I was wrong and he came back onstage one more time to present the Rock Immortal award to Keith Richards. Johnny was very gracious on his way up to the small center stage, shaking hands with many of us in the pit next to the stage. Keith Richards was very spry on stage, bounding up the steps to receive his award from his former on-screen “son.” Johnny reiterated the old axiom that after the End of the World, “all that will be left are cockroaches… and Keith Richards”. Take that, Nancy Reagan!

Megan Fox, as I’m sure you all have already heard around the net, was apparently trying to smooth things over with Michael Bay. Here’s her speech:

“I would like to take this moment to actually say something genuine. There have been a lot of false reports concerning how I feel about this movie and I just want to be very clear that I’ve always felt that I am a very ordinary part of an extraordinary film. These movies took me out of obscurity and they gave me a career and I am completely grateful to everyone involved with this franchise. I don’t know why you guys keep voting for me for these things. I don’t feel like I deserve them but thank you and I love you so much, thank you.”

At first, it seemed as though she was setting us up for a SNL-style gag. I thought we’d see her then jokingly refer to Jennifer’s Body, since she never once uttered the names Transformers or Michael Bay. But then, after the disappointing box-office on Jennifer’s Body, it’s no surprise she wants to be a part of Transformers 3. Her speech did sound genuine, it just sounded odd not hearing either name.

Vampires and Werewolves were very well represented this year, from stand-out series True Blood, to the new movie Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant. But judging by the cheers, it was Twilight that had the best reception. Representing the franchise was Taylor Lautner, star of the upcoming The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The footage shown to us was more behind-the-scenes than actual movie footage. After Depp and Lautner, my girlfriend had all but forgotten my earlier Dushku encounter.

Harrison Ford presented the Best Director award to JJ Abrams. It would be exceedingly cool to see these two Hollywood titans do a project together. I wonder if having Ford in the next Star Trek movie would cause some kind of mass nerd head-explosions? William Shatner was also present at the show. He practically begged JJ to be in the next movie. I would have given anything to have been a fly on the wall of that green room! Just imagining Shatner and Ford having drinks and talking shop, I’m reminded of a line from Free Enterprise. When the young character in that movie complains that a kid at school “said that Han Solo was cooler than Captain Kirk”, Shatner, playing himself, remarked “kick the little f&@ker’s @$$”. Seriously though, it would be pretty mind-blowing to see Ford play a Trek villain.

Click to continue reading “Scream Awards 2009: A Report From Front Row Center “

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Will the Original Captain Kirk Be in Star Trek 2?

Paul Young — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:27:44 +0000

The last Star Trek film was by all accounts a huge success, both financially and critically. The reboot brought in $384 million worldwide since its May 2009 release and with the DVD soon to hit store shelves November 17th, the financial gain is sure to continue. Director J.J. Abrams, along with writers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci managed to reinvent the Roddenberry franchise without the use of *gasp* William Shatner.

Some people questioned why they wouldn’t bring Shatner on board for the reboot – not because he is the greatest actor in the world, but rather because he essentially IS the embodiment of Star Trek. Our friends at Cinema Blend pointed us towards The West Australian, who were at a Los Angles press conference promoting the Star Trek DVD, where J.J. Abrams addressed that very topic and it looks like William Shatner MAY (not will) show up in the new Star Trek sequel.

“The problem was his character died on screen in one of his Trek films and because we decided, very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could … the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do given the story we wanted to tell and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with.”

I suppose that makes sense. Shatner did die in the Star Trek: Generations movie only to come back from the afterlife “Nexus” and die again later in the movie. So why wouldn’t Abrams and company do the same kind of thing for the prequel?

“It was a foregone conclusion we wanted him in the [Star Trek]. It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting.”

Not quite as distracting as Leonard Nimoy returning to battle a snow beast as his home planet is destroyed, or as distracting as a green alien hottie in her underwear, but I understand what he means. Trying to start a franchise basically from scratch so that it may continue to live through numerous sequels is tough enough to do without bringing back in a familiar face just for the sake of branding.

So what has changed in the Star Trek universe that would allow Abrams to include Shatner into the upcoming sequel?

“In terms of moving forward, I am open to anything. I feel like the first movie did some of the heavy lifting that needed to be done in order to free us to continue going forward. Maybe there’s less of a burden and there’s going to be more opportunity to work with him (Shatner).”

I’m not really sure how I feel about that statement. The inclusion of Shatner in any manner other than portraying Captain Kirk would just be strange. That means in order to use both Chris Pine and William Shatner as Captain Kirk there would have to be time travel involved and honestly that would feel gimmicky to me. The whole topic is covered in detail on the upcoming Star Trek DVD, in a feature called “The Shatner Conundrum”.

I honestly don’t think Shatner should return to the franchise. He had his three decades of fame from Star Trek and should now fade into the background and enjoy watching younger actors pick up the torch and run with it. I’ve enjoyed watching him in his more comedic roles lately and who doesn’t like the Price Line Negotiator? But he most likely will play a part in the sequel because Abrams added:

“I would love to work with [Shatner]. We speak. We actually have a lunch date planned. “

What do you think about William Shatner coming back on board to play a part in Star Trek 2? Should he leave well enough or alone or does he deserve to be in every Trek movie as long as he lives?

The Star Trek Blu-ray and DVD comes out in the US November 17^th, 2009.

Source: Cinema Blend, The West Australian

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Chris Pine In Negotiations To Be The Next Jack Ryan

Rob Keyes — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:32:33 +0000

Chris Pine, one of the next big things in Hollywood has been one of those actors among that special group seemingly considered for every big role out there (some other members being Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Sam Worthington). Aside from being talked about for Green Lantern and a part in The A-Team, Pine is now being reported as a lead candidate to take over the character of Jack Ryan in the long-awaited return of the Tom Clancy franchise.

According to Variety, Paramount Pictures is in negotiations with the young Captain Kirk to play the CIA analyst for the next feature film based on the Tom Clancy novels.

If this comes to pass, Pine will likely have a long and bountiful relationship with Paramount as both Jack Ryan’s adventures and the rebirth of the Star Trek franchise have the potential for long and successful lives.

As fans of the series know, Ryan has been played in previous films by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. Previously rumored candidates sought to play the character next include Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, Mr. Handsome George Clooney and James Franco.

Believe it or not, it’s been seven years since the last outing of Jack Ryan with 2002’s The Sum of All Fears and it’ll be nice to see the franchise back on the silver screens.

What do you think of Chris Pine headlining the next installment of the Jack Ryan franchise?

The film is produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mace Neufeld and will be based on a script with the latest draft currently being worked by Hossein Amini from an original concept.

Source: Variety

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Star Trek 2 Updates From Writers and Director

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:36:20 +0000

Today we have some updates on the upcoming sequel to this year’s Star Trek reboot, from both director J.J. Abrams and writers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. The topics of discussion range from the story ideas for Star Trek 2 to the news that the sequel will possibly be shot in stereoscopic 3D.

All of this wonderful Star Trek 2 info comes our way thanks to the diligent work of our friends over at Collider.

Let’s start with J.J. Abrams talking about shooting Star Trek 2 in Steroscopic 3D. Here is a snippet of what the director had to say on the subject:

Paramount talked to me about doing the first one in 3-D and, having it only be my second film, I was petrified just at the addition of it. I thought it would be another dimension of pain-in-the-ass. I was just like, “I want to make a decent 2-D movie.”…I’m open to looking at it ’cause now I feel a little bit more comfortable. And, if I, in fact, direct the Star Trek sequel, 3-D could be really fun, so I’m open to it…

Well with every film new and old getting the 3D treatment these days, why not Star Trek, right? But what kind of film are Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci cooking up? And is it the kind of film that will warrant 3D (a rare but important question, I think)?

Here are some of the quotes from Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci about where they are in the scripting process for Star Trek 2:

Bob: We’re still just brainstorming, internally. We’re going to get together soon and see what happens, and start putting it together.

Alex: Where we’re starting is, “Okay, where are our characters now? What are interesting complications that we can put in their lives? What feels like an organic emotional place for us to get to? How do we want to test them?” And then, you look at everything and start asking, “Who would be the best foe?”

Bob: There are mental exercises we play. You can’t be a fan of this and not sit around and wonder.

Alex: But, the short answer is that we haven’t landed on anybody yet.

Orci, Abrams and Kurtzman

And regarding the (prematurely) rumored Guantanamo Bay/torture political allegory theme for the sequel:

Bob: The torture thing was just a for instance. Someone asked, “Modern day issues?,” and we said, “Yeah, sure, modern day issues.” But, we’re not doing a story about Gitmo. I read on some site that it was going to be about Guantanamo Bay. But, now that we’ve established the characters, we can have a more philosophical allegory, where what’s happening in the future represents our world, like the best versions of it in the ’60’s did with women’s rights and racial equality.

Abrams added this bit on that same political allegory subject during his own interview:

…with Star Trek, it’s not like we’re looking to make the second movie some kind of heavy political allegory. I think that it’s important that there is metaphor to what we know and that there is relevance, and I think allegory is the thing that made shows like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek resonate and still be vital today. But, because the first movie was so much about introducing these people…it made it difficult to also have the film go as deep as it could…it is the job of the next film to go a little bit deeper. It shouldn’t be any less fun or take itself too seriously…just examine [the characters] a little more closely, now that we’ve gotten through the pleasantries and introductions.

For all you Trekkies out there worried that the next film was going to go all Michael Moore on you, I guess you can breathe a little bit easier now; seems as though the filmmakers have their heads in the right place to progress the story in a logical (get it?) yet entertaining way. I really feel a bit more at ease hearing Abrams in particular reaffirm that the sequel – no matter what the subject matter – should still retain the fun factor. Star Trek was definitely the most fun (maybe the only pure, start to finish enjoyment) that I experienced at the movies all summer.

I’ve only included small portions of Star Trek news from these Collider interviews – if you want to hear more on the subject, or updates on Mission: Impossible 4, Transformers 3, View Master, Fringe and Cowboys and Aliens, you can click on the links below for full transcripts of the interviews.

Interview with J.J. Abrams

Interview with Kurtzman & Orci

What do you think about the latest updates on Star Trek 2? do you agree that the filmmakers have their heads in the right place? And what do you think the sequel should be about?

Sources: Collider & Collider

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J.J. Abrams Update: Star Trek Sequel & Mission: Impossible IV

Ross Miller — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:23:42 +0000

Today we have some of J.J. Abrams news about two sequels from two big franchises: Star Trek and Mission: Impossible IV. The Star Trek news hints at what the sequel to Abrams’ successful Star Trek reboot might be about. And the M:I IV update is on the current status of the film, and whether Abrams will be directing or not.

STAR TREK

LA Times Hero Complex got a chance to catch up with Abrams and Trek co-writer, Roberto Orci, on the set of the second season of Fringe, and they naturally got around to asking about the next film in the now rebooted Trek franchise. The replies from both Abrams and Orci were very interesting and exciting. First, 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.”

Orci followed that up with this:

“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.”

On top of that, Abrams and Orci were asked if modern day issues meant the likes of war, politics, terrorism, the ethics of torture and so forth – “Well yeah, those are the kind of issues we’re talking about… that’s the way we’re thinking, that’s an approach…”

As Cinematical points out (and this is inevitable with a franchise like this) there’s a lot of yay or nay discussions being sparked around the web amongst Trek fans about whether or not “dealing with modern day issues” is the way to go. Some are all for it, wanting it to feel more like the 1960’s original TV series, while others feel having anything that deals directly with what’s going on today will make it feel dated in the years to come. Of course, the latter is only true once the issues of today no longer become relevant (and the issues brought up above I don’t think are going anywhere, anytime soon…).

Personally, I’d like to see them deal with modern issues, so long as they don’t lay it on too thick, making the next movie JUST about that. The franchise still needs to have plenty of room for the great characters who were re-introduced so well in this summer’s Star Trek, as well as concentrate on great adventure stories. I trust the directing and writing team (the latter will see Lost co-writer, Damon Lindelof, joining) will find a way to get the balance right.

(Head to pg. 2 for Mission: Impossible IV info)

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Star Trek Turns 43 This Week

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:15:29 +0000

Star Trek, “Where No Man Has Gone Before” – 43 years later.

That’s right folks: This week in 1966 – 43 years ago, Star Trek warped across the nation’s television screens and into our living rooms. Or as NBC put it back then, “rocketed” in.

It lasted 79 episodes despite the questionable ratings and in its third season was moved to Friday nights, where all good shows go to get put out to pasture (does that sound familiar?).

Gene Roddenberry’s vision gripped our imagination and the fans have kept the dream alive in additional TV series, movies, comic books and other venues. The series has even inspired names of real ships.

It has turned names like William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), James Doohan (Scotty), George Takei (Mr. Sulu) & Walter Koenig (Chekov) into household names. On both fronts – the actors and their characters.

How many times has someone (or yourself) thrown out a humorous quote from the show like: “Dammit Jim, I’m a Doctor, not a ???” Or “Keptin, she cannut ta’ke animoore!!”

Thank you Eugene Wesley “Gene” Roddenberry. You have truly immortalized yourself and at the same time, lived the American dream. R.I.P.

I found a few YouTube clips just for the fun of it. Thought you’d enjoy seeing them.

Inspiring Source: TV By The Numbers, Wikipedia

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GROAN… Summer 2009 Sets Box Office Record

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:55:02 +0000

So we just finished telling you why the Summer of 2009 was the season of bad movies. Now, as if to validate our point (sarcasm alert) Variety has just announced that the Summer of ‘09 has set a new record as the highest grossing summer of all time at the U.S. domestic box office.

So there you have it, folks, it’s official: Hollywood has no reason to ever hire good writers, produce good scripts, or offer us anything better at the multiplex than what Michael Bay can half-envision.

Awesome.

The numbers of course tell a deeper tale than that, so if you’d like to find out just how the heck this summer managed to break the box office bank, here’s the breakdown:

Top earners for the season were Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($399.4 million), Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince ($294.3 million), and Disney/Pixar’s Up ($289.6 million). We all know why the franchise players made bank (it certainly wasn’t because the newest installments were great films in and of themselves) and Pixar is a proven brand that happened to offer a truly exceptional film. Other crap sequels that helped fill the piggy bank: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($193.3 million), Angels and Demons ($133.4 million) and Night at the Museum 2 ($176.5 million)

There were also some unexpected boosts to the box office this year, thanks to Warner Bros.’ breakout hit The Hangover ($270.2 million) and the Sandra Bullock / Ryan Reynolds rom-com, The Proposal ($160.2 million).

Rounding out the Summer ‘09 box office cash pile were reboots/relaunches of popular franchises. On that front you had Star Trek ($256.7 million), Wolverine ($179 million), Terminator Salvation ($125.3 million) and G.I. Joe ($133.4 million and counting).

This really must be just a cruel joke being played by God, IMHO. You have he Writers Guild of America strike back in 2007, during which the scripts for a lot of these films were forced to go into production half-cooked (or less), and what’s the moral of the story? What’s the grand example that the talented writers in Hollywood can hold up to the studios? “Hey, you better treat us right, otherwise we’ll stop working and you’ll end up making more money than you ever have before!”

Pretty short soapbox to be standing on.

It’s also arguable evidence of the (snooty) stereotype that the average American moviegoer has the cerebral capacity of a third grader. Just looking at the numbers I have to wonder just how so many people could be so entertained by so much crap. It once again raises a question one of our readers put to us back in June, after the release of Transformers 2: Is there really a difference between movies like The Dark Knight and TF2 when both films start pulling in crazy bank? How much does quality count?

It was an intriguing topic before, but after hearing that the Summer of 2009 will go down as a the “best” summer at the movies ever (from a profit standpoint), it’s now a raging debate. Expect Screen Rant’s post about it soon.

Source: Variety

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Leonard Nimoy Out Of Star Trek 2

Rob Keyes — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:47:59 +0000

Leonard Nimoy had an extremely important role in J.J. Abrams’ re-imagining of Star Trek. Nimoy had to represent the anchor that held the new Trek within the decades-long continuity established before, and helped allow the film to function for audiences new and old.

Just having him appear in the film as old Spock to tell someone to “live long and prosper” helped sway hordes of Trekkers who may have been skeptical about what the new Trek would be bringing to the franchise.

To me, his role was perfect and it did make a big difference having him as a key element of the plot. Having accomplished that and knowing Trek is a viable film franchise again, will Nimoy appear again in the sequels? According to him, it doesn’t sound likely…

Over the weekend, Nimoy and William Shatner appeared together on a panel for this year’s Dragon Con and while on stage, Nimoy revealed that he will not boldly go in Star Trek 2.

“There are no plans for me to return for the second movie. I think the Spock character is very well established as portrayed by Zachary Quinto. And I think if you saw the movie Bill, you’d say the same of Chris Pine.”

To which, Shatner responded with some teasing profanity.

Nimoy passes the Vulcan torch to Zachary Quinto

You can check out some great videos of Shatner and Nimoy on stage at the con at io9 and watching them really makes you realize how strong of a relationship they’ve built over the last 44 years. They’re incredible together and very funny. In the vids, they poke fun at the fact Shatner wasn’t in this year’s Trek and certainly don’t shy away from the issues between Shatner and George Takei (the original Sulu).

As a sample, here’s the first of seven parts:

I’d like to see Nimoy have some small appearance, even as a brief cameo as classic Spock, but I fully understand from both the perspective of the writers and the actor if he’s not (He’s 78 now). His story has been told and we know from the latest Star Trek what Nimoy will be doing with the rest of his life, helping the Vulcan community to survive after the loss of their homeworld.

Now, about the Trek sequel; from what we’ve been hearing over the last few months, writers Bob Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are working out the story ideas and plan for the franchise going forward. We’ve seen hints pop up online about the next two working together as one large two-parter but we’ll know more in the coming months as the script my be done by the holidays.

What do you think about Nimoy hanging up his ears?

Star Trek 2 may start shooting next summer with a tentative release in 2011, but nothing is confirmed as of yet.

Source: io9

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Summer 2009: The Season Of Bad Movies [Updated]

Heath McKnight — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:38:14 +0000

Well, the summer movie season is officially over, and while box office earnings are way up, it seems like the quality of the films have actually gone way down. But for every few badly-written movies (like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers 2, and G.I. Joe–though some will say it’s not that bad), there was a diamond in the rough like District 9. So why were so many movies so bad in the summer of ‘09, even if they did make a lot of money? Hint: The Writers Strike!

Before the summer began, I wrote an article about how the 2007 Writers Strike might affect the summer 2009 movies. I speculated that back in 2007, studios were nervous about how long the writers strike could last, leaving them with a possible lack of films for the fall/winter 2008 and all-important summer 2009 season (early May to late August 2009). To make sure they had big films lined up for Summer ‘09, the studios pushed to have their big-budget scripts quick-finished before the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) contracts were up in November 2007 and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in summer of 2008.

So what happened? Movies like Wolverine, Transformers 2, GI Joe, Angels and Demons, Terminator Salvation, and others got thrashed by critics (and our own, brave reviewers here at Screen Rant), for their lackluster scripts that showed every sign of being half-cooked. Now, some of you might thing bad scripts and summer blockbusters go hand-in-hand – but let’s be honest, when was the last time there were so many stinkers that came out in one summer? Sure, many of these films made a lot of money, but how much of that profit hinges on moviegoers looking for affordable entertainment and “stay-cations” in this bad economy?

It’s very well known that most of the summer ‘09 films were rushed into production. Angels and Demons was delayed a year due to the Strike, but that didn’t seem to help make the final product that much better; Michael Bay has said in interviews that he worked out the overall story of Transformers 2, all the way down to the action AND comedic bits. However, when the WGA strike ended, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were joined by fellow writer Ehren Krueger to try and get the script for TF2 hammered out in a matter of three or four months to meet the production start deadline. At that rushed pace, the script was bound to suffer.

Several Big-budget franchise installments failed to live up to the hype.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the more disappointing movies this summer:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator: Salvation
Angels and Demons
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
Public Enemies (this one is open to debate–it seems kind of split on how people and critics liked it–Vic liked it)

(Continue to pg. 2 to see which movies of Summer ‘09 were actually good!)

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Star Trek Returning to IMAX

Ross Miller — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:38:07 +0000

Before one of the summer’s best movies makes its way onto DVD and Blu-ray this November, people who want to see it on the biggest screen possible can do so very soon: Star Trek is being re-released in select IMAX theaters starting this Friday (tomorrow, September 4th) for a limited two week engagement.

Back in May, Star Trek got a limited run in IMAX theaters for about two weeks, before it had to make room for the family film Night at the Museum 2. So even if the more adamant fan out there was first in line to see the film on a gargantuan IMAX screen, others who may not have been so adamant may have missed those limited showings. But now you’ll get a chance to see it again, if you happen to live near one of the select 85 theaters (in the U.S. and Canada) that it’s playing in.

Some theaters have still been showing some IMAX screenings of Star Trek, and thanks to TrekMovie, here is the list of locations now re-showing the movie in that format (listings with a * next to them are those which are currently showing the movie):

USA

Mesa , AZ – Gateway 12 + IMAX Theatre
Phoenix , AZ – Deer Valley 30 with IMAX

Aliso Viejo , CA – Aliso Viejo Stadium 20 with IMAX
Camarillo , CA – Camarillo 12 with IMAX
El Dorado Hills , CA – El Dorado Hills Stadium 14 with IMAX
Emeryville , CA – Bay Street 16 with IMAX
Escondido , CA – Escondido Stadium 16 with IMAX
Fairfield , CA – Fairfield Stadium 16 + IMAX
Fresno , CA – Fresno Stadium 21 + IMAX
Ontario , CA – Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX
San Diego , CA – Palm Promenade 24 with IMAX
Santa Clara , CA – Mercado 20 with IMAX
Simi Valley , CA – Civic Center Stadium 16 + IMAX
South Gate , CA – South Gate Stadium 20 with IMAX
Stockton , CA – Downtown Stockton 16 + IMAX
Universal City , CA – Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
Westchester , CA – Bridge De Lux 18 + IMAX

Altamonte Springs , FL – Altamonte Mall 18 with IMAX
Aventura , FL – Aventura Mall 24 with IMAX
Cape Canaveral , FL – IMAX Theater *
Fort Myers , FL – Gulf Coast Town Center Stadium 16 + IMAX
Jacksonville , FL – Regency 24 with IMAX
Orange Park , FL – Orange Park 24 with IMAX
Orlando , FL – Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX
Orlando , FL – Waterford Lakes Stadium 20 with IMAX
St Petersberg , FL – Baywalk 19 + IMAX
Tallahassee , FL – IMAX Theatre Tallahassee *
Tampa , FL – Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) *
Tampa , FL – Veterans 24 with IMAX
Tampa , FL – Channelside Cinemas Stadium 9 + IMAX

Augusta , GA – Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 + IMAX
Kennesaw , GA – Barrett Commons 24 with IMAX

Morrow , GA – Southlake Pavilion 24 with IMAX Honolulu , HI – Dole Cannery 18 with IMAX

Boise , ID – Boise Stadium 21 + IMAX

Batavia , IL – Randall 14 + IMAX
Lincolnshire , IL – Lincolnshire Stadium 20 + IMAX
Woodridge , IL – Cinemark 16 + IMAX

Noblesville , IN – Hamilton 16 IMAX
Portage , IN – Portage 15 + IMAX

Louisville , KY – Stoney Brook IMAX
Newport , KY – Newport Levee 20 with IMAX

Harahan , LA – Elmwood Palace 20 with IMAX

Boston , MA – New England Aquarium *

Saco , ME – Cinemagic Saco 12 with IMAX

Detroit , MI – Detroit Science Center IMAX Theatre *
Grand Blanc , MI – NCG Trillium Cinema + IMAX
Lansing , MI – Celebration – Lansing 19 + IMAX

Sterling Heights , MI – Forum 30 with IMAX
Ypsilanti , MI – Showcase Ann Arbor 20 + IMAX

Roseville , MN – Rosedale 14 with IMAX

Saint Louis , MO – Ronnies Cinemas 19 + IMAX

Charlotte , NC – Stonecrest At Piper Glen Stadium 22 with IMAX
Concord , NC – Concord Mills 24 with IMAX

Council Bluffs , NE – Star Cinema 16 with IMAX

Henderson , NV – Sunset Station Stadium 13 with IMAX
Las Vegas , NV – Brenden Palms 13 + IMAX
Las Vegas , NV – Red Rock Stadium 15 + IMAX
North Las Vegas , NV – Aliante Station 16 with IMAX

Brooklyn , NY – Sheepshead Bay 14 with IMAX
Deer Park , NY – Deer Park Stadium 16 and IMAX
New Rochelle , NY – New Roc City Stadium 18 + IMAX
Williamsville , NY – Transit Center Stadium 18 +IMAX

Columbus , OH – Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX
Springdale , OH – Showcase Springdale 18 IMAX

Bensalem , PA – Neshaminy 24 with IMAX
Homestead , PA – Waterfront 22 with IMAX
Philadelphia , PA – Tuttleman IMAX – Franklin Institute
Tarentum , PA – Pittsburgh Mills Mall 17 + IMAX

Myrtle Beach , SC – IMAX Discovery Theatre *

Chattanooga , TN – Tennessee Aquarium *
Knoxville , TN – Pinnacle Stadium Cinemas 17 + IMAX

Colleyville , TX – Colleyville Cinema Grille & IMAX
Garland , TX – Firewheel 18 with IMAX
Houston , TX – Gulf Pointe 30 with IMAX
Mesquite , TX – Mesquite 30 with IMAX
Sugarland , TX – First Colony 24 with IMAX

Sandy , UT – Jordan Commons 16 + IMAX

Midlothian , VA – Commonwealth Stadium 20 with IMAX
Virginia Beach , VA – Lynnhaven 18 with IMAX
Woodbridge , VA – Potomac Mills 18 with IMAX

Kent , WA – Kent Station 14 with IMAX
Lacey , WA – Martin Village Stadium 16 + IMAX

Canada

Hull , QC – Canadian Museum Of Civilization *
Victoria , BC – National Geographic Theater *

Unfortunately I’m a few thousand miles away (in the UK) from any of the IMAX theaters now re-showing Star Trek, so I guess I’ll have to settle for never seeing it on that big of a screen (I blinked and missed it back in May). But the DVD/Blu-ray is only a couple of months away, so to make up for it I plan to buy the best special edition I can get my hands on

Will you be heading out to see Star Trek in IMAX, either again or for the first time?

Source: TrekMovie (thanks to /Film)

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2009 Scream Award Nominations

Ross Miller — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:37:08 +0000

The nominees have been announced for the fourth annual Scream Awards, held every year by Spike TV. The decisively more “fan-friendly” award ceremony (compared to the Oscars) honors films from the sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic-book genres of movies, TV shows and comic books. The awards are described as, “the first and only global event of its kind,” to honor those genres.

The Scream 2009 nominees were chosen by the Advisory Board of Hollywood and Genre Leaders, a list which this year includes the likes of Wes Craven, Roland Emmerich, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Eli Roth and Zack Snyder, plus many more. The event will be taped on Saturday, October 17th this year at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and will air on Spike TV ten days later on Tuesday, October 27th (check for local times).

Along with the awards, the show will also be airing some exclusive, world premiere of footage of some of the most anticipated movies of 2010! Presenters and musicians for the event are to be announced shortly.

Below is the list of a selection of the 32 categories from this year’s Scream nominations. For those of you (all of you?) who want to have YOUR say on which film should win, you’re in luck! Public voting for the awards has opened already and will run right up to October 17th. But before you head off to vote, here are some of the nominees:

BEST FANTASY MOVIE

“Coraline”

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

“Twilight”

“Up”

“Watchmen”

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

BEST HORROR MOVIE

“Dead Snow”

“Drag Me to Hell”

“Friday the 13th”

“Let the Right One In”

“My Bloody Valentine 3D”

“Splinter”

BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIE

“Dragonball Evolution”

“Punisher: War Zone”

“The Spirit”

“Watchmen”

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

BEST VILLAIN

Eric Bana as Nero; “Star Trek”

Cam Gigandet as James; “Twilight”

Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganush; rag Me to Hell”

Liev Schrieber as Victor Creed/Sabretooth; “X-Men”

Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman; “True Blood”

BEST DIRECTOR

J.J. Abrams; “Star Trek”

Tomas Alfredson; “Let the Right One In”

Michael Bay; “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Pete Doctor & Bob Peterson; “Up”

Duncan Jones; “Moon”

Sam Raimi; “Drag Me to Hell”

BEST TV SHOW

Battlestar Galactica

Dexter

Fringe

Lost

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

True Blood

BEST ACTOR IN A FANTASY MOVIE OR TV SHOW

Ed Asner, “Up”

Hugh Jackman, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

Michael Sheen, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

BEST ACTRESS IN A FANTASY MOVIE OR TV SHOW

Scarlett Johansson, “The Spirit”

Jamie King, “The Spirit”

Rhona Mitra, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

Kristen Stewart, “Twilight”

Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

For the rest of the nominees you can head over to Spike.com, where you can also cast your votes.

Although some of the awards are truly suspect (how the hell The Spirit got nominated for ANYTHING is beyond me), I still like the overall celebration of the type of sci-fi, fantasy, comic book and horror films we here at Screen Rant revel in Although I won’t go into a specific rundown of who I think should win, I’d like to throw my opinion in the ring for a few of them:

Lost should win Best TV Show (I love Dexter, but it’s no Lost); Best Horror Movie should go to Let The Right One In (I would say Drag Me To Hell, but since that’s a comedy too, Let The Right One takes it for me); Best Actor in a Fantasy Movie Or TV Show should go to Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; and Best Comic Book Movie should (EASILY) go to Watchmen.

But enough from me, what and who will YOU vote for? As stated, you can cast your votes over at Spike.com, and you can see if the winners match your picks when the Scream Awards 2009 air on October 27th this year on Spike TV.

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SR Pick [Retro-Video]: Kevin Pollack Does Best Shatner Ever!

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:28:51 +0000

I saw this Kevin Pollack stand-up routine only ONCE, many years ago -- but I never forgot it. In it he (as a huge fan) does a hysterical riff on Star Trek (original crew). Without a doubt, Pollack does the BEST impersonation of Shatner as Kirk. Ever.

Check it out for yourself after the jump.

Thanks so much to regular Screen Rant reader “The Big Dentist” for posting a Youtube link in our 1600+ comment Star Trek discussion thread that pointed me in the right direction. I haven’t seen this in many years and it still brought a smile to my face and made me laugh almost as hard as I did the first time I saw it.

If you’re a classic Trek fan, I hope you got as much of a kick out of this as I did.

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Star Trek Blu-ray Details Revealed

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:37:15 +0000

Star Trek has boldly gone on to earn $375 million at the worldwide box office, and it’s coming to a home theater near you!

J.J. Abrams’ highly successful reboot of the legendary sci-fi franchise is getting a slick Blu-ray makeover and we’ve got the details on what extras will be waiting onboard the Enterprise, and (more importantly) when Star Trek will be beaming up into stores everywhere.

Oh, and DVD folks don’t feel too left out. We’ve got details on what you’ll be getting too.

STAR TREK 3-DISC BLU-RAY

The STAR TREK three-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Special features are as follows:

Disc 1:

Commentary—By director J.J. Abrams, writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Bryan Burk.

NASA News— This BD-Live feature gives viewers access to the latest NASA news about real space exploration. Learn about new mission developments and check out featured imagery from around the universe.

Disc 2:

To Boldly Go — Taking on the world’s most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success.

Branching Pods:

The Shatner Conundrum

Red Shirt Guy

The Green Girl

Trekker Alert!

Casting — The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about the experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy.

A New Vision — J.J. Abrams’ vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was a bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production—from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks—was guided by this overall objective.

Branching Pods:

Savage Pressure

Starships—Abrams and production designer Scott Chambliss were careful to pay tribute to the design of the original Enterprise, but they also wanted to make it futuristic and cool for a modern audience. This chapter focuses on the unique stories behind the creation of the film’s starships.

Branching Pods:

Warp Explained

Paint Job

Bridge Construction Accelerated

The Captain’s Chair

Button Acting 101

Shuttle Shuffle

Narada Construction Accelerated

Aliens— Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek.

Branching Pods:

The Alien Paradox

Big-Eyed Girl

Big Bro Quinto

Klingons

Drakoulias Anatomy 101

Planets— From the frozen landscape of Delta Vega to the desert plains of Vulcan, Scott Chambliss and the art department had a number of radically different planets to create. Abrams’ desire to shoot on real locations whenever possible led the production team to a number of strange and surprising locations.

Branching Pods:

Extra Business

Confidentiality

Props and Costumes— Property master Russell Bobbitt had the unique challenge of designing props that were both true to the original series and pertinent to today’s technology. Likewise, costume designer Michael Kaplan talks about how he designed costumes that paid homage to what came before yet were relevant and timeless.

Branching Pods:

Klingon Wardrobe

Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek— When famed sound designer Ben Burtt was hired to create sounds for the first Star Wars film, he took his inspiration from the original “Star Trek” series. Burtt jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to the sounds that sparked his career with the sounds he created for the new Star Trek.

Score— As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage’s celebrated theme.

Gene Roddenberry’s Vision — J.J. Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, previous Star Trek writers and producers, and scientific consultant Carolyn Porco describe and commend the optimistic and enduring vision of Gene Roddenberry.

Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary—See details above.

Starfleet Vessel Simulator—Explore extensive data on the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Romulan ship, the Narada. Submerse yourself in breathtaking 360° views and close-ups and review detailed tech information.

Gag Reel—Bloopers featuring the entire principal cast.

Disc 3:

Digital Copy
STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for XBOX 360®
Weblink to the STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for PC
Weblink to the STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for PlayStation® Network

So there you have it Trekkies, plenty of features and extras to keep you busy doing your favorite activity: combing through every little detail related to Star Trek. It seems Paramount knows who their audience is and wants to keep them happy, if this Blu-ray is any indication.

STAR TREK 2-DISC DVD

As promised, for those who haven’t yet made the switch to Blu-ray:

The STAR TREK two-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features are as follows:

Disc 1:

Commentary — By director J.J. Abrams, writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Bryan Burk.

A New Vision — See Above

Disc 2:

Digital Copy

Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary

Spock Birth

Klingons Take Over Narada

Young Kirk, Johnny and Uncle Frank

Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights

Prison Interrogation and Breakout

Sarek Gets Amanda

Dorm Room and Kobayashi Maru (original version)

Kirk Apologizes to the Green Girl

Sarek Sees Spock

To Boldly Go— See Above.

Casting— See Above.

Aliens— See Above.

Score— See Above.

DVD-Rom:

STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for XBOX 360®
Weblink to the STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for PC
Weblink to the STAR TREK® D-A-C Free Trial Game for PlayStation® Network

For those of you who just want to watch the movie, Star Trek will also be released in the standard 1-Disc DVD version.

RELEASE DATE: Star Trek will warp onto Blu-ray and DVD on November 17, 2009

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Alex Kurtzman And Roberto Orci Talk Star Trek Sequel

Ross Miller — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:16:11 +0000

With the welcome success of the recent Star Trek reboot (both critically and financially), you just know that talk of the sequel is inevitable. Screen Rant reported on screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s thoughts on a sequel a few days ago, and today we have some more, via a video interview with Collider.

In the interview with Collider, Kurtzman and Orci talk mainly about Star Trek (which is, let’s face it, one of the geek world’s hottest topics of discussion) but also their upcoming Cowboys and Aliens movie. The interview is in video form, but if you don’t want to watch the almost 10 minute video, here is the gist of the details they put out there:

They don’t know if J.J. Abrams is coming back to direct the sequel – it seems it’s not absolutely definite at this point.
They would like to have the sequel’s script finished by this Christmas.
The studio (Paramount) wants to make the film as soon as possible.
They’ve been paying attention to what the fans are saying online.
They’re currently debating between have a traditional villain or having it be nature and the unknown which is the adversary.
They want the movie to be self-contained but also have threads which could be picked up later on down the road.

If you’re one of those folks who are interested in hearing Kurtzman and Orci actually talk about Star Trek, you can check out the actual video interview with them below (courtesy of Collider):

All of what was said by Kurtzman and Orci is, of course, very early on in the game. Even if Paramount wants the Star Trek sequel to happen soon, and going by this interview the writing duo are eager to get going, we’re still a ways off from seeing the Star Trek 2 wheels start to fully turn. However, it’s certainly encouraging what these two have said, particularly when they seem to be taking the mythology and the story of this new Star Trek incarnation very seriously.

For the Star Trek sequel, I like the sound of what Kurtzman and Orci are saying about the villain possibly being nature and the unknown. We already had the classic style of villain with the first movie (not that it wasn’t good), and I’d like to see it changed at least a bit for the sequel. On top of that, I also very much like the idea brought up of having threads in the sequel which could be brought up again in a future movie (that’s if the sequel is a success, which I don’t doubt for a second). They still have to make it as a self-contained movie that can be enjoyed on it’s own, but it would be cool to have a detail or two in there that in Star Trek 4 (for example) they pick up on again.

Star Trek is a franchise, even if $$ is the first thing on the studio’s mind, that you can’t rush because the ins-and-outs of how it functions (the mechanics of time and space travel, for example) is so complicated. Fans, both of just the reboot and of the original incarnations, will easily notice if anything is rushed or glossed over. Thankfully (going by the first Star Trek) Kurtzman and Orci seem to know what they’re doing.

What do you make of what Kurtzman and Orci have said about the inevitable Star Trek sequel? Which direction would you like to see them take it?

Star Trek 2 is currently in the very early stages and doesn’t have a release date as of yet.

Source: Collider

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Will Star Trek 2 Go Where No One Has Gone Before?

Paul Young — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:25:01 +0000

Speculation at one point was that Star Trek might not make enough money to warrant a sequel. Well those fears have been quashed with Star Trek pulling in $231 million domestically, making it the highest grossing film so far in 2009. It might be able to hold on to that title if it manages to fend off the upcoming Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (doubtful). Either way, script writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kutzman are in the limelight because they co-wrote both movies.

Orci and Kutzman sat down recently with SciFiWire to discuss their thoughts on Star Trek’s success, where they might take the franchise down the road and what type of story the sequel might follow. Both writers act like they have their heads together and have the same thought for the franchise: DON’T LET IT SUCK! They seem to understand the fine line they are walking between all new original stories based in the Trek universe and the re-telling of old Trek stories to keep the original fan base happy.

There is nothing set in stone as far as they are concerned and they haven’t even started working on a script yet (unless you count agreeing to do another movie as working). Orci said during the interview:

“We’re going to start thinking about it any second now. But we’re still just having a mental sorbet before we jump back in. And, you know, just seeing all the reactions to the movie. We want to make sure we take it all in and really figure out what worked and what didn’t and proceed from there. But now that we have … an open canvas, … anything can happen.”

Orci and Kutzman appear to truly understand what it takes to keep a franchise running (in theory anyway). They appreciate how much better their version of Trek performed at the box office over its Trek predecessors and aren’t taking that lightly. They went for a broad market share demographic and by all accounts they reached it. The true test will be how they handle a sequel – and we’ll get a chance to check that out with later this month when Transformers 2 opens.

If the story for TF2 is better then TF1 then my hopes (and others I’m sure) will be high that Star Trek 2 will be as good as or better than Star Trek 1. But it all starts with the story and if they don’t pick the right one to tell in Star Trek 2 then the whole franchise will fail before it really ever gets started. I think Orci has a grasp of that concept though:

“[you] just can’t use old things willy-nilly,… there’s still an internal logic that has to be followed. … We could still cross some lines [if] we think, “Oh, we can do anything now.” And a savvy fan will go, “Well, technically, [you can't].”

Well he’s absolutely, 100 percent correct on the last statement. There have been lengthy and heated discussions here on Screen Rant about that topic. Some plot points and questions about physics are to be expected; it is, after all, a science fiction movie about traveling through space with aliens while moving faster than the speed of light.

As far as the story goes, Orci and Kutzman aren’t sure if they will follow a new original concept that stays within the parameters of the Trek universe, re-tell another modified story from the show or mash the two ideas together. I wouldn’t plan on hearing anything about the script either until after TF2 starts winding down and they have time to regroup their thoughts.

On personal note, I wouldn’t mind seeing a good tribble story, but I don’t think it’s meaty enough to sustain a two hour movie.

Do you have confidence that Roberto Orci and Alex Kutzman have what it takes to keep the Star Trek franchise hot?

Read the rest of the interview over at SciFi Wire.

Star Trek is currently playing in theaters.

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