Paramount has announced that it has signed “Mission Impossible” director and “LOST” co-creator J.J. Abrams to produce and direct “STAR TREK 11.”
The studio is apparantly scrapping the Erick Jendressen script and going with a new one that will be written by Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Word from the team is the story will involve the younger James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, following them from their first meeting at Star Fleet Academy and into their first space missions. Paramount was originally approached with this idea a while back by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner.
This brings to the fore the new boss at Paramount, Gail Berman’s promise to give the franchise a new and fresh look and revitalization. She has hired a whole new production team and leadership to headup the project as well. The old crew of Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, as far as we know now, will not be involved. Their primary duties will be taken over by Damon Lindelo and Bryan Burk. They are J.J. Abrams’ production team behind the hit ABC show “LOST.”
Hollywood, to date, can boast of only two long-lasting durable grossers over the years, James Bond and STAR TREK. And, it looks like it isn’t quite ready to let either of them go and that is great news to fans of both.
The as-yet-untitled eleventh film in the franchise has been put on Paramount’s release docket for sometime in 2008.
“Engage! Let’s see what’s out there.”
On the one hand, whoo hoo I’m excited. On the other hand . . . I’ve heard all this talk about giving Trek a fresh new face and bringing in totally new blood before . . . and it got us a fairly craptastic movie that bombed at the box office (STX), and a good-at-times-horrible-at-others TV series which got cancelled (ST:E).
I don’t relish the thought of Paramount YET AGAIN throwing out the baby with the bathwater, here. The key to Star Trek’s continued survival isnt throwing everything out and starting over, it’s reinventing the franchise by adding new twists and new takes on ideas that are already well grounded with the fanbase. If I wanted to see LOST at a movie theater–I’d go see LOST. If I want to see Star Trek, give me Star Trek.
But then again, maybe I’m being a bit too pessimistic. Here’s to hoping that it works out for the best in the end.
~ J. Marcus Xavier
I am willing to wait and hold back judgment until the script is complete, cast and crew are in place and production is up and running at full steam.
I go back with Star Trek to its beginnings in 1966 and have seen that over the last 40 years we Star Trek fans sometimes end up being our own worst enemy.
Many of us ragged on TNG when it first aired and it ended up being one of the best series ever that turned a whole new generation on to what we in the 60’s already knew was great stuff.
Then came DS9 and the same “so-called” fans began tearing into it. But, it too was great, only different and a little darker. Of course we all remember the lambasting that Voyager got in the beginning, but it too eventually began to grow on even the most hardcore fan.
Finally, after what even the softest fan would consider was a box-office disaster (ST:X), we were given Enterprise. A bold new idea, with a worn out production team heading it up (Berman & Braga). The end result could only spell disaster, and many fan’s speculation and hand-wringing became a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom for the series.
Now, Paramount has a new boss in Gail Berman who is, if nothing else, a very fair-minded and saavy businesswoman who has a strong reputation for keeping her word and getting the job done. She promised that Paramount would take another look at Star Trek, seek out new production leadership and reevaluate the direction of the franchise. So far she has remained true to her promise and this latest effort is a reflection of that.
I personaly feel that having someone like J.J. being the cat in charge of production with all the writing and production resources at his disposal coming in with a fresh outlook for the franchise is an excellent idea. The only thing that would even make it better is if he hires on Manny Coto to take a writing and co-producing job.
Also, I am not adverse to the Star Fleet Academy premise. I would have been had it been put into Rick or Brannon’s lap, but not so with Abrams. He will, I think, appreciate the challenges that go along with this kind of approach and meet it as he has every scifi writing challenge in the past, with courage, insight and inspiration.
So, I wait with anticipation for the first releases of script material within the next few months and also who will be cast as the young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock.
Watch, it’s going to be the guys from New Voyages 🙂
Well this just don’t sound good to me, So I’m going to stay away from this flim like I have the last 3 films. I would rather see a story that doesn’t involve the characters from the origianl series or NG. I would like to see a movie that deal more with the characters from Enterprise. There is a lot that could be written. After all there is suppose to a war between the Federation and the Romulans, and then there is the conflicts with the Klingons.
I have to say, let’s see what happens, and stop jumping the gun. The same thing happened when TNG came out!! All a big raucous over nothing.
There is the cast, the story line, time line and other stuff that has to worked out. so let’s just wait and see.
Commodore MAC
Omega Sector.com Moderator
[url=http://www.theomegasector.com/]http://www.theomegasector.com/[/url]
Well I have to admit I dont know if I am excited or even interested in this idea but Im going to go see it. I have to, its Star Trek. How can I not see it?
Well, if the Bermanga twins had a part in it this would be stillborn. Ditching them passes the first hurdle on the path towards having a chance for some success.
Im glad its in the hands of a new production team so there is hope. But prequals prequals prequals, what is peoples obession with prequals i’ve yet to see one come out of the factory thats been a prequal thats been warmly accepted by fans. An the academy idea is fairly good, anyone thats played the starfleet academy game will be familar with the setting for the time that this will most likely be set in. And judging by the recent spate of fan films The original series era does seem to have alot of favour. The past few years have been good for ressurecting old shows, BSG, Doctor who, Perhaps this will be taken in the similar light.
I guess we’ll see. The question I have is who will play the young Kirk and Spock. An unknown apeing Shatner, sounds like a bad idea to me. But I’ll reserve judgement, in the right hands it could be good.
I looking forward to seeing Star Trek again on the big screen. I grew up reading and watching Star Trek. Regardless of the make over I am excited about seeing what is coming.
I don’t know how they can make an acadamy movie with spock and kirk. Spock is older, and served under christopher pike on two 5 year missions. Kirk was the youngest starfleet captain at age 29. He entered the academy at 17. The math doesn’t add up. After the academy he served on other ship like the Farragut. He rose from ensin to captain in twelve years, the same time spock and pike were on the enterprise.
In ref to Charles’ comment:
I see where you’re going and I pray to God the writers don’t pull a George Lucas on the timeline. Trekkies are the most zealous and meticulous when it comes to timeline continuity.
Perhaps A young Kirk (and could very well be James Cawley from ST:NV), meets Spock at the Academy as a professor. I don’t know, that sounds pretty corny. I hope they do it right though. And as another poster mentioned, doing the Romulan War would have been good, but I think that would hit too close to STX which featured Romulans already.