The cast and much of the behind-the-camera crew of the new “Star Trek” movie greeted fans this past weekend in anticipation of the film’s world premiere today, April 7, at the famous Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.
Paramount Pictures is going all out to ensure their latest in the 40-plus year-old franchise that put them on the movie-map is getting a mega send-off across the globe. The world-wide cast tour will also include stops in places like Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Russia; with the orient being represented with visits to South Korea and Japan.
Almost all the cast, which consists of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana (the film’s bad guy) and the rest of the bridge crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise will be on hand. Director/producer J.J. Abrams is also a part of the tour with Leonard Nimoy reportedly making himself available for some of the stops. Early on Leonard made an unsuccessful bid to have the world premiere be located in the famous Canandian town named after Spock’s home planet Vulcan. A spokesperson from Paramount stated that the only reason Vulcan-Alberta, Canada lost out was that it had no adequate theater in the town to host the premiere.
However, that is not the case with Sydney. The Opera House is known throughout the world as one of the grandest theaters and an ideal place for the Star Trek world premiere.
“Not only are we honored to have J.J. Abrams and the cast here in Sydney for the world premiere of the stunning new ‘Star Trek,’ we are also very excited to present this event at one of Australia’s — and the world’s — most famous locations, Sydney Opera House,” stated Mike Selwyn of Paramount Pictures Australia to Reuters News Service.
“Star Trek” opens worldwide on May 8.
Pay attention, guys! It’s already been widely reported that there was surprise screening of the full film in Austin yesterday.
True, but the screening down under was the first OFFICIALLY scheduled screening on behalf of Paramount Pictures, and I think that’s the point of the story.
Trekscribber is correct. The Aussie premiere is the first Paramount-sanctioned one with full cast guest list onboard.
But Leonard Nimoy still pre-empted the Aussie premiere ’cause he didn’t want us to see the movie first. I will try to pretend that my nation has not just been minorly insulted by Mr. Spock.
Yeah, that’s what it is. Nimoy’s been outspoken in his hate of Aussies for years. Good grief, people. The Austin screening was a publicity stunt, not a scheduled premiere.
Actually the film’s producer David Lindelof was there along with writers Orci and Kurtzman and the President of Paramount Pictures along with Leonard Nimoy. It was a publicity stunt of sorts, mainly because of the amazing relationship that the Alamo Drafthouse as a centre of film culture in the US and as home to some of the best movie fans in the world. For my money the first public screening of a film is the world premiere and it’s something I discuss at length in my review having attended the event at the Opera House. Either way I think it was an awesome trick to pull. But when all is said an done, you can call it ‘official’ as much as you like, a red carpet does not make a film a premiere, the first time it shows to the public does.
^^ No, it wasn’t official in the slightest. You’re parsing words for the sake of parsing words. But, yes, it was an awesome trick to pull — which only underscores it as a publicity stunt. More power to ’em. I think Paramount — because of their troubles — should do it far more often than they do.