Orci And Kurtzman On Being Offered 'Star Trek'

TrekToday · August 29 2008, 02:52 AM

The desire to see Star Trek done right overcame the fear of not being worthy to do it for Star Trek XI Executive Producers and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

As reported by Newsarama.com, Orci and Kurtzman, sharing their expertise with film school students, explained what it had been like to have been offered Star Trek XI. "It was daunting, but it was also like, well if we can't do it, then no one can," said Orci. "No, not exactly. But it felt like we had been called to duty and it would have felt cowardly to back away just because 'oh well, it has been forty years, what can we do?'"

Kurtzman added that "as daunting as it was, because it has such a die-hard fan base and it has forty years of rules that you can't re-write...the thing that I think compelled us to do it, is that it's a very, very rare to be handed a franchise that you loved as a kid, that you grew up on. 'Are you kidding me, you want to give us 'Star Trek', are you insane? You're going to do that?' And we at first we were scared, not because we didn’t think it was worthy, it was we didn't [feel that]...we were worthy of it. So it became kind of about thinking, 'all right, well God, if we were going to do this, what did we really love about it, what inspired us when we were kids? And how do we get back to that feeling? And what was that feeling about for us?' And ultimately, I think, it was very much about Kirk and Spock and that bridge crew. That was a big part of it. So what got us through the fear was the excitement of that opportunity, which really comes probably once in a lifetime."

Like others associated with the film, Orci denied that Star Trek XI was a prequel. "Our version of 'Star Trek' is not exactly a prequel," he explained. "It is in some ways and you will have to see it to label it exactly. Yeah, 'canon,' that is a word that was invented for 'Star Trek,' meaning, 'does it fall within the continuity of this forty-year puzzle?'"

One thing that Orci and Kurtzman found surprising was that in all its long history, Star Trek had never covered how the original series crew had met. "...it was amazing when we went back to look at 'Star Trek', no one had ever done kind of the story about how the original crew came together," said Orci. "So we actually went back and kind of looked...there’s five thousand hours of 'Star Trek' and no one covered how they all met. So in a way that was liberating because...nothing had stated about how that happened exactly."

To see the video, head to the link located here.

MattJC · August 29 2008, 02:59 AM

TrekToday wrote:

Like others associated with the film, Orci denied that Star Trek XI was a prequel. "Our version of 'Star Trek' is not exactly a prequel," he explained. "It is in some ways and you will have to see it to label it exactly. Yeah, 'canon,' that is a word that was invented for 'Star Trek,' meaning, 'does it fall within the continuity of this forty-year puzzle?''

It's a reboot. It's just sad that these clowns are too chickenshit to just say so. No, Abrams and his buddies just want to screw around with people.

Photoman15 · August 29 2008, 05:07 AM

MattJC wrote:

TrekToday wrote:

Like others associated with the film, Orci denied that Star Trek XI was a prequel. "Our version of 'Star Trek' is not exactly a prequel," he explained. "It is in some ways and you will have to see it to label it exactly. Yeah, 'canon,' that is a word that was invented for 'Star Trek,' meaning, 'does it fall within the continuity of this forty-year puzzle?''

It's a reboot. It's just sad that these clowns are too chickenshit to just say so. No, Abrams and his buddies just want to screw around with people.

Did you see the script? Did you see footage? Until you do, can you stop repeat ad-nausem that "it's a reboot...it's a reboot". YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! Man, every frickin' thread about XI and you're there with "it's a reboot...it's a reboot".

MattJC · August 29 2008, 05:19 AM

Are you dense? Read the paragraph that I quoted.
They didn't outright say it, but they IMPLIED it is a reboot.
I wish they would just say it though.
I might not be the smartest person who posts on these forums, but even I can tell when it is implied it's a reboot.

Augustus · August 29 2008, 05:48 AM

So are we arguing semantics here?
What is a reboot to you? Starting over with a new canon?
And just because you can read that something is implied doesn't mean it is true.

I frankly do not care one bit if it is a true reboot in the Batman Begins fashion, a sorts reboot in the Superman Returns fashion or a straight up prequel.

I only have 2 requirements for this film
1) I leave the theater with a wow feeling
2) It helps bring Trek back from the dead...

That is all

MattJC · August 29 2008, 05:53 AM

Whatever cute term they use, if they start over with no connections to the previous series and movies, then it's a reboot plain and simple. If they change anything, then it's a reboot.

Pioneer · August 29 2008, 09:58 AM

Prequel. With a twist.

Basil · August 29 2008, 08:53 PM

TrekToday wrote:

The desire to see Star Trek done right overcame the fear of not being worthy to do it for Star Trek XI Executive Producers and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. As reported by <A class="link" HREF="http://www.newsarama.com">Newsarama.com</A>, Orci and Kurtzman, sharing their expertise with film school students, explained what it had been like to have been offered Star Trek XI. "It was daunting, but it was also like, well if we can't do it, then no one can," said Orci. "No, not exactly. But it felt like we had been called to duty and it would have felt cowardly to back away just because 'oh well, it has been forty years, what can we do?'"Kurtzman added that "as daunting as it was, because it has such a die-hard fan base and it has forty years of rules that you can't re-write...the thing that I think compelled us to do it, is that it's a very, very rare to be handed a franchise that you loved as a kid, that you grew up on. 'Are you kidding me, you want to give us 'Star Trek', are you insane? You're going to do that?' And we at first we were scared, not because we didn’t think it was worthy, it was we didn't [feel that]...we were worthy of it. So it became kind of about thinking, 'all right, well God, if we were going to do this, what did we really love about it, what inspired us when we were kids? And how do we get back to that feeling? And what was that feeling about for us?' And ultimately, I think, it was very much about Kirk and Spock and that bridge crew. That was a big part of it. So what got us through the fear was the excitement of that opportunity, which really comes probably once in a lifetime."Like others associated with the film, Orci denied that Star Trek XI was a prequel. "Our version of 'Star Trek' is not exactly a prequel," he explained. "It is in some ways and you will have to see it to label it exactly. Yeah, 'canon,' that is a word that was invented for 'Star Trek,' meaning, 'does it fall within the continuity of this forty-year puzzle?'"One thing that Orci and Kurtzman found surprising was that in all its long history, Star Trek had never covered how the original series crew had met. "...it was amazing when we went back to look at 'Star Trek', no one had ever done kind of the story about how the original crew came together," said Orci. "So we actually went back and kind of looked...there’s five thousand hours of 'Star Trek' and no one covered how they all met. So in a way that was liberating because...nothing had stated about how that happened exactly."To see the video, head to the link located <A class="link" HREF="http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/video.php?videoRef=NA_080826_kurtzman">here</A>.<center></center>

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Gep Malakai · August 30 2008, 06:48 AM

MattJC wrote:

Whatever cute term they use, if they start over with no connections to the previous series and movies, then it's a reboot plain and simple. If they change anything, then it's a reboot.

How does "changing anything" = "no connection to previous series"? Oh, that's right, it doesn't. Trek changed things all the time, from the color of starship hulls to the actors playing characters to the shape and color of alien species. That didn't throw all the shows' histories out the window when it happened, so it's not enough to disqualify Trek XI either.

Procutus · August 31 2008, 01:43 AM

Augustus wrote:

I only have 2 requirements for this film
1) I leave the theater with a wow feeling
2) It helps bring Trek back from the dead...

That basically works for me, and as I've said many times in the past few months, as long as it feels like TOS, then I'll be happy. I think it will. Certainly Nimoy's presence will no doubt have a lot to do with that.

Temis the Vorta · August 31 2008, 08:01 PM

Procutus wrote:

Augustus wrote:

I only have 2 requirements for this film
1) I leave the theater with a wow feeling
2) It helps bring Trek back from the dead...

That basically works for me, and as I've said many times in the past few months, as long as it feels like TOS, then I'll be happy. I think it will. Certainly Nimoy's presence will no doubt have a lot to do with that.

I'll sign on with that too.

Procutus · September 1 2008, 03:21 AM

^

One other thing that would make me happy Temis would be the inclusion of Jerry Goldsmith's Enterprise theme from TMP, but somehow I doubt that will happen. But it would be kind of a cool way for them to connect this movie with the beginning of the film series, in a subtle way.