Abrams On Making The Most Entertaining Movie Possible

TrekToday · January 29 2009, 09:03 PM

Although Star Trek XI will be true to what Roddenberry created, according to J.J. Abrams, it will "blow people's minds because it's a completely different experience than what they expect."

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, making a movie that has a long history is a tricky business. "I think I benefited because I came into this movie as someone who appreciated 'Star Trek' but wasn't an insane fanatic about it," said Abrams. "The disadvantage is I didn't know everything I needed to know immediately at the beginning and had to learn it. The advantage though is I could look at 'Star Trek' as a whole a little bit more like a typical moviegoer would see it; it allowed me to seize the things that I felt were truly the most iconic and important aspects of the original series and yet not be serving the master and trying to be true to every arcane detail. It let me look at the things I knew were critical."

One of those critical things was the characters. "The characters was the most important thing in it. We needed to be true to the spirit of those characters," said Abrams." But other things were important and are part of what makes Star Trek feel like Star Trek. "The phasers, the communicators, the Starfleet logo, there are all these things that are the touchstones, the tenets of what makes 'Star Trek' 'Star Trek,' said Abrams. "If you're going to do this series those are things you don't mess with."

In a time of savvy fans who have seen countless science fiction movies and are used to top-notch special effects as well as intricate stories, one can't just do what went before or cater solely to Star Trek canon without risking losing the audience. "The trick is how do you use a ship like that, uniforms like that, characters who look like that and the name 'Star Trek' and make it feel relevant and legitimate," said Abrams. "The challenge is to take the familiar, for better or worse, and embrace the elements that make it unique but be sure the master you're serving is the making of the most entertaining movie possible. You can't look backward and try to make sure that every decision you're making is true to the past. that's not to say that we weren't true to the past, but that wasn't our guiding principle."

Abrams is aware of the Star Trek fans who will be watching (and judging) but had to look beyond that to make the best movie possible. "The key is to appreciate that there are purists and fans of 'Star Trek' who are going to be very vocal if they see things that aren't what they want," said Abrams. "But I can't make this movie for readers of Maysell's Monthly who are only concerned with what the ship's engines look like. They're going to find something they hate no matter what I do. And yet, the movie at its core is not only inspired by what has come before, it's deeply true to what's come before. The bottom line is we have different actors playing these parts and from that point on it's literally not what they've seen before. It will be evident when people see this movie that it is true to what Roddenberry created and what those amazing actors did in the 1960s. At the same time, I think, it's going to blow people's minds because its a completely different experience than what they expect."

To read more, head to the article located here.

Shape-Shifter · January 29 2009, 09:38 PM

He, "wasn't an insane fanatic about it"? It's doomed.

JNG · January 29 2009, 10:33 PM

What's Maysell's Monthly?

EDIT: Oh, it's NACELLES Monthly. Oh har de har har.

Broccoli · January 30 2009, 01:25 AM

DID YOU SEE THAT!!!! He said ALL Star Trek fans are INSANE!!! Burn his house to the ground and salt the Earth!!! He doesn't respect the FANS!!!! He OWES us!!!

Star Treks · January 30 2009, 03:03 AM

I appreciate the news, and no insult to this wonderful site that brings it to us. And I'm looking forward to the movie... but I am getting just a little bit tired of Abrams mentioning in EVERY SINGLE INTERVIEW how he wasn't a die-hard fan. I mean, we know, we got it, come up with a different talking point once in a while, would ya?

Broccoli · January 30 2009, 03:05 AM

^ Well, in fairness, different outlets are probably asking him the same damn questions. To them, it looks different. To us, it's more of the same as TT is a hub of all/most Trek information.

Captain Robert April · January 30 2009, 06:54 AM

The man hasn't got a clue.

Axiom · January 30 2009, 07:35 AM

I'm excited about this movie, and I hope that J.J. has really set the bar high.
The only downside? It's still 4 1/2 months away....aaaarrrgh!

J.

billcosby · January 30 2009, 11:06 AM

I didn't see any mention of the sombrero.
If he'd rather focus on the characters rather than the ship's engines... well...
I don't think I'll see this movie.

Devon · January 30 2009, 12:02 PM

J. Allen wrote:

I'm excited about this movie, and I hope that J.J. has really set the bar high.
The only downside? It's still 4 1/2 months away....aaaarrrgh!

It's really just a little over 3 months away!

Procutus · January 30 2009, 02:34 PM

Star Treks wrote:

I appreciate the news, and no insult to this wonderful site that brings it to us. And I'm looking forward to the movie... but I am getting just a little bit tired of Abrams mentioning in EVERY SINGLE INTERVIEW how he wasn't a die-hard fan. I mean, we know, we got it, come up with a different talking point once in a while, would ya?

I have to agree. That particular point IS getting a wee bit old, and the more he says it, the more it begins to annoy me.

I can only hope that despite the inevitable changes, a decent story still comes out of all this and that the lavish praise that Nimoy has heaped upon this production has a basis in fact.

Basil · January 30 2009, 04:10 PM

Abrams has his talking points, which include positioning "diehard" fans as a problem in courting the so-called "mainstream" movie-goer. The rest is standard stuff every director/writer/producer/actor says while promoting a film: characters are the most important element, the story is deeply moving, the visuals are cutting edge, etc. He's going to see some good box office, though not as good as Paramount hopes.