Abrams: Star Wars AND Star Trek

[The Keeper]

But you have THIS to look forward to in that genre. (me too)

Already drawing plans for my JJ alter, just in case.

[Lance]

On announcement that he was doing the new Star Wars, I immediately assumed he'd move over to that as a director, but would continue on as a producer/consultant on Star Trek 3. After all, Star Trek might still be Paramount's intelectual property, but Bad Robot are the company who are actually making them (essentially 'outside contractors', if you will). So there isn't really any true conflict from Bad Robot being involved with both Paramount and Disney at the same time, is there?

Like Speilberg before him, Abrams has already shown he can whip up multiple movies on extremely tight schedules. Perhaps he might even still be able to helm both?

(Unlikely, I know.)

[The Keeper]

Don't be too "unlikely" about it. That's what I meant, if he can stay sober & focused and pump out a hit for both ST3, (I believe ST2 will be a hit) and SW7 then his Legacy of Greatness will be sealed. He could make Spielberg a laughing stock IF he can pull both off.

[YARN]

I'd rather that he poured all his energy into Star Wars. He's got his work cut out for him that franchise.

[The Keeper]

Would you agree his workload could be diminished depending on the strength of the SW7 script?

[YARN]

The Keeper wrote:

---

Would you agree his workload could be diminished depending on the strength of the SW7 script?

The question is whether it could be adequately diminished such that he could do justice to both franchises.

[The Keeper]

Correct. And, in your opinion, the answer is...?

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The Keeper wrote:

---

However directing Trek and Wars could, if he plays his cards right, propel him into position of greatest director of all time, geekdom wise and I hope he pulls that off.

No.

The difference between an immensely talented man like Abrams working in the current movie business and people like Spielberg, or Lucas, or Scott, or a number of others in the last generation is that they were able to build their reputations creating original films based on their own ideas - or, at the very least, based on source material that didn't have a studio's fingerprints on it several times over.

Today even the best seem to spend most of their careers toiling to deliver product for one franchise or another - movies adding to an already existing series, remakes, flicks generated from comic books, toys, old TV shows and even board games.

I'm sure that Abrams will deliver an awesome Star Wars movie, and more great Star Trek. But he's not going to be remembered decades from now for his films if he's not able to create memorable original hits.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Lance wrote:

---

... Bad Robot are the company who are actually making them (essentially 'outside contractors', if you will). So there isn't really any true conflict from Bad Robot being involved with both Paramount and Disney at the same time, is there?

No, none at all.

[YARN]

The Keeper wrote:

---

Correct. And, in your opinion, the answer is...?

You have that answer. I think he should focus his efforts on the new franchise. It's true that a person can attempt to do many things at once, but rather than try to ride two horse at once, he should over the reins to another rider.

I agree that the latest film may benefit from this news (it is, after all, already in the can), but the third Trek film would now be competing for attention with the very first film in the restart of the most beloved film franchise in history.

If Star Wars is not a hit, if it is another prequels-type nightmare, this could really hurt JJ. A new Star Wars movie must be great. Trek, on the other hand, was so tired and weak that a decent entry would be heralded as an achievement. JJ has stated that for him Star Wars is sacred and that he would not approach it lightly (indeed, he claimed that he would not approach it at all - I guess $$$ solved that problem). I don't blame him and I think he should focus his efforts on SW.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It's a good thing that guys like Abrams aren't dependent for career guidance on kids posting on the Internet.

[YARN]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

---

It's a good thing that guys like Abrams aren't dependent for career guidance on kids posting on the Internet.

Indeed, the groupthink and blind JJ nut-hugging in this forum alone might cause him to think he could walk on water and drown.

[Nerys Myk]

YARN wrote:

---

Indeed, the groupthink and blind JJ nut-hugging in this forum alone might cause him to think he could walk on water and drown.

I think most of the folks who've expressed a positive opinion of the film in this forum have a pretty grounded view of the film and Abrams.

[The Keeper]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

---

I'm sure that Abrams will deliver an awesome Star Wars movie, and more great Star Trek. But he's not going to be remembered decades from now for his films if he's not able to create memorable original hits.

I understand, yes, thank you. I do now see why he could never beat Spielberg because of his successful original screenplays compared to JJ's

But in my above quoted statement my 'key words' were: "geekdom wise", meaning among fandom.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The Keeper wrote:

---

I understand, yes, thank you. I do now see why he could never beat Spielberg because of his successful original screenplays compared to JJ's

Any reference to screenplays is notably absent in my post. Some directors write and some don't; some directors make movies like E.T. and Star Wars...and some directors make franchise flicks like Mission Impossible and Star Trek. Abrams got in a good shot with Super 8, but while it made a tidy profit it did not win wide praise or a place in recent film history as particularly memorable. He's still short a Jaws or an American Graffitti, much less an E.T., a Star Wars or an Alien before he can ascend into the pantheon alongside his heroes and mentors.

Abrams has written a script or two, as has Lucas (I really don't know if Spielberg writes, I'm embarrassed to admit). Nonetheless, my point stands.

"Among geekdom?" Fuck "geekdom;" nerd praise don't feed the bulldog. OTOH, Lucas and Spielberg pretty much invented skiffy movie geekdom.