Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek'

TrekToday · December 16 2008, 09:59 PM

Following the recent news that Majel Barrett will be reprising her role as the computer voice for the new Trek film, director J.J. Abrams said this week that such guest appearances aren't simply meaningless cameos.

"I think what you'll see is there are -- both story-wise and performance-wise, visually and aurally -- many connections to what is familiar and what has come before," Abrams told MTV. "Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those."

Fans needing more confirmation that the new film is strongly connected to the rest of the Trek franchise need only pick up the upcoming Star Trek: Countdown comic series, which will not only feature the characters from Star Trek XI, but also TNG characters such as Picard and Data. "I think you just have to see that the key is this world, this universe, is not disconnected from what’s come before," Abrams told MTV in a separate interview about the comics.

Abrams also discussed the ways in which the new film will be different to previous Trek movies. "There's a level of relevance that I think is really because of the actors playing the part. I didn't want to just re-create or reset everything, I thought going back to those characters was important. [In previous films] when we met those characters, we met them pre-established. They'd already been working together, they already knew each other. They had this history. And for some reason, the origin of those relationships of those characters was something that probably would have helped me, at least, connect to them and understand why I should care about them and who they were."

"So on those fundamental levels, none of the movies have had that before. But on a much more practical level, Star Trek has never had the opportunity, nor the resources, to be realized in this way. Things like the ships and the battles and the planets and the chases and the action sequences ... and do them in a way that felt thrilling and terrifying and entertaining in a way that the show and the prior movies simply couldn't afford to do. I feel we were able to bring to life, in a way we've never seen before, what it is to be a member of Starfleet. And that's kind of cool."

For more from Abrams, check out the full interview at MTV.

Siwilliams · December 17 2008, 12:09 AM

having a comic connect Nemesis to the reboot (remake) does not make this new movie a connection to the other Star Trek shows/movies

That's a cheap/desperate attempt to make it a connection......meaning it is not a connection

Procutus · December 17 2008, 01:00 AM

^

From the perspective of the film, what will connect it (hopefully) to the Trek universe that we're familiar with, is Nimoy as Old Spock. I'm still not sure that I'm going along with this whole quantum mechanics bullshit that Orci was talking about... It seems to me that history has simply been changed in this story and things may progress differently.

And I don't really have a problem with that as long as they can tell a good story and I care about the TOS crew as they are portrayed in this film.

BTX · December 17 2008, 01:33 AM

But Orci's the screenwriter... he should know what he's writing about shouldn't he?

BTX

davidant32 · December 17 2008, 06:22 AM

Siwilliams wrote:

having a comic connect Nemesis to the reboot (remake) does not make this new movie a connection to the other Star Trek shows/movies

That's a cheap/desperate attempt to make it a connection......meaning it is not a connection

there is just no pleasing some people

Jefferies · December 17 2008, 01:31 PM

Dasher'n'Dancer32 wrote:

Siwilliams wrote:

having a comic connect Nemesis to the reboot (remake) does not make this new movie a connection to the other Star Trek shows/movies

That's a cheap/desperate attempt to make it a connection......meaning it is not a connection

there is just no pleasing some people

And some people are pleased too easily...

number6 · December 17 2008, 03:33 PM

Jefferies wrote:

Dasher'n'Dancer32 wrote:

Siwilliams wrote:

having a comic connect Nemesis to the reboot (remake) does not make this new movie a connection to the other Star Trek shows/movies

That's a cheap/desperate attempt to make it a connection......meaning it is not a connection

there is just no pleasing some people

And some people are pleased too easily...

How so? Because there is a new Star Trek film being made? I am not pleased as much as I am psyched. I want to check it out. I'm not ready to proclaim it's utter suckage until I've seen it which, if I am not mistaken, no one here has just yet. People are making rash proclaimations based on very little. And for some there is no pleasing people. I didn't know how much all of Star Trek sucked until I came here. For people who claim to be fans of something I've rarely seen such irrational hatred of, well, everything.

T'Cal · December 17 2008, 04:18 PM

I am very happy that they are including Nimoy and MBR! The connection is clear to me and, while I am very hopeful about the movie, I have to hold off my judgement until I actually see it. To praise it or pan it is sillyness at this point.

Pioneer · December 17 2008, 07:45 PM

TrekToday wrote:

"Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those."

There aren't going to be any "new fans of Star Trek" that are going to see this movie. That whole concept is J.J. Abram's big fallacy. Or should I say "phallacy".

You've got to make a Star Trek movie to please Star Trek fans. Period(or Full Stop for all you Brits out there.)

Donald Draper · December 17 2008, 09:10 PM

Pioneer wrote:

That whole concept is J.J. Abram's big fallacy. Or should I say "phallacy".

You've got to make a Star Trek movie to please Star Trek fans. Period(or Full Stop for all you Brits out there.)

Anyone who has read this forum should know that there is no agreement among Star Trek fans about what pleases us.

Lindley · December 17 2008, 11:18 PM

Pioneer wrote:

You've got to make a Star Trek movie to please Star Trek fans. Period(or Full Stop for all you Brits out there.)

If that's the case, they may as well just give up and go home.

Colonel Green · December 19 2008, 02:09 AM

Pioneer wrote:

TrekToday wrote:

"Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those."

There aren't going to be any "new fans of Star Trek" that are going to see this movie. That whole concept is J.J. Abram's big fallacy. Or should I say "phallacy".

You've got to make a Star Trek movie to please Star Trek fans. Period(or Full Stop for all you Brits out there.)

I`ve actually spoken to a number of non-fans who are interested in the new film.

Temis the Vorta · December 21 2008, 10:56 PM

Colonel Green & Red wrote:

Pioneer wrote:

TrekToday wrote:

"Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those."

There aren't going to be any "new fans of Star Trek" that are going to see this movie. That whole concept is J.J. Abram's big fallacy. Or should I say "phallacy".

You've got to make a Star Trek movie to please Star Trek fans. Period(or Full Stop for all you Brits out there.)

I`ve actually spoken to a number of non-fans who are interested in the new film.

Same here - the kind of people who have seen a few episodes of Star Trek but haven't thought about it in years and ask "is it still on TV?" Those are the butts we need to get into seats. 95% of the people at a place called "TrekBBS" will go anyway and the other 5% will go and then come here to deny they did.

Procutus · December 23 2008, 06:09 PM

Temis the Red-Nosed Vorta wrote:

95% of the people at a place called "TrekBBS" will go anyway and the other 5% will go and then come here to deny they did.

Or they'll bitch endlessly about what they've just seen!

number6 · December 23 2008, 08:42 PM

Procutus wrote:

Temis the Red-Nosed Vorta wrote:

95% of the people at a place called "TrekBBS" will go anyway and the other 5% will go and then come here to deny they did.

Or they'll bitch endlessly about what they've just seen!

That will happen anyway.

December 16 2008, 09:59 PM	#1
TrekToday Rear Admiral	Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek' Following the recent news that Majel Barrett will be reprising her role as the computer voice for the new Trek film, director J.J. Abrams said this week that such guest appearances aren't simply meaningless cameos. "I think what you'll see is there are -- both story-wise and performance-wise, visually and aurally -- many connections to what is familiar and what has come before," Abrams told MTV. "Which for the new fans of Star Trek, the newcomers to the world, will be irrelevant. But for those people who are fans and who hope for or expect certain familiar nods, they will undoubtedly get those." Fans needing more confirmation that the new film is strongly connected to the rest of the Trek franchise need only pick up the upcoming Star Trek: Countdown comic series, which will not only feature the characters from Star Trek XI, but also TNG characters such as Picard and Data. "I think you just have to see that the key is this world, this universe, is not disconnected from what’s come before," Abrams told MTV in a separate interview about the comics. Abrams also discussed the ways in which the new film will be different to previous Trek movies. "There's a level of relevance that I think is really because of the actors playing the part. I didn't want to just re-create or reset everything, I thought going back to those characters was important. [In previous films] when we met those characters, we met them pre-established. They'd already been working together, they already knew each other. They had this history. And for some reason, the origin of those relationships of those characters was something that probably would have helped me, at least, connect to them and understand why I should care about them and who they were." "So on those fundamental levels, none of the movies have had that before. But on a much more practical level, Star Trek has never had the opportunity, nor the resources, to be realized in this way. Things like the ships and the battles and the planets and the chases and the action sequences ... and do them in a way that felt thrilling and terrifying and entertaining in a way that the show and the prior movies simply couldn't afford to do. I feel we were able to bring to life, in a way we've never seen before, what it is to be a member of Starfleet. And that's kind of cool." For more from Abrams, check out the full interview at MTV.

December 17 2008, 12:09 AM	#2
Siwilliams Fleet Captain	Re: Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek' having a comic connect Nemesis to the reboot (remake) does not make this new movie a connection to the other Star Trek shows/movies That's a cheap/desperate attempt to make it a connection......meaning it is not a connection

December 17 2008, 01:00 AM	#3
Procutus Admiral Location: Back behind my keyboard	Re: Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek' ^ From the perspective of the film, what will connect it (hopefully) to the Trek universe that we're familiar with, is Nimoy as Old Spock. I'm still not sure that I'm going along with this whole quantum mechanics bullshit that Orci was talking about... It seems to me that history has simply been changed in this story and things may progress differently. And I don't really have a problem with that as long as they can tell a good story and I care about the TOS crew as they are portrayed in this film. __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

December 17 2008, 01:33 AM	#4
BTX Lieutenant	Re: Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek' But Orci's the screenwriter... he should know what he's writing about shouldn't he? BTX __________________ I CANNAE CHANGE THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!

December 17 2008, 04:18 PM	#8
T'Cal Commodore Location: Chicago	Re: Abrams On Connections & Differences With Other 'Trek' I am very happy that they are including Nimoy and MBR! The connection is clear to me and, while I am very hopeful about the movie, I have to hold off my judgement until I actually see it. To praise it or pan it is sillyness at this point. __________________ "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Judge Aaron Satie

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