Kurtzman/Orci Talk About Cumberbatch Character Name

[Enterprise is Great]

Trekmovie.com

TrekMovie: A few months back Bob told me that Benedict Cumberbatch’s character would be from Star Trek’s canon. Today we find out that he is named John Harrison. So are both of those things still true?

Alex Kurtzman: Well without revealing too much what I can tell you is that in the same spirit as "can the Enterprise be under water? What does that mean? How are we going to justify this? How are we going to explain it?" We went back and we talked a lot about things that made us want to make the first movie in the first place as fans. And what do we feel was successful for the fans. A lot of that had to do with honoring the history — honoring the show. But we also want to come up with a way to make the stories feel fresh and unpredictable. So without revealing too much, we applied the same thinking to Harrison.

Huh? Not a very straight answer.

TrekMovie: So you said that Cumberbatch plays a canon character, but now we see he is playing a guy named John Harrison, so no conflict?

Roberto Orci: Well I did say on your site that I lied once [see comment 67].

TrekMovie: So is this the lie?

Roberto Orci: We will have to wait and see (laughs)

I really love these guys. They really know how to answer a question without really answering it. They can out politician the politicians when it comes to dodging questions.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

PSEUDONYM.

 

[Procutus]

You aren't kidding, these two guys (and J.J. included) couldn't give a straight answer if their lives depended on it!

 

[Oso Blanco]

It's Johnny from the first movie ... a canon character!

 

[ralph]

Well, Harrison could be a new character with connection to a canon character. Or a canon character rebooted.

 

[Franklin]

This is the drivel they give sometimes that I can do without. It's not like I mind that they're so secretive. It's their movie. They certainly know how to be successful. But when they talk, please actually say something. Or just stay shut up. Don't be coy. It doesn't suit them.

I just can't believe the name is a pseudonym. How does a character in Stafleet (or at least the "organization") go around getting by with hiding his identity behind a pseudonym? Really? That alias can't be checked against medical or background records? It's that easy to hide a real identity in the 23rd century? Especially when you're a member of the "organization" and most likely had some vetting?

 

[Therin of Andor]

How does a character in Stafleet (or at least the "organization") go around getting by with hiding his identity behind a pseudonym? Really? That alias can't be checked against medical or background records? It's that easy to hide a real identity in the 23rd century? Especially when you're a member of the "organization" and most likely had some vetting?

Mr Norman in "I, Mudd" did quite well for himself.

 

[Tosk]

I dunno why people keep asking them stuff like this...it's pretty clear we won't find out 'til it's time to buy a ticket. Well, not counting the spoilers some of the trailers and TV spots will give.

 

[Franklin]

If they really want to just mess around with our minds, then let's have some real fun. They've missed a once in a lifetime opportunity, actually. It's the perfect segue between the first nine minutes of "Into Darkness" and the start of "The Hobbit". The Trek preview ends, then -- .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGF5ROpjRAU

 

[Timo]

...Of course, this may be a character who suffers the same fate as a canon fellah - hits the Galactic Barrier and turns to God, gets too much help from well-meaning Antosians, whatever. He's just not the same guy who suffered these mishaps in that other universe. But it doesn't matter, because after the mishap, the original character is gone anyway, and all that remains is a product that is the same in both universes.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Jeyl]

How are we going to justify this? How are we going to explain it?

Same way you explained transwarp beaming. Few taps of the keyboard and than bam, decades of restrictions gone. I wonder if they'll even bring up transwarp beaming again.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I'm sad we can't talk about Garth any more.