Star Trek XI FAQ 1.01
updated July 18th
Is there really a new official Trek film project in development at
Paramount?
Yes. It was originally reported in Variety on April 20th, 2006. Subsequently
it has been confirmed by Paramount and the producers associated with it
What happened to the Rick Berman/Eric Jenderson Romulan War project?
Star Trek: The Beginning
Jenderson submitted a script and it was rejected. Paramount has confirmed
that Rick Berman is not involved with Trek XI. It appears
Paramount is also not interested in the Star Trek Nemesis sequel idea
submitted by Nemesis scribes John Logan and Brent Spiner. As of now no one
previously involved with Star Trek appears to be involved at any level.this
may change as they get closer to production.
Who is confirmed to be involved?
Essentially the same team behind Paramount's 2006 release: Mission
Impossible 3
Producers: JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelhof and Bryan Burke
Story: : JJ Abrams
Screenplay: Abrams with Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Kurtzman and Orci
also written Paramount's 2007 Transformers film)
Director: (probably) Abrams
there are conflicting reports on if Abrams is confirmed to direct
What is the budget?
Unknown
What is it called?
Unknown
What Trek era is it set in? (TOS, TNG, etc)
Unknown (definitively). However various comments from those involved
indicate that STXI would take place in the pre-TOS period.
The original Variety article stated: 'will center on the early days of
seminal "Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first
meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer space mission.'. Although
Abrams subsequently stated the Variety report was 'not entirely accurate' he
also stated that 'Kirk and Spock could live again'.
What is the plot?/What is it about?
Unknown (definitively). Again, although nothing is confirmed, but most
reliable reports indicate an 'origin story' for Kirk and Spock.
The writers have stated that they want to 'fill in a gap' in Star Trek
history with old and new characters and that they want to explore the
'origins of the Original Series'
Will it fit with Star Trek History?
Yes, Star Trek XI will not be a 'reboot' of canon. Abrams has said
that he will be 'respectful' of the fans and Trek History. The writers have
been more explicit saying they see no need to 'reinvent everything'.
Does 'Trek canon' allow for Kirk and Spock meeting before the Original
Series?
It is possible. There is nothing in established canon (ie: any of the Trek
series of films) that definitively states when Kirk and Spock met. Therefore
it is open to the new writers to establish new canon
How much is known about Kirk and Spock before the Original Series?
A few tidbits (such as Kirk's solution to the Kobiashi Maru at the Academy
or his being a Lieutenant on the USS Farragut) , but there are 14 years to
cover from the Academy to Kirk's promotion to captain. There are large gaps
where there is nothing known (including the 7 years immediately prior to the
Original Series and its '5 year mission'). These gaps give the writers ample
opportunities to work with.
Is this the same Academy movie that Harve Bennet (Producer of the first
five Trek films) wanted to make for STVI?
Unlikely. Firstly it is unclear what role (if any) the Academy will have.
Secondly the writers and Abrams have stated that they have an entirely new
and unique idea for a film. Lastly Mr. Bennett has recently stated that he
hasn't heard from Paramount in years regarding his Academy script/idea.
Who has been cast? (I heard Actor X,Y,Z,etc has been cast)
There are no confirmed cast members (except possibly perennial Abrams cast
member Greg Grunberg). There have been many rumors. The only one with any
possible credibility was one stating Abrams was interested in Matt Damon as
Kirk (possibly indicating they are looking at an early 30s Kirk and not a
early 20s Kirk). This rumor originally stated that Abrams would be seeking
William Shatner's approval. Since then Shatner has stated that although he
thinks the idea is 'great' he hasn't heard anything from Abrams about
it.take it with a grain of salt.
Will Shatner, Nimoy or any previous Trek actors have any role?
Unknown
The Great Debate
For the following questions there are no definitive answers.but some
thoughts
Why now and why Abrams?
Although it has seen better days, Star Trek is one of the longest running
franchises and has been very profitable for Paramount. Trek fits into Brad
Grey's new strategy of bringing 'big tentpole events' into the Paramount
lineup using their franchises (they have recently shelved two films in
development in favor of bringing back known franchises: Star Trek and the
Jack Ryan series). Another factor may be that JJ Abrams wanted to do a Trek
movie and Paramount very much wanted (and got) JJ Abrams to sign on to a
long-term production deal. Its doubtful a Trek film would be in production
if it weren't for Abrams, and he wants it to be his next film so it appears
he thinks the world is ready. Paramount did say that the franchise would
return even after the failure of 2002's Star Trek Nemesis and the
cancellation of Enterprise in 2005. Paramount talked about 'franchise
fatigue' while others faulted the projects themselves.most likely it was a
bit of both. Only time will tell if the 'fatigue' will be over by 2008, but
a new team and new actors will make it clear to the movie going public that
this is a New (and hopefully improved) Star Trek.
Why a TOS prequel?
It is unclear why (if the rumors are true) a prequel was chosen over other
proposals (Romulan War, another TNG, etc) , but the most likely explanation
is that this is the story that Abrams wants to tell. Clearly Paramount had
lost faith in Rick Berman and the rest of the Trek team (and possibly casts)
and they seem to have quite a lot of faith in Abrams. In addition Abram's
deal with Paramount gives him an unprecedented amount of creative control,
including final cut. Even though it may be Abrams idea, Paramount probably
see it as a 'get back to basics' origin story along the lines of Warner's
Batman Begins and MGM's Bond 'restart'Casino Royale. And of
course there is the precedent of the StarWars prequels which made tons of
cash for Fox.let us not forget that it was the success of Star Wars in 70s
that got Paramount thinking about bringing Trek back as a film franchise
(resulting in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture). It appears that
Paramount aren't concerned about the failure of the latest Trek TV series
(and prequel) 'Enterprise'. It may be that they feel that TV and film
audiences are different or perhaps that ST:XI will be a 'true prequel' to
the iconic characters of the Original Series and therefore have more
resonance. The TOS characters to this day are probably the best known and
most iconic of any of the Trek shows.
Will people accept new actors as Kirk and Spock?
This of course is a big unknown. It is clear from the reaction from some
fans that many are unwilling to accept new actors in the Shatner and Nimoy
roles, but there are also many fans that appear to welcome it. So for the
fans the answer is.some will and some wont. But of course the core fanbase
are just part of the target audience and most likely secondary to the
mainstream movie public. There are dozens of examples of successful recast
characters on both TV and film as well as between TV to film (from Darren on
Bewitched, to the many 'Bonds' and 'Jack Ryans' to Obi Wan Kenobi). So the
question is really..is there something unique about Star Trek that makes it
different? It would appear that Abrams and Paramount feel Star Trek is just
like other franchises that have prospered after recasting. Much of course
will depend on who is eventually cast and their final performances
Star Trek XI FAQ Sources and Links:
Original Variety Article about a New Trek Film
Star Trek.com confirmation of Trek XI and Rick Berman's not being involved
Abrams discusses Variety leak and Kirk and Spock characters
Abrams discusses respect for Trek fans
Writers Orci and Kurtzman talk about respecting Trek Continuity
Insider reporting on Damon/Kirk rumor
Variety on announcement of Abrams multiyear deal including Trek XI as first film
IMDB page for Trek XI
Memory Alpha Entry on Kirk's Early (preTOS) history, ( Spock's entry )
Wiki Page on Trek XI
Memory Alpha Page on Trek XI
Star Trek Film Franchise Box Office Numbers
Star Trek XI: The Blog (my Trek XI blog plug)
as new information comes to light I will endeavor to update this FAQ.
Please make any comments that are relevent to help.
updated July 18th
Is there really a new official Trek film project in development at
Paramount?
Yes. It was originally reported in Variety on April 20th, 2006. Subsequently
it has been confirmed by Paramount and the producers associated with it
What happened to the Rick Berman/Eric Jenderson Romulan War project?
Star Trek: The Beginning
Jenderson submitted a script and it was rejected. Paramount has confirmed
that Rick Berman is not involved with Trek XI. It appears
Paramount is also not interested in the Star Trek Nemesis sequel idea
submitted by Nemesis scribes John Logan and Brent Spiner. As of now no one
previously involved with Star Trek appears to be involved at any level.this
may change as they get closer to production.
Who is confirmed to be involved?
Essentially the same team behind Paramount's 2006 release: Mission
Impossible 3
Producers: JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelhof and Bryan Burke
Story: : JJ Abrams
Screenplay: Abrams with Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Kurtzman and Orci
also written Paramount's 2007 Transformers film)
Director: (probably) Abrams
there are conflicting reports on if Abrams is confirmed to direct
What is the budget?
Unknown
What is it called?
Unknown
What Trek era is it set in? (TOS, TNG, etc)
Unknown (definitively). However various comments from those involved
indicate that STXI would take place in the pre-TOS period.
The original Variety article stated: 'will center on the early days of
seminal "Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first
meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer space mission.'. Although
Abrams subsequently stated the Variety report was 'not entirely accurate' he
also stated that 'Kirk and Spock could live again'.
What is the plot?/What is it about?
Unknown (definitively). Again, although nothing is confirmed, but most
reliable reports indicate an 'origin story' for Kirk and Spock.
The writers have stated that they want to 'fill in a gap' in Star Trek
history with old and new characters and that they want to explore the
'origins of the Original Series'
Will it fit with Star Trek History?
Yes, Star Trek XI will not be a 'reboot' of canon. Abrams has said
that he will be 'respectful' of the fans and Trek History. The writers have
been more explicit saying they see no need to 'reinvent everything'.
Does 'Trek canon' allow for Kirk and Spock meeting before the Original
Series?
It is possible. There is nothing in established canon (ie: any of the Trek
series of films) that definitively states when Kirk and Spock met. Therefore
it is open to the new writers to establish new canon
How much is known about Kirk and Spock before the Original Series?
A few tidbits (such as Kirk's solution to the Kobiashi Maru at the Academy
or his being a Lieutenant on the USS Farragut) , but there are 14 years to
cover from the Academy to Kirk's promotion to captain. There are large gaps
where there is nothing known (including the 7 years immediately prior to the
Original Series and its '5 year mission'). These gaps give the writers ample
opportunities to work with.
Is this the same Academy movie that Harve Bennet (Producer of the first
five Trek films) wanted to make for STVI?
Unlikely. Firstly it is unclear what role (if any) the Academy will have.
Secondly the writers and Abrams have stated that they have an entirely new
and unique idea for a film. Lastly Mr. Bennett has recently stated that he
hasn't heard from Paramount in years regarding his Academy script/idea.
Who has been cast? (I heard Actor X,Y,Z,etc has been cast)
There are no confirmed cast members (except possibly perennial Abrams cast
member Greg Grunberg). There have been many rumors. The only one with any
possible credibility was one stating Abrams was interested in Matt Damon as
Kirk (possibly indicating they are looking at an early 30s Kirk and not a
early 20s Kirk). This rumor originally stated that Abrams would be seeking
William Shatner's approval. Since then Shatner has stated that although he
thinks the idea is 'great' he hasn't heard anything from Abrams about
it.take it with a grain of salt.
Will Shatner, Nimoy or any previous Trek actors have any role?
Unknown
The Great Debate
For the following questions there are no definitive answers.but some
thoughts
Why now and why Abrams?
Although it has seen better days, Star Trek is one of the longest running
franchises and has been very profitable for Paramount. Trek fits into Brad
Grey's new strategy of bringing 'big tentpole events' into the Paramount
lineup using their franchises (they have recently shelved two films in
development in favor of bringing back known franchises: Star Trek and the
Jack Ryan series). Another factor may be that JJ Abrams wanted to do a Trek
movie and Paramount very much wanted (and got) JJ Abrams to sign on to a
long-term production deal. Its doubtful a Trek film would be in production
if it weren't for Abrams, and he wants it to be his next film so it appears
he thinks the world is ready. Paramount did say that the franchise would
return even after the failure of 2002's Star Trek Nemesis and the
cancellation of Enterprise in 2005. Paramount talked about 'franchise
fatigue' while others faulted the projects themselves.most likely it was a
bit of both. Only time will tell if the 'fatigue' will be over by 2008, but
a new team and new actors will make it clear to the movie going public that
this is a New (and hopefully improved) Star Trek.
Why a TOS prequel?
It is unclear why (if the rumors are true) a prequel was chosen over other
proposals (Romulan War, another TNG, etc) , but the most likely explanation
is that this is the story that Abrams wants to tell. Clearly Paramount had
lost faith in Rick Berman and the rest of the Trek team (and possibly casts)
and they seem to have quite a lot of faith in Abrams. In addition Abram's
deal with Paramount gives him an unprecedented amount of creative control,
including final cut. Even though it may be Abrams idea, Paramount probably
see it as a 'get back to basics' origin story along the lines of Warner's
Batman Begins and MGM's Bond 'restart'Casino Royale. And of
course there is the precedent of the StarWars prequels which made tons of
cash for Fox.let us not forget that it was the success of Star Wars in 70s
that got Paramount thinking about bringing Trek back as a film franchise
(resulting in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture). It appears that
Paramount aren't concerned about the failure of the latest Trek TV series
(and prequel) 'Enterprise'. It may be that they feel that TV and film
audiences are different or perhaps that ST:XI will be a 'true prequel' to
the iconic characters of the Original Series and therefore have more
resonance. The TOS characters to this day are probably the best known and
most iconic of any of the Trek shows.
Will people accept new actors as Kirk and Spock?
This of course is a big unknown. It is clear from the reaction from some
fans that many are unwilling to accept new actors in the Shatner and Nimoy
roles, but there are also many fans that appear to welcome it. So for the
fans the answer is.some will and some wont. But of course the core fanbase
are just part of the target audience and most likely secondary to the
mainstream movie public. There are dozens of examples of successful recast
characters on both TV and film as well as between TV to film (from Darren on
Bewitched, to the many 'Bonds' and 'Jack Ryans' to Obi Wan Kenobi). So the
question is really..is there something unique about Star Trek that makes it
different? It would appear that Abrams and Paramount feel Star Trek is just
like other franchises that have prospered after recasting. Much of course
will depend on who is eventually cast and their final performances
Star Trek XI FAQ Sources and Links:
Original Variety Article about a New Trek Film
Star Trek.com confirmation of Trek XI and Rick Berman's not being involved
Abrams discusses Variety leak and Kirk and Spock characters
Abrams discusses respect for Trek fans
Writers Orci and Kurtzman talk about respecting Trek Continuity
Insider reporting on Damon/Kirk rumor
Variety on announcement of Abrams multiyear deal including Trek XI as first film
IMDB page for Trek XI
Memory Alpha Entry on Kirk's Early (preTOS) history, ( Spock's entry )
Wiki Page on Trek XI
Memory Alpha Page on Trek XI
Star Trek Film Franchise Box Office Numbers
Star Trek XI: The Blog (my Trek XI blog plug)
as new information comes to light I will endeavor to update this FAQ.
Please make any comments that are relevent to help.
