Who gets top billing?

[Dale]

So we all know that TOS tradition has Kirk, Spock and McCoy as the top-billed trio. But what of this movie? Movie billing is different from television billing anyway, but this version of Trek is a bit of a puzzler because, while being a feature film, it is attempting to capture the spirit of TOS.

So who gets top billing? It's a Spock-centric story from all we've heard, so does Quinto get top billing? Or possibly Nimoy? Will Kirk get billed above or below the "big-name villain"? How far down will McCoy be buried in this list?

As an aside, would anyone like to see a straightforward recreation of TOS title sequence complete with Enterprise swoosh passes?

 

[Skywalker]

Whoever plays Kirk, I'd say. And a recreation of the title sequence could be interesting in a Superman Returns way.

 

[EyalM]

^^ I always thought that the Superman returns title sequence would make a great Trek title sequence (with different music, naturally).

On topic, the Kirk actor and Quinto will probably get the top billing, then the other "regular" actors (like Saldana and Yelchin) with the order depending on how much power their agents have. In the end will be the the big name villain and Nimoy.

 

[AntonyF]

EyalM said:
On topic, the Kirk actor and Quinto will probably get the top billing, then the other "regular" actors (like Saldana and Yelchin) with the order depending on how much power their agents have. In the end will be the the big name villain and Nimoy.

I don't think Quinto is big enough for top billing. Whoever Kirk is will dictate what happens I guess.

But as it's an ensemble cast of newcomers, there may be no billings at all.

 

[Captaindemotion]

THey might just go with alphabetic billing.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

I agree with AntonyF that Quinto may not be big enough, but if the Kirk actor (such as Mike Vogel, Chris Pine, etc) is of equal acting status as Quinto then the two of them should get top billing together. That is assuming that Quinto or the young Kirk has more lines and screen time than Nimoy. Nimoy will probably be listed in the credits after the actors for young Kirk/Spock/McCoy, but will be given feature status such as "And Starring Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock".

One trick they sometimes do on movie posters is list the names on the top, left to right -- say Kirk Actor/Zach Quinto/McCoy Actor, but then show the actor's faces in a different order on the poster -- say Quinto's face/Kirk's face/McCoy's face, left to right (Nimoy's [and Shatner's?] face will maybe loom large somewhere in the background). That way, everyone either has top name billing on the poster or top face billing, but not both.

 

[Franklin]

On the poster, it could be something like this:

Line 1: J.J. Abrams presents "Star Trek"
Line 2: Leonard Nimoy, [Big Name Villain]
Line 3: Starring: Zachary Quinto, [Kirk's Actor]
Line 4: Co-starring: [Rest of the main cast]

If the villain isn't such a big name, he or she would probably be listed as "also starring" behind Quinto and Kirk's actor.
If Kirk's actor is of equal "name" as Quinto, I think Quinto's name has to go first because he was first hired and has been the front for the movie to this point.

In "Superman", Brando and Hackman got billing over Reeve, even though Reeve was listed as "starring," and Nicholson got first billing over Keaton in "Batman".

 

[Colonel Green]

Hard to say without knowing who is playing Kirk.

 

[StarMan]

dalehoppert said:So who gets top billing? It's a Spock-centric story from all we've heard, so does Quinto get top billing? Or possibly Nimoy? Will Kirk get billed above or below the "big-name villain"? How far down will McCoy be buried in this list?

I imagine it'll go Kirk, Spock then big-ass villain with an "and Leonard Nimoy as Spock" at the end.

 

[Woulfe]

Top Billing.....

S T A R T R E K

starring : a whole mess of folks.

Looks like Star Trek will get top billing on this one

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

If Russell Crowe plays the villain, he'll get top billing.

 

[Broccoli]

Franklin said:
If Kirk's actor is of equal "name" as Quinto, I think Quinto's name has to go first because he was first hired and has been the front for the movie to this point.

Which means absolute jack. Given recent comments by Orci, it appears that Kirk is the lead character, but Spock is the linchpin in the movie. My belief is that all actor names will go after the title, starting with Kirk actor and then Quinto.

My guess is that Nimoy will get final billing, much like how Shatner got final billing for Generations and Ricardo Montalban got final billing for ST2.

Now that Eric Bana has been revealed to be playing the villain, it is possible that his credit can either go after Kirk/Spock or go right before Nimoy. It depends on what his contract says. I do not, however, believe that he has enough pull to have his name listed before Kirk/Spock. While he is a bigger name, he's not a Brando or Hackman where he can do that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Harvey]

Whoever plays Kirk will get top billing, with Quinto second. Nimoy will likely get the "and" or the "with" credit, or maybe "special appearance by," depending on the duration of his role.

 

[Campe]

Paramount Pictures Presents

in association with Bad Robot Productions

A J.J. Abrams Film

STAR TREK

[Kirk actor]

Zachary Quinto

[McCoy actor, Scotty actor, Sulu actor, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin all in alphabetical order]

with Eric Bana as "Nero"

and Leonard Nimoy as "Ambassador Spock"

[maybe a few minor characters]

Music Composed and Conducted by Michael Giacchino

[and on and on and on up until...]

Directed by J.J. Abrams


Of course that assumes the titles are in front of the film. Otherwise, it ends at STAR TREK.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

So far, it looks as if Bana would be the one to get best billing.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I would think Bana would. He's going to be the biggest name in the cast so it makes sense he'd get top billing.

 

[Skywalker]

My guess is that it will be Kirk, Quinto, Bana, and then the supporting cast in alphabetical order (maybe Bones after Bana), followed by "and Leonard Nimoy" with or without "as Spock" at the end.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Jack Bauer said:
I would think Bana would. He's going to be the biggest name in the cast so it makes sense he'd get top billing.

Exactly. Why would he sign, if he's being offered third billing behind a couple of relative unknowns? Playing the villain in a "Star Trek" movie is not a career-making move for an established actor.

 

[rich kolker]

Boris Badenov

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Yeah, but Boris accepted billing after Moose and Squirrel only because he needed to show employment to remain in this country legally. Those were tough times.

In fact, he was the toast of the Pottsylvania stage for his "Hamlet" in 1952.