Star Trek XI - What We Know 341
Jean Lucy writes "TwitchGuru has an article outlining in detail what is known about Star Trek XI. The film is in the early stages of production, led by J.J. Abrams (creator of Lost), and the movie will most likely be a prequel featuring Kirk and Spock in their younger years. No word of Matt Damon to play Kirk, though..." From the article: "As reported in early September, even former Star Trek actors are saying that CBS has kicked Rick Berman off the Trek bandwagon. This helps to allay the fears of those who say that 'they' will screw up this movie as 'they' have been doing for the past several years. As Anthony Pascale put it to me, however, 'There is no they any more. Everyone who has worked on Star Trek previously, from the top executives at the studio to the guy who sweeps the floor on-set, is gone. There's now a totally different production team running Star Trek. This is what people have been asking for now for years.'"
CBS? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What's known? (Score:2, Interesting)
New production crew, why not new characters? (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't like the idea of introducing new characters and a set in a Star Trek movie, but I dislike the idea of bringing back old characters in their early academy days even more.
What is this movie going to be about? Kirk spent the night with a girl when he should have been studying for his final test, Spock tries to warn Kirk, but Kirk doesn't listen. Now Kirk may not pass and become a officer. The future of the entire Alpha Quadrant is at stake, Kirk won't be able to fly the Enterprise around and seduce alien women!
Let's move beyond prequels let's even pass up the 24th century. We already know the past, lets see the future of the Federation of Planets in the 27th or beyond.
Re:I don't care about young Kirk! (Score:5, Interesting)
The real problem with prequels is trying to squeeze existing characters into them (yes George Lucas, I'm looking at you). A prequel to Star Wars with Luke in it would be very dull (he was just a farm-boy, after all), or it would destroy continuity. A prequel to Star Trek that had both Kirk and Spock in it would just leave the fans wincing.
Prequels themselves are not a bad idea, but they are difficult to execute. There is a lot of Star Trek continuity you are constantly running into. The first episode of Enterprise had me wincing as they seemed to be trying to cram as many continuity errors into 40 minutes as possible. Sequels are generally easier, although it would be difficult to follow the Voyager finale where Janeway single-handedly defeated the Borg using a shuttle from a couple of decades in the future (are the Federation really only 20 years behind the Borg in terms of tech?). I might be tempted to take the series in a completely different direction; make a show about a group of Vulcan and Romulan terrorists/freedom fighters on Romulus pushing a reunificationist agenda, for example. Have the occasional interaction with the Federation (possibly some weapons being smuggled to them by Star Fleet Intelligence, and the moral issues involved with supporting 'terrorists'), but keep it mainly focussed on the Romulan Star Empire.
Re:What's known? (Score:3, Interesting)
I actually liked it a lot more than IX - Insurrection and V - The Final Frontier.
Re:No one's gonna watch this movie because.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Three Words (Score:5, Interesting)
Wesley
Crusher
Re:Brokeback Enterprise (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I don't know if a complete replacement is good. (Score:3, Interesting)
I think you confused Voyager for DS9. The aftermath of a war would make a good story, and if it is properly executed, you can entice new viewers to the series while tying it into past continuity. It can even be used to increase sales of DS9 on DVD.
Think about it. The setting is a Federation gearing down from a war footing and getting back to its mission of peaceful exploration. The shipyards are full of ships being repaired, completed, or prepared for a return to mothballs, and much of the Federation's resources are being poured into the rebuilding of Cardassia. Your officers and crew were forged in the crucible of war and don't have the polished diplomatic training of Picard. There is an interesting character development angle, especially with the use of metaplot. Watch as the Captain, against the advice of the first officer, creates a hostile relationship with a small power in unexplored territory.
Now Voyager, on the other hand, should be mostly forgotten. Keep the idea that the ship was lost in the Delta Quadrant, but forget most of that series.
On second though...I don't think that anyone at Paramount could properly execute a series set in the aftermath of DS9. Maybe we are better off forgetting it.
Creativity (Score:5, Interesting)
I say set the next story 60 years in the future. Have the Vulcans break away from the Federation to pursue their own logical ideas. Have the Klingons a now extinct race. The Romulans haven't been heard from in 30 years. The Ferengi have been accepted into the Federation. The Borg have become completely independent from the Collective, yet they continue to assimiliate. Make them evangelicals of a better way of life. You know, just shake everything up. Make it completely foriegn from the Star Trek we have come to know, but also have it link back to the prior series.
Re:I don't know if a complete replacement is good. (Score:3, Interesting)