So today The Other Half and I went to the first day of the three-day Star Trek-Star Wars-Battlestar Galactica convention here in Sacramento. At one point, long time Trek guru and former Gene Roddenberry assistant Richard Arnold gave the latest facts on the 11th film,
Star Trek. I don't know what has been reported in other places but I thought I'd just post the following tidbits.
- The film is still casting, though there have been several additions that have not been made public yet.
- It doesn't look like Shatner is going to be in it, because as Arnold put it, "Kirk's Dead." This leaves me to imagine that Old Spock will be the 24th century era Spock.
- The recent changes in Paramount top execs has had just as much to do with the decline of Trek than failing ratings. One suit even said that Trek was part of the studio's past and they were looking to the future. This was why all of the Trek props, costumes, sets and stuff were either destroyed or sold at auction. Nothing of it remains at the studio. In fact, the studio had no intentions of pursuing Trek any time soon. It was only after J.J. Abrams' Mission Impossible 3 scored big bucks (despite the antics of its star and what the critics said, it did make money) for the studio that anything happened. They wanted Abrams to make more films for the studio and he said, "Ok, I want to do Star Trek." This came as something of a surprise to the suits who had pretty much put Trek behind them all. But because it was Abrams asking, they agreed.
- Arnold would not reveal any numbers, but did confirm that the movie has the biggest budget of any Trek film, ever. Again, this is due to Abrams involvment and the studio wanting to please him.
- Abrams has met with everyone from Arnold himself to Majel Roddenberry in his determination to keep the film in the same spirit as GR's vision.
- No one (or almost no one) that has worked on Trek before in any capacity behind the camera, is involved with this film.
- It seems all the starship FX are going to be CG. No model work at all.
- The studio hopes to jump start a series of movies with this new cast for the original crew.
- Arnold would not confrim or deny rumors of Russell Crowe being the baddie (but his tone suggested Crowe was being negotiated with), but did say that some of the casting not yet announced are names that will surely draw in "non fans."
Maybe there will be more news tomorrow!
Here are some of the latest casting rumors,
Mike Vogel (Kurt Russells son in Poseidon) is in the running for the part of James Kirk.
Karl Urban (LOTR) is up for an undetermined part (McCoy?).
The only parts that are actually cast (that have been announced anyway) Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), young Spock (Zachary Quinto), and old Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
The word is they are looking for big time star to play the villian (rumor is Russell Crowe), but they are looking for someone who does good box office in the overseas market.
There are a bunch of maybe spoilers going around about the plot, but I won't mention anything here other than Spock looks to be the main character in the film.
If want to follow this film, the best place I've found is http://trekmovie.com/