Well it looks like the dead franchise is still moving. I guess that makes it a zombie franchise. Star Trek XI is moving ahead, and at Comic-Con this week revealed an initial poster that looks old school Star Trek.
On top of that, the whole "Matt Damon as Captain Kirk" thing just won’t go away. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) now has Matt listed as playing James T. Kirk. But then again… we all know how unreliable the IMDB is for movies that aren’t actually out yet. Remember, they also had Paul Betany listed as The Joker for the next Batman flick.
Personally, and for the record, I still don’t believe Matt Damon will do this project. There doesn’t seem to be any upside for him in it. But who knows right? Strangers things have happened.
So what does all this mean?
I’ve said it before… Star Trek is a dead franchise. I’ve also said that the only way they’re going to breath new life into it is if they do a radical departure from the existing formula. Do one of the following:
1) Restart the franchise with a whole new vision much like what Battlestar Galactica did. Get a blonde Scotty or a female Kirk even.
2) Focus on something OTHER than the damn Federation. As Doug suggested, do a whole film just on the Klingon Empire or something.
3) We’re all sick to death of the moral 100% purity of everyone on a damn starship. Get real. Have the captain nailing the first officers wife, have an engineer with a drug problem, have a security chief who hates his job, have a helmsman who dislikes the captain and struggles with depression. Everyone on Star Trek is so F’ing sanitized that it makes it unwatchable.
4) Screw the Trekkies. Don’t make a new Star Trek trying to please those hard core Trekkie fans. They are a dying breed and haven’t helped with any of the other projects in over a decade. Where were they when Enterprise couldn’t stay on the air because of the bad ratings? Where were they when all the Star Trek movies have bombed at the box office? Screw them. Make the best movie you can without one lick of thought to the Trekkies. Don’t box yourselves in.
If a new Star Trek project doesn’t embrace at least 2 of the above… then Star Trek XI is just going to be a zombie. A dead thing that’s still walking around.
Matt Damon AND Ben Affleck? Then get Kevin Smith to direct.
The problem is that other shows such as Babylon 5, BSG, and at some points Star Gate have passed the Star Trek galaxy. I say galaxy and not universe because that is the problem. Let me explain my idea for a new Star Trek.
At height of Dominion and BORG troubles the Federation find at edge of Federation space a anicient worm hole . Destination a nearby Galaxy. To ensure Human, Kilgon, Vulcan and Romulan survival they send ships that are too old to be effective in the wars and send them through and destroy the worm hole. In the new galaxy they try and find a new home….. A bit BSGish. Yes. Best thing about the new Galaxy – aliens are non-humanoid. None of the first race seeding all humanoid aliens.
Translaters may not work Warp drive may not be the only way to travel. Different type of weapons with diferent effects. Alien races with complete different agenda. How do they react to this “invasion” New alliances form, old ones break. And this with the 100 odd Federation ships traveling to find a place away from the Dominion and BORG. I have ideas on main charactrs especially one of main captains being a sub captain from 20th century earth…..yes sounds a bit wacko but I have ideas on the reason and how to get this in….
Just an Idea. Maybe I should write a story….
The only Star Trek movie that I would see as being successful would be an all out war from beginning to end. The Next Generation, DS9 and Voyager exist in the same space time and should all be represented in the movie. It should involve great enemies. Maybe not the Borg, but maybe foes like the Dominion, shape shifters, Cardasians and maybe even a recently splintered Klingon race. The war should be so intense that main Federation characters die. A war to end all wars. This would be a great movie and rack in a lot of cash. Lately the franchise has been getting too cutesy. It is time to get back to basics and in the process close out some of the existing Star Trek story lines.
Just thought I’d chime in. First, Trek IS a dead franchise. No way around it. Insurrection was just a rehash of ground covered in TNG and Nemesis was downright bad. The series has lost all sense of fun, all of Roddenbery’s original spirit. Voyager and Enterprise proved that, and Coto’s revivial proved too little, too late.
For those of you who want to see a grittier, more realistic “unsanitized” Trek universe with actual war, flawed humanity and grey areas, it’s already been done excellently. It was called Deep Space Nine. Check out the final four seasons and you’ll see a Trek show like no other.
Damon as Kirk is ludicrous, as is the idea of Kirk and Spock meeting at the academy. Spock was touring with Pike a full ten years before Kirk got command of the Enterprise. There’s no way they would have met in the academy. If it’s going to be a prequel, I agree with those who call for a new crew and captain. The Romulan Wars perhaps. None of the lame time travel plots that Berman and Co. couldn’t get enough of. Time travel done well would be something else, but again, it’s been done to death. No more self-destruct sequences. Maybe some cameos by TOS survivors. And above all, a story that respects the canon.
I don’t know if any of you have read William Shatner’s Star Trek novels, but I thought they were brilliant. The Borg reanimating Kirk and unleashing him on the Federation! To quote the Sam Adams guys….”Brilliant”. Then to have the Mirror Image Kirk come back and try to destroy good Kirk’s Universe…..”Brilliant” again. Why, oh why didn’t the powers that be in Trekland look to Shatner for a Bring-back-Kirk motion picture. That’s what alot of us Trekkies really want, and Shatner’s novels did it in a way that was interesting and creative. I know, I know….beating a dead horse! Hell, why not!! Guess we can’t all get what we want!
P.S I would have paid good money to see the Mirror Image Picard with a pony-tail and a goatee!!!!
The perfect cast:
Kirk: Ryan Reynolds
Spock: Jon Hedar
Dr. McCoy: Bruce Campbell
Scotty: Seth Green
Chekov: Topar Grace
Sulu: Bobby Lee (Mad TV)
Uhuru: Tyra Banks (for some flava)
ps. just kidding trekkies, don’t post hate for me
Excuse me, everyone, but I have just read the first post on this submission by John Campea, and I must protest. As one of the aforementioned trekkies so thoughtlessly insulted by Mr. Campea, I wish it to be known that Star Trek is NOT a zombie, it never died to begin with. And though I have tolerated most of the blows to Star Trek XI, this review was TOTALLY inappropriate, and I take extreme offense to the things Mr. Campea has thrown at us, especially at the greatest science fiction franchise ever created, and to the man that dreamed of a perfect world, Gene Roddenberry. It’s not as much that I am a trekkie as much as I know just how much this meant to me, Gene, and all other trek fans the world over. It truely is people like Mr. Campea that keep the world in it’s current shape, kill Mr. Roddenberry’s dream, and give human beings a bad name.
As an orginal fan, I see the need to evolve, but still retain a core true to the original show(s).
No reboot though ala Galactica. The original version of that show lasted 1 season not for nearly 2 generations over 5 series and ten movies.
Matt ‘Demon” no thanks. An unknown or little know actor. Always thought that guy in JAG, David James Elliot would have fit into a TREK uniform, though he’s to old to play a young Kirk.
Another thing. Maybe just an occasional movie, or at most several two hour sepcials a year if they decide to go back to TV. No weekly show. There are enough weekly picks for Sci-Fi junkies out there already.
I think they would need a big screen actor outside of Trek mythos to bring in a new audience.
So Matt Damon as Kirk.. what is next Ben AFLACK! as Spock… and they can start an illicited love triangle after binge drinking Romulian Ale one night..
Oh please i want to cry.. As long as it is better then Nemesis… blek..
Why not do an alternate universe movie with all out war. It’s like the “What if” world of comic books.
Noooooooooooo!….Matt as Cap’n Kirk….Kill me. There is one Kirk. Mr.Shatner. Sorry. Never thought of myself as a Trekkie until now. Let Damon be Captain Who Cares..but Kirk…pfftt..They are shoes that will be too tight for his Hollywood feet. I stand my ground on this one.
Despite knowing nothing of Star Trek, Im reminded of Kirk and Spock when I see the mustard and blue together, it really reminds me of ‘Spaced Out: The best of leonard nemoy and William Shatner’. Excellent cd btw.
Hey HeroStew
Excellent excellent excellent point.
~John
I think the problem with the Trek Franchise is that its got distinct lines drawn. There are those who only like TOS cast. Others who only like TNG. Even others who only like Voyager cause of Janeway. Others who watched Quantum Leap then watched Enterprise cause of Bakula. And then there are others like me who like it all. But Trek has been around for so long and like Doctor Who, has it’s dry spells. I think JJ Abrams is acknowledgment that they are aware they need to shake things up. I know I am looking forward to it. They do have to find some way of bridging all the series together to bring the different generations in the theater.
I agree don’t bother with the Trekkies. They supported Rick Bermans crap all these years. There’s a large Trekkie group out there that hates TOS or could care less about that whole peroid. Roddenberry’s vision is not what they want. They were perfectly happy with Berman & Co. version of Star Trek & all they want is DS9 & TNG era!
I think we should take this disagreement to the Holodeck!!
You never fail to make me shake my head.
“Star Trek hasn’t won a new fan in a decade” – As Napoleon Dynamite would say “It’s impossible to even know that”
“I’ve seen the Star Trek movies more than you” – how old are you? I only ask because its generally children who make broad sweeping statements with zero facts involved in forming that opinion, lol, you dont know me.
and sorry to have to be the one to tell you this dude, But your not a fan of Star Trek, and Im not just pulling that out of my ass like you do, fan is short for fanatic, and if you were fanatic about Star Trek then you would have been excited over the prospect of JJ Abrams OFFICIALLY taking the reins of the franchise, you couldn’t even be bothered to mention it. Countless times you have refered to it as a dead franchise and with the suggestion #4 you say “Screw the Trekkies”
Has Star Trek been stale lately? yes, Does it need a reboot? yes.
And its getting it in the form of JJ Abrams, nuff said, no need to be picking apart and shitting upon Trekkies, like I said in my original post, theres no reason for it.
And dont bust out the violins for yourself either, when you make bold statements like “Screw the Trekkies” you are bound to ruffle a few feathers.
Off to the Holodeck, choose your weapon sir!!
nord
Hey Nord,
If they had made 10 Transformers flicks and every one of them in the last 10 years has failed, then yeah… I’d be saying “Screw the hardcore Transformer fans and just focus on making the best movie you can”.
Because if it’s good… the hardcore fans will come back, and you’ll win new fans.
Star Trek hasn’t won a new fan in over a decade, and has been losing fans. It’s time to shake things up.
And for the record… I guaran-damn-tee you I’ve seen the Star Trek movies and shows more than you. I’m AM a Star Trek fan. I’ve said that a dozen times… BUT…
Being a fan doesn’t make me blind to the fact that it’s a dead franchise. Forget what the fans want… they don’t know what’s best. You do (the film makers). Listen to what the fans have to say, but don’t let that determine what you do. Make the best movie and story you can… and if that means blowing everything up and starting over… then do it.
That’s my take.
~John
Sigh,
OK John, How would you like some guy talking about Transformers and saying, Fuck Transformers fans, Optimus Prime, to make it a better story, will now be gay, and Megatron is his former lover, you know, spice things up a bit.
You really need to stop shitting on the heads of trekkies for no good reason.
nord
Im no trekkie, but I think JJ is the perfect choice to reboot the trek franchise. Im all for it.
What I would like to see is another Trek series. Yeah. I agree, no flawless characters. And stories with teeth.
My idea is set during the early part of the Dominion War; a bank robbery. The story would follow a group of burglars trying to break into a secure Federation storage bunker. They are under the belief that gold-pressed latinum is stored there. The gang is lead by a girl, sexy – petite and dangerous, Brett Quills (for some reason I’m thinking Tory Lane). They manage to forge perfect Federation credentials and during the break-in uncover a scheme to insert a puppet regime. Remember “Conspiracy” (Next Generation)? The secret take over of the Federation, it was never resolved. The alien sent a final transmission before getting killed. This show would cover that ground, the hidden war. The uncovering the potential plot to replace the President, Quills and her cohorts are asked to help and offered her own ship… You just gave a starship and Federation access to a thief!
Quills agrees. Too good of a deal to pass. Through the course of the series she grows, she’s still out for the robbery, but it’s more than just about the money. Think of her as a Quark-ish character, but more forceful. There’s a line she won’t cross. Quills would be the most Kirk like captain. Prime directive? It’s a guideline, not a rule – work around it. She’s not Starfeet.
The main friction would come from her second in command – he’s an augment, who has hidden his genetic heritage. His step parents have lost a lot for him to be there. Exposure is NOT an option. He uncovers Quills’ true identity, but she also learns about his. It’s a game of chess between the two. Both not willing to loose their positions. But the chain of command remains.
We learn that the Breen had actually allied themselves with this race first. But later when taking a heavy loss jumped ship to the Dominion.
Captain Shelby was originally suppose to get Quills’ ship, the USS Crux (Steamrunner Class: http://www.shiporama.org/steamrunner.htm). She has a grudge and eventually exposes Brett for what she is. But it falls apart when she stops a plot to detonate the Romulan sun. Due to circumstances Quills is given her pretend rank.
There is more than enough tales to be told here, in this time and universe. Conflict, yes. Sexy, very. Unconventional, definitely. All right, enough of my daydreaming.
VERY TRUE ALFIE!
The first Trek was even dis’d by the cast for taking itself to serious.
I agree Trek needs more grit. I dont know about Kirk and others being to ‘righteous’ or ‘clean’. Kirk was always getting it on in the original series. Not to mention ‘going’ against the system.
I would love to see Matt as young Kirk in an alternate universe movie. Like I said before they can always re-imagine Trek in an alternate universe, like they have done in the episodes, without messing with the ‘canon’
if star trek can come back from the first motion picture they can come back from anything…..
I read the post again and is not about Damon, but about Star Trek itself. nevermind…
Joseph Ferrarelli made a comment about seeing a “darker federation” that caught my attention. What if, just what if, they make this movie about the evil mirror universe that we have had only small glimpses of through the various series? They’ve done a one or two episodes in each spin-off featuring this “dark federation” that’s constantly at war with the other worlds, alliances are different, attitudes are different.
Picture Spock as a raving lunatic, out of control of his emotions and actions. Kirk as a lying, cheating, manipulative evil warmonger, bent on taking over the galaxy.
Personally, I think that this would be a great idea. If any of you saw the two-parter episode of Enterprise called “Through a Mirror, Darkly”, you probably get what I’m talking about. As for actual filming, they should use a method much like they did on HBO’s Band of Brothers, where they have digital color control, and can make it darker and gritier on film. And lastly they need LOTS of violence. For too long now, Star Trek has been about finding diplomatic ways of avoiding violence, with the odd exception of the Dominion Wars in DS9.
It just struck me, speaking of Band of Brothers, that that is exactly what they need to make Star Trek into. A story about comrades who have their own issues and internal stuggles, yet is dark, violent, has an amazing, well written story, great acting, more violence, some kind of humanity side to it, and is set against a militaristic background. Maybe some kind of wierd cross between Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1 set in the Star Trek world???
Problem is if they did a re-boot with immoral characters it would just be territory Battlestar have already covered in the new show.
I can’t say I enjoyed any of the movies that much, other than Wrath of Kahn and even then I think it may just be stuck in my mind because of those slug things they put in Chekov’s ears.
The whole thing seems very tired to me, the original show was groundbreaking but that was a long time ago. I don’t mind watching Star Trek in its various incarnations on TV, but for me it’s never been something that belonged on the big screen.
Sorry Boston Man,
Despite the fact that I’ve mention JJ Abrams as the director a number of times… every single post that we do from now on about Star Trek we will start each post with the fact that JJ is the director.
This post wasn’t about the director… it was about the poster and Matt Damon
“JJ Abrams has been on board is old old old news. Why repeat it? It’s like saying “George Lucas is directing” 2 weeks before the opening of Revenge of the Sith. ”
well, Star Trek is opening in 2008, not in 2 weeks. Plus Lucas is the creator of Star Wars, the Lost team wasn´t even born when Star Trek was on TV. So it’s not a good excuse, sorry John. =) cheers
“Screw the Trekkies. Don’t make a new Star Trek trying to please those hard core Trekkie fans. ”
Why not? Trying to please everyone BUT Trekkies is why everything trek for the past 13+ years has sucked. No trekkie wanted Voyager, nor Enterprise, nor most of TNG movies. That was all pap created for the “mainstream.”
What they need to do is bring the sense of wonder and discovery back to the series. The whole idea of “discovering new worlds and lifeforms” disappeared a while ago. I hate to say it but the last bit of that we saw was back in “Star Trek:Generations”(which I thought was OK)..admit it, the whole idea around the Nexus was at least intriguing.
Also, a sense of endangerment is needed. Have the captain killed, and have the Number Two deal with tsking the responsibility as Captain.
If you want war, why not go see Star WARS…
Star Trek is different, and as already stated, they need to NOT make it an action movie.
The Ralph Winter who produced the X-Men series and several Star Trek movies made a good comment regarding X-Men 1. That it was more Star Trek than it was Star Wars. X2 was more Star Wars than Star Trek.
That’s the kinda point I was trying to make before, obviously X-Men 1 had alot of action in it, but Star Trek should be more in that direction, with less if any action in it.
I’m for option 3 (google Switch Blade Honey it’s a riot) or 2. I don’t want any reimagining bullshit.
John. Your comment on “Star Trek: Enterprise” is incorrect. What happened is IT SUCKED, until the last season when they got Manny Coto to write and spearhead the series. What was sorely missed was serious continuity. The show as supposed to present new stories and fill in the blanks started from Classic Trek. That didn’t happen until the final season. It is pretty much unanimous that the final year was awesome. THIS is what the show should’ve been from the start, instead we got mediocre tales and lackluster story arcs. Fans left, but by the time they learned that indeed, the series had been fixed – the plug was pulled. So, please, keep that in mind.
Well JJ says that he will be taking Trek in a new direction so you may get your wish John.
Let me add something….
I want to see a military movie, so to speak. A darker federation, with corrupt leaders, scandals, and a giant war. WAR. Not a pussy little “conflict”. Fucking war. I want great ground fighting scenes. I want ship battles that are more spaceship than sailboat. I want a totally new crew, or a reimagined version of another crew. Thats what is gonna put me in the theater…and I bet so will alot of people.
JJ Abrams has been on board is old old old news. Why repeat it? It’s like saying “George Lucas is directing” 2 weeks before the opening of Revenge of the Sith.
:P
If they did a reimagining like Battlestar….
HOLY SHIT
Kirk having an affair with female Spock.
Scotty an alcoholic.
Full blown out galactic war. I want soliders and guns.
This could fucking rock.
To Hi: How about the Adventures of the Outrageous Okana? {In this TNG ep Bill Campell of “Rocketeer” and “4400” fame played a wisecracking, womanizing space pirate}
To John Campea: The Trek series and movies did focus on characters, and to some degree they were belivable. I say there is nothing wrong- nothing- with having a crew get along.
{although Capt, Kirk would bed women of any race or creed at the drop of a dime, and get into brawls} . And not everyone is ‘all sick to death’ about “100% moral purity” (I think this number’s a bit steep; I’d give it an 85%- Deanna Troi was mind raped in the last movie and got drunk in First Contact) . I don’t think a “reboot” is needed. I do think that there is room for a new crew on a New Enterprise, where anyone can ‘buy the red shirt’ so to speak.
Oddly, in your post, you did not remind us all that JJ Abrams is involved. {He changed his mind; he is involved)
But yes, I don’t think Matt Damon will be involved unless he’s like “a special guest actor” or somebody like that. I mildly disagree though, with screw the Trek fans, because the fans are ones who brung down ‘Nemesis” – not because it wasn’t a horrid film -overall, it wasn’t. But if you followed the show, then over half of Nemesis was, in effect, roads traveled down “B4”:
*Data has a ‘brother’ …another one! And nobody asks if the new Soong model will be like Lore or not.
*Picard’s DNA was used to create Shinzon. Evil twin bother/clone again.
*A character who dies, but comes back in a cheat. Hasn’t been the first time!
No, fans were fed up with Brannon Braga and/or Rick Berman. Nobody loved ‘Enterprise’ until the last season when they stepped back and handed it over to Manny Coto….until the lame finale anyway.
But as much as I don’t want a re-invented Trek, what I hope for is new faces and new characters. And…maybe they all don’t “get along” or that they all have ‘strong personalities’ and question the Capt’n at almost every turn…maybe one of them has a nervous breakdown..maybe one…has …has…oh shit! I’m agreeing with you! Shit!…Well…
I’ll get back to you…
Henrick: Star Trek : The Voyage Home. And there was some action in it, if you count the rescue of Pavel Chekov.
By now you’ve heard the news that JJ Abrams and “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof are producing the next STAR TREK movie.
Now I can see why this is the home of Correct Movie oppions. I couldn’t agree with you more and I hate Star Trek except 6 or which ever one has the borgs. But when you say a stuggling crew. That would be awesome makes me want to direct or write some sort of Star Trek movie and/or TV show like that .
Number 3 is wack. The entire point and charm about Star Trek is that it is intelligent and innocent. Why would you want a captain who has an affair? That’s a soap opera. Star Trek is about something else. It is about greater issues than drug abuse. If you want to see a drug abuse movie, go see Requiem for a Dream.
What they need to do, is to NOT fall into the ‘action’-genre. Every single action scene in every single incarnation of Star Trek I have ever seen has sucked. They need to make it personal, emotional and most importantly ABOUT something. Don’t have lasergun fights in corridors, don’t have the god damned beaten to death personified villain who happens to have a ship which they have to confront in the third act.
Take Star Trek as the blueprint and craft a story that is not necessarily about space. Try and make something that is about characters, and a story that may or may not be grand in scale. Make the characters believeable, but don’t go out of your way to put major issues in all of them, and then in the third act give them each a scene of payoff.
The only point I would agree with is screw the Trekkies. There is no way to know what they would want anyway. What everybody will agree on, trekkie or no trekkie, is that if you write a good compelling script, you will get talented people connected with the movie, and you will have something people will actually be interested in going to see.
Make a Star Trek-movie not connected to any of the TV-show. here is an idea Pirates of the Federation(or whatever the shit they call the thing). Someone a long time ago hijacked one of the starships and now use it for his personal needs. Goes great with number 3