Christmas Day 2008 Release for "Star Trek XI"

[HARD ROCK UNIVERSE]

"Star Trek," one of the most popular and successful franchises in the history of movies and television, returns to the big screen under the creative vision of J.J. Abrams, the force behind "Lost," "Alias" and "Mission Impossible III" for Paramount Pictures.

The next motion picture of the Star Trek franchise, tentatively titled "Star Trek XI," will begin filming this fall for theatrical release on Christmas Day 2008.
The official announcement was made today by Paramount Pictures. Last Friday J.J. Abrams, already announced as producer of the project, finalized a deal to also direct the movie. The screenplay, which reportedly will be a prequel revolving around a young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, has been written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who previously collaborated with Abrams on "Mission Impossible III." Kurtzman and Orci will executive produce with Bryan Burk, and Abrams will produce along with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof.

"If there's something I'm dying to see, it's the brilliance and optimism of [Gene] Roddenberry's world brought back to the big screen," said Abrams. "Alex and Bob wrote an amazing script that embraces and respects Trek canon, but charts its own course. Our goal is to make a picture for everyone — life-long fans and the uninitiated. Needless to say, I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek."

Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, said, "We could not be more thrilled to be back in business with J.J. Abrams. The revival of the Star Trek franchise is an important part of Paramount's turnaround."

Though casting is underway, nothing official has been announced. Actors that are reported to be in negotiation are Matt Damon (Jim Kirk), Adrien Brody (Mr. Spock), Gary Sinise (Dr. McCoy) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Sulu).

[rtbuck]

Gary Sinise should make a great Dr. McCoy

[spacel0rd]

One thing…

I understand this franchise needed a bit of a “shaking-up,” but….

I am going to find it hard to accept any other actors playing these characters. William Shatner IS Kirk. Leonard Nimoy IS Spock.
Now, If Hollywood never made a Star Trek Movie before, and this was the first one ever, I could see other actors playing these roles, for, this new movie would just be seen as a take off on a very old cult-TV show. But these characters were brought to life on the big screen already by the original actors…many times. I think audiences are going to have a hard time accepting other faces in place of these characters.

Now, we can go the other way…
If the franchise was never a TV show and started in 1979 as a movie franchise, I could see the studio casting actors to play the younger versions of these characters, for we would have never seen them as younger people before. But, we KNOW them as younger AND older people…and THOSE are the faces we relate to.
Could you imagine watching an Indiana Jones movie staring Jude Law as Indiana? Or a Rocky movie staring Ben Affleck as Rocky?
One might say that James Bond has been played by many people…BUT Sean Connery played him between 1962-1967..then again in 1971 (I’m not including Never Say Never Again). That was less than a decade. Kirk and the boys were played by their respected actors for almost 30 years.
When these actors get old or die...the characters get old or die with them.
Its not that I am a Trekie (I don’t even watch the original TV series), but I always liked watching the movies and Star Trek: Next Generation TV show. They have become “old friends” over the years.

Maybe it will all work…but the movie is gonna have to pretty damn good for it to work. All this time (until right now) when I heard that the movie was being made, I thought it was going to be The Next Generation cast. I will miss those guys…even tho I watch the reruns on Spike and G4.

[spacel0rd]

That just might be the DORKIEST thing i ever wrote...lol.