‘Star Trek’ — Biggest Movie of 2009?
Posted on October 16, 2008 at 8:15 am
Entertainment Weekly has the latest on what could be next summer’s biggest box office smash, the rebooted “Star Trek” from J.J. Abrams (creator of Alias
After 10 often dismal movies, Star Trek had turned into a pop culture punchline. Even people who’d built their entire careers around Trek could see the writing on the wall. “Star Trek,” says Leonard Nimoy, “had run its course.” But director J.J. Abrams believes he can make the franchise cool again….
Abrams says he was also drawn to the project because he believed in–and wanted to evangelize–Trek’s unabashed idealism. “I think a movie that shows people of various races working together and surviving hundreds of years from now is not a bad message to put out right now,” says Abrams. That ethos may seem cornball to an America darkened by a decade’s worth of catastrophe, but after an election season that has seen both presidential nominees run on “hope” and “change,” Star Trek just may find itself on the leading wave of a zeitgeist shift–away from bleak, brooding blockbusters and toward the light. “In a world where a movie as incredibly produced as The Dark Knight is raking in gazillions of dollars, Star Trek stands in stark contrast,” Abrams says. “It was important to me that optimism be cool again.”
That sounds like something to please the fanboys and bring in a whole new audience. I can’t wait!
My GEEK is showing. I am totally stoked about this movie. Yes, I may even wear my Engineering Officer Star Trek (:NG) shirt to the first day showing. My son thinks it is hysterical, my daughter is embarassed, and my wife hangs her head in unwilling acceptance (the movie comes out right around our 30th anniversary, so she has come to accept begrudgingly my geek-dom). I may not be as hard core a Trekker as I once was (I have not seen any of the “Enterprise” episodes), but I cannot deny what has been a part of my life for more than 40 years! Having Abrams as a part of the ST pantheon of producers simply makes the whole thing that much more thrilling.
“First star to the right and stringht on ’till morning” – No wait, wrong movie… “May the Force be with you” – Oops, wrong again… I got it “LIVE LONG AND PROSPER”.
I had a happy geek-out when I saw it, too! I think this movie is going to be terrific!
I find it amusing that the guy cast as Kirk’s father is an Australian soap opera actor in his mid-20s. Obviously, it’ll be a flashback scene, but a weird choice. But Zachary Quinto, I’m sure, will be perfect as Spock.
Can’t wait for this, I’ve been a fan since I was 14, although I prefer Picard to Kirk. Hopefully this will be more First Contact than Insurrection.
whoa, random bashing on old school trek movies! star trek doesn’t need to be made “hip”; if you don’t think star trek is cool, you don’t know cool.
KKKKKHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!
Thanks, Tom! I’m glad to hear from a Trek fan.
Great movie! The new Star Trek is “The Balls!”