He successfully rebooted “Mission: Impossible” for the movies. Now producer and director J.J. Abrams—the supermind behind
Alias,
Lost and
Fringe—is bringing another iconic ’60s series to the big screen. Only this one comes with tons of intergalactic baggage. “Star Trek,” a hip, sexy, high-octane prequel about the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise, stars newbie heartthrob Chris Pine as Capt. James T. Kirk, and Zachary Quinto (
Heroes) and Leonard Nimoy as the younger and older Spock, respectively. It hits theaters May 8, more than 42 years after it debuted on NBC. Will the masses give a hoot? Though Gene Roddenberry’s rose-colored vision of tomorrow earned global devotion and spawned a multibillion-dollar business—including five TV spin-offs and 10 feature films—enthusiasm for Trek has been on the wane for years. Abrams, who grew up preferring George Lucas’ take on outer space, talks to TV Guide Magazine about his new film and why even nonfans should boldly go to the multiplex and give it a try.
What made you—an admitted non-Trekker—think you were the right man for this job?As a kid I loved Star Wars because it was pure fantasy and disconnected from everything we knew. Star Trek wasn’t my thing. But when the opportunity to make this film came along, my perspective shifted greatly. I came to realize that—unlike Star Wars—the universe Mr. Roddenberry created is all about
us. Not only is his vision still relevant, I would argue that it’s more relevant now than ever.
How do you convince moviegoers of that? The Trek fan base is not enough to make this film a hit—you need a lot of new butts in the seats.It’s a unique dilemma. We’re facing an audience that is, for the most part, not Trek-obsessed. Those who know and love it are a very vocal minority. Most moviegoers don’t really care much about Trek, or haven’t seen it, or know that their dad liked it but think, “What’s in it for
me?” It’s a pretty judgmental crowd, so our challenge is to say: This is not the Trek you
thought you knew!
Your film features a pre-Enterprise Kirk who’s a brash, rebellious, chauvinistic jerk. You’re messing with a god here!This film doesn’t assume you care about Kirk, like the early Trek films did. We give you the guy who will eventually end up in that captain’s chair and show you
why you should care. You’ll see a Spock who’s
not in control of his emotions. Being logical wasn’t a biological imperative that came with being half-Vulcan. It was a choice and we see the inner struggle that led to that. This is an origins story. We look at all the characters through brand-new eyes.
It’s already been announced you’ll produce a follow-up Trek film—will you direct again or pass it on to others, Harry Potter–style?After working so long on this one, I feel like I’ve done my part. It’s a long time to eat one flavor of ice cream, but at the same time I’m struggling with the idea of someone else working with these characters, and especially these terrific actors. So I’m torn. All I know is this: As a filmgoer, I
definitely want to see more Trek. After all these years, I’m hooked!
Also check out TV Guide Magazine's Star Trek
photo gallery for more information about the film!