With the success of Abrams Star Trek sequel/reboot I was surprised at the lack of a sequel announcement with the first week’s boxoffice reports. But it seems that Abrams was just spread too thin, and is now getting around to working on a story idea for Star Trek 2.
In going forward, the fun of this movie series is that we will have the opportunity, given its alternate timeline, to cross paths with any of the experiences, places and characters that existed in the original series, but we have to be really careful, doing that. I don’t want to do something that is so inside that only die-hard fans will appreciate. We’re just now working on the script and just beginning the process of story breaking, but I guarantee you, whatever the story is and whatever the final movie ends up being, I know it will be something that will work on its own terms and be something that you don’t need to know and study Star Trek to get, but if you are a fan, there will hopefully be gift after gift of connections, references and characters that you hold near and dear. At least, that’s the intent.
This is what made Abrams’ Star Trek so likable. This approach that you don’t have to be a Star Trek fanboy to get anything out of the film and it still has enough Trek lore in it to pay tribute to the six remaining fans. That and the cast and the brave rebooting of a sinking ship made Titanic out of the liferaft.
Leonard Nimoy has been quoted saying that Star Trek doesn’t need him anymore, and I kind of agree. However in the interview Abrams mentions that he “can’t imagine a Star Trek movie not needing him” and admits that he loved working with Nimoy and doesn’t rule out the character.
Personally Spock taking on new responsibilities was a nice way to have the character gracefully retire without having a pathetic death scene like Kirk’s. If there is a place for Spock Prime (Abrams term for old Spock) that makes sense in the story, then so be it. But I am satisfied with his exit.
