Hot on the heels of yesterday’s news that Star Trek 3 could begin shooting in six months time (courtesy of Mr. Spock himself, Zachary Quinto) comes even more confirmation of the start date, release window, and plot details for the third voyage of the rebooted sci-fi franchise. It’s Trek-a-palooza around here this week.
The Web site TrekMovie.com has the inside scoop on all the latest rumblings surrounding the new adventure of the Enterprise crew. Basically, all the things we’ve been hearing about the project are being confirmed, which is pretty surprising given how much secrecy generally surrounds big-budget studio releases.
What we know for sure is that Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness screenwriter Roberto Orci has turned in the first draft of the feature’s script. Paramount executives are reportedly pleased with the story, which Orci has said will feature characters that hew more closely to their television counterparts than they have in the previous films. Paramount has yet to make an official announcement, but the buzz around town is that they’re aiming to begin filming next February once all the final details are hammered out.
One of those final details is hiring a director. Orci has been the man linked to the chair for some time, and it appears as though it’s all but official at this point. This will mark the writer’s first time being the boss behind the camera, but his involvement with both of the previous J.J. Abrams entries should have prepared him for the gig.
What’s most interesting is that there appears to be confirmation regarding the direction the new tale will head. Those earlier stories stating that Trek 3 would take place well into the five year voyage of The Enterprise look to be true. Orci and company’s new screenplay takes place a number of years after Star Trek Into Darkness and will shift from the Earth-based plot devices of the earlier films in aims of moving toward more deep space exploration and encountering alien cultures.
Will those alien cultures be the Klingons and Romulans made famous by the classic series, or an entirely new race? No one’s spilling the beans on that one…
With pre-production already underway, a script in good shape, and a director all but hired, the only thing remaining to do (aside from casting new characters – something already being discussed) is to aim for a release date. Paramount has said they want to release the third Star Trek in 2016 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original series, and they’re currently looking at summer dates where the film could open. It’s a crowded schedule, but Star Trek is a big enough property that it should do well regardless of where it debuts.
There’s one last issue here that still needs resolution – the film’s actual title. Star Trek 3 doesn’t have much of a ring to it, but since we know this latest installment will take place during the five year voyage into deep space, I can see Star Trek: To Boldly Go on a theater marquee – but I’m open to other suggestions. At least it would be better than Into Darkness.
Does any of this news have you more excited about the newest addition to the Star Trek universe?
