Kurtzman& Orci Talk Kahn and Klingons for 'Star Trek' Sequel« FirstShowing.net

Though it certainly wasn't universally received, there are plenty of people looking forward to the impending sequel toJ.J. Abrams2009 franchise reboot ofStar Trek. While details have been scarce (just the way Abrams likes it) the script is a work in progress. Luckily the forthcoming200th issue ofSFXmagazine(viaTrek Movie) talked to Abrams and writersAlex KurtzmanandRobert Orciabout the potential of the anticipated sequel. I don't want to get anyone too excited, but Klingons and the infamous villain Kahn are certainly talking points, but you'll find all that in the information that they were willing to disclose below.

Keeping with his secretive traditions, Abrams isn't willing to give much up, but he talks about the challenge in figuring out what direction they should boldly go in theTrekuniverse:"The universe that Roddenberry created wasso vast. And so it's hard to say there's one particular thing that stands out as what the sequel must be. Which is on the one hand, agreat opportunity. On the other hand it's thegreatest challenge. Where do you go? What do you focus on? But I'm incredibly excited about the prospects."

Kurtzman isn't exactly overly forthcoming about what they will bring into play for the sequel, but he's very adamant about what theydon'twant to do:"Starting at a premise of what you want to see and then working a story around it isnothow we do it. You have to start with what is the right story. And that if you can say 'That's a story that Khan fits into,' that's how you get to that.Not deciding on a menu list of itemsand then seeing if you can't string them all together."So this thankfully isn't going to be a"greatest hits"of the finer points of Roddenberry's most iconic characters and stories, so that's at least a good start to the sequel.

Orci is a little more specific in his talks as he mentions their decision-making process on the sequel's villain:"Introducing anew villainin the sequel is tempting because we now have this incredible new sandbox to play in. On the other hand, some fans really want to see Klingons and it's hard not to listen to that. The trick is not to do something that's been seen before just because you think it will be a short cut to likeability."No matter who the villains end up being, they say not to expect a violent push into the dark side,"The first one had dark elements, but was ultimately very warm. We'd hope to strike asimilar balance{in the sequel}."

Agreeing with his writing partner, Orci confirms that humor will be alive and well in the sequel (in addition to beefing up the role for the always hilarious Simon Pegg as Scotty). The writer explains:"Humor is part of the franchise and I think it's critical, certainly to the Bones-Spock relationship. It's definitely a big part of the Bones-Kirk relationship. So, I don't see any world where humor doesn't play a part."Personally, I think Kurtzman and Orci have treated the characters and stories of Roddenberry's iconic universe with immense respect, and I can't wait to see where the sequel takes us. If you want more, pick up theOctober issueofSFXmagazine on newsstands now! Stay tuned for more.What do you guys want from aStar Treksequel?

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