Tagline: The future begins.
Star Trek movie storyline. On the day of James Kirk’s birth, his father dies on his damaged starship in a last stand against a Romulan mining vessel looking for Ambassador Spock, who in this time, has grown on Vulcan disdained by his neighbors for his half-human heritage. 25 years later, James T. Kirk has grown into a young rebellious troublemaker.
Challenged by Captain Christopher Pike to realize his potential in Starfleet, he comes to annoy academy instructors like Commander Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency on Vulcan and the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself, thanks to Leonard McCoy’s medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever as a new version of the legend begins.
Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction adventure film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is the eleventh film in the Star Trek film franchise, and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series.
The film follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard USS Enterprise as they combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The story takes place in an alternate reality because of time travel by both Nero and the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy). The alternate timeline was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements.
Official screenings in the United States started at 7 pm on May 7, 2009,[145] grossing $4 million on its opening day. By the end of the weekend, Star Trek had opened with $79,204,300, as well as $35,500,000 from other countries. Adjusted and unadjusted for inflation, it beat Star Trek: First Contact for the largest American opening for a Star Trek film. The film made US$8.5 million from its IMAX screenings, breaking The Dark Knight’s $6.3 million IMAX opening record.
The film is the highest-grossing in the United States and Canada from the entire Star Trek film franchise, eclipsing The Voyage Home and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Its opening weekend numbers alone outgross the entire individual runs of The Undiscovered Country, The Final Frontier, Insurrection and Nemesis.
Star Trek ended its United States theatrical run on October 1, 2009, with a box office total of $257,730,019, which places it as the seventh highest-grossing film for 2009 behind The Hangover. The film grossed $127,764,536 in international markets, for a total worldwide gross of $385,494,555. While foreign grosses represent only 31% of the total box office receipts, executives of Paramount were happy with the international sales, as Star Trek historically was a movie franchise that never has been a big draw overseas.
Back to the Final Frontier
In its more than 40-year history, one that has impacted multiple generations, “Star Trek” has carved out an iconic place in modern pop culture as the only ongoing story that encapsulates the awe, wonder and bold audacity of the human desire to reach for the stars. With the indelible opening words of the original 1960s television series, “Space, the Final Frontier,” a succession of journeys were launched across the cosmos that did and, to this day, still celebrate the thrill of adventure, the pioneering spirit of exploration and the drive to create an ever-more amazing future full of possibilities. The daring and provocative voyages of the Starship Enterprise, and the many ships that would soon follow in her flight path, have appealed to the stargazer in all of us, and our hopes and dreams that technological and cultural advances will bring out the best of our humanity.
The original TV series was not a hit when it first aired, but later caught on like wildfire among the ever-growing legion of fans who responded to its compellingly funny, contentious, charismatic personalities and its five-year mission to peacefully engage new worlds and cultures. But how did that mission begin? What brought together this disparate group of brash, brilliant, ambitious young men and women and drove them to explore new frontiers? And how did they forge that special chemistry and sense of purpose that would inspire so many discoveries and fantastic adventures for years and even centuries to come?
For director/producer J.J. Abrams, going back to the beginning after more than six television series and ten feature films was the only way to forge into the future. His vision was to literally start fresh, beginning with James T. Kirk and his one-day First Officer, the Vulcan Spock’s advancement in the Starfleet Academy and their extraordinary first journey together.
Abrams came to the project with great respect for series creator Gene Roddenberry and all that “Star Trek” had achieved as the creator of an archetypal modern myth and cult phenomenon. However, he also wanted to take the story where it had never been before: making a state-of-the-art action epic about two heroic leaders as brash young men in the making.
“I was a fan of the original series, although I was never a Trekker,” says Abrams. “Yet I always felt there was something that had not been done with `Star Trek.’ There have been ten movies, but this is the first time that a movie has dealt with the fundamental, primary story Gene Roddenberry originally created in 1966.” Abrams continues: “What I hope with this movie is that you never have to have seen anything about `Star Trek’ before to really enjoy a comical, romantic, suspenseful adventure, but that it also does proud the lasting, brilliant world that Gene Roddenberry created. The brilliant thing `Star Trek’ brought to the world was a dose of optimism and I hope this movie continues in that tradition.
While many anticipated a total re-boot from Abrams, he was excited to go in an unexpected direction, heading way back, as it were, into the never-seen 23rd century launch of the U.S.S. Enterprise. When he brought the idea of a “’Star Trek’ origin story” to producer Damon Lindelof, with whom Abrams (along with Jeffrey Lieber) created the contemporary television phenomenon “Lost,” the producer was instantly taken by the idea. Explains Lindelof, “For me, the idea that no one has ever told an origin story for Kirk and Spock and all these characters was very cool. We had a great conversation about how this crew of people might have come together and learned to sacrifice certain parts of their personalities to get along. It was really fun and, next thing I knew, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman were writing a script.”
A fan of “Star Trek” since childhood, Lindelof believes the story’s premise and characters have continued to be so relevant for so long because they capture something essential about the space travel mythos: the sheer hopefulness of it. “Most stories we see now about the distant future are bleak, dismal and dystopian. The incredible thing about the initial `Star Trek’ television series is that it was so energetic, optimistic and cool. It presented the future the way we’d like to believe it will unfold. It’s a future to aim for.”
That view, he felt, was a great match for Abrams’ exuberant style of character-and-action-driven storytelling. “J.J. brings innovation to everything he does, but also brings an ability to boil a story down to its most human elements and translate hugely complicated production challenges into something with mass appeal, and that was all necessary to go back to the beginning of `Star Trek’ with today’s cinematic technology,” says Lindelof.
Adds executive producer Bryan Burk, who has also collaborated with Abrams on “Lost,” “Alias” and “Cloverfield”: “We envisioned this `Star Trek’ as a truly grand adventure about two very different men whose destiny is not only to become true friends, but iconic partners, guardians and explorers.
Executive producer Jeffrey Chernov, who oversaw the line production, concludes: “The film for me became not only a new look at the `Star Trek’ universe, but a kind of cross between `The Right Stuff’ and the original `Star Wars.’ It has that fresh, imaginative, intergalactic storytelling, but is also very grounded in the idea of young men and women with a lot of heart and camaraderie. When you add J.J.’s mastery of action and love of scope, you have something very fun and entertaining.”
Inside Trek: The Screenplay
The characters of “Star Trek,” especially Captain James T. Kirk and his loyal but contentious First Officer Spock, are among the most instantly recognizable fictional characters created in the 20th century. But J.J. Abrams needed writers who could take these well-established personalities and reverse engineer them to get back what forged their hopes, dreams and motivations in the first place.
To do so, Abrams went straight to a team he knew could attack the story with a high-intensity, suspenseful action style and an authentic allegiance to its legacy, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, whose partnership has produced memorable screenplays for such films as “Transformers,” “Mission: Impossible III” and the current FOX show “Fringe.” Orci, in particular, has had a lifelong passion for all things Trek. “When I met Bob in high school, one of the first things I remember about him is that he had an Enterprise phone and the Bridge would actually ring!” laughs Kurtzman.
And yet, when they were approached about “Star Trek,” the duo admits they did not instantly jump at it. “We paused because we knew it would be such a huge responsibility,” explains Kurtzman. “The whole Trek universe has kind of hit a crossroads at this point and we knew that it would take a lot of thought to really engage the next generation. The challenges were a bit terrifying. But when you’re scared to do something, I think you also get the feeling that there’s a personal challenge there you need to meet. After our initial trepidation, we began talking to J.J. about it and then decided to just sit down and dive in.”
They did so with a die-hard commitment to following in the spirit of Gene Roddenberry’s vision of an enlightened future. The pair began with a list of what they believed to be the “Star Trek” universe’s greatest and most universally relatable attributes. Orci explains: “That list included the idea of a family of friends coming together; the way each character seems warm and human and real; the use of genuine humor, not parody or irony, that comes out of real situations; and then a thought-provoking story that is true science fiction, not impossible fantasy, but a vision of a future we hope humans can achieve.”
Continues Kurtzman: “There was also something we wanted to capture that’s always been very specific to `Star Trek’: men and women rising to the challenge of who they are as people by confronting what appear to be insoluble problems. Part of the irresistible fun of the original series was watching these incredibly intelligent and intriguing personalities work together and become the best of who they are. We felt that if we could take that spirit and put a fresh spin on it, you could advance the legacy of `Star Trek’ in this movie.”
Starting from that base, Orci and Kurtzman were exhilarated by the chance to do two new things: imagine the never-before-seen youth of Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) and their development into friends and leaders; and devise the Enterprise’s very first mission. Exploring who Kirk and Spock were as adolescents helped the writers to get to the root of what has made them so consistently compelling: the idea of two wholly opposite men coming together like two lost halves and embarking on a perilous mission in a way neither one could have alone. Says Kurtzman: “It was really fascinating to think about young Spock, who is literally torn between the Vulcan and human world and, like any child, is trying to figure out where he fits in. That makes him extremely relatable. It was equally fascinating to think about young Kirk, who grows up a rebel, a kind of James Dean, while searching for his identity. When they meet at tarfleet Academy, they couldn’t be more different in how they approach life, but they also each react to the similarities they see in one another. A big part of this journey is how they learn to use the best in each other to make command decisions that will help the Enterprise and the universe itself survive.”
When the Enterprise comes under attack, the leadership styles of Kirk and Spock gradually emerge. Orci explains: “The rules of duty on a Starship come from a rich history of the actual rules of naval engagement; it’s all about code, honor and the chain of command. Yet, within that atmosphere, Kirk is always looking for opportunities to break the rules in order to win, while Spock believes in the logic of adhering strictly to order. That is their major argument with each other and we felt very strongly that they both had to have a point. We didn’t want either one to be right at the expense of the other. Kirk and Spock are truly facing a moral dilemma but come to realize that only by finding a way to work together can they actually move forward.”
For J.J. Abrams, this was one of the most vital elements to get right. “In a larger sense, I wanted the movie to be a journey of the heart and the mind coming together. The beauty of Kirk and Spock has always been their relationship, but here we had a chance to explore not just the humor and fun of that tension, but also how they first became brothers in arms. It was to see how they were thrust into an adventure that not only tested them, but bonded them for life.”
The stakes for Kirk and Spock become unimaginably high as they begin to understand the agenda of Nero (Eric Bana), the fuming, merciless Romulan. As a newly introduced character, the writers spent an equal amount of time developing Nero into a worthy adversary for the Enterprise crew, one who is full of tricks, savvy and unpredictability. “In the best tradition of complex villains, Nero is someone who legitimately feels he has been wronged and believes he has a genuine bone to pick with Starfleet,” says Orci. “His drive to destroy goes beyond intergalactic politics to something deeply personal. He’s frightening, yet there’s something in him to which you can relate.”
In rounding out the cast, the filmmakers sought out one of the original Enterprise crew members, the legendary Leonard Nimoy. “We felt so strongly that he had to be in the movie. We wrote him in as a key part even though we knew he might very well say no and we’d be back at square one,” says Orci. “And then when we sat down with him, we hit a hard eight. We couldn’t believe our luck. Just to get his input was an incredible boost.”
“We wanted Leonard because we wanted that link to the `Star Trek’ canon,” explains producer Lindelof. “But it was a real risk to go to Leonard Nimoy, because he had said he would never do another `Star Trek’ again.”
As they got deeper into the meat of the story, Orci’s depth of familiarity with the volumes and volumes of Trek lore was a huge advantage. “Instead of having to look up things in a book, we had the freedom to come up with cool storylines and play with them without worrying if we were getting the details right,” says Orci. “But, while we were always very clear about writing a movie that would appeal to everyone, we also wanted to satisfy longtime fans and reward their knowledge of the franchise. It was important to us that the story include in its very fiber and fabric all that had come before. We made lists of certain things we knew people would want to see: a red-shirt crew member, a green Orion girl, Spock playing his harp, the kinds of things that would excite the fans and be fun for people new to the adventure as well.”
Whenever there was the slightest doubt about Starfleet rules or the history of an alien race, the writers didn’t hesitate to consult with the legions of Trekkers who have a passion for finding those kinds of answers. “The fans have been the stewards of this franchise for the last four decades, and they are also some of the smartest fans in the world,” Orci says. “So if there was a question, we knew that any fan worth his salt would invariably know the answer. And they did.”
The writers further relied on the skills of researcher Sean Gerace, who assured that, nothing in “Star Trek” would be in conflict with the long future of Starfleet already depicted in the movies and shows like “Next Generation” and “Deep Space Nine.” Gerace was faced with such unusual, though fun, tasks as writing a detailed report on Romulan mythology. He also watched each of the original series’ 79 episodes and all the motion pictures, taking detailed notes on personal histories and personality nuances. The filmmakers were especially interested in “The Wrath of Khan,” widely considered the most emotionally exhilarating of the earlier motion picture series.
As Orci and Kurtzman neared a finished draft of “Star Trek,” they also got a lot of support from Abrams and the producers, who were ready and willing to debate the finer points of character and plot development at every turn. “Working with Bob and Alex and the producing team on the screenplay was an effortless exchange of ideas,” says Abrams.“What was great is that we all had different gradients of experience and knowledge. Bob Orci was a complete Trekker, who knew every detail and also knew whether fans would be angry if you did X, while Bryan Burk had never even seen the original series and came to the story from that perspective. That allowed each of us to have a unique voice in what would work for different audiences. It was a kind of checks and balances system, so we had the excitement of total newcomers yet were true to all that came before.”
The Maiden Crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise
Chris Pine is James Tiberius Kirk
Although James T. Kirk is destined to become the kind of starship captain that legends are made of, as “Star Trek” begins, he is a brooding Iowa teenager full of smarts, charm and a mile-wide rebellious streak that can lead him astray. Kirk must first overcome what one character describes as “an instinct to leap before looking.” Yet, when he spies the gleaming U.S.S. Enterprise under construction in a well-guarded hangar, something in his heart is stirred and Kirk is struck with the ambition to attend Starfleet and try to make it to the top entirely on his own terms.
This view of Kirk as a raw, unformed young man searching for his future before he is ready to take on the responsibility of becoming a great leader is one that has never been seen on screen before. “We had the idea that Kirk would be almost a rebel without a cause when we first meet him. He’s a renegade, a nonconformist, a go-by-the-gut kind of guy, but he’s basically lost. It’s only when he sees the Enterprise that he’s inspired by a sense of purpose that alters his path,” says Abrams.
To find a young actor who could play the role that William Shatner made so unforgettable, yet establish his own take on the character, the filmmakers embarked on their own epic quest. It was only when they were nearing the end of their search that Chris Pine auditioned for them, and took them by surprise. Pine’s roles in a number of romantic comedies and in the action film “Smokin’ Aces” had established him as a young star to watch, but no one anticipated he would be such an intuitive match up for Kirk’s intensity, humor and individualism. Recalls executive producer Bryan Burk: “Chris had this amazing confidence and swagger without being cocky or pretentious. He was spot-on and we knew immediately we had found our Kirk.”
Adds producer Damon Lindelof: “We were looking for someone who could organically channel Shatner without mimicking Shatner, someone who would be a lot of fun yet could walk onto the Bridge of the Enterprise and instantly command authority. Chris had all of those qualities.”
Sums up J.J. Abrams: “Chris has the wit, sharpness and athleticism of Kirk, but, equally important, he can be a complete goof and very vulnerable. Most of all, he was game for anything, always engaged and present in the role. He made Kirk very real, which was everything we wanted.”
Pine was, in turn, impressed by Abrams. “The energy surrounding him and this project was just palpable,” he says. “I couldn’t wait to be part of it.”
From the beginning, Pine understood that he would have to forge his own individual path and take only a dash of inspiration from what Shatner had done to transform the character into a global icon. “Mr. Shatner created a character who was an action hero and a ladies’ man and he did it with an incredible amount of humor. What I really love about this film is that you get the chance to see why and how he became the man he was,” Pine says. “It was incredibly overwhelming to step into Mr. Shatner’s shoes and the whole canon of `Trek’ film and television history. We all agreed it would be a mistake to try to recreate what he did. The challenge was to make it my own.”
The script helped to fire his imagination in new directions, Pine says. “Because we get to see Kirk as a young man, we are able to establish where his energy and passion come from and why he has to struggle to live up to his potential.”
Kirk’s essential humanity, often as flawed and foolhardy as it is powerful and commanding, was what Pine most wanted to get across. “Kirk is not a superhero. He’s just a man like any of us faced with these incredible problems that need to be solved. What sets him apart is that he always fights with all he’s got and perseveres to the very end.”
Pine undertook intensive physical training in boxing and martial arts to learn to fend off space creatures with Kirk’s inimitable savvy and street toughness. “I trained with our incredible stunt team and what made it so much fun is that the action is so real. Kirk’s not a guy who wins all the time. He takes plenty of blows, but he always gives you the fight of his life.”
For Pine, perhaps the greatest challenge lay in getting Kirk’s uncomfortable and sublimely comedic rapport with Spock just right. “Zach [Quinto] and I wanted the audience to see Kirk and Spock as these two very bright, very obstinate young men who are destined to butt heads throughout their lives, but will grow to love one another for that very reason,” he explains.
In the end, Pine notes, the chemistry between the entire young cast began to reflect that of the Enterprise crew. “We had an incredible amount of fun together,” he says. “Zach was wonderful to work with. John Cho, who plays Sulu, is so funny and talented, you see a whole new side of him in this role. Karl Urban (who plays Dr. McCoy) and I had a great dynamic together and he has got to have one of the best eyebrow raises in the business. Zoë Saldana brings a mix of beauty and intelligence that’s hard to come by as Uhura. Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin were just hilarious as Scotty and Chekov. All together it was just a great group. We never took ourselves too seriously, but really came together as a team.”
It all gelled for Pine, he says, the minute he walked onto the set of the Bridge, knowing that Kirk would one day soon be in command of the Enterprise. “Walking onto the set of the Enterprise for the first time was one of those moments when it suddenly hits you how special what you’re doing is,” he reflects. “Then came another big moment, which is the first time I sat in the Captain’s chair. I got chills. It’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Zachary Quinto is Spock
When the U.S.S. Enterprise leaves the dock for the first time headed for the stars, one officer aboard stands worlds apart from the rest: the man known simply as Spock. Spock was born on the planet Vulcan, a world where emotions became so out-of-control that they were done away with forever in favor of pure logic. However, Spock’s mother is human, leaving Spock to grow up fighting an internal battle between the rational and the instinctual. As Spock’s father, Sarek, tells him: “You are fully capable of choosing your own destiny… this is something only you can decide.”
“Star Trek” gives audiences a chance to experience Spock in his formative years facing the choice between his human side and his Vulcan side. “Spock has to decide if he should control his emotions or embrace his humanity and struggles with the duality of who he is throughout the story,” says Abrams. “I loved the idea of this character trying to figure out his place in the world.”
In the beginning, Abrams admits, “we were very uncertain we could ever find the right guy to play Spock, given how much Leonard Nimoy is associated with the role.” When the filmmakers saw Zachary Quinto, who is perhaps best known for his role on television’s hit series “Heroes,” he was convinced he’d found him. “Zach had an intelligence and thoughtfulness that is rare in a young actor. He was able to honor what Leonard achieved without in any way becoming an imitation.”
Quinto wanted the role badly. “I was very drawn to the character of Spock,” he says, “and I loved the idea of revitalizing the entire crew of the Enterprise. Spock was always fascinating to me because of the conflict between his mind and his emotions and by his ability to maintain equanimity no matter what is going on around him. In this new version, you get to see him figuring out how to find the balance that will allow him to achieve greatness. The common ground he shares with Kirk and the rest of the crew is that he wants to make the universe a better place.”
Working closely with Chris Pine helped Quinto to draw out the hidden emotions with which Spock is grappling. “Chris so perfectly embodies Kirk’s qualities,” Quinto remarks. “With all his swagger and confidence and spontaneity, you can really see why the very logical and ordered Spock would think he’s a reckless danger. And I think you can also see why Kirk would at first think Spock is just an officious nuisance. But, as the story goes on, I hope you also see why they are able to bring out the best in each other.”
Quinto also enjoyed working with two other classic characters who play a pivotal role in “Star Trek”: Spock’s bi-galactic parents, his earthling mother Amanda Grayson and his Vulcan ambassador father Sarek, played respectively by two-time Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder (“The Age of Innocence,” “Little Women”) and the British actor Ben Cross, renowned for his role in the Oscar-winning “Chariots of Fire.” Together, the two created a starkly contrasting yet richly sophisticated couple. “Winona brought a real tenderness to the role and she really highlights the juxtaposition between her heartfelt way of being and Sarek’s logic,” Quinto says. “Ben was such a great energy to be around. He has such certitude and a groundedness as Sarek that I was able to connect with him right away.”
Quinto also got the thrilling opportunity to work with the man who had originally created Spock, Nimoy. Abrams notes: “This was not an easy or capricious decision for Leonard. In a sense, it was motivated by wanting to give the character a sense of closure and to pass the baton to Zach. Taking the role really meant something to him but, at the same time, he had a lot of fun with it.”
Nimoy says it was his initial conversation with Abrams and his first meeting with Orci and Kurtzman that spiked his interest. “I got the sense that they really understood what the very best things were about `Star Trek,’” he says. “I felt they were going to do justice to the story and elevate the movie to a level we had not been able to reach previously. The writers had done a wonderful job of capturing the characteristics of the original characters and I was very encouraged by all of that.”
He was also impressed by Abrams’ directorial abilities. “There are directors who have a talent for working on a big canvas with lots of big action and there are directors who have a talent for intimate moments between people. J.J. is unique in that he is suited to both,” observes Nimoy. Then there was the final screenplay. “I saw it in the vein of a great action / adventure film, a powerful story of conflict and vengeance with the future of whole galaxies at stake, and, at the same time, it was an intimate story of very special people meeting for the first time,” he comments.
Nimoy acknowledges that neither he nor anyone involved in the original television series could have anticipated the longevity of these characters. “We knew we were doing interesting and timely work,” he says. “We knew we were doing something entertaining and thoughtful, but no one could have predicted that 40 years later the characters and concept would still be so alive and continuously reinvented.” He was excited that the casting process for “Star Trek” so meticulously tried to keep the perspective on the characters fresh. “I was really impressed with the casting,” he comments. “It’s a group of very talented, very appropriate people who reflect some of the characteristics of the original cast while being very contemporary.”
Nimoy was especially intrigued to meet the young actor who would be following in his footsteps as Spock. “Leonard and I spent a fair amount of time together,” says Quinto. “I asked him a lot of questions and he was very forthcoming with his perspective and advice. We talked about Spock’s psychology and what happened to Spock in the time span between our two characters. He’s had such a long relationship with this character, so he’s already thought about everything. He was enormously helpful and I felt I had a real advantage in being able to work with him so closely.”
Sums up Bryan Burk, “Leonard took on a mentoring role with Zach and it was an emotional experience for both. There was a palpable excitement whenever the two of them were on the set.”
Karl Urban is Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Dr. McCoy is a self-professed “country doctor” who hates to fly yet, in the wake of personal problems on earth, has devoted himself to becoming a Starfleet medical officer. His methods of healing might take advantage of the latest medical technology, but his demeanor is as salty and earthy as they come, which will help him to play an essential, if often thankless, role in keeping both Kirk or Spock from taking themselves too seriously.
To take on the role of the man who will become known simply as “Bones,” played in the original series to memorably comic effect by the late DeForest Kelley, the filmmakers turned to Karl Urban, the New Zealand-born actor who came to the fore in “The Lord the Rings” trilogy and played the Russian assassin in “The Bourne Supremacy.” His audition left those who saw it with the impression that he was the perfect choice for the role of the cantankerous, curmudgeonly doctor who will boldly state “Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence,” yet ironically takes a secret satisfaction in exploring it.
“Karl was so much like Bones it was uncanny, almost creepy. He literally embodied the original character without doing anything remotely like an impression,” says Abrams. “He’s this craggy, sardonic, pissed-off guy and yet you can’t help but love him.”
Urban wanted the role in part because he’s been a lifelong Trek fan. “I have a lot of fond memories of watching the shows when I was a kid so I was really familiar with it and already knew the personality types and relationships. The audition for me was just sheer fun,” he recalls.
Once he was signed, he began exploring who Dr. McCoy really is. “I think underneath he’s a true humanist with great feelings of compassion, it’s just that he delivers that in this cranky, cynical, irascible way,” Urban muses. “He’ll care for you night and day but, at the same time, his bedside manner is atrocious. What I like is that Bones and Kirk and Spock become this sort of triumvirate. Kirk is the man of action. Spock is all about logic and science. And Bones is kind of the humanistic conscience who debates their initial impulses and helps them choose the right paths.”
As for how he approached such an iconic role, Urban says: “I definitely wanted to give a big nod to DeForest, because he did such an extraordinary job of making Bones this beloved character. I certainly didn’t want to be a carbon copy. When we meet McCoy in the film, he’s in a very different place from what we’ve seen before because he’s really kind of running away from a shattered life. In a sense, the Enterprise is the last place he has left to go, and I wanted to show that side of the character.”
Urban was already fired up, but when he first saw the set for the Bridge, it pushed his enthusiasm to a new high. “I was blown away by the set. It was so high-tech and fun and there was so much attention to detail. There was a compulsion to run around and press every knob, button and switch just to see if it might really work. The filmmakers went to such extraordinary lengths to ground this adventure in reality that you got the feeling you could really launch the ship.”
Simon Pegg is Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
The Enterprise’s exuberant, hard-living, can-do engineer, who will come to be nicknamed “Scotty” for his lilting accent, arrives on board in a surprising manner that sets the tone for how his spirit, humor and knack for finding his way out of any jam becomes a mainstay for the crew. Rife with comic verve, the role of Scotty, originated by James Doohan, went to British comedian, actor and filmmaker Simon Pegg. The “Star Trek” filmmakers had him in mind from the beginning thanks to his unforgettably funny roles in the British comedy hits “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.”
“We’d been fans of Simon’s since `Shaun of the Dead,’ and he is one of the funniest people we know, which made him perfect for Scotty,” says Bryan Burk.
When Abrams asked Pegg if he wanted the role, the actor was at first too overwhelmed to accept. “Simon e-mailed me and said, `I don’t know if I can do it. It’s too big,’” recalls Abrams. “Then he e-mailed me again and said `Hang on, let me think about it.’ And, luckily for us, he soon enough said yes.”
For Pegg, the pressure came from childhood memories of watching the original television series in awe. “It’s a peculiar thing to play a character that you’ve known since childhood,” he notes, “especially because James Doohan gave Scotty such a great characterization. He was quite a complex character in a way. On the one hand, he had this lighter side and on the other he was a fighter and a drinker and he was also responsible for all the coolest parts of the Enterprise: the engine room and the transporter room. His domain is legendary, so it was something to take that on.”
Pegg was pleased to see that the approach was going to be anything but ironic. “I loved that the script allows each of the characters to say lines that made them famous without any sort of a `wink-wink, isn’t this funny’ kind of thing. Each character gets to have his or her kind of iconic moment, but never at the expense of the story,” he notes.
When the audience first meets Scotty, he is living in a kind of exile on the ice planet Delta Vega. “It’s a great opportunity to see Scotty in a situation you’ve never seen him in before, where he’s kind of lost and drunk and has no idea he’s destined to become a great inventor in the history of Starfleet,” notes Pegg. “It was a lot of fun to explore that stage in his life.”
Zoë Saldana is Uhura
The brilliant, beautiful, xenolinguist known as Uhura brings her exceptional skills for listening and interpreting to her vital job as the Enterprise’s Communications Officer.
Uhura was a groundbreaking character on the original television series. Played by Nichelle Nichols, she became one of the first major African-American characters on TV and a participant in American television’s first interracial kiss. To take up her mantle, the filmmakers’ search led them to Zoë Saldana, the rising actress of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent who came to prominence as the tough pirate Anamaria in the modern adventure classic “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” It was the power of her presence that made her right for the role, says J.J. Abrams. He says: “Zoë is so beautiful, with these wide eyes that just kill you, but she’s also tough. I love the dichotomy of her soft femininity and confident strength. It’s so right for Uhura.”
When she researched the shows, Saldana was especially moved by the role of Uhura on the original series. “Not only was she an African-American, but she was the only woman in a cabin full of men and she held a very high rank,” she notes. “The character and Nichelle were true pioneers for all types of women in Hollywood, not just women of color, and I felt it was a beautiful honor to get to reprise this role.”
Saldana continues: “I had the chance to go back to the beginning and to really think about where Uhura came from and who she was and how she was able to hold her own on the Enterprise. I saw her very much as a fighter, as someone who never let herself relax because she knew she was always going to have to be better than everyone else around her.”
John Cho is Sulu
Serving as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s helmsman on its maiden voyage is Sulu, one of the most experienced officers on board, a renaissance man whose abilities range from top-notch piloting skills to advanced physics and fencing, all of which come into play on his very first mission with the fresh-faced crew.
Sulu was originally played by George Takei, who became a hero among Asian-American actors for representing such a positive and compelling face for Asian-Americans on television. Abrams saw similar qualities in John Cho, the Korean-born actor best known for his roles in the hit “American Pie” and “Harold and Kumar” series. Says Abrams: “John reminds me a lot of George Takei in the way he brings so much strength and personality to the role. He cared so deeply about making Sulu real.”
Cho was honored to follow in Takei’s footsteps. “As an Asian-American, Sulu was a pioneering image for me,” he says. “There were very few roles then for Asians that weren’t martial arts or stunts, and he had this very exemplary role on an outstanding show as a really fascinating person who had so many interests and skills. For me, there was a real headiness in becoming part of this new adventure.”
While preparing for the role, Cho had the chance to meet with Takei. “I said, `George, I’m a little nervous about stepping into your shoes and being seen as the new George Takei’ and he, in his characteristically gracious way, said `don’t worry about that, soon they’ll be calling me the old John Cho.’ He was very helpful to me.”
Bruce Greenwood is Captain Pike
The legendary first captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Pike appeared in only three of the original TV series episodes, played first by Jeffrey Hunter, then by Sean Kenney. Seen for the first time in depth, he is now played by Bruce Greenwood, the Canadian actor whose roles have ranged from President John F. Kennedy in “Thirteen Days” to a former surfing hero in the offbeat HBO series “John from Cincinnati.” “Bruce was the perfect father figure to Kirk,” says Abrams. “He has such a strong, confident, adult presence that it’s suddenly very noticeable when Pike leaves the ship. It makes for a real shift in the energy.”
It was the script that drew Greenwood. “I loved the way the writers had explored the characters,” he says.“It’s a journey into the motivations of Kirk and Spock and their inner conflicts and I thought it was filled with tremendous drama.”
Once he was on set, he was transported by the exhilarating experience of sitting in the famed Captain’s chair. “To sit in it was a pretty special feeling,” Greenwood admits. “I was like, `Wow, this is really the movies, man.’ But it also made me think more about the nature of authority and what that means on the Bridge and whether the nature of leadership will be different 200 years from now.”
Part of Greenwood’s leadership turns out to be his profound effect on James Kirk, whom he inspires to become a cadet at Starfleet Academy by challenging him to fulfill on his father’s thwarted potential. “I’ve always liked father-son stories and there’s something of that in Pike and Kirk,” says the actor. “Every son wants to avoid his father’s mistakes and when Pike comes to Kirk and says `I dare you to do better,’ that is the one thing that gets to him. As for Pike, he sees something remarkable in Kirk and is willing to take a chance on him, even though Kirk gives him numerous opportunities to regret it!”
Anton Yelchin is Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is the U.S.S. Enterprise’s youngest officer, a Russian child prodigy and chess master who is still in his teens when he embarks on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams.
Played originally by Walter Koenig in the midst of the Cold War, Chekov’s very presence on the Enterprise suggested a time when all nations on earth might live in unity and cooperation. He also represented the brashness and naiveté of a very young man encountering incredible events and coming of age in space. To bring a modern realism to Chekov, the filmmakers searched for an actor who not only had the smarts and personality, but the authentic Russian background to match the character. They found that precise mix in Anton Yelchin, who was born in Leningrad but has become a leading young actor, with roles in “House of D,” “Alpha Dog,” “Charlie Bartlett” and the forthcoming “Terminator Salvation.” “Anton has the quality of a true Russian chess master, but he is also so lovable. You just can’t help but be charmed by him,” observes Abrams.
Yelchin came to the role fresh, having never seen the television series. Only afterwards did he sit down and watch every single episode.“I had a wonderful, wonderful time watching it,” he recalls. “What I loved about Chekov in the original series is that he’s the oddest member of the crew, a Cold War stereotype meets Davey Jones. He’s got a youthful vigor and he’s often the comic relief, but in our film he’s also nuanced; he’s the youngest and kind of shy sometimes and yet, a genius. I had fun finding the special touches I wanted to bring to him.”
To get deeper into the role, Yelchin met with Walter Koenig, who had forged the character four decades earlier. “Walter said that in order to make a character great, you have to make him your own. That’s the whole approach that J.J. took as well and influenced everything on this movie, from the wardrobe to our performances. J.J. took all the strongest elements from the past and mixed them up with his own epic vision.”
First Nemesis: Eric Bana is the Romulan Nero
Captain Nero is played by Eric Bana, the Australian actor recently lauded for his role as an Israeli assassin in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich.” From the outset, Abrams felt that Bana would bring nuances to Nero that would transcend the usual vengeful villain. “Eric gave us such incredible range that it made his character much more interesting and truly dangerous,” says Abrams.
Bana was actually in the middle of a sabbatical from acting when Abrams first contacted him, but the irresistible role drew him back to the screen. “I said to J.J. that the script was such a thrill ride from start to finish and Nero was such a wonderfully mad and entertaining villain that I just had to get involved.”
Unlike most other members of the cast, Bana’s particular character wasn’t tied to a legacy, though he enjoyed exploring Romulan culture, which is known for its emphasis on cunning, passion, honor, technology and aggression, to gain a deeper insight into Nero’s psychology. “He can be very patient and Zen-like. He’s mastered the idea that revenge is a dish that is best eaten cold.”
Nero’s newness was also part of the draw. “It was exciting to be a character that no one has seen before and have the chance to bring something fresh and different to a story with history,” he says.
As for Nero’s distinctive look, which involved some four hours a day in makeup, prosthetics and costume, Bana says: “I loved it right away. It was bizarre, but I also found it quite beautiful. After less than a week of playing Nero, he began to look completely normal to me and regular humans started to look weird!” He also was seduced by Nero’s ship, the sleek, dark, almost skeletal warbird, the Narada. “It’s a badass ship,” Bana muses. “When I walked on the set, I couldn’t believe it. I love mechanical things, and with all its exposed wiring and exposed everything you can see how the whole structure is put together. I thought it was just an amazing design.”
Yet, it was his fellow cast members who most impressed Bana. He was especially thrilled to go into battle against Chris Pine as the determined Kirk. “I’ve done fight scenes with a number of actors, but Chris is so tough and fast and hard; he’s one tough customer and it made for an epic encounter,” he notes. “Our battles were really, really exciting and I hope audiences feel that.”
An undeniable chemistry developed between the cast members, notes Abrams. “I could not have gotten any luckier with this cast. They took roles that were defined by the actors who created them and made them their own, made them funny, emotional and real, while also being wonderfully familiar.”
Continue Reading and View the Theatrical Trailer
Star Trek (2009)
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, John Cho, Zachary Quinto. Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg , Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy
Screenplay by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Production Design by: Scott Chambliss
Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel
Film Editing by: Mary Jo Markey, Maryann Brandon
Costume Design by: Michael Kaplan
Set Decoration by: Karen Manthey
Music by: Michael Giacchino
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence and brief sexual content.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 8, 2009
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