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Written by Administrator on
Sunday, 05 August 2007
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Cast and Crew || Forum || Downloads || Official Site || TrekUnited Review
 Abrams not ruling out anything for sequel
25 May 2009 - One of the advantages of doing a reboot - especially of Star Trek - is that there’s a large pre-established pool of storylines and characters that you can dip into and make a new film. JJ Abrams is tasked with the next installment of the Star Trek reboot, and to say that the field is wide open would be an understatement. Speaking last week with MTV.com, Abrams said “The fun of this [new reality] is that the destiny of these characters is in their hands – it’s not constrained by the pre-existing films or TV series. Believe me, whether it's William Shatner or Khan... it would be ridiculous to not be open to those ideas.”
|  ISS astronauts watch Star Trek in orbit
16 May 2009 - If there’s possibly anything cooler than getting to spend several months living in space, it’s got to be watching the latest Star Trek while you’re up there. Last night, that heady mix of science and science fiction came to a head when the three astronauts living aboard the International Space Station got to watch Star Trek while orbiting 350 km (220 miles) over the Earth. The viewing, requested by long-time Star Trek fan and astronaut Michael Barratt, was the first time Star Trek has made its way to the $100 billion orbital outpost.
|  A sequel? Here come the rumors... [minor ST09 spoilers]
15 May 2009 - Sure, it’s only been a week since Star Trek hit the screens worldwide, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start speculating on what comes next. Paramount has already started prep work on the sequel and JJ Abrams along with writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are pulling together their ideas to see where they want to send the Enterprise next. Oh, and the cast has already signed themselves up for two more films, which given the box office success that Star Trek has enjoyed thus far, will absolutely happen. MovieWeb.com recently chatted with Bruce Greenwood (the new Christopher Pike) about the film and his character, and Greenwood revealed that there’s more backstory to Pike than we saw in the film.
|  Star Trek D-A-C, cheap silly Xbox fun
13 May 2009 - So, do you have an Xbox 360 with Xbox Live account? Then you’re in luck, because for a paltry 800 points, you can get your hands on Star Trek D-A-C, loosely based on the new Star Trek (2009) film. Now what on Romulus does D-A-C stand for? Divide and conquer? Dark apricot cake? Dear aunty Cheryl? Nope, it’s Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest - the three play modes of D-A-C. which can be yours for the equivalent of $10.
|  Review: Star Trek - the soundtrack
12 May 2009 - Admittedly, I’m a huge music geek, especially when it comes to soundtracks. Which is why I’m dedicating an entire post to Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for Star Trek (2009). And to say I like it, well, that would be the truth. From the very first chord Giacchino has managed to capture the mystique of outer space, and throughout the film his music enhances the fast-pacing, intensity, and drama of his camera-adept counterparts. Much like the film itself, the soundtrack includes several notable (pun not intended) nods to prior Star Trek television and films, no more so that Alexander Courage’s original Star Trek theme, which Giacchino has rescored with orchestral brilliance that brings the dated harmonies and instrumentation squarely into the twenty-first century.
|  President Obama seeking White House screening of Star Trek
12 May 2009 - When you’re the President of the United States, you get some perks with the job. Apart from the salary, fame, and a chance to change the world, you also get cool things like a huge custom transcontinental jet, a pimpin’ bomb-proof ride, and a big white house complete with staff, bowling alley, and a private movie theater. Current President Barack Obama, is seeking to put that movie theater to use that would garner the official TrekUnited Seal of Approval: a private screening of the latest Star Trek film.
|  Star Trek's monster opening: $112 million global gross, rate it!
Wow. Paramount was predicting that Star Trek was going to bring in around $50 million domestic during its opening weekend. Instead, it brought in $76 million in the United States box office, and an additional $35 million internationally. While that doesn’t quite match the box office haul of X-Men Origins: Wolverine from last week, it is the best opening a Star Trek film has had. Ever. Star Trek also topped posted a record opening weekend for commercial IMAX films ($8.4 million), beating out last year’s champion The Dark Knight.
|  Burger King’s ST09 toys and glasses + giveaways!
09 May 2009 - The most visible promotional partner for Star Trek has been burger chain Burger King. While Esurance has put on a few commercials on cable-only channels and Nokia has put out a specially-branded version of one of their handsets (in exchange for getting a quick plug in the film), Burger King has pulled out all the stops, even throwing a ‘Kingons’ TV ad campaign to promote the film and their collectible glasses. We at TrekUnited were fortunate enough to get a review set of not just the glasses, but the kid’s meal toys that Burger King is distributing. Oh, and we’ve also got a second set to give away!
|  Review: Star Trek
08 May 2009 - As the geeky Star Trek fan that I am, I ended up being greatly torn by the latest iteration of my favorite entertainment franchise. Don’t get me wrong - it was great as far as movies go, more entertaining than I could have asked for, with so many call-outs to the Star Trek that preceded it that my Thursday night screening rarely stopped clapping with Trekkie excitement. For the most part, the casting was perfect, the effects were amazing, and despite my misgivings about some of their earlier work, the writers wove an interesting, touching and humorous story. The film even managed to touch on those moral Star Trek themes, like redemption the futility of vengeance. So what’s the problem? To put it bluntly, this film changes everything.
|  First look at Playmates ST09
22 February 2009 - USA Today recently got an exclusive first look at the upcoming Star Trek (2009) toys from Playmates, and they nailed the reason, “A new Star Trek film without new toys would be, as Spock might say, highly illogical.” Indeed. Announced last year, the partnership between Paramount Pictures and Playmates Toys will result in several series of Star Trek action figures and toy models and more, several of which we can finally get a look at - including a nice model of the new Enterprise.
|  Getting up close with Star Trek Barbies
22 January 2009 - So, the small images of the Barbie dolls of Spock, Kirk, and Uhura have been making the rounds for a while, prompting all sorts of speculation. Mattel has come through and delivered a quality look at the dolls and the detail is pretty nice. Not to mention that we get an up-close look at miniaturized versions of some props.
|  Whoopi Goldberg wants into Abrams Trek
21 January 2009 - While it’s too late for Whoopi to get a part in Star Trek (2009), since production wrapped up not but a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean that she still doesn’t want in. While Goldberg has played a variety of interesting roles over the years, none were more memorable to Trekkies than the mysterious El-Aurian Enterprise-D bartender Guinan. Well, Goldberg has gotten herself into a new sci-fi web series on FEARnet called Stream. Out promoting Stream, Goldberg sat down with UGO and things inevitably turned to Star Trek.
|  Pine: no 'crazy sex' in ST09
16 January 2009 - Backtracking somewhat over his previous statement that this new Star Trek film was more “sexed up for a new generation” than previous Trek outings, Chris Pine (James T. Kirk) is clarifying that while this is “a different Star Trek, but there’s no crazy sex scene.” This may come as a relief to many who saw the trailer and the dual shots of Kirk in bed with an Orion and Zoe Saldana (Uhura) pulling off her top.
|  Star Trek (2009) to get a Super Bowl commercial
11 January 2009 - So, when you make a $150 movie, what’s the best way to spend money for advertising it? Many would say, plopping down a briefcase of cash for a 30-second Super Bowl spot is the way to go. With an estimated audience of over 100 million tuning in for the professional football championship game, those spots don’t go for cheap, with a single 30-second advertising slot going for a whopping $3 million. And Star Trek (2009) is going to be getting one of those spots.
|  Star Trek (2009) props on display at CES
07 January 2008 - As part of its promotional partnership with Star Trek (2009), computer manufacturer Lenovo (makers of the ThinkPad laptop line) is displaying three original props from the film at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The props they’re putting on display are Kirk’s communicator, Uhura’s ‘communications unit’ (presumably the iconic silver ear bud), and Dr. McCoy’s medical tricorder.
|  Star Trek post-production complete
07 January 2009 - According to a posting on TrekMovie.com, their sources have indicated that post-production on Star Trek (2009) has been completed, and was back during the week of Christmas. Post-production took nine months, leading right up to the original Christmas 2008 release for Star Trek - the film will now be premiering on May 8, 2009. One of the final part of the post-production process was the sound design, which was done my Academy Award winner Ben Burtt. He worked on all six Star Wars films and was responsible for the dozens of iconic sound effects, including light sabers and droid beeping. He’s also worked on all of the Indiana Jones films, E.T., and Wall-E.
| Pine and Quinto talk to WSJ: some fans won't be happy [minor spoilers]
05 January 2009 - The Wall Street Journal, while not exactly known for its entertainment journalism, recently sat down with Chris Pine to discuss James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto to discuss Spock. The interviews were conducted separately and some of the same questions were asked of both (such as “Why has this character become so mythic?”) and gave some interesting answers. Pine in particular addressed what some fans may think of the movie’s interpretation of the rise of Kirk: “It’s definitely not going to please everyone.”
| Mattel's new ST09 Barbie dolls
03 January 2009 - It’s not the Barbie and Ken Star Trek set from back in 1996, so don’t worry too much. No, this time Mattel is rolling out Kirk, Spock, and Uhura (Star Trek (2009) versions) in their Barbie Collectors line. These 12” figures are highly-detailed dolls modeled after their respective actors (Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, in this case) and feature outfits and accessories that are accurate to those seen on screen. Each will include a phaser and communicator accessories and retail for $45 when they hit the scene in April 2009.
|  Roberto Orci explains how ST09 works: quantum theory [SPOILERS]
03 January 2009 - Much fuss has been made over how Star Trek (2009) is or isn’t going to fit into existing Star Trek canon. It’s clear that this isn’t the Star Trek we’ve know for the past forty years, but whether it’s just an updated version of Trek lore, a retelling of old stories, or a complete replacement of the old hasn’t quite been explained. With more and more information about the film becoming available, it’s grown clear that this is going to be different than the Star Trek of old, but how different and in what ways? Star Trek co-writer Roberto Orci recently sat down with TrekMovie.com to discuss how it all fits.
|  Majel Barrett-Roddenberry records computer voice for ST09
03 January 2009 - It was just a brief snip in Variety, but it’s still news: “Majel Barrett-Roddenberry will reprise her role as the voice of the Starship Enterprise computer in J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek feature. She’s voiced the role in four Star Trek TV series and three films.” Roddenberry, who died on December 18, 2008, voiced the iconic computer starting with Star Trek: The Next Generation, and before that played Nurse Christine Chapel in The Original Series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
|  Intel spills the beans on the U.S.S. Kelvin [SPOILERS]
02 January 2009 - Computer chip manufacturer and Star Trek promotional partner Intel has updated its special Star Trek (2009) site with a new interactive tour of the U.S.S. Kelvin. The features dole out the details of the Kelvin and are rife with technobabble, as well as introducing the crew of the ship. Also on the site is a contests section that currently has a drawing for a Lenovo laptop and claims a future contest for a zero gravity flight and tickets to the premiere of Star Trek.
|  Star Trek coming to an IMAX theater near you
02 January 2009 - When Star Trek (2009) hits theaters on May 8, 2008, if you’re lucky enough to be near one of the 140 commercial IMAX theaters across the world, you may very well get to see it on the gloriously large screen. Measuring in at 22 meters across and 16 meters tall and using film stock three times the size of standard 70mm film, the IMAX experience is one of big screens and lots of detail.
|  Analysis: Star Trek (2009) trailer with screenshots [SPOILERS]
02 January 2009 - So, it’s finally here: the first live-action trailer for Star Trek is here. Fast cut and filled with stunning visuals that set an exciting tone for the film. While not due out until May 9, 2009, the trailer whets the appetite in a way that the teaser trailer back from January 18, 2008 (back when it was supposed to be ST08). We finally get to see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto and everybody else in action, though some more than others. And, a second version, 2A, if you will, with a surprise for those that haven’t been paying attention to the new surrounding ST09.
|  Klingon subplot cut from ST09 [minor spoilers]
02 January 2009 - They’ve been a force in six of the ten Star Trek films and played a part in ninety six episodes of Star Trek across the six different series. They’re the Klingons, the quintessential Star Trek enemy, known worldwide even by non-fans. Well, the almost had a role in Star Trek (2009) as well, but their subplot was cut out. Said producer/director JJ Abrams of the subplot, “It confused the story in a way that I thought was very cool, but unnecessary. So we have these beautiful designs that we’re going to have to wait and do elsewhere.”
|  Star Trek footage previews [SPOILERS]
02 January 2009 - Several lucky mainstream media outlets around the world were given the chance to preview four clips of Star Trek (2009) and the trailer, all courtesy of producer/director JJ Abrams. The four snips are from various points in the film and were introduced by Abrams. We won’t be discussing the trailer in this posting, as that’s already been released and will suffer an in depth analysis later, but we will take a look at what IGN had to say about these clips. So beware, thar be spoilers below.
|  Burger King to promote Star Trek
02 January 2009 - It’s been a while since you’ve been able to get Captain Kirk with a side of fries, but all that will change later in 2009. Paramount Pictures has inked a deal with fast food giant Burger King (number two behind McDonald’s) to promote the upcoming Star Trek film. TrekMovie.com has reported that in addition to Star Trek, Burger King’s movie promotions will also include The Pink Panther and Transformers 2, and previously this year ran promotions for Iron Man and the latest Indiana Jones film.
| Entertainment Weekly dives deep into Star Trek [SPOILERS]
02 January 2009 - If you’re still having trouble adjusting to Star Trek getting this kind of mainstream media attention, join the club. The attention is obviously due in large part to the huge budget and JJ Abrams’ involvement, but it’s still surprising to see Star Trek on the cover of something like Entertainment Weekly, but alas, that’s where it was. The reporters at EW spent a good amount of time on the ST09 set, and while the multi-page article did cover a lot of what we’ve spent a good deal of time discussing here for the past several months, they did talk to the crew with more access than most of us fan site folks get.
|  Orci and Kurtzman on the U.S.S. Kelvin [minor spoilers]
02 January 2009 - Star Trek (2009) writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman sat down with TrekMovie.com after the release of the first pictures from Star Trek to discuss the U.S.S. Kelvin, a close-up shot TrekMovie had secured an exclusive on. The Kelvin itself is named after JJ Abrams’ grandfather, a name he has used in his other productions like Mission: Impossible: III and Alias. The design of the Kelvin was meant to evoke both the original Enterprise and the NX-01 from Star Trek: Enterprise, bridging the gap between the two series (and putting it at a time prior to the original series).
| A whole slew of new images from ST09
02 January 2009 - In the extended break we’ve had here at TrekUnited News, JJ Abrams and Paramount have been keeping busy with the Star Trek (2009) promotion, starting with the first images from the film itself, which up until recently we had not seen any of. There have been a few image releases in the intervening time, and we’re going to do our best to get you all caught up. The images include pictures of every one of the main cast, especially Zachary Quinto as Spock, Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, and Eric Bana as Romulan baddie Nero. And, drum roll please, the Enterprise. We’ve got press shots, new posters, magazine covers, screencaps, and other promo releases... check them all out after the break!
|  ST09 "sticks to the rules" [minor spoilers]
03 October 2008 - In an interview with Wired.com, Star Trek writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman talked about how they approached writing Star Trek (2009). Orci is a life-long fan, while Kurtzman was “converted” when he saw The Wrath of Khan. Even so, for the two fans it was intimidating to be handed the metaphorical keys to Star Trek. Said Orci, “This was not something you go into lightly... Are we worthy?”
|  Quinto's take on being Spock
02 October 2008 - As a famous amphibian once said, it’s not easy being green. What’s even harder, though, is reinventing green, while still being green. That’s the challenge that Zachary Quinto faced when he took on the role of Spock, with decades of backstory and the iconic performance of Leonard Nimoy looming large before him. As with all the other actors in Star Trek (2009), he was faced with a choice: imitate or reimagine - the production’s favorite word. Quinto took the path of reimagining, making Spock his own while still paying homage to the origins of the character.
|  Kurtzman and Orci compare ST09 to Wrath of Khan
02 October 2008 - Considered by many to be one of, if not the, best Star Trek film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was the mark to which the writers of Star Trek (2009) set to reach. Asked by IESB.net, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said that they were most influenced by 1982’s Wrath of Khan. I can’t phrase it much better than that - the Trek-segment of their interview is after the break.
|  Kevin Smith says ST09 almost as good as The Dark Knight
02 October 2008 - Depending on whether you like movies or if you’re dead, you may or may not take director Kevin Smith’s declaration of love for The Dark Knight and positive comparison to the as-of-yet unreleased Star Trek (2009) as a good thing. Smith, the director of the cult hit Clerks, was interviewed by First Showing, who asked him to compare mega-hit The Dark Knight with two of the most-anticipated films of 2009: The Watchmen and ST09, which Smith has seen rough cuts of each. While he rated The Dark Knight as the better of the three, he said that ST09 and The Watchmen were a close second.
|  ST09 had a Shatner scene, Shatner wasn't told
02 October 2008 - In a series of bizarre twists and reveals, it turns out that (as previously stated), Star Trek (2009) scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, along with producer/director JJ Abrams, had formulated a scene for William Shatner in the upcoming film. But, unlike the integral part that Leonard Nimoy is said to play in the film, the Shatner scene that was written was deemed by the team to be not much more than a writing ploy and was scrapped from the final script.
|  Pegg: Star Trek not a remake, getting back to the good stuff
28 August 2008 - In an interview with Starlog, Simon Pegg addressed the issue of Star Trek (2009) being a remake vs. a reboot vs. the recently coined “reimagining.” The actor, who is playing Scotty in the upcoming Trek prequel, said this about the remake talk: “The weird thing - and I think this goes for both Star Trek and Doctor Who - is that neither of them are remakes. I often see Star Trek being referred to as a remake, and it really isn't. It's another Star Trek film; it's another movie in the series. It's the continuing mission.”
| Final word: William Shatner not in ST09
28 August 2008 - The rumor mill has been swirling on Shatner’s involvement - specifically his lack thereof - in Star Trek (2009). The original Captain Kirk has long said that he is not involved and knows nothing about the production, but it seems that some people just couldn’t let it go. So the burden of proof fell to ST09 producer/director extraordinaire JJ Abrams, who flat out says, “No, the only cast member from the original films is Nimoy.”
|  Clifton Collins on ST09’s Romulan connection
21 August 2008 - Being that the actor is playing a Romulan, or at least so we assume, there’s quite the connection. Clifton Collins, Jr., has been case as Ayel, Nero’s Romulan cohort in Star Trek (2009), and as part of the role, he had to learn to speak Romulan. As in the language. “The had a linguist come in and invent Romulan!” Collins said, in an interview with E! Online.
|  More Star Trek (2009) posters: Sulu, Scotty, McCoy, and Chekov
21 August 2008 - At the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Paramount Pictures saw fit to release four more Star Trek (2009) character posters in the same vein as the four loosed upon the public back at Comic Con San Diego. Up this time are John Cho as Hikaru Sulu in black, Simon Pegg as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in red, Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy in blue, and young Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov in yellow. These four, like the previous set of Nero, Uhura, Spock, and Kirk, are all cropped in such a way that when arranged properly create the famous Star Trek delta shield. [minor spoilers]
|  First cut of ST09 complete, screened
19 August 2008 - According to TrekMovie.com, the Star Trek (2009) crew has completed their first cut of the film and screened it for their bosses at Paramount. Put together by director/producer JJ Abrams and editors Mary Jo Markey and Maryann Brandon, the first screening apparently went very well, with TrekMovie’s sources describing it as “a hit” with Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brad Grey.
|  Chris Pine: Not Shatner-style, but Kirk still gets action
19 August 2008 - It wouldn’t be Star Trek if James T. Kirk didn’t rip his shirt and lock lips with a lady of otherworldly hues, now would it? While we have yet to get confirmation of the obligatory shirt ripping, Chris Pine recently chatted with E! Online, where he revealed (unsurprisingly) that he’s not going to attempt to mimic William Shatner’s Kirk and the requisite dramatic... pauses. Said Pine, “Really what Shatner did was very specific and very unique to him. I think if I went to mimic-ville, I went to try to do Shatner, it would not have been smart.” Good call.
| Star Trek (2009) to get big advertising campaign
19 August 2008 - Unlike the sort of viral underground marketing campaign that propelled Cloverfield to be the surprise hit that it was, JJ Abrams says that Star Trek (2009) is going to have a full scale big scope advertising campaign. Right now, there’s not much happening as far as marketing goes, as Paramount thinks it is too early, but they’ve already prepped a few trailers and work on the film’s cutting and graphics is progressing such that it would have been ready by its original Christmas 2008 premiere.
|  Quinto's Spock not entirely in control
18 August 2008 - Unlike the mostly balanced Spock we got from Leonard Nimoy for the past forty years, the younger Spock to be portrayed by Zachary Quinto is, according to the actor, “not as in control of his balance, and there’s a lot of heartbreak in that.” In the interview with MTV, they also discuss the new cast posters and the performance of the other actors in the cast. Some excerpts at the break.
|  New ST09 website from Intel
24 July 2008 - Yes, Intel, the chip-makers. Apparently teaming up with Paramount for the promotion of Star Trek (2009) is the world’s largest computer chip manufacture, Intel. The “Starfleet Shipyard NCC-1701” website comes with three things. The first is a computer-generated image of a corridor that looks an awful lot like that of the Enterprise NX-01 from Star Trek: Enterprise. This contrasts greatly with the hidden corridor image from the NCC-1701.com website, so it is possible that Intel just whipped this up on their own. Second is a high-resolution version (1943x2880) of the four quadrants Trek delta poster based on the images released last week - nothing new there. Lastly, there is an email sign-up for unspecified updates to the Intel ST09 website.
|  Leonard Nimoy: ST09 will inspire a new generation
23 July 2008 - TrekMovie.com secured an extensive interview with Leonard Nimoy, the first part of which was posted today. In the interview the cover a range of topics on Star Trek (2009), including Zachary Quinto, JJ Abrams, what kind of movie ST09 is, and what it was like to step into the Spock role again after an 18 year break. Some excerpts from the interview after the break.
|  What's up with Nero's ear?
23 July 2008 - In the recently released posters for Star Trek (2009), we caught our first glimpse of Eric Bana as the character Nero, which we had all assumed up to that point was a Romulan (being that Romulans were to be the villains of this film). Then we took a look at the picture of Bana, and we didn’t see any pointy ear. What’s up with that?
|  Jolene Blalock: Where’s Shatner?
23 July 2008 - Star Trek: Enterprise’s Jolene Blalock is befuddled by the absence of William Shatner from Star Trek (2009). The actress, who played T’Pol for all for seasons of the latest Trek series, is going to San Diego for Comic-Con (where she’ll be promoting Starship Troopers 3: Marauder), which is only her fourth convention. Speaking with Femme Fatales, Blalock had this to say about ST09: “I’m a little perturbed that William Shatner’s not in it, but that’s just me. If Leonard Nimoy is in it, shouldn’t William Shatner be in it? But I haven’t read the script. I’m just venting.”
|  Abrams: the challenge of ST09 was making it relevant to today
22 July 2008 - Speaking with IGN at the Television Critics Association (where he was supposed to be talking about Fringe), JJ Abrams was hounded about Star Trek (2009) - as one would expect - apparently nobody cares about Fringe. Asked about the absence of any Paramount projects at Comic-Con this month, Abrams admitted that he wanted to bring Star Trek to the convention, but Paramount wouldn’t do it. “So I’'m very disappointed because the characters are so good, the actors are so good, that I would have been psyched just to show some of the stuff that's about the people because it's not really about the visual effects. But with so little [FX] done, this was a big strategic decision on their part.”
|  Simon Pegg: Odd Trek movies suck, except for this one
22 July 2008 - Obviously, he’s not going to say that the movie he's in sucks, but it is worth noting that one of Simon Pegg’s previous characters, Tim Bisley of Spaced, said “there are some things in life that are just fact. And one of those facts is that every odd-numbered Star Trek movie is s**t.” Speaking with Wired.com, Pegg was put on the spot about the line, to which he responded that there are exceptions to every rule, and that he has “been made to participate in his own wrong proving.”
| Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman talk Fringe, optimistic Trek
21 July 2008 - Promoting Fox’s upcoming series Fringe, the producer JJ Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Robert Kurtzman (who filled the same roles in both Fringe and Star Trek (2009)), the trio revealed that the genesis of the series actually came while they were working on ST09. According to Kurtzman, they had several ideas along the lines of “Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a scene where this happened?” with within a few weeks evolved into Fringe.
| Quinto talks of a Spock of today
21 July 2008 - Putting on his ears was a “momentous occasion.” Even so, Quinto’s Spock is not directly based on that of his predecessor, Leonard Nimoy. “I really felt like my relationship to the character was specific to the text I was playing and to the world in which the character is being created right now, this time. So I didn't feel beholden to Leonard, other than to honor the origins of what he created, obviously. But I think the whole project was based in that philosophy, so it wasn't a problem.”
|  Star Trek (2009) getting nearly instant worldwide release
21 July 2008 - Okay, not entirely (or in any way) instant, but fairly close together. Some countries will even be getting ST09 before the United States, which even today is a rarity, especially for a blockbuster film like Star Trek is expected to be. The May 7 and May 8 releases in certain parts of the world are to take advantage of the mid-week crowds and premiere norms in those countries, where the US is accustomed to the standard weekend release. So who gets it first? Belgium, France, and the French-speaking Swiss on May 6, 2009. Condolences to Taiwan, who won’t see ST09 in local theaters until July 25th, 2009. A full listing is available after the break.
| First photos of Star Trek (2009) cast revealed
21 July 2008 - Posted on the official Star Trek movie website and to be given away at Comic-Con this weekend, are the first official photos of (some of) the cast for Star Trek. Pictured are Eric Bana as Nero, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Chris Pine as James T. Kirk. Take a peak after the break. [minor spoilers]
|  Nichelle Nichols almost had a ST09 cameo
20 July 2008 - (From June 29, 2008) Speaking at the Supernova Pop Culture Expo in Perth, Australia, Nichelle Nichols - the original Uhura - revealed that during her visit to the Star Trek (2009) set, she almost snagged a cameo in the film during her discussion with JJ Abrams. Abrams apparently really wanted to make it happen, but soon after their meeting, the writer’s guild went on strike and no changes like that could be made to the script.
| AICN gets to watch some ST09 [SPOILERS]
20 July 2008 - (From June 26, 2008) Notoriously secretive about what’s actually going on with Star Trek (2009), JJ Abrams recently opened up a bit to Ain’t It Cool News’ Harry Knowles, showing him three [unfinished] clips from the film. This small screening even has come in advance of any Paramount executives seeing the film, so be warned, there be spoilers after the break.
|  Paramount not coming to Comic-Con
20 July 2008 - (From June 26, 2008) Unlike years past, Paramount will not be bringing anybody to Comic-Con this year. The annual gathering of self-professed geeks, nerds, and the like easily draws more than 100,000 attendees in the space of four days. The largest draws are often the panels put on by upcoming films, in fact, Comic-Con 2006 was where the world saw the first ST09 teaser poster, and was introduced to the Spocks (Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy).
| Star Trek crew wanted for sequel
06 June 2008 - Sure, it’s still almost a year until Star Trek (2009) even hits theaters, but the brass at Paramount Pictures are thinking ahead, you know, just in case. According to writer Roberto Orci, Paramount wants to lock down himself, co-writer Alex Kurtzman, executive producer Bryan Burk, producer Damon Lindelof, and of course, producer/director JJ Abrams for a potential sequel for ST09.
|  Faran Tahir on Star Trek (2009), writers, Cpt Robau
05 June 2008 - With Iron Man all the rage these days (forget about Sex and the City for a moment, forever, please), Faran Tahir is still out doing promotions for the mega-hit Marvel blockbuster. And, of course, because he’s playing a character in Star Trek (2009) – one Captain Robau – the interviewers can’t seem to resist asking questions about the movie (which is still 336 days away).
|  Zoe Saldana: Hailing frequencies open
05 June 2008 - Speaking with ComingSoon.net, Zoe Saldana called her stepping into the shoes of Nichelle Nichols as Uhura “a humbling experience.” She also made a note about the hemline of Uhura’s notoriously short skirt: “All I'm going to say is that for some reason every man on set noticed when I was working.”
| Belated pictures from the Starfleet Academy shoot
31 May 2008 - Sure, Cal State Northridge was attacked by the Star Trek (2009) film crew, oh, two months ago, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some pictures of the filming lying around on various camera memory cards in the Northridge area. Such a set of five new images surfaced earlier this week, with more pictures of the Aptera hybrid, extras in uniform, Starfleet insignia, a blue screen, and a guy in some serious alien make-up.
| Quinto: ST09 honors, reimagines Star Trek origins
28 May 2008 - “It was done with real heart and real respect and a real effort to honor the origins of this franchise, while at the same time sort of reimagining those origins,” Zachary Quinto said of the remaking of Star Trek. He said that he and the rest of the cast and crew are appreciative of the support they’ve received from the fans of Star Trek, admitting that even so it was most important for them to make a good movie.
|  Star Trek (2009) - the ships [SPOILERS]
28 May 2008 - While Star Trek movies have always been about the Enterprise and her crew, a lot of times we get to see other ships in action, be they Starfleet or not. In the past we’ve dealt heavily with the U.S.S. Reliant (The Wrath of Khan), a Klingon bird-of-prey (The Search For Spock and The Voyage Home), the U.S.S. Excelsior (The Undiscovered Country), the Son’a Flagship (Insurrection), and the Scimitar (Nemesis), all of course in addition to the Enterprises (refit original, A, B, D, and E). Today we’re getting a better look at what we’re going to see in a year’s time in Star Trek (2009). Beware, there be spoilers after the break.
| Shatner over ST09 exclusion, says Abrams can make Trek live
28 May 2008 - While the tabloid and even the mainstream press has been swarming over the so-called ‘exclusion’ of William Shatner from Star Trek (2009) – remember, Kirk died in Generations – The Shat himself is over his initial disappointment, “I’m solidly behind being disappointed that I’m not in it.”
| Zoe Saldana talks Trek, just not the movie
24 May 2008 - Sure, she’s playing Uhura in Star Trek (2009), but that doesn’t mean she’s really allowed to talk about it. But she can still talk about everything else, including all of the other 40 years of Star Trek, and it turns out, that like half the cast, she wasn’t really into before she got the role. Her favorite episodes: The Savage Curtain and Plato’s Stepchildren.
|  Star Trek (2009) - the villans [SPOILERS]
21 May 2008 - Tied to JJ Abrams insistence on secrecy with the production of Star Trek (2009), there's been very little data about what's actually going to happen, and who will be doing what to whom. Well, the time has come to brace yourself for some clarification. Hint to the left, spoilers after the break.
|  Star Trek (2009) "more than a prequel" [SPOILERS]
11 May 2008 - In a brief interview with Rolling Stone magazine, JJ Abrams was, as you can expect, pressed about ST09. The producer/director remained coy as always, simply saying “It looks at the formation of the core characters from Star Trek, so it serves as a prequel, but more than that.”
| Star Trek (2009) - one year out
08 May 2008 - Seems I remember writing this article before. That’s because I have. As of Christmas 2007, Star Trek was still on track for a Christmas 2008 release. Three months ago, Paramount Pictures delayed Star Trek to May 9, 2009, confident that the film will be a summer blockbuster. Since then we have learned a good deal about the film, including casting and getting a glimpse of the first teaser trailer. Or replaying it a hundred times over. Whatever your level of excitement about the film, we’re sure to have an interesting year ahead of us.
| Star Trek (2009) premiere tickets charity auction
08 May 2008 - In about a year, there’s going to be some variety of gala premiere event for Star Trek. If you’ve ever watched Access Hollywood or Entertainment Weekly or like shows, you know that movie premieres are always filled with the stars of Hollywood, but now there’s a chance for you to go as well – if you’re willing to fork over the cash. JJ Abrams has put up two tickets to the premiere, with all proceeds going towards the Liberty Hill Foundation.
| Abrams: Star Trek getting a modern take
01 May 2008 - JJ Abrams is as usual, tight-lipped about the plot of Star Trek (2009), no matter how many times he is asked by the press about the movie. Speaking with the Associated Press, Abrams merely said, “It's a chance to see what Kirk and Spock would look like done now.” Some Abrams has taken a lot of Trekkie-branded flak for admitting that he’s not the biggest of Trek fans, but he gave the AP his reason for taking on the project: “It was an opportunity to take what I think has been a maligned world – to sound crass, a franchise – and treat it in a way that made it something that I wanted to see.”
|  Takei helped Abrams pick John Cho
01 May 2008 - Japanese-American actor George Takei was cast as Lt. Hikaru Sulu aboard for the second Star Trek pilot episode in 1965. What most people don’t know is that Gene Roddenberry had envisioned the character of Sulu as being a ‘pan-Asian’ one, representing all of Asia. When it came time for JJ Abrams to recast the part of Sulu, he ran into a quandary: his leading choice was John Cho, a Korean-American actor.
|  Jonathan Frakes visited the ST09 set
20 April 2008 - Out promoting his soon-to-premiere Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, John Cho let another tid bit drop. This one's not a spoiler, but it goes to show that the Star Trek (2009) set was a happening place. Among visitors like Nichelle Nichols, Tom Cruise, and Steven Speilberg, was Star Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes. If you recall, Frakes played Commander William T. Riker in 178 episodes of The Next Generation, all four TNG films, and directed 14 episodes of Star Trek, as well as the feature films First Contact and Insurrection. Cho described 6' 6" Frakes as "freakishly huge."
|  Dominic Keating auditioned for ST09 role
20 April 2008 - In an interview in the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, Dominic Keating (LT Malcolm Reed, ST: Enterprise) revealed that he auditioned for a part in Star Trek (2009), that of James T. Kirk's uncle, back when the Captain-to-be hadn't even decided to leave Iowa to become, as Keating described it, "a spaceman."
| Faran Tahir talks Federation Captain, er, Captain Robau
16 April 2008 - Several months ago we learned of a role in Star Trek (2009) named "Federation Captain." And more recently we learned that the role would be filled by Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir, who you can catch in two weeks in Iron Man, and now we know a little more about Federation Captain, specifically that his name is Robau.
|  Nimoy and Quinto at Grand Slam
16 April 2008 - Just like last year, the two Spocks were together again at the Grand Slam convention in Burbank, California. With filming now complete, you might think that the two of them have something more to talk about than they did a year ago, but if you did you would be wrong. Alex Kurtzman was also in attendance at the science fiction summit, and revealed a few tids and bits about the upcoming movie.
|  John Cho says Star Trek is more mature than Star Wars
15 April 2008 - Now I’m admittedly a fan of Star Wars. There’s no point in denying it - Star Wars is fun. But as Mr. Sulu (John Cho) has put it, there’s no comparison between the two. “I kind of became a Star Trek fan because it was on late and I would catch it on re-runs. It is something I appreciated more every year because it is a very mature show. It is a very thoughtful and meditative show. Whereas when I was a kid it was much easier to love something like [Star Wars] right off the bat, with the lightsabers and stuff. Star Trek is much more mature than that.”
| ST09 shooting up in Bakersfield [SPOILERS]
15 April 2008 - It's just second unit shooting, but the crew for Star Trek (2009) has found itself up in Bakersfield, CA, shooting some scenes that apparently are to be set in Iowa. As some of you may recall, Iowa is the homestate of James T. Kirk, and 11-year-old Jimmy Bennett has been cast as the young version of the Captain-to-be, so it would stand to reason that the scenes with Bennett would be taking place in Iowa. The whole shoot was underwraps until there was a vehicular accident on the road near the shoot involving a crew member, who is projected to make a full recovery.
| TrekUnited Exclusive: William Shatner back in Star Trek!
01 April 2008 - Here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. After months of repeated denials, Star Trek has taken a cue from Apple and kept their biggest secret under wraps. Until today. Principle filming was reported to have ended on last Thursday, with JJ Abrams headed off for the Japanese premiere of Cloverfield and returned to the Star Trek lot to oversee a handful of ‘pick-up shots’ with a few of the main cast. That’s when a familiar face was spotted entering Paramount’s Stage 9: William Shatner.
|  Jeff Quinn of New Voyages nabs an extra spot on ST09
31 March 2008 - James Cawley isn’t the only New Voyages actor to secure a spot on Star Trek (2009). Jeff Quinn, who played Spock in the first four episodes of New Voyages (now Phase II), however, got his part the traditional way. When Headquarters Casting put out a casting call for Star Trek, looking for people with 'unique facial features,' sharp-faced Quinn was quick to jump at the chance.
| No Star Trek teaser with Indiana Jones
31 March 2008 - I just report the news. After Screen Rant came out saying that there would be a new teaser with Star Trek coming up on May 22nd with the premiere of Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, TrekMovie.com is now reporting that Screen Rant's report was erroneous. When ST09 was due to premiere on Christmas 2008 they had been planning on putting a Trek trailer, possibly a full trailer, with Indy 4, but when ST09 was delayed four months to May 8, 2009, so was the first full trailer. While we don't yet know when the complete trailer will premiere, it doesn't look like it will be showing up with either of Paramount's big summer 2008 films, Indy 4 and Iron Man. All I know is that I'll be in the theater anyway.
|  Tom Cruise visits Star Trek set again
28 March 2008 - JJ Abrams buddy and admitted Trekkie Tom Cruise apparently stopped by the Star Trek soundstage for a second time this past week and chatted with Abrams. Cruise also asked if he could meet Leonard Nimoy, who is playing old Spock, a character of which Cruise is reportedly a huge fan. This time the report is coming from "a source close to" Cruise and has been picked up by the mainstream press, complete with speculation that he will be playing a previously unannounced part in Star Trek. While there is no evidence to corroborate such speculation, when Tom Cruise was spotted on the set of Tropic Thunder (due out in August 08), he ended up with a small role as well. Oh, and MSNBC... it's Mr. Spock, not Dr. Spock.
| New Star Trek teaser with Indiana Jones
28 March 2008 - One of the most hotly anticipated films of 2008 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, starring Harrison Ford as the iconic title character (hint: he's not the crystal skull) - is apparently going to have a bit of Star Trek to it. According to Screen Rant, a new teaser for ST09 will be debuting in front of Indiana Jones when the flick premieres on May 22nd. They claim that their source is 100% sure of the teaser, and that s/he has been reliable in the past. Additionally, the teaser is claimed to be a continuation of the previous teaser (from January), which showed the construction of the Enterprise with voice-overs by historic space program persona and Leonard Nimoy, and will feature new audio. There's no confirmation as to whether we'll see or here any of the cast (principle shooting wrapped just yesterday). The May 22nd date is 351 days before the May 8, 2009, premiere of Star Trek.
| It's a wrap! Principle photography on Star Trek completed
27 March 2008 - It's been 141 days since cameras started rolling Star Trek (2009), and now producer/director JJ Abrams has wrapped up principle photography for the film. It's not the longest Star Trek production (The Motion Picture comes in at 24 weeks), but the 20 week production time is quite long for most movies. The filming did end before schedule, in keeping with Scotty's famous advice about how to become a miracle worker: "It's always good to be a wee bit conservative on paper."
| Paramount gets a lesson in viral marketing - from the fans
27 March 2008 - It was just yesterday that AICN posted fresh pictures of a shuttlecraft and uniforms from the Star Trek (2009) shoot at the Pastoria Electric plant outside Lebec, California. The picutres showed both the inside and the outside of the shuttle as well as unknown cast in uniform and a closeup of Starfleet signage, what looks to be an away team jacket, and a view of the detail put onto the control panels of the shuttle. Paramount followed the posting with a request to take down the pictures, AICN says that they were called "incredibly fast." Since the take down was implemented, the pictures have spread across the internet in a manner that Paramount will not be able to control.
|  Simon Pegg continues to talk Trek
27 March 2008 - Seems every time an actor working on Star Trek goes out to promote his own movie, he instead gets bombarded with questions about Trek. The latest casualty is Simon Pegg, who is playing Scotty in the new film; he was out working the press for the US premiere of Run, Fat Boy, Run, a romantic comedy starring himself.
| Nimoy bonks proboscis on set, celebrates 77th birthday
26 March 2008 - According to The New York Observer, while working on the set of Star Trek (2009), actor Leonard Nimoy tripped and hurt his nose, resulting in some variety of noticeable damage, though the production went on regardless. Nimoy also reportedly has wrapped up his filming parts and on his last day producer/director JJ Abrams gave a speech about 'what an honor it was to have worked with him.'
| Fake it and win!
24 March 2008 - Okay, that might be a bit of a suggestive title. Science fiction mega-blog io9 recently erroneously posted a short CGI video clip claiming to be from the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. While they later learned the error of their ways, they've taken the mistake and turned it on it's head. io9 is now running a "fake it" ST09 contest, looking for fan-submitted fake video.
|  iPhone not the ST09 communicator
22 March 2008 - The red rumor control phone is ringing. iPhone Savior is reporting that Star Trek (2009) is going to be using a modified flip-top version of the wildly popular Apple iPhone as the new personal communicator. That report is erroneous. According to TrekMovie.com, the new Starfleet communicators are from-scratch props and "look nothing like any commercially available product." Like much of the movie, the communicators will retain the same basic design as the originals, in this case having the flip-top lid that inspired modern day cellular phones.
| Cal State Northridge transformed into Starfleet Academy [Minor Spoilers]
22 March 2008 - If there's anything that says Spring Break, it's Star Trek, right? Okay, that's probably not the first thing to come to mind (probably something more like Cancun or Panama City, Florida), but that's what's happening at Cal State Northridge. Over the school's spring break, the campus was transformed into Starfleet Academy, complete with uniformed cadets and officers, blue screens, and little Trek touches here and there.
| Editorial: ST09 moving beyond the stereotypes
16 March 2008 - It was recently announced that American actor Faran Tahir has been cast as a captain of a Starfleet vessel in the new Star Trek film. I say American actor because that’s what he is – he’s an American man of Pakistani descent. The description given to him by Trekmovie.com states he’s a Pakistani actor. (I sigh and grumble.) I’d like to address this as it is relevant to Star Trek and what it stands for and has always stood for.
|  Tyler Perry: I only did Star Trek because JJ asked
16 March 2008 - As is the case with everybody involved in Star Trek, Tyler Perry has a rather strict confidentiality agreement limiting what he can talk about - which incidentally is nothing about the movie. He did, however, reveal that he was talked into appearing in the film by JJ Abarms. "I'm telling you it was J.J Abrams. He talked me into it and it's a good thing I didn't see the last Star Trek movie or I would have said no." Ouch. Perry will be playing the head of Starfleet Academy in ST09.
|  John Cho on ST09: It's daunting
11 March 2008 - Oh my, Mr. Sulu. John Cho has had plenty of roles in popular films, like American Pie and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, but when he took on the role of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, it's the first time he's stepped into something bigger than he is. Cho didn't initially quite grasp the nature of Star Trek and the fandom's expectations, admitting, "So it is daunting, it's scary. Frankly, I'm not used to this kind of heat."
|  Pine's young Kirk inspired by... Indiana Jones and Han Solo?
11 March 2008 - Chris Pine, the new James T. Kirk has stated many times in the past that he's not going to even think about attempting a duplication of William Shatner's legendary portrayal of the Enterprise captain. Instead, as it would be, he's turned to Harrison Ford's ever popular and resurgent archeological adventurer Indiana Jones and intergalactic smuggler-turned-rebel fighter Han Solo characters for inspiration.
| Simon Pegg wants a space burial, Abrams committed to a proper Star Trek
11 March 2008 - When Simon Pegg dies, he wants his ashes to be sent into space, just as was done with his Star Trek predecessor, James Doohan. After Doohan's death in 2005, a portion of his ashes was sent into space aboard a suborbital rocket, they are planned to be permanently lofted into orbit at a later date. Pegg, who is best known for his more comedic roles in self-written films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz also wants to have The Beatles playing at his funeral. On the subject of Star Trek, Pegg still thinks "[Scotty's] a dream role and amazing fun."
| Pegg talks Trek: You're going to love it
10 March 2008 - As is the case with most every Star Trek actor interview these days, there's not really much they can tell us. But that didn't stop the questions from hitting a now brown-haired Simon Pegg, asking about his role as engineer Scotty. He said, "Just being there on the Enterprise, it was incredible. You’re going to love it."
|  Paul McGillion: Being in Trek feels huge
09 March 2008 - Paul McGillion's parents were notably confused when he got his role on Stargate: Atlantis, believing that their son had scored a role on Star Trek. As we've known for a while now, McGillion does at the very least have a small speaking part in ST09, and we know that he doesn't die. And now we know that he considers his role to to be part of a franchise that will go down in entertainment history.
| Faran Tahir is "Federation Captain"
01 March 2008 - And unlike the non-lead Starfleet captains of days past, he's not going to be a wimp, buffoon, or whatnot. He'll be what any of us would expect from any Starfleet captain - an officer and a leader of men. While the role of Federation Captain hasn't had a name put to it, TrekMovie.com has put a name behind it: Faran Tahir, a 44-year-old Pakistani actor that has had roles in 24, The West Wing, Charlie Wilson's War, and the upcoming Iron Man film.
|  Bruce Greenwood's NDA is, like, that thick
01 March 2008 - Caught on the blue carpet at the Independent Spirit Awards, MTV asked Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike) a few questions about Star Trek, to which his answer was pretty much, "I can't say." He held his hands about six inches apart, saying, "The disclosure agreement is like, that thick." Greenwood was being honored at the Spirit Awards for his work on the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There.
|  Damon Lindelof: ST09 explores Kirk/Spock relationship
29 February 2008 - Speaking with TrekMovie.com, Star Trek (2009) producer Damon Lindelof covered many bits of the production universe, including a rating of his Trekkiness (he considers himself a 5 out of 10) and the possibility of there being Lost connections in Star Trek.
| Bana goes bald for "secret role"
29 February 2008 - Eric Bana, the man that will be playing the villain Nero in JJ Abrams' Star Trek, has shaved his head for the part (as you can see). Speaking with Jay Leno on NBC's Tonight Show, Bana joked that he had head lice, and then said "It is for a secret role, as if the Star Trek fans don’t know what its for." Will we see a bald Romulan? Not likely. I would hazard a guess that his curly locks wouldn't have played well with a slick black Romulan 'do. Video link after the break.
| ST09 coundtown Mac widget updated
29 February 2008 - Seeing as how the widget was still counting down to Christmas 2008 and Star Trek (2009) won't hit theaters until one hundred thirty two days later, on May 8, 2009, it seemed like a good time to revise the countdown to the correct date. The ST09 countdown widget now is at version 1.0.1, with the only change being the target date. Download link is inside.
| Tom Cruise spotted on ST09 set
23 February 2008 - Don't let out that sigh of relief just yet. According to IESB.net, everybody's favorite sexiest man alive/nutjob was spotted on the set of Star Trek (2009). This is according their sources at JFX Online, which has yet to post the news themselves (though right now they seem to be busy following the very important news of Britney Spears driving around town, what else?). Tom Cruise has been rumored to be involved in Star Trek, for some time now, though every time it's come up, the rumor has been shot down. And we know for a fact that he's not playing Kirk or Pike, so don't suggest it. So what was Cruise doing down at the Paramount lot?
|  Anton Yelchin keeps spilling the Trek beans [Potential Spoilers]
23 February 2008 - Still out promoting Charlie Bartlett (the promotion seems to be working, as the film has finally caught the attention of major media outlets), Anton Yelchin is continuously being asked about Star Trek. Every single time. And with all these questions, he's bound to answer a few, right? Right. Among the beans spilled: Leonard Nimoy is the only TOS cast member in the film. More spoilerific beans after the break.
| New web address for ST09
19 February 2008 - No more having to type paramount.com/startrek to get to the Star Trek (2009) website. Now, you can go straight to www.startrekmovie.com to get yourself to the official website and forums for ST09. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
|  Greg Ellis joins the ST09 cast [SPOILERS]
19 February 2008 - According to TrekMovie.com, English actor Greg Ellis will have a role in Star Trek (2009) as the Enterprise Chief Engineer Olsen. The 38-year-old actor is probably best known for his part as the villain Michael Amador in the third season of 24. Ellis has appeared in numerous films and tv shows, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Spoilers inside.
| Paparazzi nab John Cho in his spacesuit
19 February 2008 - After the morning news revealed where Star Trek was doing some very large outdoor filming, everybody's favorite paparazzi over at JFX Online showed up at the scene, cameras in hand. And it was there that they caught shots of John Cho practicing his Sulu moves on the massive ice set. In a space suit. With a sword. Potential spoilers inside.
| Star Trek pushed back to May 8, 2009
14 February 2008 - You can start calling JJ Abrams' new movie Star Trek (2009) or ST09 if you want. A report just posted on Variety gave the bad news: Star Trek's December 25, 2008 premiere date is not moving up a week as previously rumored. Nope, it's moving back nineteen weeks to May 8, 2008. Yes, May. Paramount claims the move will allow Star Trek to gross more in the stronger summer box office than it would with the Christmas premiere. The clock resets today to 450 days to launch date.
| Aerial coverage of Star Trek shoot
13 February 2008 - Yesterday KTTV LA Fox 11's traffic helicopter was buzzing around Los Angeles as it does every morning. But then they spotted something unusual in the parking lot of the LAPD training facility in downtown Los Angeles: Absolutely massive outdoors sets for Star Trek (2008). One appears to be an icy glacier type set (complete with overhead solar filters), the other some sort of spacecraft exterior. The video has been posted on YouTube.
|  NASA planetary scientist to advise ST08 crew
11 February 2008 - Carolyn Porco, the lead imaging scientist on the join NASA/ESA Cassini mission to Saturn has been tapped by the Star Trek (2008) crew to provide her expertise to the graphics teams. She will be ensuring that the sets, mattes, and planets are all realistic and at least scientifically plausible, following a time-honored Star Trek tradition of bringing aboard scientific advisors to make the film that much more real.
| Abrams on canon: "I think we can do them proud."
11 February 2008 - Speaking with Empire on the '25 Most Exciting Movies of 2008,' JJ Abrams took a moment to address the canon concerns that some fans have expressed over Star Trek (2008): "Star Trek is something I grew up with and love, I'm completely respectful of the Star Trek canon and I feel that there's a great movie to be made." Abrams is also not afraid of the reaction of the fans, saying, "I'm embracing them and I love the people who care about that series, as they should. I think that we can do them proud."
| ST08 toy prototypes at Toy Fair Germany
11 February 2008 - We've known for a few weeks that Playmates has had the new license for the toys for Star Trek, and now reports out of Toy Fair Germany reveal that there are prototypes for the ST08 toys are on display at the trade show. According to AICN, the action figures wear uniforms very similar to that of the original Star Trek, and the Enterprise design is also very similar to the original.
| Abrams: Not your traditional prequel [SPOILERS]
05 February 2008 - JJ Abrams has a good body of popular work under his belt: Alias, Lost, Mission: Impossible: III, and Cloverfield all come to mind. By taking on Star Trek he's hoping to revitalize a franchise that has fallen out of favor with most of the population (Nemesis took in just $67 million worldwide - the lowest gross of any Trek film, and on a budget of $60 million). Speaking with USA Today, Abrams said, "I want this to appeal to people who never saw Star Trek or think its days are over." He went on to say that ST08 will not be like many other recent prequels, saying, "It won't suffer from the problem that traditional prequels suffer from..." Potential poilers after the break.
|  Eric Bana describes role as 'cameo,' say it isn't so
04 February 2008 - It isn't. In an interview with the Australian Herald Sun paper about Eric Bana's career, the actor said of his role in Star Trek, "It's just a great character, it's JJ Abrams. It’s a really well-written script, great part. Couldn't say no. I don't actually look at the size of parts ever." He described his role as Nero as that of a 'cameo.'
|  Linlithgow - birthplace of Scotty - launches bid for European ST08 premiere
04 February 2008 - According to Scotsman.com, the town of Linlithgow is attempting to secure its place as the European premiere for Star Trek, even though the West Lothian town of 13,370 doesn't have a cinema. Linlithgow is by Trek lore the birthplace of Enterprise engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. In September of last year the Linlithgow Story Museum unveiled a memorial plaque to Scotty, who is supposed to have been born in the town in 2222 - two hundred fourteen years from now.
| More plot rumor [SPOILERS]
02 February 2008 - Covering young Mr. Yelchin's revelation of the possibility of their being Klingons in ST08 (and taking a moment to point out that they said so back in October), Screen Rant also took the time to post some major plot details for Star Trek. If you don't want to read them, don't click this link. SPOILERS...
| Klingons in ST08?
01 February 2008 - It's a possibility, if you read some comments from Anton Yelchin the right way. Young Mr. Yelchin has been making the rounds promoting Charlie Bartlett, and inevitably Star Trek came up. Speaking with mega-movie site Rotten Tomatoes, Yelchin had the following to say in addition to the talk about accents, "Chekov is just on the Enterprise. A lot of it is green screen. I mean, the Enterprise itself, JJ's trying to shoot as much of it as he can without green screen, but I think a lot of space is obviously green screen - what I'm looking at while seeing the Klingon warships."
| Bethesda: No plans for ST08 game
01 February 2008 - According to a report published over on FiringSquad, Bethesda Softworks is not planning on pubishing a tie-in game for the upcoming JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. Bethesda holds the licences for all Star Trek video games and has recently published such games as Star Trek: Legacy for PC and Xbox 360.
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30 January 2008 - Just to let you know, the forums for the official Star Trek movie site were switched on a few minutes ago and are open for registration. Right now the forums are a bit sparse, but I fully expect that they'll be filling up in no time. Go to paramount.com/startrek and click on the Forums link at the right center (under 'Under Construction').
| ST08 international trailers online
30 January 2008 - Got a hankerin' to watch the Star Trek teaser trailer in, oh, I don't know, Russian? Well, Paramount is hooking us up and has made several alternate language versions of the ST08 trailer available on the official website. While being not fluent in any other language than English (and even that's debateable), it does sound as if the same lines have been used for the international trailers. Except for the Russian one - I have no clue what they're saying.
| Saldana talks of her meeting with Nichelle Nichols
30 January 2008 - Speaking with BlackFilm.com, the new Uhura Zoe Saldana described her meeting with the original Uhura, Nichelle Nichols. She also admits that she wasn't a Star Trek fan until after she had secured her role in ST08, but now she has "so much admiration for what they did, and how much the series continues to grow after [40] years.
|  The Kirk Bunch
30 January 2008 - Coming down the pike from ComingSoon.net is a report that kid James T Kirk will be played by 11-year-old Jimmy Bennett (Hostage, The Amityville Horror, Firewall, and Evan Almighty). We already know that Chris Pine will also be playing James T. Kirk (he's 27-years-old), and that we'll see a kid Spock (actor unknown) in addition to Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy as Spock(s).
|  Orci answers more fan questions
29 January 2008 - Continuing with some of the hundreds of questions posted by fans on TrekMovie.com, Star Trek writer Roberto Orci took the time to answer several more questions. Topics covered ranged from the title of the film to research resources, future Orci/Kurtzman films to which characters were the hardest to write. Click on through of a summary.
| Yelchin: "Chekov is the weirdest guy," signed for three movies
29 January 2008 - Out promoting his independent dark comedy Charlie Bartlett with Robert Downey, Jr., the young actor was - as seems to be the case with all of the new Star Trek stars - bombarded with questions about the upcoming Trek film. In fact, Anton Yelchin is a little tired of all the questions about Star Trek, which - like all the other Trek stars - he is not allowed to talk about. That didn't stop the questions, so we were treated to Yelchin's thoughts on one Mr. Pavel Chekov.
|  Star Trek toys return to Playmates
28 January 2008 - Toy manufacturer Playmates has reacquired the license to produce toys for the new Star Trek movie. Playmates held the license up until 2000, when it was taken over by Diamond Select, which has gone on to produce many high-quality replicas. The new license covers the movie due at the end of this year, Playmates will be producing action figures, props, and miniature toy ships. Diamond Select will continue to hold the license for all the previous five series and ten movies.
| Highlights from ST08 crew live chat
26 January 2008 - TrekMovie.com's live Q&A session with JJ Abrams and the Star Trek (2008) crew wrapped up this evening with several entertaining, interesting, and in the immortal words of Spock - fascinating - answers. The whole thing was conducted on the Star Trek soundstage with work going on as the chat progressed - specifically they were working on a scene on the Enterprise bridge. Some of the best questions and answers are listed after the break.
| JJ Abrams to answer your questions
25 January 2008 - Star Trek (2008) producer and director JJ Abrams will be answering your questions today on TrekMovie.com. In addition to Abrams, producer Damon Lindelof, writer Roberto Orci and executive producer Bryan Burk will also be joining the Q&A session. The team will be answering questions starting at 4 PM EST. To leave a question for JJ or anybody else, head on over to TrekMovie.com (as of this writing they've already accumulated nearly 400 questions).
|  James Cawley of New Voyages to be in ST08
24 January 2008 - James Cawley, the man behind Star Trek: New Voyages (and the actor that plays Captain James T. Kirk in that very same fan film), will be on Star Trek. In an interview with TrekMovie.com, Cawley revealed that he ran into JJ Abrams on the Paramount Lot and that the Star Trek producer/director actually asked him to be an observer to the production. Several years ago Cawley started planning for his own Star Trek revival, taking the purist route and recreating the original 1960's series in the form of New Voyages. Despite his purist attitude, Cawley was very much taken by the scope of ST08, from the costumes (which he will wear in a scene) to the sets, and even the actors playing the parts. You can watch the full interview over at TrekMovie.com.
| Star Trek teaser in HD, viral web campaign begins
21 January 2008 - Following its premiere in front of Cloverfield last Friday and the subsequent leakage via cameraphone and YouTube, the teaser trailer for Star Trek (2008) has made its official debut online. The teaser, which is available at a number of sites, is just as described and bootlegged, and is available in full 1080p HD, which is absolutely beautiful on a large screen if you've got one.
| Star Trek teaser trailer hits the net
18 January 2008 - That was quick. Less than 3 hours after Cloverfield premiered on screens nationwide, a bootleg copy of the teaser trailer for Star Trek showed up on YouTube. Unfortunately, since it's a recording of the theater screen it looks pretty much bad, despite the actual detail and scope of the theatrical trailer. Also, there's not much - if any - spoiler to it, this is a teaser in every sense of the word. Click on through to watch the trailer (Quicktime required), an official version will be going up on Monday, hopefully with much better resolution (keep your fingers crossed for HD).
| First images of the new Starship Enterprise
17 January 2008 - While we will certainly see more of it in the trailer tomorrow, Moviefone got their hands on a nice big shot of the new U.S.S. Enterprise under construction as it will be seen in the teaser trailer. It's a familiar shape, but as promised, it is different. Click on through to take a peek.
| Star Trek cast at Cloverfield premiere
17 January 2008 - Members of the cast for Star Trek (2008) made an appearance at last night's Paramount Pictures lot premiere of another JJ Abrams film: Cloverfield. The trailer for ST08 will be debuting with the film when it hits theaters tomorrow, so several of the cast showed their faces in the ongoing publicity drive for Star Trek leading to its premiere in 342 days. Jennifer Morrison, Zachary Quino, Chris Pine, John Cho, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood, Chris Hemsworth, Anton Yelchin, Clifton Collins, Jr, Zoe Saldana, and of course, JJ Abrams, all showed their faces. IESB.net got several pictures of the Trek cast, you can view them after the break.
| Official ST08 website goes live
17 January 2008 - The teaser site for Star Trek (2008) went online this evening: www.paramount.com/startrek. Right now the site is fairly simple, the Starfleet delta sheild (command star), the Christmas 2008 date, and the words "UNDER CONSTRUCTION". Also on the site is the option to register for updates, and links to currently non-existent webmaster programs (presumably for word-of-mouth promotion) and forums - both are listed as 'coming soon.' Presumably later we will be able to view promotional materials like the upcoming teaser trailer on the site. This site is not a replacement for Star Trek.com.
| Description of the Star Trek trailer
16 January 2008 - HollywoodChicago.com has posted what they say is the description of what you'll see in the Star Trek (2008) trailer to premiere on Friday with JJ Abrams' Cloverfield. Trek Movie Report has confirmed that the description is fairly accurate, though the final version may differ slightly. Click on through for the full description (which may or may not contain spoilers).
| Just how many Spocks are there?
05 January 2008 - In the past 40 years, the character of Spock had primarily been portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, though on occassion other actors have played the part, usually as a younger incarnation of the iconic Vulcan. We know that the character will be acted by both Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto in Star Trek (2008), but in a recent interview with CBS 2 KCAL Los Angeles, Nimoy revealed that there may actually be even more to it.
|  Jennifer Garner wants to be a Klingon
04 January 2008 - In an article on MTV, Jennifer Garner again professed her adoration of JJ Abrams, having worked with him often over the years, starting with Felicity in 1998 and in over 100 episodes of Alias until 2006. Out promoting her latest film, Juno (in theaters now), Garner said of Abrams "He rocks; I would do anything for him."
| Comedian Tyler Perry cast as head of Starfleet Academy
30 December 2007 - Coming down the rumor pike is a confirmed story we just didn't see coming - Tyler Perry, a comedian best known for his roles in films like 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, has been cast - and filmed - as the head of Starfleet Academy. The report has been confirmed by both UGO and Trek Movie Report. Be warned, there are spoilers inside.
| Shatner's New Year's resolution: Let me in ST08
29 December 2007 - Australia's Daily Telegraph decided to ask various local and international stars what their New Year's resolution was. Native Russell Crowe, resolves to be baptized. Orlando Bloom intends to do more sculpting (of the artistic variety). Ethan Hawke intends to tackle his snoring problem. Others seem to have misunderstood the purpose of a New Year's resolution - it's something for you to do, not something you hope happens. George Clooney hopes that Barak Obama will win the US presidential election. Angelina Jolie hopes that those responsible for the Darfur genocide will be held accountable - a nice hope, but still not a New Year's resolution. In that second category falls Star Trek legend William Shatner, and it's about his apparent exclusion from JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2008). "I'm hoping they will change their mind about not including me in the next Star Trek movie, due for release in December, 2008. I've had a lot of support from Trekkies."
| Cloverfield director says trailer is 'amazing'
28 December 2007 - Matt Reeves, the director of the JJ Abrams-produced monster-flick Cloverfield has seen the trailer for Star Trek (2008), and he thinks it is amazing. The trailer will be debuting in front of Cloverfield, which will premiere on January 18th. Like all the rest of the production, the ST08 trailer has been shrouded in secrecy, with the one and only rumor indicating that it would in some way feature the construction of the Starship Enterprise. Reeves said of it, "I think people are going to be very excited, It’s a teas r, you know, it’s a teaser trailer. But still, I was like 'Wow!' Just the scope of it, the scale of it, you just look at it and it’s so elegantly done."
| Star Trek (2008) in 2008
25 December 2007 - Here we are, with one year until the release of Star Trek. JJ Abrams and company are hard at work crafting the latest incarnation of our favorite franchise, and hopes are high that the movie will not disappoint and will serve to revi alize a classic that has faltered in recent years on both television and in theaters. So what can we expect in the next 366 days?
| R.I.P. Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-up
25 December 2007 - Sad news, folks. As of this week, the round-up will be no more. We can expect that the next year will bring a lot of Star Trek (2008) news, and the weekly rumor round-up just isn’t up to the task of handling all of it. From here on out, you won’t have to wait until Sunday (or Monday, if I’m feeling lazy) to get the latest from JJ Abrams and company – you’re going to get it as it happens. That’s right, the round up is being abandoned in favor of chronicling Star Trek (2008) now when and where it happens. We've got a year until go time, so there's sure to be plenty more news.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 12/16/07 - 12/22/07
23 December 2007 - Greetings all and welcome back to the Star Trek rumor round-up! t seems as if JJ Abrams has not taken kindly to the paparazzi spy shots that have unveiled certain things about the production and has tightened the security belt (more on that inside). Unfortunately, that means we've now gone nearly two weeks now without a glimpse of what's going on on set! Anyway, we've got some news from the filming at Long Beach, Karl Urban's thoughts on McCoy, why they absolutely had to have Nimoy, and what they're doing about Shatner. Let's get on with the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 12/9/07 - 12/15/07
16 December 2007 - Sorry about the downtime folks, fortunately, that didn't stop any Star Trek news! Today we'll look at Harlan Ellison's calmer side, another set of spy shots, news on Mr. Paul McGillion (really!), and some other items, like what Zachary Quinto thinks drives Spock. It's t m for the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 12/2/07 - 12/8/07
10 December 2007 - Well, have I got a slew of news for you this week. First up is some more rumor mongering about the design of the famous Starship Enterprise, then we have a word from Scotty, production news on Hemsworth, and another set of spy shots from the good folks over at JFX Online (the outfit that brought us the first spy p otos that unveiled the presense of Jennifer Morrison). That's the summary, here's the news... in the round-up!
| Eric Bana wins second Best Actor award
07 December 2007 - Future Star Trek villian Eric Bana (Nero) yesterday won the Australian Film Industry Awards' Best Actor trophy. For a second time. This time around he won for his role in Romulus, My Father. Previously, in 2000, he won for playing the title part in Chopper. Bana also snagged the Reader's Choice Award, a best actor award voted on by Australian News Limited newspaper reads. In total, Romulus, My Father was nominated for 15 awards, and also won the Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Martin Csokas), and Young Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee) awards.
| Simon Pegg wins British comedy award
06 December 2007 - Simon Pegg, the new Scotty n JJ Abram's Star Trek (2008), just picked up the Ronnie Barker Writer's Guild Award at the British Comedy Festival. The Ronnie Barker award goes to Britain's top comedy writer for the year, in this case Pegg was honored for his work on the surprise hit Hot Fuzz and Run, Fat Boy, Run. Speaking with Sky Showbiz, Pegg was asked about Star Trek, to which he said, "I don’t know much about it yet, I’m just about to set out and start doing it, it’s going to be great. It’s very hush-hush; when I read it, I read it with a security guard near me - it’s that secretive. quot;
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 11/25/07 - 12/1/07
02 December 2007 - Another week, another round up. This time around, there's not a lot of rumoring. It seems that with production officially under way the crew has plugged most of the leaks and Star Trek is running in full radio silence. This week we've got a talk with George Takei (oh my), rumor of what the Enterprise will look like, what happened down at the Vasquez Rocks, and with the ongoing strike, how Zachary Quinto feels.
| Star Trek trailer to be attached to Abrams' 'Cloverfield'
01 December 2007 - The teaser trailer for Star Trek (2008) will be shown before another JJ Abram's movie, the New York City monster mystery horror show 'Cloverfield,' which is also known by the date on which it will premiere, 1-18-08. While not much is known about the shaky action camera style movie, we have learned that the trailer for Star Trek will show the construction of the Starship Enterprise, and that work on the trailer began before production of the movie itself.
| George Takei to be in Star Trek (2008)?
30 November 2007 - According to the latest issue of Starbust Magazine, George Takei will be appearing in the new Star Trek movie (due in theaters on December 25, 2008). In an interview with Takei about his work on Heroes and Star Trek (mostly discussing/promoting the Star Trek Remastered HD DVD set), Takei let drop the news that he will be appearing in JJ Abrams' Star Trek. We can assume that he will be playing his iconic character Hikaru Sulu, albeit aged a bit since we last saw him in the Star Trek: Voyager episode 'Flashback' in 1996.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 11/19/07 - 11/24/07
27 November 2007 - Avast! Thar be more news from the land 'o Star Trek! Aye, we have with us this week even mo' casting news, better spy shots than the last time around, a filming location you'll recognize, and some talk from Mr. Quinto on the trials of being a actor and also being Spock. It was a quiet week in comparison to the past few weeks - though it was the holiday weekend. So on with the round-up, Aye!
| Mac OS X Star Trek (2008) Countdown widget
November 2007 - Courtesy of yours truly. To mark the 400 day point in our countdown to the new JJ Abrams Star Trek flick, I've seen it fit to draft up a new dashboard widget for our Mac users. It's pretty simple really; it countsdown to 00:00:00 on December 25th, 2008, and the left side serves as a link to the TrekUnited news page for Star Trek (2008) news. Screenshot, download link, and installation instructions follow.
|  Ben Cross cast as Sarek
19 November 2007 - Sarek, father of Spock, has been cast. And the man's name is Ben Cross. A graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Cross rose to international sta dom with his breakout role as runner Harold Abrahams in the Academy Award-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. He will be seen in the upcoming Hero Wanted with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ray Liotta. Cross joins his fictional wife Amanda Grayson (played by Winona Ryder) and fiction son Spock (Zachary Quinto) in Star Trek, which is set for release in theaters on December 25, 2008.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 11/11/07 - 11/18/07
18 November 2007 - With Star Trek running in production right now, there's certainly much news to be had. Even more casting reports are on the table right now - seems there's a large cast, rumors on plot elements, angry writers, writers that aren't writing, rumor who's playing who, more spy shots from filming, talk of the characters, and talk of working with Star Trek as your profession. Beware, beyond this point there are spoilers. To the round-up, shall we?
|  Chris Hemsworth confirmed as Kirk's father
14 November 2007 - Australian actor Chris Hemsworth has been confirmed as being cast as George Kirk, the father of future Enterprise captain, James T. Kirk. Hemsworth, who is probably best known for his role as Kim Hyde in the Aussie soap opera Home and Away;; (which first aired in 1997 and now totals over 4500 episodes), has appeared on in several Austrailian productions, including the down under version of Dancing with the Stars. He is three years younger than Chris Pine, the actor cast as James T. Kirk. Flashback, anyone?
| Clifton Collins, Jr., cast as 'Ayel'
14 November 2007 - Every bad guy needs a henchmen. For Eric Bana's Nero, it is Ayel, played by Emmy-nominated actor Clifton Collins, Jr. As is the case with every role in Star Trek (2008), we have no clue what the character will be doing, just that the character exists. Collins, age 37, first broke into mainstream Hollywood with his 1997 performance as César Sánchez in the film One Eight Seven. He's played a hitman in 2000's Traffic and won rave reviews for the part of serial killer Perry Smith in Capote. Collins starred in Fox's short-lived drama Thief, for which he recieved the Emmy nomination.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 11/4/07 - 11/10/07
11 November 2007 - Another week, another round up. This week, we've got some real tangible news. Why? Because filming started on Wednesday! In that vein we have more casting news, auditions, extras, spyshots, strikes, Shatner (the edia just won' leave the man alone) and of course, the one constant in the land of Star Trek news: rumors. Let's get on with the round up, shall we?
|  Winona Ryder cast as Spock's mother: Amanda Grayson
09 November 2007 - We've now learned from both Variety and Star Trek.com that the role of Spock's mother - Amanda Grayson - a role that was previously held by the late Jane Wyatt, has been signed to Winona Ryder. At 36 years old, Ryder has already had a prolific film career, with roles in A Scanner Darkly, Mr. Deeds, Friends, The Simpsons, and Edward Scissorhands, to name a few. As of right now, we know very little as to what role the character will play in the film, though speculation indicates that Spock's father - Sarek - and Kirk's parents still remain to be cast.
| Bruce Greenwood signed as Captain Christopher Pike
08 November 2007 - We've been hearing rumblings of JJ Abrams being close to casting the new Captain Pike, and it appears today that Bruce Greenwood is the man for the job. Greenwood, age 51, while not a big Hollywood star, has been featured in a number of television an theatrical productions, including I, Robot, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Deja Vu, and HBO's John From Cincinnati.
| Star Trek filming begins today
07 November 2007 - The Bad Robot/Paramount Pictures Star Trek revival- the first Star Trek film in over five years - began filming today on location in Southern California. The first shots on the Paramount lot aren't scheduled until next week. Filming on Star Trek is expected to last until March 2008 (that's five whole months), and the shooting schedule is front-heavy with on-location and stage shots - the sets for the new old Enterprise have not been completed as of yet. Star Trek is set to release 414 days from now in theaters on December 25th, 2008.
| Star Trek producer/director JJ Abrams joining writers strike
06 November 2007 - In what is sure to be a crippling blow to Hollywood if it doesn& 39;t get sorted soon, the Writers Guild of America has gone on strike. The WGA has set up picket lines at all major studios (including Paramount) and ordered its members to spend at least 20 hours a week on the line. As it would turn out, the producers of Star Trek - JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof are both WGA members. And as such, they've joined the picketing (when they're not busy producing Star Trek).
|  Star Trek looking for extras
06 November 2007 - Operating under the code name of "Corporate Headquarters," which everybody in Hollywood knows is the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie, casting firm Headquarters Casting is holding an open call for Vulcans, Starfleet cadets, and 'talent with interesting and unique f cial features.' What's more, they're looking for them on Saturday (November 10). The Beverly Hills firm, which has previously cast extras for Knocked Up, and Georgia Rule, just finished casting for the new National Treasure sequel and Charlie Wilson's War. Details on the casting call follow.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 10/28/07 - 11/3/07
05 November 2007 - It's time for another Star Trek rumor update! This time around we've got talk from the former cast, talk from the new cast, talk from those who weren't in, news from inside the crew, and more. There's always 'and more,' isn't there? Anyway... on with the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 10/24/07 - 10/27/07
28 October 2007 - In the inter sts of getting things back on track, this Sunday I bring you a shortened version of the Star Trek (2008) rumor roundup. On Tuesday you got a mega-sized version, so today you're getting Wednesday through Saturday. That's not to say that these days brought us less interesting news than the previous round, not at all. I'm just not going to sit on it for another week, that's all. So this wee we've got some more casting rumors, a smidge of plot rumor, and as always, possible spoilers galore. So enter at 'ye own risk, for the rumor round-up is nigh!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 10/14/07 - 10/23/07
23 October 2007 - You're all getting a deluxe edition of the round-up this week! Yay! Only because I've been so busy that I couldn't get to it until now. Never fear, though, for I have a lot of news for ya'll today. Literally, I can't count high enough to get all the news items - I'm cursing evolution for not giving me extra fingers right now. We've of course got the confirmation of Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, the confirmation of Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, news from Shatner, Quinto, Nimoy, and the whole gang. All that and more, in this edition of the round-up!
|  Karl Urban confirmed as Dr. McCoy
17 October 2007 - And the last of the Enterprise crew is set - Karl Urban will be playing Dr. Leonard "Bones&q ot; McCoy in Star Trek. Urban, a native of Kiwiland (New Zealand) has had parts in Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Riddick, and The Bourne Supremacy. What exactly he will be doing as Dr. McCoy... well, that's anyone's best guess right now. This leaves the only open parts as Captain Christopher Pike and momma and poppa Kirk (rumor has it).
|  Chris Pine confirmed as Kirk
15 October 2007 - We reported to you just days ago that Chris Pine was in negotiations to play Captain James T. Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek (2008) movie, but that he had to decide between the JJ Abrams flick and Joe Carnahan's 'White Jazz,' with George Clooney which would film at the same time. According to Carnahan's blog, Pine has backed out of White Jazz and is set 'to boldly go where no man has gone before.' Add Chris Pine to the confirmed list.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 10/7/07 - 10/13/07
14 October 2007 - Oh. My. God. If you thought two weeks ago was crazy, this week will blow your mind. First off, we have three confirmed casting reports, rumored casting, budget news, talks with the cast and crew, and more casting rumor. Among other things. Twelve separate reports this time around. It's crazy, I tell you! I know you're tired of listening to me ramble on and on, so let's get on with the round-up!
| Making Star Trek is an expensive business
12 October 2007 - Star Trek is not a cheap endeavour. As was witnessed with the last theatrical go-around, Star Trek Nemesis, cutting costs does not neccesarily translate into a greater profit margin. Seeing as how the budgets of Star Trek movies have averaged around $50 million since The Wrath of Khan was released in 1982, the newly revealed budget figures for Star Trek (2008) are a bit surprising, even for a modern blockbuster-to-be. Originally slated to cost $130 million, Paramount has allocated a whopping $150-$160 million.
| John Cho is Hikaru Sulu
12 October 2007 - Nobody saw that one coming, part III: In the second bit of Star Trek (2008) casting news that leaked out this morning, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Korean American actor John Cho has as Enterprise helsman (and physicist) Lt. Hikaru Sulu. Cho is known for his roles in the American Pie movies and in the recent hit Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, where he was Harold - a role he will play in a planned sequel.
| Simon Pegg pegged for Scotty for Star Trek (2008)
12 October 2007 - Nobody saw that one coming, part II. British comedy actor Simon Pegg, known for his roles in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as Benji in the recent JJ Abrams flick Mission: Impossible: III, has been cast as the new Scotty, according to Star Trek.com. He will be joining Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quino, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, and Eric Bana in the film, which is set to begin filming next month and will be released on Christmas 2008.
| Eric Bana cast as as villain for Star Trek
10 October 2007 - Nobody saw that one coming. The Australian actor best known for his role as Bruce Banner from the 2003 film Hulk has been cast as the primary villain in Star Trek (2008). Reports from Star Trek.com and Variety say that the actor has been signed, he will be joining Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), and Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy (Spock and Spock). Star Trek is currently set for a Christmas 2008 release and is scheduled to begin filming next month.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 9/30/07 - 10/6/07
07 October 2007 - It's Oc ober! In Ohio that means dead leaves and dropping temperatures, and I suppose the exact opposite of that in Australia. It just doesn't seem right for a place to be getting snow in July. Crazy. Anyway, people this week were talking. We have not a single rumor - this is all stuff said by people that may or may not be involved in Star Trek (2008). And most of it is pretty meaty! Are they? Well, time will tell. In the meantime, see what they have to say in this edition of the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 9/23/07 - 9/29/07
30 September 2007 - Wow, what a week! We've got no fewer that eight, yes, eight, Star Trek articles for your this week. We've got word on Quinto's preparation for the role, the continuing search for Kirk and Scotty, and a possible villain? And some more plot rumor, so watch yourself! All this and more, on this week's rumor round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 9/16/07 - 9/22/07
24 September 2007 - It's time for another weekly summation of the news swirling a out on Star Trek. In addition to the casting of Zoe Saldana as the iconic Uhura, we have some words from the original Uhura - Nichelle Nichols, a fight for the premiere location for ST(08), and some Vulcan ears. There's your summation, details after a word from our commercial sponsors. On with the round-up!
| Zoe Saldana confirmed as the new Uhura
18 September 2007 - As was first reported last month, actress Zoe Saldana has been signed to play the iconic Uhura in Star Trek (2008), according to reports from both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Her previous work includes Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Pirates of the Caribb an, Drumline, and The Terminal. Already signed on for Star Trek are Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy as Spock and the Russian-born Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov. The role of Uhura was played by Nichelle Nichols in the original Star Trek series and motion pictures.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 9/9/07 - 9/15/07
16 September 2007 - Another week has ended and another b t of rumors has crossed by virtual desk, I've picked and plied through them to find the best and plausible, unfortunately I have no basis for comparison, so I've, as usual, ended up just putting them all in here for you. What does that mean for you? It means no real information. It means decisions. It means confusion. That just about sums up this edition of the round-up (and every other one, at that). Aaaanyway, to the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 9/2/07 - 9/8/07
09 September 2007 - After the rush of news that was last week, things have slowed down again. 472 days out is a long way, and filming isn't scheduled to start for another two months. I suppose it would be nice to have some of the actors nailed down by now, and maybe they are and we just haven't been told yet. We'll see. Regardless, on with the round-up!
| SciFiUnited ST(08) poster contest open for voting now!
06 September 2007 - Our friends over at ScFiUnited have recieved the entries and the voting can now begin. Three weeks ago they began taking submissions for fan-made Star Trek (2008) posters, given the underwhelming nature of the posters put out by the marketing team at Paramount. Four entrants were recieved and are now available for viewing. Head on over to SFU to check them out!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 8/20/07 - 9/1/07
01 September 2007 - My bad, guys, I missed last week. In my own defense, I was in the middle of moving from Columbus to Cincinnati (WKRP in Cincinnati!) and for the life of me I did not have internet access set up on last Saturday. Okay, sure, the modem was running on Sunday, but... well, no. Anyway, that means you get a jumbo-sized edition of the Star Trek (2008) rumor round-up this week, and we've got a lot to cover. Quinto has been giving a lot of interviews, so let's get started.
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 8/12/07 - 8/19/07
20 August 2007 - Well, not a whole lot of Star Trek (2008) news came out this week, but we are under the 500 day mark now, I suppose that's worth a drink. Or two. Either way, there were still some snippets to be had here or there, including a new poster released at The Official Star Trek Convention 2007 in Sin City Las Vegas. More follows after the break... to the round-up!
| Star Trek (2008) Posters: Think You Can Do It Better?
16 August 2007 - So far we've heard a lot of whining about everything Star Trek (2008). (And honestly, maybe we've even contributed to it a little bit ourselves.) But in the spirit of Trekkies and fan-atics everywhere, we're going to do something about it. So here's your chance to do a good deed for Star Trek: give them a better poster! Because they can't get any worse!! Sci Fi United is hosting a Star Trek (2008) poster contest, and the winner will receive a whopping billion cool points and our eternal adoration. All that, plus you'll get to put up a headline of your choosing on the SciFiUnited home page. What more could you ask for? And who needs actual footage - just do it the old fashioned way, FAKE IT!
| Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 8/5/07 - 8/11/07
11 August 2007 - Well, I've got a whole slew of Star Trek (2008) news for you this week. You'd think I was making some of this up, but you just can't make up some of the stuff that's floating out there! We've got possible casting news, big stars, crazy stars, more "I wanna be in," and JJ Abrams is heading abroad in his quest for the perfect location. That's right, ladies, gentlemen, and others, it is time for the round-up!
|  Star Trek (2008) Rumor Round-Up: 7/29/07 - 8/4/07
05 August 2007 - Well, after last week's big news swirling around Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy in their rolls as Spock, things have quieted down quite a bit. This week I've got for you a lengthy intervi w with Leonard Nimoy after the Comic Con announcement, and a casting sheet (unfortunately without a wishlist of actors for the role). Yeah, it's a bit of a let-down after last week, but what are you going to do about it? Enough lollygagging around, it's time for the round-up!
| Zachary Quinto is Spock, Leonard Nimoy is Spock
26 July 2007 - Okay, so here's the news from Comic Con 2007. As the rumors said, Zachary Quinto of Heroes fa e has indeed been cast as the new Spock on 'Star Trek.' I'm going to start calling it 'Star Trek (2008)' from now on, too, as 'Star Trek' is the complete title and JJ Abrams will fly out to Ohio and beat me if I keep calling it XI. Also, Leonard Nimoy is going to be Spock. I'm not sure if we're going to see flashbacks or time travel or flashforwards or what, but we've got both Nimoy and Quinto as Spock.
|  Trek news at Comic Con tomorrow
25 July 2007 - In a bit of pre-news here, tomorrow will bring us two sessions with Star Trek folks at Comic Con 2007 in San Diego.
The first will be from 12:30 to 1:30, a panel with TOS Remastered folks on the impending release of the TOS-R HD DVD set. On stage will be Rod Roddenberry and Billy Blackburn (who shot a lot of 'home movies' on the TOS set), along with some other CBS DVD division folks.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 7/15/07 - 7/22/07
22 July 2007 - Yeah, yeah, I know, late again. Life swept me away from my computer for longer than I had anticipated (that's what happens when you leave your laptop at a house that's 100 km away). But I'm back now, and so's my computer, so we're all set to go with another round of Star Trek XI news. That said, I extending last week's edition by one day because Shatner and Nimoy were on stagein New Jersey ch tting it up. You'll have to read on to see what they're saying.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 7/8/07 - 7/14/07
17 July 2007 - More news! News news news! Rumors and speculation! YAY! And I'm late again this week! Sorry about that, life happens. It's not like the news is really going anywhere right now - we've still got 527 days until release time. Long time, eh? Enough with that, on with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 7/1/07 - 7/7/07
09 July 2007 - It's time for more Star Trek: XI news! It's not quite the massive load I had for everybody last week, but it's still better than nothing, right? Right. Yeah. Uh-huh. That's enough, Derek. Okay. Anyway, it's time for the news - we've got another soundbite from Orci, some production news, and a smattering of pre-news announcement news. On with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 6/17/07 - 6/30/07< r />
01 July 2007 - Yes, I know, I missed out on last week. I was busy. Really, I was. By the time I realized what hadn't happened, it was Wednesday, so I figured that I'd just wait until the weekend and give you a jumbo-sized helping of Star Trek XI news. That’s right, jumbo-sized. As in friggin' huge! Not just because I have two weeks of news for you, but because there's simply been a lot of talking this past two weeks, all in the lead-up to Orci and Kurtzman's latest venture: Transformers. Sure, there’s more than meets the eye - on with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 6/3/07 - 6/9/07
09 June 2007 - Hear ye, hear ye. It be time for ye weekly helpin' of Star Trek XI news! Gather 'round, ye internet folk to hear ye a tail as long and the Nile and as high as Mount Everest! Or something like that. Okay, not really anything so grand. This week we have a veteran endorsement of JJ Abrams, and the Shat speaks. Again. On with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 5/27/07 - 6/2/07
02 June 2007 - Hey, look at that! I'm on time this week Five hours to spare, yeah! *does dance* Okay, enough of that. So... Star Trek XI news, eh? Well, I've got something for you all. And by something, I mean lots of things. And by lots of things, I mean one thing. Yeppers, one thing. Another slow week hath crossed the world of ST:XI news, and I have but one more actor wishing to be in. Yeah, just one this week. Seems like it was just last week that everybody and their uncle's poodle was clambering to get in. It's like the 2008 US presidential election, for Pete's sake! Anywho, on with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 5/20/07 - 5/26/07
27 May 2007 - I know, I'm a day late. It's Sunday morning and it's already been a long weekend, so cut me some slack. Anyway, it was another slow week as far as Star Trek: XI news goes. One measly morsel worth mention. Yeah, one. I suppose that's better than no morsels at all, isn't it? On with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 5/13/07 - 5/19/07
19 May 2007 - Another week has gone by, and another slew of news, comments, and rumor is upon us. We've got some casting news and hopefuls, well, sort of. You know, being 585 days out you're lucky to be getting this much talk as it is. This week we've got Bryan Sing r on tap, two heroes waiting in the wings, and dammit Jim, I'm not a doctor! On with the round-up! Plus, the exciting revelation of Patrick Stewart's personal TNG pinball machine, really!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 5/6/07 - 5/12/07
13 May 2007 - More news for you! Shatner and Nimoy speak, and so does Koenig, though I wouldn’t call what they have to say big surprises. Also, J.J. Abrams is talking about who he thinks would be great for Star Trek XI, ut that person d dn’t seem all too enthused about the idea. Anyway, on with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 4/29/07 - 5/5/07
06 May 2007 - Whoa! Thar be news, Cap&;amp;;#39;n! Seriously, people finally spoke up. We've got some casting news and suggestions, and the obligatory comments from the professional peanut gallery. What all doth that mean? It means that we've reached an oasis in our long trip across the desert of Star Trek: XI news. Soak it in and drink up while you can, for I make no promises about next week and the coming weeks. Oh, and we just crossed 600 days until release! Six hundred days. Yep, that's a long lon time. Anyway, on with the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 4/14/07 - 4/21/07
22 April 2007 - Ladies, gentlemen, and otherwise, we have news. Real news! Not made up stuff, not not involved people, not anything not real. Seriously. JJ Abrams has confirmed to Star Trek Magazine some details about the movie. It shouldn't really come as a surprise to anybody that 9;s even remotely been following the rumors and leaks about ST: XI - hello, look at the poster - but it's nice to finally have something confirmed. Enough of that, on with the round-up!
| JJ Abrams sends a message to the fans
16 April 2007 - Dear Grand Slammers,
We are currently in pre-pre-pre-production and are all beyond excitement and honored to bring you the next chapter in the Star Trek saga. There will be much more to say at next year’s convention, but for now know that we are working hard to do you proud. Thank you for your support and for keeping Mr. Roddenberry’s vision alive.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 4/08/07 - 4/13/07
14 April 2007 - Well, another slow week in Star Trek XI Land. Not a word from Paramount, Abrams, or his friends. This week we again have an "I'm not involved" story. And just one. Sorry about the sparseness of the news this week, but my non-contacts inside Paramount aren't responding to my continued non-prodding for more information.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up: 4/01/07 - 4/07/07
08 April 2007 - Another slow slow slow week as far as Star Trek: XI is concerned. So slow, in fact, that the news sites had to make up stories to fill the empty silence. Or maybe it was April Fools. But really, nothing at all this week. Nobody came out to say that they were starring or knew who was, nobody said I want to be involved, nobody revealed that flying monkeys will be the main enemy. Zip. Zero. Nada. So, this week, we recap the Star Trek: XI April Fool’s stories…
|  TrekUnited Exclusive: Shatner and Nimoy to reprise rolls of Kirk and Spock in ST: XI!
01 April 2007 - That’s right, folks. Matt Damon and friends step aside, the Shat is back in the house. Sources high-up in Paramount (who asked to remain anonymous) today leaked exlusivedly to TrekUnited the news that the entire original cast of ST: XI will be back in their seats on the Enterprise bridge come 2008. Using the advanced computer graphics work first utilized to de-age Patrick Stewart in X-Men 3, the entire cast of the original Star Trek wi l be de-aged back to a point about ten years before TOS.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up 3/26/07 - 3/31/07
01 April 2007 - Here we are again. It's been another slow week as far as ST:XI news goes, nary a peep from our friends at Paramount, StarTrek.com, or even a slip from J.J. Abrams and his entourage. So this week it comes down to people that want to be involved in Star Trek XI, and even then it's s im pickings. That's alright, we've got many many more months to stretch the news out over. Without any further ado, here's the round-up!
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up 3/17/07 - 3/25/07
26 March 2007 - Well, I’m back from the Caribbean. I’m a little crispy along the edges, but no worse for wear. Lots of reading was done, lots of writing scribed, and sun received. And my DVR is overflowing. Eeep! Tha kfully, this week was a slow week as far as Star Trek: XI is concerned. Yes, I know I told you I’d get this up last night. My flight was canceled and I had to fly into Cleveland – a three hour drive instead of the 15 minute drive to the local (and better and less expensive) airport, so I got back home much later than anticipated. Enough about me, on with the round-up!
|  JJ Abrams - Poll
17 March 2007 Thank you for taking part in last month's poll. We asked you two questions. Have you ever entered the world of Second Life?
27.3% said yes, while 72.7% said no.
We then asked whether the addition of Star Trek to that world would increase the likelihood of you entering?
55.2% said yes, and 44.8% said no.
| Star Trek XI Rumor Round-Up 3/11 - 3/16
Yes, I know, it’s been less than a week since the last rumor round-up, but by golly, I’m going on vacation. I’ll be darned if I’m going to be posting news stories from the middle of the Caribbean (don’t worry, the front page will still be updated). I’ve got an appointment with a pristine stretch of beach and I intent to keep it! Normally I’d submit the rumor report on Saturday night, but since I’ll be well into relaxing by then, I’m doing it now. Next week’s will be delayed until Sunday, hopefully after then we’ll get into a regular routine. On with the round-up!
| ST:XI Rumor Round Up March 4-10
We’ve decided to start issuing a weekly update of the rumors swirling around ST:XI. es, the movie is still 21 months away, but that hasn’t stopped the news media from covering rumors and making up stories. So hopefully every week or so we’ll issue a rumor round up, covering both the credible and not-so-credible rumors. Without further ado, here’s the round up!
| Christmas Day 2008 Release for "Star Trek XI"
The next motion picture of the Star Trek franchise, tentatively titled "Star Trek XI," will begin filming this fall for theatrical release on Chri tmas Day 2008. The official announcement was made today by Paramount Pictures. Last Friday J.J. Abrams, already announced as producer of the project, finalized a deal to also direct the movie. The screenplay, which reportedly will be a prequel revolving around a young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, has been written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who previously collaborated with Abrams on "Mission Impossible III." Kurtzman and Orci will executive produce with Bryan Burk, and Abrams will produce along with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof.
| Trek Poster Revealed - Speculation Begins
As I'm sure many of you have noticed, the first official poster for the next Star Trek film, expected in 2008, has been revealed today at StarTrek.com. With the release of the poster, speculation across the globe has begun as to what the film will actually be about. J.J. Abrams said in a recent interview with TV Guide that the storyline for the movie would be "incredible" and that it wouldn't be "like anything you've seen before." But some fans are still showing concern over the hints suggested by the poster, and worry about the end product.
Obviously, being that this is TrekUnited, many have shown concerns over the fact that this is a prequel, but it is not Enterprise, and while many knew that the film would not be Enterprise orientated, there are those who are disappointed that they did not try to build from the Enterprise storyline.
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"Life forms... You tiny little life forms... You precious little life forms... Where are you?"
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TrekUnited Review: 
