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Written by Administrator on
Sunday, 05 August 2007
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Cast and Crew || Forum || Downloads || Int'l Release Dates || Official Site
 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 |
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