With Thanksgiving Day around the corner, we're giving thanks for some of our favorite actors and filmmakers around MTV HQ all week. Yesterday, we brought you an exclusive interview with "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams and star Chris Pine, who reinvented the science-fiction megafranchise with this year's blockbuster movie.
Here's what Abrams had to say about taking on the daunting task of bringing the "Trek" franchise to a new generation:
MTV: So I am a born and bred Trekkie. I want to thank you on behalf of every "Trek" fan. You made "Star Trek" for the first time cooler than "Star Wars." Would you agree with that?
ABRAMS: You're asking a dangerous question, my friend. I don't know how you respond to that without sounding like a douche bag. Why don't you just put a bull's-eye on my head? You know, making a film knowing there were so many fans out there was nerve-racking. I was behind the camera. Chris, Zach [Quinto], Zoe [Saldana], John [Cho], Simon [Pegg], Karl [Urban] — everyone in front of the camera — they were the ones literally putting themselves out there and asking for it. The fact that we were accepted and helped by [original Spock] Mr. [Leonard] Nimoy building that bridge between what was and what is now, it was incredibly gratifying to see it was well-received.
For the rest of our "Star Trek" interview with J.J. Abrams And Chris Pine, head over to Movies.MTV.com.
FROM MOVIES BLOG: Back in May, J.J. Abrams delighted fans and newcomers alike with his mass audience-friendly (yet still fan-serving) reboot of "Star Trek." It's been a six month wait, but finally we all get to enjoy the movie at home thanks to today's Blu-ray/DVD release. What many people may not realize however, is that the wait could have been longer.
"Trek" was originally set to hit theaters on Christmas Day in 2008. Paramount chose to delay that release to May 2009, which turned out pretty well. Abrams didn't mind either, since it gave him extra time to ensure that the movie would have something for all who might be interested. "We had the luxury of time," he said in a recent interview with MTV's Josh Horowitz. "I would argue that literally the last ten days of our post process we did 30% of the work."
Continue Reading: J.J. Abrams Describes The Cut 'Star Trek' Scene He Would Have Liked To Keep
The last time J.J. Abrams had the Man of Steel on his mind, things didn't exactly work out as planned, but given his resilient career in television and film since 2002, the creator is in a better position than ever to make a hypothetical return to the property. However, despite the support of high-profile fans such as filmmaker Kevin Smith and many in the fan community, at this point, nothing is officially moving forward with Abrams' version of Superman.
"No one has talked to me about it," Abrams told MTV News. "Obviously I’m sure Warner Brothers has a plan for what they want to do."
"Writing that script was a long process," he explained. "It was a very passionate character for me. As a kid growing up it meant a lot to me. It would be wonderful and fun to see that brought back. I don’t know what Warners is thinking or what their plan is. It would be a blast." Read more...
There's a bunch of great comics hitting shelves this week with Hollywood connections, so it was tougher than usual to decide what titles to spotlight. In the end, though, the decision regarding which comic to give the top slot came down to one factor: Khaaaaaaaan!
TOP OF THE STACK: "STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN" #1 -- IDW Publishing corrects a grave injustice this week by kicking off the first comic book adaptation of 1982's "Wrath of Khan" -- a film that many argue is the greatest of the movies to come out of the "Star Trek" franchise. Will Ricardo Montalban look as awesomely '80s in the comic as he did on the screen? Will Pavel Chekov's introduction to the mind-controlling eels be as squirm-inducing on the printed page as it was in live-action? Can the comic truly capture the moment when Admiral James T. Kirk screams Khan's name? Find out this Wednesday! Read more...
Earlier this month, Kevin Smith dropped by Splash Page HQ to chat about his June 17 show at Carnegie Hall, and along with getting the scoop on his upcoming Batman and Green Hornet comics, we also talked movies with the popular director -- specifically, comic book movies. While Smith told MTV News he didn't want to direct any big-screen comic book adaptations himself, he did have some thoughts on who should direct a potential reboot of one superhero franchise he has a lot of experience with: Superman.
Based on 'Star Trek,' I'd hand it to J.J. [Abrams] and say, 'Go!'" Smith told MTV News. "Clearly, the dude knows how to craft a really warm and wonderful piece of mainstream entertainment. And that's what 'Star Trek' is -- it works like crazy as a mainstream movie, and it has warmth." Read more...
It's been nearly a month since J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" made headlines for its impressive opening weekend, but Trekkies old and new still have plenty of unanswered questions when it comes to the rebooted franchise -- especially concerning the reimagined histories of its main characters. In that shared spirit of curiosity, IDW will release a new four-issue miniseries centering on Starfleet's favorite half-Vulcan entitled "Spock: Reflections" beginning in July.
Written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton ("Star Trek: Mirror Images") with art by David Messina ("Star Trek: Countdown"), "Reflections," aims to round out Spock's origins by shedding light on his activities leading up to the events of the film, specifically his childhood on the planet Romulus. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: The first breakout star from this month's blockbuster "Star Trek" reboot is an actor who only appears in the movie's first 10 minutes. Chris Hemsworth, who plays James T. Kirk's heroic but doomed father, has just been cast in the title role of director Kenneth Branagh's highly anticipated Marvel Comics adaptation, "Thor."
The big-budget film about the flying, hammer-wielding Norse god of thunder is set to film in August for a scheduled May 2011 release.
According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, which first broke the news, Branagh and Marvel initially rejected the 25-year-old Hemsworth before giving him a second chance to read for the part. Other actors reportedly up for the role included Alexander Skarsgård ("Generation Kill"), Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") and Hemsworth's young brother Liam ("Knowing").
For more on 'Star Trek' Co-Star Chris Hemsworth Being Cast As 'Thor', head over to Movies.MTV.com.
FROM MTV.COM: Until this weekend, not many among the moviegoing public knew the name Chris Pine, unless you happened to be a fan of films like "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" or the Lindsay Lohan rom-com clunker "Just My Luck." But his turn as young James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot looks to be a star-making move.
And it's not just audiences and critics who are raving about Pine's Kirk and favorably comparing his portrayal to that of original Kirk, William Shatner; Hollywood is taking notice too. Count director Kevin Smith among Pine's growing legion of fans.
"I think what makes that movie work chiefly — aside from, of course, the talents who all came together behind it — is Chris Pine," Smith said when he stopped by the MTV News offices. "That dude is astounding. To be able to invoke Kirk without doing a Shatner impression? That performance was so electric and so wonderful to watch.
For more of Kevin Smith's thoughts on "Star Trek" and Chris Pine, head over to Movies.MTV.com.
FROM MTV.COM: Audiences happily beamed aboard the USS Enterprise this weekend, as Paramount's "Star Trek" took the #1 spot with a stunning debut of $72.5 million. The movie also did an estimated $4 million during Thursday-night preview screenings, bringing its total four-day gross to $76.5 million.
It was also another weekend for breaking records: "Star Trek" had the biggest opening ever for a "Trek" installment, beat "The Dark Knight" record for an IMAX haul (it earned $8 million on the giant screens alone) and is the largest earner yet for the second weekend in May. Paramount and J.J. Abrams are undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief, as many considered a "reboot" of the beloved sci-fi series a very risky prospect. It was feared that the film would misfire with longtime Trek fans and general audiences, but good buzz and positive reviews helped the film win over even the most skeptical moviegoers.
For more on "Star Trek," "Wolverine" and this weekend's box office, head over to Movies.MTV.com.
The summer movie battle officially begins today as the newly released "Star Trek" film fires its photon torpedoes at last week's adamantium-laced "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." But whether the J.J. Abrams-directed science fiction blockbuster sets a course for the top of the box office, there's no denying one place it's boldly going -- towards comic books!
Rumors, fact and history-in-the-making collide both in the new "Star Trek" film and also amongst its talented cast and filmmakers. And since the members of the film's roster have had their fair share of baggage when it comes to the superhero and comic book worlds -- we've compiled a list of some of the paneled-page properties that the "Star Trek" crew members have beamed aboard for! Read more...
