We’re gonna set it straight, this neonate film series of all new Trek adventure with our ill communication about Star Trek 2009!
New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz returns to the show this week to talk about the film series that turned Trek into a blockbuster and introduced a whole new generation to the adventures of Kirk and crew. When Romulus is destroyed at the end of the 24th century, the vengeful Nero is thrown into an alternate 23rd century, where his rampage takes the life of George Kirk. Now, George’s son Jim will have to overcome his personal flaws and realize his destiny to take command of the USS Enterprise to save Earth and the Federation!
As the TNG series of films wound down at the box office, Paramount returned to a question that had plagued the studio for over 20 years: “How could you ever recast Captain Kirk?” To finally answer that question, they turned to genre tv and film wunderkind JJ Abrams to give the familiar characters and world of Star Trek a makeover for the new millennium. The result was a zippy and stylish film that eschewed almost 50 years of continuity to instead boil the characters of Kirk, Spock, et al. to their essential qualities. The result was a reinvigoration of the Trek film franchise and a welcoming of the often niche property into the fraternity of cinematic popcorn blockbusters. In the first half of our conversation about Star Trek 2009, we talk about the process behind reimagining the franchise for a new audience, interfacing with nostalgia, the “Wars-ening” of Star Trek, the previous attempts to reboot the franchise, Abrams as a director, the film’s exemplary casting, and the importance of a memorable score.
We also discuss built-in doomscrolling, Medea Goes to Qo’nos, spacing in comfort, avoiding “the chompers”, rotoscoping Spock, wife vs. Spielberg, the Raimi Trek that never was, mining torpedoes, missing Remans, replicator questions, the lonely French horn in space, a different kind of cantina scene, the Shatnerverse, Kirk’s “Maverick moment”, and 721 lens flares!
Reverse the curse!
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Listen to “Season 7, Episode 11 “Star Trek” with Alan Gratz, Part 1″ on Spreaker.