UNITED KINGDOM/FILE: Abrams, hailed as being the saviour of sci-fi in Hollywood, admits that he's not a fan of the genre

Record ID: 645016

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM/FILE: Abrams, hailed as being the saviour of sci-fi in Hollywood, admits that he's not a fan of the genre
  • Date: 8th May 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 04, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR J.J. ABRAMS, SAYING: "We knew that there are these vocal passionate Trek fans and we need to make sure we are addressing and honouring what they love and they know so there was always a balancing act and the way to deal with it was that simply I wasn't a Star Trek fan but the writers were so when we were all happy that was the litmus test."
  • Embargoed: 23rd May 2013 13:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA7XE34MI95S37X9ZKT0YANKZ1R
  • Story Text: As the new crew of the Starship Enterprise sets off into space for a second time, director J.J. Abrams is on a mission to make the latest Star Trek film appeal as much to non sci-fi filmgoers as hardcore fans known as Trekkies.
    Abrams, a prolific director and producer, initially had doubts when asked by Viacom's Paramount Pictures to reboot Star Trek, Hollywood's 12th biggest movie franchise, whose films in 1998 and 2002 struggled to draw crowds.
    He was concerned he was no sci-fi buff and well aware of the cult following of the series created almost 50 years ago by Gene Roddenberry that led to six television series and 10 movies.
    But Abrams proved with the 2009 movie "Star Trek", the 11th Star Trek film, that he could lure a new audience into space, selling about $260 million U.S. tickets although analysts were disappointed at foreign box-office sale of about $130 million.
    He hopes the 3D sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness", will appeal to a broad audience with the Enterprise crew travelling to red-carpet premieres globally to promote the film that opens in Britain on May 9 and the United States on May 17.
    Abrams said he never understood Star Trek as a child so approached sci-fi wanting to tell a good story which could be why he was picked this year by Disney for the next three "Star Wars" movies, the world's third largest movie franchise.

    "The idea was to make a movie that works on its own terms ... This (film) was not meant to be like an in-joke. This is very much for movie goers and not just Star Trek fans," Abrams, 46, told Reuters in an interview.
    Abrams, who created the TV series "Alias" and directed "Mission Impossible III" in 2006, said he had stepped up the pace of Star Trek to appeal to a wider audience.
    He had also focused on the crew's emotions and moral dilemmas to make "an action adventure thriller .. a little more visceral and thrilling".

    "Star Trek Into Darkness" again casts Chris Pine as the womanizing Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, a human-Vulcan obsessed by rules and unable to lie.
    The 23rd century action starts with an attack in London against Starfleet by the one-man killing machine John Harrison played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, best known as detective Sherlock Holmes in the BBC drama series "Sherlock".
    Soon the crew of the Enterprise, including Nyota Uhura played by Zoe Saldana and New Zealander Karl Urban as Bones, are on his tail, encountering old-time foes the Klingons, but things are not all what they seem.
    Critics have not been as glowing in their praise for Abram's second Star Trek movie as for the 2009 film "Star Trek".

    "People are unlikely to charge out of the cinema with quite the same level of glee as they did in 2009; but this is certainly an astute, exhilarating concoction," wrote Andrew Culver in The Guardian.
    Abrams said no official discussions have yet started on a third movie but he would be "love to be in that conversation" if there was the demand for another. However, the confirmation of him directing the new Star Wars film has made him the go-to director for sci-fi movies.
    "I honestly as someone who doesn't necessarily love sci-fi for the sake of sci-fi - if it happens to be a great story that's based in a sci-fi world then great!" admitted Abrams.
    "It's the story that matters to me and the characters. And so I feel very lucky to be involved in these things that are much bigger than any of us, that have pre-existed my involvement for decades so I feel like a very lucky tenant in an existing house... or two houses that I go back and forth between."

    "Star Trek Into Darkness" goes on release internationally from May 9th.
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