FILMEDGE.NET'S MISSION: TREK 2009 STAR TREK NEWS ALERT ARCHIVES — PAGE 2

MISSION: TREK 2009 has the new STAR TREK 30-second TV spot "Dare" which debuted during the Super Bowl broadcast today, now available in our Video Transmissions in three QuickTime HD plus streaming Flash formats.

As fans were hoping, this new high-profile TV teaser for J.J. Abrams' film was a fast-paced preview chock full of never-before-seen shots and action sequences, including this phaser fight (above) with the USS Enterprise. 

The spot focuses mostly on the character of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) with glimpses of his 'entrance' into the story as a Starfleet cadet, as Kirk and others get in a bar brawl.  The bloodied, brash Kirk is confronted by Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), who may well be shaping up as a personal and career mentor for Kirk as he observes: "You've always had a hard time finding your place in this world."  Apparently Pike finds Kirk on the wrong path divergent from his potential, as the mentor challenges the cadet, "You can settle for an ordinary life . . . I dare you to do better."

This challenge is bookended by an opening shot of Kirk exiled on the ice planet, then back home with the familiar shot of Kirk on his future-bike staring up at the Enterprise under construction on Earth.  Even if Kirk cannot see his destiny among the stars when blinded by his personal demons, Pike recognizes the path ahead of Jim.

Next up is a quick shuttlecraft scene in which Kirk seems to meet Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) for the first time, as the brash cadet toasts the doctor with a flask — still the bad boy who seems quite gung ho to get into space.  Put this introduction together with McCoy's line about the dangers of space, and it's clear Kirk and Bones aren't going to be immediate best friends with a gulf of perspective between them.

Among the many new shots seen in this TV spot is an attack on Starfleet Academy (as these crowd panic shots match production reports from last year of Academy personnel wearing these same costumes in a large outdoor location).  We see the Romulan Nero's decalithium drilling rig in orbit over San Francisco, firing down the bright energy beam 'drill' into the bay, causing a dangerous disruption in the water.  We know from Trailer 2 that this 'weapon' is also turned on the Planet Vulcan, threatening to create havoc on Spock's homeworld as well.

After a quick montage of Kirk meeting Uhura (Zoe Saldana) in the earlier bar sequence, and Kirk making a romantic conquest with an unidentified woman (presumed to be an Orion), the TV spot wraps up with another action sequence with Kirk and Sulu (John Cho) engaging in a dangerous sub-orbital freefall dive past Nero's drilling rig in the upper atmosphere — akin to actual military HALO jumps which allow soldiers an untraceable incursion through an enemy's aerial defenses.

A Trailer 2 repeat of Spock attacking Kirk on the bridge in an illogical but dramatically promising moment of anger, and some quick battle shots involving Nero's bizarrely-shaped "organic" ship and a closer fly-by during the attack on the USS Kelvin, and it's a quick zip through the credits marking the end of this half-minute TV teaser.

EASTER EGG ALERT: did you J.J. Abrams fans catch the subtle Easter Egg reference to CLOVERFIELD hidden in the TREK "Dare" ad? A screen grab from the scene is at the left: at the edge of a foggy view near the San Francisco bay area of Starfleet Headquarters, a towering building boasts the name Tagruato, which you may remember as the deep sea drilling company (and makers of Slusho) who unleashed the terror from CLOVERFIELD upon the world.  Look for the building to appear about 20 seconds into the spot, though you'll need to view it in HD to get a clear look at the name (highly contrast enhanced in this image).

I haven't done a scientific survey, but the crowd at my Super Bowl party had good reviews of the TREK spot — certainly the favorite of the several film ads shown during the game.  It looked awesome on a 60" HDTV too , I must say!  But now you can watch and download STAR TREK "Dare" in three sizes of QuickTime HD video plus our streaming Flash version, and watching it repeatedly to your geeky heart's delight . . . now playing in MISSION: TREK 2009 Transmissions.

TrekMovie has good article recapping Majel Barrett Roddenberry's recent memorial service, plus news that a portion of her ashes will accompany those of her husband Gene into space, courtesy of a Celestis Inc. memorial spaceflight planned for 2012. Celestis has also created a website where fans may add their own tributes to Majel and Gene, which will be digitally encoded and sent along with the Roddenberrys on their voyage home to the stars.  TM also offers photos and Majel's tribute video from the service, very much worth checking out.

Paramount Pictures reveals another STAR TREK tie-in partner, Esurance, whose TREK viral promo website launched today. Visitors are immediately treated to a short trailer clip followed by the first behind-the-scenes video offered by Paramount, including interviews with director J.J. Abrams, executive producer Bryan Burk, producer Damon Lindelof, co-writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, plus cast members Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana. Fans also get a chance to win a trip to the STAR TREK premiere by entering a video in the Biggest Trekkie Contest to pitch themselves as the most worthy fan in the galaxy.

Out of This World Content isn't quite so impressive YET, as nearly all the icons and wallpaper are based on previously released images of the USS Enterprise and Kelvin ships, but there is room to grow here.  Esurance engages in some of the TREK fun by teasing Erin's Mission to Delta Vega, presumably a video game based on the insurance company's iconic ad character — alas, her mission has not yet begun but is "Coming Soon."

With more content to follow, be sure to bookmark http://www.esurance.com/startrek for future reference, and MISSION: TREK 2009 will update you on developments when they arise.

MISSION: TREK 2009 reviews the premiere issue of Paramount's official prequel comic Star Trek:Countdown Number One, laying the dramatic foundation of J.J. Abrams' upcoming STAR TREK feature with a backstory involving Nero (Eric Bana) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the 24th century.  An impending disaster endangers the peace now enjoyed in the Romulan Empire, and the unlikely teaming of a Vulcan ambassador and a Romulan space miner may be the solution which can save the planet. This first issue (of four) paints an unexpected biographical portrait of Nero, but one which may well impel him into his antagonistic role as expected in the feature film. How does this backstory set up Abrams' summer blockbuster?  Read our review for a few more details and speculation, and get links to order Issue #1 and the complete four-issue trade paperback.

TrekMovie got an exclusive and detailed preview of the upcoming STAR TREK action figures and sets from Playmates Toys, the first wave of which arrives in stores and online April 19th.  Wave One of the Galaxy Collection 3.75" figures will offer 10 items, all highly detailed, fully-articulated, and come with removable utility belt, Phaser, and standing base.  Each figure comes with a specific Bridge or Transporter Room playset accessory that allows you build out the entire Bridge and Transporter Room playset when you collect all the 3.75” figures.

The 6" Warp Collection action figures more closely resemble their real-life counterparts, are fully articulated and come outfitted with soft uniforms.  NOTE: despite the leaked prototype photo from last week, these figures have flexible PVC shirts and willl not be wearing what appeared to be sweaters knitted by your grandma!  The set includes five figures in their ‘Enterprise Outfit’ (Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Sulu, & Pike), three figures in ‘Cadet Outfit’ (McCoy, Chekov & Uhura), plus ‘Original Spock’ (Nimoy), and Nero.

Get the details on the 12" Command Collection display figures plus photos on the Electronic Phaser, Tricorder, Communicator and Enterprise role play toys over at TM.com now.

TrekMovie has cross-referenced detective new online reports that Paramount will release six STAR TREK feature films and the complete original series on high definition Blu-Ray discs. Here are the very unofficial rumor details:  STAR TREK I through VI will likely be released individually and as a Blu-Ray box set in the US this May, to loosely coincide with the release of Abrams' TREK in theaters.  Each BD disc will offer the original theatrical versions of the films plus new bonus features. Also, CBS may time their Blu-Ray release of TOS-Remastered Season 1 simultaneously this May, with Seasons 2 and 3 to follow later.

Rumors also predict that the BD editions will also include the original broadcast versions, which would be a great motivator to purchase these sets... again.  This might also explain the delay in releasing TOS on Blu-Ray if indeed they upconverted the non-remastered episodes into the high-def format — and I can't help but wonder what those 1960s special effects look like in HD.

MISSION: TREK 2009 will track official releases from Paramount and CBS and publish official box art and disc details when available.  Meanwhile, check out TrekMovie's article for translations from the Norweigian story and larger versions of the unofficial artwork above.

MISSION: TREK 2009 offers two photos from Barack Obama's inauguration yesterday, confirming to Americans and the world that our 44th President does indeed have his eyes on a prosperous future starting Day One:

America boldly goes forward into a new era with a national leader who actually is a TREK fan, and one who enjoys a good sense of humor too.  Logic clearly dictates that you click here to view both photos in full-size images.  MISSION: TREK wishes President Barack Obama all the best as he takes the center seat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

TrekMovie has some rather high quality photos of the three STAR TREK props on display at the CES show in Las Vegas, in multiple angles of Bones' medical tricorder, Kirk's communicator and Uhura's comm earpiece.

Obviously Uhura's prop is the closest to the Original Series design, but then again it couldn't change greatly and still remain a practical prop for actress Zoe Saldana.  Bones' prop is quite a bit larger than expected, and Kirk's communicator looks at bit iPod-ish as one might expect.  The only true test will be to see these props in use by the actors next May.

This update just in to members of the STAR TREK Webmaster Program:

Lenovo, one of the marketing partners on STAR TREK, will be displaying three original props from the upcoming feature film at this year's CES Convention in Las Vegas. Included in this display are Kirk’s Communicator, Uhura’s Communications Unit and Bones’ Medical Tricorder.

Visitors can view these props in front of the AquaKnox restaurant at the Venetian Hotel starting tonight at 6pm (Wednesday, January 7th) through midnight (12am) on Friday, January 9th.

Get full information on the Consumer Electronics Show, opening in Las Vegas this Thursday, and the Venetial Hotel for event details and locations.

Paramount Pictures updated their press site today with an early 2009 Preview of next year's big film titles set for release, including a long-awaited official update on STAR TREK.  Four new high-resolution versions of previously released TREK photos are now available in the MISSION: TREK 2009 Image Library, along with a very slightly revised one-page press release offered below.

NEW ULTRA HI-RES IMAGES OF PREVIOUSLY RELEASED PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

While we've seen these pictures earlier, these massive high-resolution versions are an eyeful to be sure — especially this largest still image of the Enterprise we've ever enjoyed!  Though previous, unofficial comments indicate this shot of the 1701 may not be a final composite shot (word was that the nacelle caps aren't lit as intended, perhaps), but it's still a fantastic close-up look at some of the ship's detailing.

Note: these images are huge, the largest being over 5400 pixels wide!  You'll see the insignia pattern in Spock's uniform amazingly clear and get better looks at the bridge displays and heads-up viewport than ever available.

"STAR TREK" Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Present A Bad Robot Production "Star Trek" Executive Producers Bryan Burk Jeffrey Chernov Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman Produced by J.J. Abrams Damon Lindelof Based upon "Star Trek" Created by Gene Roddenberry Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman Directed by J.J. Abrams Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy Synopsis: From director J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III," "Lost" and "Alias"), producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman ("TRANSFORMERS," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no one has gone before. Release: May 8, 2009 This film has not yet been rated. CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE "Star Trek" is a Paramount Pictures Release

MISSION: TREK 2009 will keep a close eye on all forthcoming press releases from Paramount to keep these high-quality materials in the pipeline to you fans. Enjoy!

In Paramount PIctures' alternate universe of release dates, director J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK would have beamed into theaters this weekend had the film's original premiere date been kept.  Fans old and new were eagerly anticipating the gift of action-packed adventure with the crew of the Enterprise this holiday season — at least until this past February when the studio postponed TREK's theatrical release to this coming May, in light of the fallout from last year's Writers Guild strike which prompted a shortage on 2009's film slate. UPDATE: It looks like STAR TREK may indeed have been fortunate to avoid a Christmas 2008 release, judging from the holiday weekend's box office receipts.  Only one new release, Fox's cute dog comedy MARLEY & ME, cleared the $30 million mark in ticket sales over the long weekend, while the other kid-skewing title, Disney's BEDTIME STORIES, earned just over $28M.  More adult fare such as THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ($26.9M) and Tom Cruise's VALKYRIE ($21M) did bust any city blocks in the five-day Christmas weekend span.  Whether it's a factor of young children driving tickets sales or the tight economy, or both, it appears to be a very good weekend for Paramount not to have entered TREK into the muddled holiday fray at theaters. Paramount move to May 2009 was a disappointing delay, of course, but fans have maintained their interest in TREK as the first official photos appeared along with hints of the story were told by Abrams, co-producer/co-writer Roberto Orci, start Leonard Nimoy and others teased audiences with tantalizing interviews.  The November release of the STAR TREK theatrical trailer created a huge buzz among fans as we finally caught glimpses of Kirk, Spock, Bones and the crew and the Enterprise herself on the big screen. Some fans were stunned by the new look and attitude evident in the trailer, expressing concern that Abrams' film might leave too much of classic STAR TREK behind, and passionate, high-spirited 'canon' debates have ensued.  But MT09 urges fans to pay just as much attention to the subtle hints and unspoken implications woven through these interviews and clips which resonate with the backstory and characterizations of the original series but naturally cannot be explicitly revealed this early. STAR TREK will embody chance as well as continuity, respect for the franchise's rich history as well as boldly venturing forward to tell its own tale in its own time.  Abrams film builds upon the four decade-strong foundation of Gene Roddenberry's original vision and all incarnations of TREK which have followed in his lifetime and after.  Indeed this franchise must evolve and expand to continue presenting a vision of humanity's future, or it will fade away as a pop culture time capsule of our past. Abrams' film from Orci and Alex Kurtzman's script will attract new audiences and challenge existing TREK fans, as it should.  Just as James Kirk and his crew have a mission to explore strange new worlds, so must STAR TREK continue to explore new frontiers of storytelling to fulfill its mission of presenting a modern mythology which inspires and entertains millions who look to the future with wonder and hope. The ship is named Enterprise for a very good reason, as every worthwhile enterprise balances risk with reward to achieve its highest potential.  Boldly it must go forward if we expect to discover anything new in this 40-year trek among the stars. MISSION: TREK 2009 will serve proudly along side all fans as we explore this dramatic new frontier of STAR TREK's future.

For a lighthearted (if not light-headed) bit of fun, UGO offers a poll rating the Top 50 Hottest Women in Sci-Fi and while the poll is hardly scientific, it's worth a look and a few laughs.  Click through the rankings from 50 upward or scan the photo thumbnails for your favorite females of the final frontier and see how they fared. 

Naturally many of the STAR TREK ladies are represented including Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Kirstie Alley as Saavik and other Starfleet alumni... but we're not telling which spots they occupy on the list!  Certainly the STAR TREK studs should get their boldly-going beefcake equal scrutiny to delight female fans, it's only fair!

Director J.J. Abrams released an official note on the STAR TREK Facebook page that he will complete the film very soon:

Dear All Those Who Checked Out the Trek Trailer on Facebook:

THANK YOU!

We're just making final tweaks to the movie -- we should be totally locked next week. Then we're going to flash-freeze it so it's totally fresh for you in May. I can't wait for you to see the movie. The cast is awesome. The action and effects pushed the stunt team and ILM beyond their limits. I'm so grateful to this cast and crew -- and to all of you for your interest and patience. We'll continue to update this page with new info and exclusives, so check back when you think of it. In the meantime, have a happy, healthy, fun holiday!

From the last days of the sound mix,

JJ

All comparisons to fresh-frozen food aside, STAR TREK is soon to be a locked picture and only a week or so later than its originally-planned December 26th release date.  And locked up tight it will need to stay if Abrams and Paramount expect to keep its secrets — not to mention bootleg copies of the film itself — from leaking prematurely!  One can only expect the studio will take extraordinary precautions to keep TREK under wraps for the next five months.

Meanwhile, expect the STAR TREK marketing to ramp up in the new year as this highly anticipated mission of James Kirk and the crew closes in on May 8th, 2009. Stay tuned here at MISSION: TREK 2009 for the latest updates and new pics and videos.

Scoring Sessions.com released some tantalizing tidbits about their visit to the STAR TREK soundtrack recording this autumn with composer Michael Giacchino.  While the details are necessarily few and vague for now, SS promises their full article and interview with Giacchino will publish on their site next spring.  In the meantime, they offer 'courtroom' style sketches of their photo shoot at the Sony Recording Stage, featuring director JJ Abrams and Giacchino along with conductor Tim Simonec, score coordinator Andrea Datzman and sound mixer Dan Wallin.  As you can see, the scoring team literally wore their fondness for TREK on their sleeves, donning uniform tunics as they recorded!   More to follow on Giacchino's new STAR TREK score soon from MISSION:TREK 2009.

MISSION:TREK 2009 is sad to mark the passing of Majel Barrett Roddenberry whose life and career supported nearly every incarnation of STAR TREK from the very beginning over four decades ago. Majel passed away peacefully in her sleep today at her home and in the company of her loved ones.

Wife of TREK creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, Majel's acting career spanned the history of the futurist franchise, debuting as the unnamed first officer in the pilot for STAR TREK, later appearing in the series' recurring role of Nurse Chapel. She continued acting in further extensions of the film and television franchise, most notably as Deanna Troi's mother Lwaxana in ST:THE NEXT GENERATION.

Majel Roddenberry was diagnosed with leukemia six months ago after prior health issues, but had just reprised her other notable role as the iconic voice of the Enterprise computer in director J.J. Abrams' upcoming film reboot STAR TREK, due in theaters May 8, 2009.

Majel was 76 and is survived by her son Eugene (Rod). MT09 sends condolences to the Roddenberry family and salutes Majel Barrett Roddenberry for her dedicated support of STAR TREK and its fans around the world.

TV Guide offers their exclusive interviews with TREK director JJ Abrams plus cast members Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana in this YouTube video segment:

Abrams continues to reveal the game plan for his STAR TREK feature, perhaps stirring up more controversy among long-time fans by saying "It is made for people who may know the series, but it's really made for future fans of STAR TREK, not existing ones."  Abrams also praised the work of Zoe Saldana as Uhura, saying "She's fantastic.  She's always a genius."

Speaking of resident TREK geniuses, Zachary Quinto describes his experience working with Leonard Nimoy as both actors share the role of Spock in two different eras: "I'ts kind of mind-blowing for me.  I'm really fortunate to have Leonard Nimoy really, really involved and really supportive," adding enthusiastically, "you can't really get much more direct than that source."

MISSION:TREK 2009 has the new STAR TREK Character banner and official movie Widget app available for download.  This new banner art is a compilation of the recently released Charcter teaser poster designs featuring the Enterprise crew: Scotty, McCoy, Uhura, Kirk, Spock, Sulu and Chekov.   Grab the new Widget here at News Alerts or visit Downloads to see all recent additions.

MISSION:TREK 2009 has learned that director J.J. Abrams' reboot adventure of STAR TREK will get a limited release in the ultra-large high definition IMAX format, coinciding with the worldwide theatrical release of the film on May 8, 2009.  While reports continue to confirm that Abrams did not shoot any scenes of TREK natively in the IMAX format, the feature will be digitally remastered in the high-def image and audio format for release in select IMAX theaters.  Read the full press release below for more details:

PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ STAR TREK TO BE RELEASED AS IMAX® MOVIE MAY 8, 2009 J.J. Abrams’ Vision of the Greatest Space Adventure of All Time to Run in Select IMAX Theatres LOS ANGELES, CA, December 12, 2008 – Paramount Pictures and IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams (“Mission: Impossible III”, "Lost" and "Alias”), will be simultaneously released to both IMAX® and conventional theatres worldwide on May 8, 2009. Star Trek, which chronicles the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members, will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Paramount Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide. Star Trek is one of the world’s most successful science fiction entertainment series and media franchises. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek phenomenon has lead to six television series, ten feature films, dozens of computer and video games, hundreds of novels and fan stories, as well as a themed attraction in Las Vegas. Star Trek has also inspired a following of millions of “Trekkies” of all ages that span across the globe. “We’re excited to share the enhanced IMAX version of this film with the millions of dedicated fans who have been anticipating this release since production began,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman, Paramount Pictures. “The IMAX Experience adds that extra level of excitement to an already action-packed film, giving moviegoers a premium ‘event’ at the multiplex.” Added J.J. Abrams, “I’m thrilled that audiences will be able to experience this new, epic world of Star Trek – with an incredible cast and mind-blowing visual effects – on what is, obviously, the most remarkable film format in the world.” “Star Trek combines top Hollywood story-telling talent with space exploration, and each is very conducive to The IMAX Experience,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “Expanding our relationship with Paramount Pictures to include this film strengthens our 2009 slate, and with the continuing rollout of digital IMAX theatre systems, we will be able to offer the fan-base more locations to experience the epic first journey of the USS Enterprise in the most immersive way.” “Both Star Trek and IMAX have taken audiences to far away places they would normally not be able to go, and in this case, it’s space – the final frontier,” added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “J.J. Abrams has created a powerful movie that has fans worldwide feverishly anticipating its release. We are thrilled to partner with Paramount Pictures to bring J.J.’S exciting vision of this incredible space adventure to IMAX screens.” From director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci ("Transformers," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before. Star Trek explores the early Starfleet careers of future Enterprise officers Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekhov (Anton Yelchin). A Romulan, Nero (Eric Bana), and a much older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are influences, as well as Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), the first captain of the USS Enterprise. About IMAX Corporation IMAX Corporation is one of the world’s leading entertainment technology companies, specializing in immersive motion picture technologies. The worldwide IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event Hollywood films around the globe, with IMAX theatres delivering the world’s best movie presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX® 3D, and IMAX DMR, technology. IMAX DMR is the Company’s groundbreaking digital re-mastering technology that allows it to digitally transform virtually any conventional motion picture into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience. IMAX’s renowned projectors display crystal-clear images on the world’s biggest screens, and the IMAX brand is recognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive entertainment experiences for consumers. As of September 30, 2008, there were 320 IMAX theatres operating in 42 countries. IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, IMAX® MPX®, and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be found at www.imax.com.

MISSION:TREK 2009 has just linked up to the revised STAR TREK theatrical trailer now revealing our first look at Leonard Nimoy as the elder Spock.  Watch and download this new version in QuickTime 480p/720/1080p High Definition resolution!

MISSION:TREK 2009 has just uploaded the new STAR TREK theatrical trailer playing in theaters, plus provides links where you can watch and download the trailer in multiple sizes including 480p/720/1080p High Definition resolution!

MISSION:TREK 2009 updates, articles, photos and downloads are now available at our official Facebook page now online, complimenting our popular MySpace profile bringing you all the latest on STAR TREK.

MISSION:TREK 2009 reviews the new STAR TREK trailer which debuted today in (many but not all) U.S. theaters showing QUANTUM OF SOLACE, and which will become available online this Monday morning.  Due to an in-depth discussion of potential plot spoilers, readers will need to take this link to the MT09 review of the TREK trailer, in fairness to fans who want as many story surprises preserved as possible.  MISSION:TREK 2009 will provide links and files of the new trailer as soon as it's available online!

MISSION:TREK 2009's roving reporter at Comic-Con offers this quote summarizing the comments of STAR TREK's director J.J. Abrams and co-prodcers/writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman:

Abrams very eloquently explained that they only have completed 70 of the over 1000 visual effects shots required, and he'd love to show even just those, but they would not make sense as the effects are not finished in sequence with the film. 

They confirm the film still proceeds on the timetable as if the release date were this December, regardless that the release date is now May 2009.  Even so, it the does not make sense to rush a trailer with the long time still remaining before release. 

Abrams also made a great observation: the original series with it's low budget for special effects still succeeded because it was about characters and story first.  Even though this film has lots of effects with many green screen shots left to complete, what he has seen has been great without finished visual effects and he knows they got it right.

Late this week, the official STAR TREK movie website revealed a new white design, adding a batch of new official wallpaper and chat icon downloads based on the four new character design posters.  These poster designs were revealed in a TrekMovie.com article about the upcoming Entertainment Weekly preview issue, featuring the first look at the giveaway posters to debut at Comic-Con this coming week as we look ahead to the new STAR TREK next summer!

Be sure to check out the four new official STAR TREK character designs, now offered onilne both in our Downloads section and at the official movie website.

To my website readers, fellow fans and the STAR TREK movie team: my apologies for the lack of recent updates to this website.  A family illness and lack of available time have forced me to suspend updating MISSION: TREK 2009 for a while now.  In a way, this pause coincided with a rather lacking period of officially-released news on J.J. Abrams' film, which continues in post-production editing and creation of visual effects shots at ILM — so while news certainly continued, the 'big breaks' have been few and far between. I had also planned to attend Comic-Con this week to cover the event for our parent website FilmEdge.net, even though Paramount and J.J. Abrams confirmed that the studio wouldn't have official panel presence at the convention.  Alas, those plans have been sidelined as well — but if anyone wants to nab one of the new characters for me, just send me an email and I'd appreciate it!

My personal situation continues, but I will try to do a better job of updating this site when I can — starting with the news of a design update to official STAR TREK movie website and new character designs for teaser posters and official wallpaper downloads.

So I ask that you please be patient with me while I attempt to juggle family, work and website scheduling, and I thank you for your patience and continued support of MISSION: TREK 2009.

While composer Michael Giacchino has yet to begin work on his score for J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK (according to a TrekMovie report), fans of Giacchino's film work can now dowload his thrilling "Roar" Overture from this January's monster hit CLOVERFIELD.

The news gets better as his full-length 12:15 overture is available on iTunes, offering fans their first chance to hear Giacchino's composition unedited in all its Gotham-stomping glory!  Trust me, it's fantastic and entirely worth the special EP price of $1.99.

Meanwhile, Giacchino had this to say about the daunting task of scoring the new STAR TREK film for longtime collaborator Abrams, and how the composer holds the previous iconic film scores in such high regard:

At this point still pretending that I don’t even have to write it. Because talk about things that you love, another one of those things was STAR TREK for me. It is very daunting. It is a big hill for me. Because James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith in particular are two guys who I have enormous respect for and I am huge fans of theirs. Of course I would listen to STAR TREK MOTION PICUTRE soundtrack and STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN endlessly as a kid and to be here on the verge of starting work on this with JJ is very scary.

Having finished his work on SPEED RACER, we now wish Michael the best of luck creating a bold new score for STAR TREK.

CBS and Paramount officially released information on Season Two of STAR TREK The Original Series Remastered, along with a features list and an exclusive look at the box art by TVShowsOnDVD.com.

STAR TREK Season Two Remastered will be released on August 5, 2008 and only in a standard DVD edition.  Currently there is no release date for what is the expected Blu-Ray high definition edition of this second season.  The DVD set will include 8 discs with a total running time of nearly 22 hours of program material.  As with the previous Season One edition, the classic TREK episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ration, with enhanced 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound English soundtrack, with French and Spanish mono tracks and English, Spanish and French subtitles.

All 26 episodes of Season Two have been remastered for enhanced picture clarity, restored original images and new computer graphic special effects shots. The list of Special Features includes: more of Billy Blackbur's never-before-seen Home Videos, nine making-of featurettes, plus two bonus Tribble episodes from the Animated Series ("More Tribbles, More Trouble") and Deep Space Nine ("Trials and Tribble-ations").   Original preview trailers for every episode round out the box set, along with four more collectible cards similar to those included in Season One.

MISSION: TREK 2009 has added a third page of new photos to our continually expanding photo gallery of our coverage from this past weekend's GRAND SLAM XVI Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank.  This latest batch of pictures offer some close-ups of Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto on-stage — so close you can even see how much Zach's eyebrows have grown back from their Vulcan look!


Also see TrekMovie.com's Anthony Pascale hosting the Q&A session with STAR TREK co-writer and executive producer Bob Orci.  Be sure to read Orci's extended comments and quotes from this discussion in Monday's news article below.

I still have plenty more photos to add to our GRAND SLAM gallery, to check back at our site soon for new updates including STAR TREK: VOYAGER's Roxann Dawson and Spike himself, actor James Marsters from BUFFY/ANGEL fame.

VIEW FULL SIZE IMAGES IN OUR GRAND SLAM XVI PHOTO GALLERY HERE

As promised, our coverage of this past weekend's GRAND SLAM XVI Sci-Fi Summit continues with more in-depth discussions from actors Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto plus STAR TREK co-writer and executive producer Roberto Orci.

Bob Orci appeared first on Sunday's full slate of celebrities, providing more detail about the genesis and creative mindset of Paramount's re-imagining of the STAR TREK franchise. While the entire creative team are fans of TREK in varying degrees of experience and knowledge, Orci restated that he and producer Damon Lindelof were the most well-versed in the franchise, with director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Alex Kurtzman being identified more as STAR WARS experts — executive produer Bryan Burk served as the de facto referee in any fanboy clashes.

In any case, Orci and Kurtzman were approached while the duo were in the middle of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III by a Paramount executive who asked if they'd be interested in writing a new TREK film.  Naturally they were enthused about the prospect, but a good portion of time elapsed before the potential project moved forward.  Orci told attending fans that in his and Kurtzman's story concept, Leonard Nimoy's participation was essential.  They presented the idea to Nimoy who received it well and said they should develop it into a script. 

Orci stated flatly to fans that if Nimoy had declined to participate, they "would have had to reconceive the entire story if Leonard had not participated."  This makes it clear that Nimoy's older Spock must play a significant role in this new TREK story.  Indeed, it was written as an "appropriate transfer of the soul of STAR TREK through Leonard Nimoy," and Orci confirmed that Nimoy's role in the film is definitely "not a cameo."  This should put to rest some fan ideas of Nimoy simply appearing in bookend scenes while thinking back on his Starfleet career and service aboard the Enterprise — Nimoy's Spock will play a central role in this new film's plot and action.

Of course, Zachary Quinto's younger Spock will figure centrally in STAR TREK as well. The HEROES actor praised the script and its writers for creating such a deep role: "Bob and Alex did such a wonderful job defining the character" of Spock. When a fan question prompted discussion of how Quinto's evil character Sylar in HEROES might relate to how he played Spock, the actor responded cryptically that "both characters recognize dualities in a really interesting way."  Might this imply that Quinto's version of Spock to play in the story might be slightly less settled in his non-emotional, logical personality? 

As for the story and film itself, Kurtzman and Orci's script emphasizes the practicality and believability of the future they present, as both felt STAR TREK has always done.  Orci explains: "We want it to feel like you might live long enough to see this."  Also the creative team intends to keep their TREK real in terms of the franchise's history and canon of facts and events.  As noted in our earlier report, Orci proudly claimed, "You will never be able to say any changes you see were inspired by ignorance" of TREK history, and any alternatives to TREK canon will at least be inspired by the canonical fact they involve.

Bob Orci also spoke a bit about two major influences which prompted J.J. Abrams to not only produce STAR TREK but direct it himself: these are his wife Katie and cinematic marvel Steven Spielberg.  Abrams' wife was crucial in convincing J.J. that women could still find TREK of interest, which was a concern of the director's in even producing the film.  Orci avowed that "STAR TREK has always appealed to women.  This [film] is about getting all the women STAR TREK didn't appeal to" and welcome them into this universe as well.  At the same time, Spielberg was impressed by the script when Orci and Kurtzman showed it to him during their work on TRANSFORMERS.  Speaking of that franchise, as already reported on this website Sunday night, Orci confirmed that his and Kurtzman's first draft of TRANSFORMERS 2 was completed this past Friday, and the writer hinted that you can expect at least one juicy TREK reference in this robo-centric sequel.

In his Q&A hosted by TrekMovie.com's Anthony Pascale, Bob Orci addressed fans' concerns about the airtight secrecy about TREK and answered why the studio and production team have revealed little more than teaser details so far: "The secrecy is to protect your own experience of it," a concept even more important given TREK's relocated theatrical release from December 2008 to May of 2009. 

When Leonard Nimoy took the stage, after the ovations died down, Nimoy quickly set his positive tone of praise for his experience on the new TREK film: "This is big. In fifty-eight years in motion pictures, I have never been involved with anything this size and scope. And at the same time, great performances by wonderful, wonderful people. So great script, great director, great cast: you have every reason to be excited." 

Prompted by fans, Nimoy also addressed related to TREK history and why William Shatner would not be appearing in Abram's new film.  Nimoy lamented the "gratuitous" death which Captain Kirk suffered in GENERATIONS, admitting "I didn't think his death was a terribly important death in terms of his character."  In the end, the circumstances of Kirk's eventual demise presented too many problems for the screenwriting team to overcome, and so it simply wasn't possible for Shatner to make a return.  Nimoy confided that he's talked to Shatner about it lately and he's finally come to grips with his unfortunate exclusion from this story. 

Quinto echoed this sentiment on the same topic, stating that to shoehorn an appearance by the original Kirk into the story was "not fair to fans, not fair to the franchise to include William Shatner in a way that's not organic" to the story.

Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto and Roberto Orci all expressed boundless enthusiasm for this new STAR TREK film in their appearances at GRAND SLAM this past weekend. Indeed, the event was truly a passing of the torch, both from Nimoy to Quinto as the new caretaker of the Spock character, as well as the starting point for a new generation of TREK fans while welcoming veteran Trekkers everywhere into this crew's new adventure.  With just about twelve months of anticipation before us, this latest TREK adventure has only just begun!

MISSION: TREK 2009 will continue reporting STAR TREK breaking news and updates as they happen, and we'll be expanding our photo gallery from GRAND SLAM XVI all week long, so stay tuned for much more to come!

Creation Entertainment's GRAND SLAM XVI Sci-Fi Summit brought out the big guns in Sunday's finale as the two Spocks from J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK feature film appeared solo then together on stage: veteran actor Leonard Nimoy and his new Vulcan protoge Zachary Quinto!  This was an historic pairing and as Nimoy himself put it, a "passing of the torch" of Spock to Quinto.


Mr. Nimoy once again expressed his enthusiasm and support for this new start in the franchise with this telling quote: "You know we have STAR TREK: INSURRECTION?  This film will be STAR TREK: RESURRECTION." 

How did Nimoy feel when Zachary Quinto was cast to play the younger Spock in Abrams' new film?  When shown film of Quinto's work, Nimoy said, "I saw the resemblance but I saw something more important: talent."  When a fan asked if Nimoy would be sad to reliquish his iconic role, the elder Spock also expressed his philosophy of Quinto taking over, saying "it feels like a continuation, not a loss."

Quinto's solo comments on stage further expressed the two Spocks are logically of one mind on the subject.  While Zachary can't say much about his approach to playing Spock, he provided a glimpse of insight as it relates to a question asked about Gene Roddenberry's positive outlook on the future: "Spock is always looking for a way to evolve in a responsible way."


STAR TREK co-writer Bob Orci appeared before Quinto in a Q&A session hosted by TrekMovie.com's own Anthony Pascale.  Unfortunately Orci's scripting partner Alex Kurtzman was forced to cancel his schedule apperance in the panel due to a family commitment.  When asked how the 'fanboy' divisions influenced the creative team — Kurtzman and Abrams being better versed in STAR WARS while Orci and co-producer Damon LIndelof being avid Trekkers — Orci got quick support from the audience by interjecting with "STAR TREK was here first!" 

With Abrams' film being the most expensive TREK film ever made in the franchise, Orci explained how their mission was to "bring scale to STAR TREK without cheapening it," confirming that action and scale can still make "a great STAR TREK story."  Bob Orci also confirmed the film was made with a PG-13 rating in mind, confiding he "believes it will create a whole new generation [of fans], but is not primarily aimed at children" either.

Still Orci said the main challenge for he and Kurtzman in writing the script was "how do we introduce STAR TREK to a new audience without boring true fans?"  In this regard, prompted by Pascale's parallel discusion about Orci and Kurtzman's work jumpstarting the TRANSFORMERS film franchise, Orci made one comparison between the two projects: "STAR TREK and TRANSFORMERS are both reintroductions to the audience, but STAR TREK is more complicated due to its more serious history."

Orci also confirmed that he and co-writer Alex Kurtzman have finally been set free from 'Michael Bay jail' — the duo finished the first draft of their TRANSFORMERS 2 script this past Friday.

MISSION: TREK 2009 isn't done with our Grand Slam XVI coverage yet!  There are still plenty more new photos to reveal and extended movie news to report in the next few days, so please stay tuned to this site for more updates on Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, Bob Orci and more STAR TREK news on the way!

VIEW FULL SIZE IMAGES IN OUR GRAND SLAM XVI PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Saturday's GRAND SLAM XVI lineup opened in the morning with a photo essay 'STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE - Behind a Camera From  Behind a Camera' featuring pictures taken from the production crew itself, documenting with image and humor the making of the most recent TREK television series.  STARGATE fans got a treat next with the appearance of actor David Palffy who played SG-1's Anubis/Sokar.  James Marsters (Spike from BUFFY and ANGEL) inspired long lines of autograph-seeking fans at midday as well.


Then STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION's own Data, actor Brent Spiner, regaled the audience with over a half-hour of humorous and revealing stories from his TREK experiences and many other theatrical and film projects. Brent shared details about his many faceted career including his role as John Adams in the musical production 1776, joked about his typecasting as a scientist (not an android in his current film SUPERHERO - a predicament he comically blames on INDEPENDENCE DAY, and his current audition for an improvised comedy series.

Spiner also spoke about his STAR TREK series and film work, crediting a good portion of his success as Data to the writers and the audience, who he says did a lot of the work for him. He also explained that the end of TNG wasn't as sad as fans might expect, since the cast began work on ST: GENERATIONS a week later. Brent also confided that while NEMESIS was far from a perfect film, he personally ranks it above INSURRECTION and perhaps as good as GENERATIONS, giving FIRST CONTACT the top ranking of the NEXT GENERATION film series. Brent Spiner's enthusiasm and energy inspired many fan questions and much laughter, a highlight of the day.

Saturday afternoon brought the reunion of Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst (HERCULES) next, followed by BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's own Lieutenant Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, actress Grace Park. Later James Marsters made his auditorium debut discussing his past work as Spike in BUFFY and ANGEL, along with current appearances in SMALLVILLE, TORCHWOOD and the upcoming film DRAGONBALL.   This led into a SMALLVILLE Super Panel with actors Aaron Ashomore, Laura Vandervoort, Erica Durance and Phil Morris to round out the afternoon's appearances.

Sunday has a full slate of STAR TREK fare for fans, highlighted with the appearance of the Two Spocks, actors Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy from director J.J. Abrams' upcoming feature film. Also, the movie's writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will appear in a Q&A session which we hope will yield some good STAR TREK news to break to you fans. So check back at MISSION: TREK 2009 for our latest photos, news updates and more as GRAND SLAM XVI wraps up with a great finale slate of stars!

VIEW FULL SIZE IMAGES IN OUR GRAND SLAM XVI PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Friday's 'playing hookey' lineup opend the GRAND SLAM XVI Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank with plenty of vendors offering collectibles and celebrity photos to convention guests before host Andy Malin and the guest speakers opened the half-day kick off.

A brief music video tribute to STAR TREK and audience trivia contest started  the event before actor Tom Lenk (BUFFY and ANGEL) took the stage and fan questions about the popular supernatural series.  Lenk was followed by VOYAGER's Tuvok, actor Tim Russ, who spoke of his VOYAGER experiences and his latest projects including one of this recent short independent films, a comedy satire about 'Super Heroes.'


STAR TREK alumni Suzie Plakson, Max Grodenchik, Vaughn Armstrong and Salome Jens starred in the 'Working on Star Trek' panel, sharing their experiences in ST: THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE and ENTERPRISE.  Quite a few 'fond' remembrances of the long hours and heavy makeup were a common bond among the actors, inspring some good natured laughs with the audience.

The grand guest speaker finale of the day was the original STAR TREK's lovely Lieutenant Uhura herself, Nichelle Nichols. The classic cast member shared a heartwarming story of how she almost resigned from the series after the first season, but a fateful and fortunately encounter with a "fan of STAR TREK," none other than Dr. Martin Luther King, changed her mind.  King urged Ms. Nichols to stay on the series, which was portraying a black character so far ahead of their time in the 1960s and, as he put it, would "change the face of television forever."  Nichelle Nichols couldn't argue with his assessment and of course stayed on with the crew of the Enterprise for its three-season run on televsion, and the ensuing forty-year journey in feature films and fan praise ever since!

A brief presentation by NASA Representative Angelle Tanner capped off the afternoon along with the final authograph session of the day with Nichelle Nichols. Friday night, the Celebrity Cabaret took center stage, feature five musical acts including Nichelle Nichols, Tim Russ and the Tim Russ Trio, Suzie Plaskon, Vaughn Armstrong and Max Grodenchik.

The GRAND SLAM action resumes Saturday morning with scheduled guests David Palffy (STARGATE SG-1), James Marsters (BUFFY), Brent Spinder (ST:TNG), Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst (HERCULES), Grace Park (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) and a SMALLVILLE Super Panel. MISSION: TREK 2009 will continue reporting from the event all weekend long, so stay tuned right here!

VIEW FULL SIZE IMAGES IN OUR GRAND SLAM XVI PHOTO GALLERY HERE

CONTINUE TO NEWS ALERTS ARCHIVE — PAGE 3