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J.J. Abrams Spills on Star Trek 2, Mission: Impossible 4, and Fringe

Posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 by Devindra Hardawar

At a recent press conference held to celebrate the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of Star Trek, J.J. Abrams was on hand to chat about his upcoming projects. There were the requisite Star Trek 2 questions (3-D anyone?), and he also talks a bit about Mission: Impossible 4 and Fringe. Several questions focused on Leonard Nimoy’s involvement in these future projects, one of which seems particularly surprising.

Abrams was unsurprisingly coy about details on his Star Trek sequel. There wasn’t anything concrete, but Abrams did mention that he’s excited about working with his Trek universe’s alternate timeline, and that he’ll continue to aim at a storyline that has more mass appeal. The latter certainly worked out well for him the first time around, and I would argue that being a bit too focused on the die-hard Trek fans was one of the many elements that led to the franchise’s staleness in the past decade.

When asked about doing the film in 3-D, Abrams mentioned that he’s looking at the technology after being wowed by Avatar footage. The idea was apparently brought up for the first Trek film, but he was terrified at dealing with something so new on his second feature film.

Leonard Nimoy’s involvement was also brought up for Star Trek 2, but since they’re still so early on with the story he’s not sure if there will be a need for Nimoy to reappear. Abrams did confirm that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Nimoy in Fringe.

When asked if Nimoy could potentially reprise his original Mission: Impossible TV series role (as master of disguise, “The Amazing Paris”) in MI:4, Abrams replied:

How cool would that be? I just got a call that Peter Graves is in great shape, which would be a very bizarre bend in the space-time continuum, for obvious reasons. I almost feel like you could make him serious again and bringing him back. Whether it’s Nimoy, who I have an incredible affinity for, or Graves, or anyone, we’ll see.

I for one would love to see Nimoy kicking ass in Abram’s M:I universe, and the addition of Peter Graves certainly wouldn’t hurt either.

You can read a transcript of the event over at Collider, which includes more Fringe, and Star Trek tidbits.

Discuss: What do you think Star Trek 2 should be about? Would the addition of Nimoy make you more excited for Mission: Impossible 4?

Photo via Esquire

Comments

Randy Silver

Are you kidding?

The sequel should be Kirk and crew vs. the Tholians! Enough Romulans and Klingons. Secondly, the Enterprise and her crew really need to be vulnerable this time around- - - Star Trek was great, but RAISE THE STAKES- - - I want to be on the edge of my seat, not just in awe with the special effects.

-Q-

They could have done this "Reboot" without mucking up the timeline! As a Treker who came into Trek in the movies & TNG I kinda tried to ignore the original series anyway (The special effects were horrable, Klingons looked like Mexicans, story lines were usually cheesy, really just not worth the time!) These new movies could have just played like prequels to the movies, then they could have gone into the old movies and updated the special effects and ships w/ new CGI Enterprise! Destroying Vulcan just killed everything that came before it! Movies, TNG, DS9, Voyager, hell the only series left intact is the one everyone hated, Enterprise, because it happened before Kirk & Co.!!! Paramount should have put me at the helm of Star Trek I would have done the same thing without rapeing everthing else Star Trek!

woof

It seems quite a few posters here don't understand the concept of a time line.

The whole point of having an alternate time line, is that the other time lines never happened, AS FAR AS YOUR TIME LINE IS CONCERNED.

Nothing about any of the other series' is changed by this. Because they are completely separate worlds and have nothing to do with each other.

rick diamond

well, since in the first Star Trek(remake) time has been altered, hence different outcome are most certainly due in comparison to the earlier version of Star Trek. doing a wraith of khan remake wouldnt be the most logical reprise. yet at the same time this opens the door for so many other possibilites. what if there happens to be a different outcome when dealing with the Klinons? or what if Vigor would be discovered in the second movie instead of the first? 'imaginationis more important than knowledge." -einstein-

chris

They should find Abraham Lincoln in space again, but this time the alien imposters want to take over Earth. mooowahahahaha.

harrygeorgatos

In mission 4 bring back Peter Graves, Martin Landau and Leonard Nimoy. I know Jim Phelps was killed off in mission 1. It was paying disgusting disrespect to fans of the tv show by turning Jim into a post-cold war villian and murderer. Just pretend mission 1 never existed and include the original cast in a mindbending new mission movie. The 3 previous mission movies had boring and crappy IMF operations that bored a lot of people without understanding the IMF mechanics of the tv show. This time I hope J J will bring the complex spy mythology of ALIAS and LOST!

Krazy Joe

Star Trek 12.

Star Trek "2" came out in 1982. The next film is the 12th.

You're a respected movie news site. You saound foolish when you call it 'Star Trek 2'.

Devindra Hardawar

Nobody is calling it Star Trek 12 Krazy Joe. Abrams rebooted the franchise, and it will be a sequel to his "Star Trek". Does anyone call the Dark Knight "Batman 6"?

michaeldance

For me, Star Trek is always at best when it's boldly going where no one has gone before. So send them into the deep reaches of space, way out of their comfort zone, discover some kind of awesome time-bending alien race that the Federation's never seen before.

Delta_Assault

"There wasn’t anything concrete, but Abrams did mention that he’s excited about working with his Trek universe’s alternate timeline, and that he’ll continue to aim at a storyline that has more mass appeal."

If the sequel has the Klingons with some big doomsday weapon attacking Earth, I'm going to throw rocks at the screen.

M

What really gets me excited for MI4 is Thomas Cruise.

wazuu

This is all pretty cool but what about cloverfield 2? :(

GD

When J.J. Abrams is talking about "a very bizarre bend in the space-time continuum, for obvious reasons"? Does he that fact that Peter Graves played the Jim Phelps character in the M:I TV series in the 1970's and Jon Voight played the same 'named' character in the 1996 movie?

filmizle1

it should have Khan allied with lots and lots of Klingons....with a some tribbles mixed in there

tysonatthemovies

Patrick Stewart and the Cast of TNG would be way fucking better than any of this alternate universe bull shit.

-Q-

I think Q and TNG crew should go back in time to fix the destruction of Vulcan!!! WTF how can you just destroy one of the Federation's biggest allies?!? And what of Tuvok chances are his family was killed when Vulcan was destroyed!... Not fair to Voyager fans... Hell not fair to Next Gen timeline fans at all!!!

Tetsuo_Man

Somewhat agree.... Besides First Contact, I don't think they ever got their due on film. Bring em back and film something before Nemesis (aka.. Data dieing) and make the best film ever.

Slatters

Ahahaha.

EvanJDeBiase

He should create a new villain for the next star trek, because thats the weakest part of trek. And he should definitely keep Nimoy out of ST2 and MI:4, because he's wicked old and its not like he's good for the movies, its just J.J. doing Leonard a favor.

Jamie

He was wowed by the Avatar footage? I thought the trailer looked like trash.

I personally hope they keep Nimoy and Shatner OUT of these movies. I mean, a flashback (or flash forward) would be nice, but no mre then 2 minutes of screen time for each.

Dangeresquetoo

Did you see the Imax 3-d free 15?

Devindra Hardawar

Abrams probably caught the 20 mins of so of Avatar footage in 3-D. Trust me, the trailer does not compare.

Frederik

But did you see the trailer in 3D?

Didn't think so :)

freevideoblog

Cant wait for a second Trek from him

will1138

Just go for something new. They've got something good on their hands, no need to recycle old plotlines.

greggorybasore

I hope the comment about going for mass appeal means that we wont be seeing Kahn in the sequel. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a 3rd or 4th movie, but I'd rather see more new stuff.

bluescreenoflife

1. Rogue Romulans
2. Something unexpected like Enterprise vs. natural phenomena
3. Khan played by Naveen Andrews
4. Borg

Tetsuo_Man

I agree completely with all of that being in one film. It's like Spiderman... he's never facing one villain, he's facing like 6 at the same time (which is why Sam Raimi needs to just throw everything into one film and have it be a total badass total nonstop rumble!!!!). If there are klingons, Kahn, blackholes (again), AND OMG BORG!!!, the film would literally blow my mind. It would be too cool for school... too legit so it must quit... too awesome. DO IT ABRAMS!!!!

bluescreenoflife

The numbers I wrote were actually supposed to signify consecutive movies, not a checklist for Star Trek 2.

jrice73

Okay, that would get me on board for a Khan film if Naveen Andrews signed on to do it. Terrific actor with a great range and he would make a formidable Khan.

Delta_Assault

He's seeking revenge cause Kirk killed his wife Nadia?

eschenfelder

Nimoy and Graves back in action?
YEAH!

I want to see Nimoy with a machine gun, some cynical phrase on his lips and Graves beating the shit out of someone.
Great. Where's Mickey Rooney, I heard he is fit too!

Henry

Abrams makes cool stuff, but if everything he touches has an alternate time line it's going to get really old fast.

Alternate time lines so far:

Lost
Fringe
Star Trek

And now MI4?

Solid

I'm still iffy on the idea of spock not suppressing his emotions anymore. I think Quintos as a new spock worked better than whatshisname trying to outshatner shatner which is completely impossible. Still they worked well together and more adventures with them would be really cool. Less aping star wars hoth scenes please and less lense flare too. Make the next one more serious.

greggorybasore

wait lens flares? I must have missed those where were they?

bluescreenoflife

When I watched the film with my parents, it was the second time watching it for me. My mom is a bit more of a trekkie than my dad, as she watched TOS when it was on air, and watched a lot of TNG with my two older sisters when I was too young to appreciate it.

After the credits rolled we spent like 15 minutes talking about all the awesome big things and little things about the movie, and I brought up the lens flares...

"So a lot of people complained that even though it looked cool, there were too many lens flares in this movie."

"Too many what?"

"Lens flares, you know like in a scene on the bridge, it cuts to Spock and theres a big glare from a bright light going across the screen?"

"Oh, I just thought that was the style Abrams was going for."

And then we talked about how amazing the casting was for another 10 minutes.

Lance_HBomb

No one noticed the lens flare except people who were looking for them.

Dr_Gonzo

Enough about the lens flare already... It's almost a cliche now.

Also I don't think Pine was trying to outshatner Shatner (as you say it would be impossible) I think there were little touches, little homages to Shatners Kirk, like the way he ate the apple on the bridge while confidently divulging his clever plan... there was love there, Pine wasn't competing.

I do agree about the monsters though, I thought that was the only pointless part of the movie, the part where Kirk was being chased by the huge creature into the cave. That was just stupid.

Christopher_M

it should have Khan allied with lots and lots of Klingons....with a some tribbles mixed in there

freemachine

Looking back at this year's blockbusters, Star Trek was by far the best of the bunch. I totally trust whatever Abrams has in mind for the future of this franchise.

Federico Iglesias

Really? I thought Harry Potter had plenty skill involved.
Then again, I'm speaking out of m'arse. Never saw ST.

Mike

How in the Hell could Graves possibly be in MI4? That shit makes no sense, whether or not you bend the 'space-time continuum.'

Gelman

Ha, Nimoy and Graves "kicking ass" would be worth the price of admission. It would be hilarious and fun.

Dr_Gonzo

Nimoy's involvement in the last ST movie was great and provided a nice vehicle for the alternate universe to be created, but I think that's as far as it should go for the 'old guard's' involvement. Leave it alone now and move on to the new universe. Pine, Quinto and the new cast are strong enough to carry the franchise forward without resurrecting anymore old fossils.

Unless (of course) Patrick Stewart was involved in which case forget everything I just said...

wittyphrase

Got to agree. If you keep him around it looks like you're scared of the new time line you've created.

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