One Star Trek actor we have heard very little from is Chris Pine who is stepping into some big shoes to play James T. Kirk. In a new interview with Hollywood Today the actor talks about the pressures and responsibility he feels for taking on such an iconic role. He also confirms and discusses the part of Kirk’s life we will be seeing in the new movie.


One would think that portraying Kirk would be a nerve-wracking experience. However, the 27-year-old actor says that he hardly feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, thanks to the directing talents of J.J. Abrams.

When you are attached to something of this scale, you have more attention on you than you’ve ever had before. JJ is able to make such a big experience seem small. You never get the sense that you are working on this grand event, you just focus on that scene.

Nonetheless, Pine realizes the importance in his portrayal of Kirk.

It brings a big responsibility. It’s not your standard tentpole movie. It has a 40-year history attached to it. These are iconic roles that have been done, and done well.

Describing the new movie, Pine explains:

It’s a Batman Begins. You get the birth, the childhood and beginning of the main characters before the Five-Year Mission. That’s what is going to be great. You get a sense of where they came from and how they began. Plus anyone who is a lover of big action films is going to love this.

Pine believes that fans new and old will "enjoy this new installment" in the Trek franchise, stating:

It’s not like anything they’ve ever seen before: the humor, production, effects and action blend into a great package. There’s enough humor and drama and action to satisfy everyone. This is movie for fans and non-fans alike, it’s going to create new generation of fans who have never been exposed to it before – for my generation and younger.

In addition, Pine explained that his scenes do not call for him to work with Winona Ryder, who portrays the mother of Spock, Amanda Grayson. He does, of course, have many scenes with Zachary Quinto, who plays the young Spock. Pine also says he will be working on the new Trek film until April 1st. It was previously reported that filming would wrap up in March.

Pine also discussed his upcoming movie Bottle Shock, which opens at Sundance next month. The filmmakers will allow Pine some time off from Trek to attend the festival. For more, see the full interview at Hollywood Today.

On January 13th Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek) will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor DeForest Kelley by appearing in a western, the CBS mini-series Camanche Moon. If you were wondering if the New Zealand-born actor could do a southern drawl, then check out clips of him playing Texas Ranger Woodrow Call at the Official Site. [Click on “VIDEO” and select clips 5 and 8].
http://www.cbs.com/specials/comanche_moon/#

Although rumors of her being a love interest for Spock in the new Star Trek appear to have been wrong, Jennifer Garner still seems to want in to the new movie. After starring on JJ Abrams Alias the actress seems to have become quite the fan telling MTV “he rocks; I would do anything for him.” Apparently Garner is a bit of a Trekkie and the actress tells MTV that she would even do a non-speaking cameo.

But Garner has a specific request, saying

I just want to be a Klingon in the movie, I just want to walk through [the frame] as a Klingon.

This isn’t the first time Garner has talked about a role for Abrams Trek movie. Back in September the actress said she would “do anything” with JJ Abrams. Garner wouldn’t be the first Alias actor in the film. He co-star Rachel Nichols landed a part as an Orion. And it is likely that Greg Grunberg will show up somewhere. Maybe Garner is feeling a little left out.

CBS 2 in Los Angeles has put up more video from their interview with Leonard Nimoy, with this one focusing more on Star Trek. Although he acknowledges that he helped shape the character of Spock (and therefore all future Vulcans), the actor gives most of the credit to Gene Roddenberry. Nimoy also revealed that the original plan for Spock was to use red make-up, but it didn’t work well on black and white TVs which were still prevalent in 1966. Nimoy also spoke about coming back for the new Star Trek, revealing a small spoiler.

Three Spocks for ‘Star Trek’
Nimoy joked that (like Michael Corleone in The Godfather III) “they pulled me back in” to join the cast for the new Star Trek long after he had put Trek and acting behind him. Although he wouldn’t talk about any filming details, he did drop a spoilery nugget, saying

I am Spock, and there is another Spock and there is another Spock. There are a total of three Spocks in the movie and that is all I will say about it

Obviously one of the other Spocks is Zachary Quinto who is playing the young adult Spock. The third is likely a child or adolescent Spock. This makes the casting of the 36 year old Winona Ryder as Spock’s mother Amanda Grayson make more sense. Of course this will not be the first time we would see kid Spock. In Star Trek III: The Search For Spock a number of actors portrayed Spock as he rapidly aged on the Genesis Planet.

How many points of time are there?
A year ago TrekMovie.com first reported that the new Star Trek would be non-linear (as is the custom for Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman) and jump around to various time periods. This ‘3 Spocks’ acknowledgment is just the latest confirmation. It appears we will see the following points in time (at a minimum):

Kirk’s parents at the point of his birth or childhood
Spock as a baby or during his childhood
Kirk as he is a cadet at Starfleet Academy
Spock under the command of Pike on the Enterprise
Kirk and crew as he takes command of the Enterprise
Spock in a post-TNG future

Nimoy also talks about Vasquez Rocks (in general..not related to the new Star Trek), his history with the franchise, and more about his photography. He also shows off his last pair of Spock ears from 1968.


Watch the whole “raw” web extra video at CBS2.com.
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=56516@kcbs.dayport.com

UPDATE: Nimoy talks Shat and Sehlat
The actor also appeared Friday night on The Late Late Show with Craig Furguson. Nimoy mostly spoke about his new book and photography show “The Full Body Project.” Before Nimoy came on, Lost actor Dominic Monaghan was on showing off a number of his favorite reptiles. Furguson asked Nimoy if he saw the animals and Nimoy replied that he tried to bring in a Vulcan Sehlat but it wasn’t let in. Was that a hint? Might we see this new young ‘third Spock’ with the pet Sehlat discussed in “Journey to Babel” or will it be a baby Spock?

Furguson also got around to talking about the new Trek movie. Nimoy described the new Star Trek as “a gigantic film.” He also stated that it was “spooky” for him to be wearing the Vulcan ears for the first time in 18 years. He also stated that William Shatner was not in the movie and that the reason was that his character “was killed off like four movies ago.” When Furguson noted that he was killed off and brought back, Nimoy replied “I was resurrected immediately, he has been moldering for quite a while.”


Nimoy in “Zombies of the Stratosphere”

One on-the-sly review of the new film so fare:

"I saw your STAR TREK story and wasn't going to say anything, but since you know me... yeah, I can confirm the rumor you posted about the script. I wasn't going to say anything because I got slipped the shooting script and really didn't love it, but I respect J.J. Abrams so much that I'm withholding judgment on the final product (but wish this writer's strike weren't happening because reports are he's been itching to make some "on the set" changes and can't do it).

The problem with the script is all its blatant inconsistency with things in the TREK canon, not to be innovative... but because Kurtzman and Orci are lousy writers and have zero feel for Roddenberry's universe, even when attempting to reboot it. The dialogue is about on par with their past works and some of the liberties they've taken are insanely sloppy. (Forgive me, wasn't the Enterprise built in space and not Area 51?) It's remarkably unintelligent writing. (FYI: I also read their upcoming Fox pilot called FRINGE which may be the most blatant X-FILES rip off ever.)

The character of young Kirk is a travesty. He's the bad boy of the Academy, which is consistent in many ways, but the whole "Kobayashi" matter is overtly ridiculous. It turns Kirk into the worst scourge of all of Starfleet! At his graduation there are actual protesters outside the ceremony carrying signs stating: KIRK CHEATED! Talk about on the nose. They probably look like striking writers.

So, Kirk is put in command of a starship under great controversy and has to prove himself to not only Starfleet, but also his new crew who are wary of him and his bad rep. While this may sound okay, the way it's written is so ham fisted that it makes the TRANSFORMERS script read like Shakespeare.

Actually, the character of both young and old Spock works well and is consistent with the TREK canon, but I'm pretty sure that's because of Nimoy's involvement. Young and old Spock do meet and there's a clever, as well as TREK consistent, reason why young Spock's foreknowledge of events won't create problems in the future.

There's a lot of action in this piece, which is welcome, but the Romulan villains are perfunctory. My problem with time travel bad guys is what's to prevent them from looping back and trying their plan again and again whenever they fail? I'm sure Bana got a lot of money to do this inconsequential character.

I think curiosity and Abrams' rep will ensure this movie makes major bucks, but as far as re-launching STAR TREK with a whole new younger crew, no way. This is a novelty item that would probably not please Roddenberry purists, but would any of the recent Treks?

One thing's for sure, as lackluster as this script is... it's better than any Berman produced STAR TREK just due to the fact that it's big and has some scope. I just wish the character of Kirk weren't written as if in a dumb after school special. Shatner will have a field day ripping into the rather sleazy portrayal of his classic character. While he may have always been a skirt chaser, making him a lousy student seems like they're trying too hard to appeal to a real young audience who has the menu to Taco Bell memorized.

I could say more, but will withhold judgment due to a talented director, big budget and strong cast."

Some one that says they have seen footage:

"I've seen some footage of the new Star Trek flick and I must say I am impressed. I am not a Trekkie and I am not working for the movie industry. It was due to other reasons I got to visit the production faclities and people showed me some scenes that showed what I would call "the Star Trek world". Let me explain. If you watch the TV series and many of the movies than - if you are a Star Wars fan like me - you always have the feeling that there is a discrepancy between the size of the alien worlds / the space ship(s) of the Federation and the locations where most of the scenes have been shot. In other words, the Bridge is more like a living room and does not match the size nor style of gigantic size of the Enterprise at all. It is certainly unbelievable because it's mostly the only place we get to see (and of course three or four other places, but all in all just 1 percent of the ship, I presume).

We'll, this movie is gonna end all that for sure. The "stage play" and Disney like nature of the TV episodes is gone, the "we'll only show you three locations but trust me, this really is a gigantic spaceship we're flying around in"-feeling will also be gone. I would argue that this movie is making use of the Star Wars like decors (as implemented later in the sequels and used immediately in the prequels) therefore expanding our universe more directly (leaves less room for imagination) and making the story a lot more believable, at least to me.

I thought it was very cool. Not sure if the Trekkies will like this move though.

By the way when I saw the new look of the Enterprise, I just wanted to go out and buy a model kit of that or something. I'm quite sure it will get as much positive response as the Milennium Falcon did. Yes, the stuff is that detailed."

- and is the film an Old Spock/Young Spock buddy picture?

"i wouldn't take it that far. but it reminded me of the visual "handoff" they shot two weeks ago where nimoy's hand (vulcan greeting) is replaced in the frame by quinto's hand. j.j. actually spent a lot of time on it. finally, got it by setting up an extra monitor to help quinto hit his mark. it will only be a brief moment in the film, but apparently this sort of visual "handoff" from nimoy to quinto was important enough to warrant dozens of takes."

A response from one of the writers:

"Yeah. AICN for some reason has never liked us. The best example was one of their review for Transformers. I forgot which one of those wannabes wrote it, but it basically said how much they loved the humor, the characters, the sequences, and the structure of the movie, but they hated the script. Classic.

If this movie works, these same folks will say that JJ “saved” a crappy script with his directing, just like Shia (Transformers) “saved’ our dialogue by “making” it funny.

Whoever wrote that piece HAS NOT read the script, and I would trust Nimoy to tell us if we know anything about the Trek universe over just about anybody else."

Wish me luck guys. If you are signed up on http://hollywoodos.com/index.php?option ... &Itemid=46 you will see this new listing for the new ST film. ( code name Untitled Paramount ) I will be in Los Angles on the 8th to the 12th working on an summer action movie called Eagle Eye. The new ST may turn out to be a disappointment but I would still walkout on Eagle Eye to be in ST. (I will tell Lenard all the guys at BOTF2 said hello - so wish me luck ) Working as an extra is one of the things on my to-do-before-I-die list. If you travel to LA on vacation consider signing up and following the listing for work. I was able to sign up a month in advance for Eagle Eye. Other jobs are 24 hours or less notice. I will ask about work if you are not a US citizen. I had to pass on the film Austria 1944. In that one you got to dress up as German WWII infantry and run around in the woods shooting blanks. Now what is more fun than that?

The Listing

Project Type: Film
For production:

Start Date: Jan 07, 2008

End Date: Feb 08, 2008

Principal Casting Director:

Extras Casting Director: Carla

Rate:

Age: 20 - 24, 25 - 29, 30 - 34, 35 - 39, 40 - 44, 45 - 49, 50 - 54, 55 - 59, 60 - 64

Gender: Both

Ethnicity Need: Any

Union Status: Non-Union

Location: Los Angeles

More Info: *** This post is specifically for NON-UNION talent who are NEW FACES (Never worked) on the Untitled Paramount Feature for Headquarters Casting. If you have already worked on this film, YOU WOULD KNOW. Please only submit if this applies to you and you are NOT a member of SAG. We will post an identical notice for SAG submissions shortly.

For various picture picked scenes working late January/ early Feb and fitting multiple days this month, we are seeking:

Men: Clean Cut, Clean Shaven, (willing to have a conservative haircut), thin or athletic talent. Costumes required for these scenes are typically fitted at the waist and pot bellies do not look right in this wardrobe.

Women: Clean Cut, natural hair including color, dress sizes 2-6 (athletic 8 is OK.) Tall ladies with long, toned legs are great. Must not have a "California" vibe (no artificial tans or huge implants.) Size A-B cups are preferred.

For these particular scenes, we are considering talent who appear in the 20-60 age range. We love ALL ethnicities.

Must have reliable transportation. Again, please only submit at this time if the above specifically applies to you. This is an exciting but confidential project.

With your submission (so I know you read all of this) please add a note saying you are Non-Union and a new face to this project. Thanks!

good luck, ken!