With production on films such as The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man already well underway it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at the current June 29, 2012 release date saved for the currently director-less Star Trek 2 and wonder if that date will even be possible. Add to that the fact the script isn’t even finished and you stop wondering and pretty much agree they won’t be able to hit that date.
Star Trek 2 co-writer Roberto Orci posted a message in the TrekMovie forums recently, updating fans with the following post:
Just been waiting for JJ [Abrams] to be free to really decide if he likes the story and hear his suggestions before we finish the script. Once he says go, we’ll have it in no time. Meanwhile, our outline is detailed enough (70+ pages!) to do some prep :)…In the meetings we’ve had with JJ, he’s already given us amazing input and ideas, and that’s been while he’s been up to his eyeballs in Super 8.
J.J. Abrams’ latest project, Super 8, is set for a June 10 release date and has already been screening for select Los Angeles movie bloggers, which implies he is done with it or perhaps monitoring some last minute tweaks at best. He is then expected to move back into the Star Trek universe and announce he’s directing the Untitled Star Trek Sequel. However, with only a 70-page outline is there any chance he signs on and gets production started to the point the film can actually hit that June 29, 2012 release?
According to Mike Fleming at Deadline, he’s heard unattributed rumblings that the move being considered right now is to push Trek back to a Holiday 2012 release.
Of course, half-year delays are already commonplace for this latest iteration of the Star Trek franchise as the last film was bumped from its Christmas Day 2008 release to May 8, 2009. Considering that move worked out quite well as the screenwriters’ strike offered its share of problems for several projects I have no problem with delaying the second film if it means getting a feature of the highest quality.
The question now, though, is what will Paramount have for Summer 2012? Only G.I. Joe 2: Cobra Strikes? With The Avengers moving to Disney they lost a major 2012 tentpole feature, who’s to know what will take its place, if anything.
