I am happy to see fanboys around the Internet embracing the upcoming Star Trek as it is set to hit theaters on May 8. I have avoided trailers ever since the first one and based on online word of mouth I have avoided the best parts, which has me that much more excited to see it on the big screen. As expected word has now found its way to the virtual ink pages of Variety announcing Paramount has brought Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof back on board to pen a sequel to the upcoming feature allowing me to add Star Trek XII officially to the database.
There is no word as to whether or not J.J. Abrams will return to direct once again, but he did just sign that massive deal with Paramount extending his deal with the studio through 2013. He and his Bad Robot production house is on board to produce the follow-up, which is obviously in the very early stages, but anticipation is to have the script by Christmas 2009 for what would likely be a summer 2011 release.
Lindelof is quoted by Variety saying, “There’s obviously a lot of hubris involved in signing on to write a sequel of a movie that hasn’t even come out yet, but we’re so excited about the first one that we wanted to proceed.”
As for potential storylines, Kurtzman stressed that the writing team will wait to take a cue from fan reaction about which direction to go. Ideas have been tossed around, of course, but Lindelof adds, “With a franchise rebirth, the first movie has to be about origin. But with a second, you have the opportunity to explore incredibly exciting things. We’ll be ambitious about what we’ll do.”
Here’s to hoping the new film lives up to my high hopes.
