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SDCC: 'Uhura' says Trek 2 script halfway done
Zoe Saldana, who played the new Uhura in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie, said at Comic-Con on Friday that she believes the script for the sequel is already halfway done. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, along with director Abrams, have been cagey about progress, but Saldana translated the Hollywood-speak.
"I do know that they are germinating a script," Saldana said in a group interview in San Diego, where she was promoting Avatar. "That's what they told us a month and a half ago, which actually means—in that kind of talk it means that they're probably halfway done with a script. They just can't present it to anybody. But they're very excited, and there is a lot of pressure, because now it's like, 'Oh, do you do The Wrath of Khan or do you do this or whatever?'"
When Star Trek reset canon with a time-travel story device, eradicating Vulcan among other twists, the possibility arose to revisit classic Trek missions from a new perspective. Saldana has encouraged the filmmakers to avoid succumbing to any outside influence.
"I honestly told Robert, Alex and J.J. to just do what they did first, which is just to trust themselves," Saldana said. "By not listening to anyone, not putting any pressures on themselves, they were able to create something very beautiful and free that we still grew attached to. If that formula worked for Star Trek, then it can certainly work for this next one."
Another key development in the new Trek was the beginning of a romantic relationship between Uhura and Spock (Zachary Quinto). That, Saldana is sure, will continue. "I am excited to see what they're going to do with their relationship in relation to what happened to Vulcan and what kind of responsibilities Spock is going to have in this next journey," she said. "Not only in his personal side but in terms of he's a race in extinction now."
Saldana said she expects to begin work on Star Trek 2 next year.
By antodav at 2:17 PM ON 07/25/09
I've grown to accept the idea of a romance between Spock and Uhura, which shocked and confused me at first, but I do think they should have a love triangle develop between Kirk, Spock, and Uhura in the sequel. Although Kirk will undoubtedly continue to be a man-whore, the connection between him and Uhura in later episodes of TOS needs to be honored much more than her flirtation with Spock in "Charlie X" and "The Man Trap". If they can pull it off without being soapy, more power to them.
By Spaceman Spiff at 2:37 PM ON 07/25/09
PHLTPHLTPHLTPHLTPHLT!!!!!!!
By Ducks at 3:11 PM ON 07/25/09
Yes please! I mean, as long as Gaila's alive. :D
By Rob at 3:44 PM ON 07/25/09
Pathetic.
By you stole my name at 5:30 PM ON 07/25/09
what do you mean pathetic. this the best thing to happen to the franchise since Star Trek 4.
By ctmm at 6:20 PM ON 07/25/09
until the movie comes out give us some tv Startrek I got a ideal bring back the series
ENTERPRISE with same cast and make it about the ROMULAN WARS..........
By brilliantnova at 6:29 PM ON 07/25/09
SAVE GAILA the ORION ( she was the badass green chick / Uhura's roomate )
Hopefully she will not be dead and written a cameo into the next movie or the 3rd.
By zzbickyzz at 12:53 AM ON 07/26/09
Bring back Star Trek TV with the BORG!
Let's see the origins of the BORG...?
By DOCTOR at 11:03 AM ON 07/26/09
I hope they do something different -not a reboot of the wrath of khan-like the relationship of mccoy,kirk,spock-mccoy,s wife or daughter,relationships between -scotty,chekov,sulu,uhura to kirk ,spock,mccoy.
By Rob at 12:36 PM ON 07/26/09
Put a stop to this wannabe Trek crap now. It isn't Trek & never will be.
By rkf at 1:14 PM ON 07/26/09
Well, I guess all you rabid new-Trek haters are in for an uncomfy few years. Or more.
By Son of a Maui Portagee at 8:25 PM ON 07/26/09
Emily: Another half done script! What's wrong with those key pouncers! Why do they always set the space bar so low on their STAR TREK? I mean it's so..so..frustrating...
[Someone whispers in her ear]
Emily: Nevermind...
By IsoTek at 12:56 AM ON 07/27/09
Well, all I can say is Thank God. Now we can go about our lives knowing that Trek will survive. I laugh at all the haters, you guys really are quite a whiny bunch.
By Rayokie at 8:43 AM ON 07/27/09
I liked the new Star Trek, but seriously, BOO Uhura. I honestly feel like she was just, to some extent thrown in. I fail to see how her character now-a-days was revolutionary, or rather, as 'ass-kicking' as other people have proclaimed her to be. I mean, yes, I understand that in TOS she was, being that she was a WOC, and blah blah blah, but was it necessary for there to be a love relationship with Spock? I mean, yes, there was a need to emphasize his humanity in comparison to his Vulcan side, seeing as though this film was also somewhat a 'coming of age' 'finding oneself' 'accepting destiny' film, but I honestly feel like this could have been done in a different way. And also; I wouldn't have a problem with her character had she actually done something aside from run after Spock in a crazed way. But hey, that's just me. >.>
But aside from that, yay Star Trek :D
By Rob at 5:11 PM ON 07/27/09
Laugh all you want, IsoTek. The pathetic ones are the ones so desperate for anything with the name Star Trek that they'll settle for pure crap that will never be Star Trek. Real fans know the difference. Call uus whiners all you want. You are no fan.
By Own Mind at 9:16 AM ON 07/28/09
After the build-up to Trek 09 and watching the constantly venomous back-and-forth among all of you, I'm going to ignore the comments sections in Trek articles and just read the news.
I don't need to have people like Rob and his vindictiveness and straight up name calling. It's easy to be brave on an internet forum where there are no consequences short of having your comment deleted.
This mudslinging does nothing more than prove the point that the media loves to portray about Trek fans, and sci-fi fans in general. Congratulations.
I've been a Trek fan for a very, very long time, and I enjoyed the new film. My fandom need not be proved to anyone, let alone anonymous bitter fans on a mismanaged message board.
By Rob at 4:17 PM ON 07/28/09
Own Mind, your words are not important, and we do not hear them. I doubt you understand that, as only a real Trek fan would. Keep your mindless, heartless, totally non-Trek Abrams piece-of-celluloid trash. We real fans will never need it. As far as consequences, I've posted my name & address more than once. The results: nothing but cowards out there praising this garbage scow calling itself Enterprise & it's two-bit wannabe crew.
By 1976_pika at 4:48 PM ON 07/28/09
Oh Rob. I personally don't like the movie either but I don't like being represented so negatively either. Bad enough the media has been depicting us all as rabid closet Kirk and Spock lovers. As a fan, please, be a little more civil for those of us who sincerely care. Please? :(
By mr_haulan at 4:58 PM ON 07/28/09
I'm not a KirkSpock lover, 1976. Not a fan of the movie either. Too many plot holes. But I also don't appreciate one loudmouth referring to his/her opinions as "we real fans". I'm real enough from since the beginning but dammit, being a fan and being rude shouldn't go hand and hand either. Do us "real fans" a favor, Rob, don't represent us. You're not doing us any favors making us look like a-holes.
By hubbysbecca at 5:02 PM ON 07/28/09
Well, I LIKED the movie and I always thought of myself as a real fan. I guess that makes me an anomaly!
By Pike at 11:49 AM ON 07/29/09
I agree with 1976_pika and mr_haulan. People like Rob do nothing to prove wrong the misconception that we're all 40 year old virgins living in our parent's basements.
By Denise at 4:01 PM ON 07/31/09
People like Rob and other real fans made Star Trek what Star Trek is. People like JJ Abrams & anyone who likes his piece of sh*t film are what has ruined Star Trek.
By JT at 9:20 AM ON 08/04/09
On the contrary, Denise, friends of mine who are "real Star Trek fans" -- I assume that's anyone who saw the show on first run in the 1960s -- are embarrassed to be fans of Trek because of people like Rob.
They've actually cited Rob's childish behavior as reasons why they don't discuss their fandom. Who wants to be a vicitm of a hate crime? That's what attitudes like his perpetuate. Just another form of racism/prejudice.
By Trey at 4:16 PM ON 08/04/09
i liked the movie and ill be sure to get it on DVD and/or Blu-Ray. im not a fan...but this has gotten me watching the original series.
By hornoftexas at 10:35 PM ON 08/12/09
Hmmm...they hated TNG after the first few shows and then cried how much they loved it. They hated DS9 and claimed they loved it from the beginning. They actually said they like STV and then complained about how it ended. They were apathetic about Enterprise and it was much closer to TOS in spirit. Now we have the reboot. Has everyone forgot Gene's goal. Tell a good story about how the human race overcomes it's banal instincts and tries to find it's way in the universe. I have watched and enjoyed every incarnation of ST. Like real life, it has to reinvent itself or it becomes stagnant. To quote Shatner back in 1986...'Get a life!'.
By Son of a Maui Portagee at 8:49 PM ON 08/14/09
@hornoftexas said "Tell a good story about how the human race overcomes it's banal instincts... To quote Shatner back in 1986...'Get a life!'
And this movie demonstrates this overcoming of banal instincts, how? By wasting time firing on a defeated sinking (into a black hole) enemy vessel and evoking the audience to laugh about it while the franchise's two guiding icons smirk?
By misattributing the quote 'Get a life!' to Shatner when it was actually penned by the SN writer Robert Smigel for a skit Shatner performed you demonstrate precisely the inability to distinguish between fact and fiction that you imagine in others.
By hornoftexas at 11:34 PM ON 08/16/09
@Son of a Maui Portagee - GET A LIFE.
My point was to remind everyone not to take all of this too seriously!! You are the one who needs to take a good look at yourself and ask, "What really matters".
By Son of a Maui Portagee at 10:11 PM ON 08/17/09
@hornoftexas said "My point was to remind everyone not to take all of this too seriously!!"
Then I suggest you you are a more effective communicator when you simply say so, rather than resort to a misattributed trite cliched pejorative statement and then feign surprise when your meaning is not discerned.
I can assure you that proper attribution is very important to Robert Smigel, his very real life, and his income as it is to all writers.
By Den at 11:40 AM ON 09/06/09
As a Brit I have been a fan for decades, I think the new movie was brilliant. As a WOC glad to see another woc be the love interest for a change. If it was not for the racist 1960's who knows what could have been done with Uhura's character on the romance front? Sorry folks for those who pine for the 1960's version of Uhura as groundbreaking as she was for her time (Big up Ms Nichols) its good to see that a black actress is no longer being consigned to the 'back of the bus'.
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Den:
As a Brit I have been a fan for decades, I think the new movie was brilliant. As a WOC glad to see another woc be t...More »