Speaking with
Crave Online, director J.J. Abrams talks even more about his highly anticipated sequel
Star Trek Into Darkness. He confirms that it's a much bigger film than the 2009 movie, and it's also "deeper".
"I do think that by default this a deeper movie. It’s certainly a bigger movie because the first one was kind of the origin story which is great because it’s so easy. You just introduce people and yet now they know each other so it has to go deeper." And was it difficult for Abrams to figure out how everyone should work out in the sequel?
"Yes and no. Honestly, it’s never easier the next time, ever, for anything. You always think, “Oh, I’ve done that, it’ll be easier the next time.” No, it’s harder the next time. But it’s important that every character need to be in the story, otherwise they shouldn’t be. But I wouldn’t say it was easier." When the
Star Trek Into Darkness teaser trailer was released, many speculated that the scene in which two hands touch with glass in between them was a direct reference to 1982's
Wrath Of Khan. Of course, Abrams won't confirm that it is.
"Well, I would say that you’ve got to see the movie to see. I don’t want to give away what that is, but we’ve all seen Wrath of Khan. With one or two exceptions, we’re not idiots. We are aware of the movie. I love Wrath of Khan." When asked about bringing back Bruce Greenwood's Admiral Pike even though he "didn't have to", the director reiterates that he's too crucial a character to leave out.
"Yeah, I think he’s a very important character and I think we sort of did have to bring him back. He’s a critical character in the first film and he again is an amazing guy, great actor. The character is an important component for the film so we were thrilled to bring him back." Abrams then talks about the film's appeal to both Trekkies and general movie fans, and had this to say when asked if the sequel will continue to broaden the
Star Trek appeal.
"Well, everyone when they see the movie will figure out what it is that appeals to them or not. I won’t give anything away. The idea is to make a movie not for Star Trek fans but for movie fans, and if you’re a Star Trek fan, hopefully you’ll love it, the story works. And if you don’t care about Star Trek at all, it doesn’t matter, I don’t want to do a movie that you have to have studied the last film or anything before it to understand. But if you do know Star Trek there are references that’ll make you either nod or smile or connect with you. We definitely made it for a broader audience, but simultaneously aware and grateful for those people who really allowed this movie to get made at all, the fans of the first one." Finally, Abrams rehashes
Star Trek Into Darkness' being a bigger film, and he also discusses how he's learning as a movie director and what he wished he could've done in the first
Trek.
"It’s a far bigger movie. What I’m still grappling with and learning how to do is to be looking and thinking cinematically, having come from television. A lot of that is about keeping all that stuff in frame and understanding composition. There were things I wish I had done on the first movie, that I got a chance to do this time. There were shots I wished I’d gotten, that I never got a chance to get, so it was fun to get that chance this time. But, there are no gimmicky things that I’m aware of, that I’m imposing or forcing down an audience’s throat." To check out the rest of Crave's chat with J.J. Abrams, in which he talks about
Mission: Impossible 5 and
Fringe, click the source link below.
Star Trek Into Darkness stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Alice Eve and Anton Yelchin. The film is set to hit theaters May 17th.
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