Well… you got it half right.
I personally can’t wait for the tense moment when Crowe throws a phone at Kirk while screaming about universal domination or whatever.
Why am I seemingly the only former Trek fan who doesn’t see anything good coming from another Star Trek movie?!?
But… well… let’s see what the hype is about. (reads article)
First off should we actually worry that J.J. Abrams seems to be ready to sell his firstborn (or someone else’s firstborn) to get Russell Crowe to chew up the set as the latest Trek villain?!? If he’s coming close to begging and pleading there has to be something wrong with this picture (and by that I really do mean Star Trek XI, which of course won’t be called Star Trek XI when it releases Christmas 2008).
A “source” says Russell is definitely “considering” the offer… maybe Abrams really did offer his firstborn… or someone else’s firstborn.
So far he’s cast as an “evil” character who will play a pivotal role in the movie… that could mean almost anything… unless of course they’re casting him to reprise the role of Kirk’s old nemesis seen in “Shore Lave” (Finnigan (or however it’s spelled)) since this movie is supposed to be set during Kirk, Spock and McCoy’s time in Starfleet Academy.
So far we heard Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock.
Leonard Nimoy as Elder Spock… and that, by the way, seems to spell out the pace of the movie.
Tom Cruise, however? Don’t count on it. Unless Paramount and Cruise has mended fences since their “divorce” sometime ago then he’s not going to be allowed into the movie (no matter how much begging and pleading is done by Abrams). Anyway since Cruise is now embroiled in his controversal WWII movie in Germany (and soon no doubt to do other things) I doubt he’ll be available anytime soon for any “cameo” in Star Trek XI.
Now… as for the movie Star Trek XI.
Before I go into my theory about what the movie is about let’s recap what we know.
1-Soon after Nemesis came out the first person to say they’d like to be in Star Trek XI was Brent Spiner (Data).
2-Later on we learned the movie would take place during Starfleet Academy days.
3-Leonard Nimoy announced last Comic Con that he’ll be in the movie as Elder Spock.
4-Paramount is looking to find a way to draw the “faithful” back into the fold, and the recent alloitment of the license to IDW for their “Season 4” original Trek comic is just the first of no doubt many attempts to appeal to the tride and true original fanbase.
In that case, here is my present theory to what Star Trek XI should be.
WARNING : Theory only, I have no inside news on what they’re doing.
Star Trek XI Theory 1 (August 2007)
The movie should open in the late 24th Century or so (years after Nemesis) and Data (possibly Picard too if they can lure Patrick Stewart back into the franchise) visit a dying Mr. Spock (no doubt still on Romulus, the Romulan Homeworld). While there he relates to them a never before told story of a crisis that took place in the past which threatened the very future of Starfleet. From there the movie goes back to Starfleet Academy and a young Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
Most of the story is told as Spock recounts this adventure… whether or not it turns out into a time travel story (possibly with the use of the Guardian of Forever) remains to be seen. Probably not, but it’s always an option.
As the movie ends Elder Spock dies and thus they write him out of the series forever. Hopefully with a far better reaction than his death in Star Trek II.
Again that’s a theory but it seems likely since we have Leonard Nimoy in the movie.
Still don’t see what’s so rad about Russell Crowe being in the movie though. He’s no Ricardo Montalban.