As we reported a few weeks ago, STAR TREK BEYOND is set to debut in China later this year, along with other Paramount features, thanks to a financial partnership between the studio and the Asian nation’s film companies.

Today, a new interview with BEYOND director Justin Lin was released online through 1905.com, the official internet subsidiary of China Movie Channel, about his approach to the upcoming film and why action takes a back seat to character development in this summer’s film.

Well, it’s funny – I don’t know if I see myself as an ‘action director,’ you know. I think it’s my job as a filmmaker to make sure I bring something unique and different, you know, and “Star Trek” was a big part of my life growing up. I wanted to make sure that with all the choices that I have, I wanted to make sure that with this film, I can contribute something, hopefully, new to the franchise.

The most challenging part, for me, was making sure that we don’t waste any frame of the film, because there’s a huge ensemble. I wanted to make sure that everybody – regardless of screen time – when you see them, that they exist for a reason and they have valid feelings and emotional connections to the audience… so after you see the movie, you feel like you actually have a great relationship with all these characters.

You might think of “Star Trek” as a big film, but to me, it’s very much character-based. So that’s kind of the indie [director] in me – and also, not just my passion, but Simon [Pegg] and Doug [Jung] and everybody that’s been involved. [All of us have been] making sure that no matter the scale, you can come here and hopefully enjoy whatever action that’s in the movie, but at the same time, you have a connection with these characters.

Nowadays, I think with films and sequels, you have to earn it. You don’t just go and make another movie. It takes a lot of energy, and it takes a lot of people to get these films made I felt like it was my job to make sure that when we [made] this movie, that we were always challenging ourselves and we’re always bringing something new and fresh… and if we don’t, then we shouldn’t be making the movie.

Star Trek Beyond hits theaters this July.