

In a just released podcast interview, Roberto Orci discussed the challenge he faces as a first time director for the next Star Trek movie, dropped some hints for the setting and about new aliens, talked about visiting the set of Star Wars to pick up tips from JJ Abrams, opined on Kirk sex scenes and a gay character and more. See below for highlights and to listen tot he podcast.

Orci Talks About 2016 Star Trek Movie

Geoff Boucher – formerly of the LA Times Hero Complex and Entertainment Weekly – has a great new podcast as part of the Nerdist Network – titled ‘Humans From Earth.’ And Star Trek writer/producer (and soon to be director) Roberto Orci was a guest for the second episode which just went online. It is worth listening to the full interview, which runs about an hour.

TrekMovie has grabbed some of the key quotes from Bob about the upcoming 2016 Star Trek film…

Orci hints at new setting and new aliens

Much has been said about how both the 2009 Star Trek film and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness were very Earth-centric. But for the next one, Orci promises that will change…

Orci: In [Into Darkness] they set out finally where the original series started. The first two films – especially the 2009 [Star Trek] – was an origin story. It was about them coming together. So they weren’t the characters they were in the original series. They were growing into them and that continues on in the second movie. So in this movie they are closer than they are to the original series characters than you have ever seen. They have set off on their five-year mission. So their adventure is going to be in deep space.

And later in the podcast the subject of creature design came up, and in that discussion Orci hinted at new aliens for the next Star Trek…

Orci: We have discussed [the challenges of creature design]. The advantage we have is there is new technology available. Even though I am a fan and I know JJ is a fan of as much practical sets and creature design you can do, we can also augment it with the technology that exists today, CGI. So in a way we have a freedom that is a little bit unexplored. I hope to do that in the next Star Trek.

And later he picked up on that point again when discussing aliens in Star Trek.

Orci: The Horta is actually the villain in the next one – no – they are in deep space now, so lets see what’s out there.

And when a fan asserted that with the new Star Trek films “You have to go back to the Romulans or the Klingons” Orci countered “But wait, why do you have to go back to them?” He went on to say…

Orci: Because this is an alternative universe I think we can choose. I don’t feel the pressure to revisit anyone or not. We are lucky that way, but we have the ability to cherry pick what has become before. It will depend on what serves the story best.

As for his favorite Star Trek aliens, Orci cited The Gorn, Tribbles, Romulans, and Vulcans.

Orci getting tips watching JJ direct Star Wars + talks Wars/Trek rivalry

The podcast was recorded a couple weeks ago shortly before Bob was to fly to the UK to visit the set where JJ Abrams is shooting Star Wars. He said that the trip was motivated to get some mentoring from his long time collaborator JJ Abrams.

Orci: That is why I am going [to visit with JJ Abrams the set of Star Wars Episode VII]. I am going to steal as much wisdom as I can. I am fortunate to have seen a lot of directors direct and I plan on picking all of their brains. Every one of them has a different style and different tricks. And they also have – one of them just sent me ‘Directing for Dummies [laughs]. So that is what you do. This is not a time to not ask for help and not get the cumulative wisdom of all the people I have been lucky enough to see and work with.

Orci later talked about the Star Wars/Star Trek rivalry…

Orci: It is daunting to try and compete with Star Wars, especially they may be released so close to each other. So it certainly motivates me to make it as good as possible. It is interesting to me to have a friend of mine working on the other one, so hopefully it doesn’t turn into I’m the team that Globetrotters play against – the Washington Generals – hopefully it is going to be a little more competitive than that.

Less Kirk Sex? And A Gay Character?

Boucher asked Orci if he might try to ‘escalate’ and try to top the sex scenes with Capt. Kirk from the last two Star Trek films, but Bob indicated Kirk might go in a different direction…

Orci: In the first film [Kirk] is like a college guy might do – or a cadet – finds himself in a dorm, lights come on and she’s green!…In the second film he finds himself with humanoid felines…In the third film he is a little bit more of an adult, so I don’t know.

The subject of introducing a gay character into Star Trek came up and Orci seemed open to the idea. When asked, he responded…

Orci: I would like to see that.

Delving deeper, Bob had this to say about addressing social issues in Star Trek…

Orci: It can be part of a character and not be the whole shebang…It doesn’t’ have to be like South Park, like ‘what have we learned today.’ It can be so normalized that it just exists. I agree it can’t be shoe-horned in. And it is not necessary for it to be the whole point of the thing. It is an ensemble and there are lots of people to represent so no one point of view should hog it.

Promises less secrecy

Much has been said about JJ Abrams penchant for secrecy. When asked if he would follow the same course or would be more open, Orci was hoping to be more transparent…

Orci: I think it is going to be more of a mix. On the one hand you want the story to have surprises. Otherwise why even go to the movie?. On the other hand you want to share enough of it to let people know what they are going to get and what they can expect and what the experience is going to feel like. In terms of behind the scenes, audiences are now so savvy, I think it is kind of fun to be more transparent. And let people into the process of how you are doing things and let them watch you do the movie. You can see behind the scenes without knowing what the context of the scene is or what the story is.

Shatner or other TOS cast?

Bob was also asked if it was possible to – like they have done with Leonard Nimoy – bring back William Shatner or one of the other original series actors. He replied…

Orci: It’s possible. Whatever serves the story….that’s my version of ‘no comment’

There is much more in the podcast including talking about writing collaborations, his history with Trek (including fave episodes and characters), contrasting TOS and TNG, meeting Shatner and Nimoy and much more. Go to Nerdist to listen to the full interview