For the sequel to Star Trek, the writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will be augmented by producer Damon Lindelof. At the Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray launch party TrekMovie talked to Orci and Lindelof about the next Trek, getting a status update, thoughts on their approach and what research they are doing. Bob also talked Fringe and Damon talked about the final season of Lost. See video interview below

Bob and Damon Talks Star Trek sequel, Star Trek TV (plus Fringe and Lost)

Video taken at the Star Trek Blu-ray/DVD Party

Highlights

Orci on Trek

On status of sequel: Star Trek script: team "will be having preliminary conversations on all the areas we are gravitating towards, then meditate over Christmas and hit the ground running in the new year"

script: team "will be having preliminary conversations on all the areas we are gravitating towards, then meditate over Christmas and hit the ground running in the new year" Even though Abrams is now planning for Summer 2012, Orci & Kurtzman "have time slotted" for Trek in early 2010 and could "maybe get it in early"

Orci is preparing for writing sequel by looking at "classic (non-Trek) great epic sci-fi stories", including works of Arthur C. Clark, and "watching The Original Series again front to back"

again front to back" On if Star Trek could work on TV again, Orci states: "I have to say yes…good stories are good stories and some of the stories in the Trek vault are the best stories around. It is just a matter of the energy and the context of putting it in there."

Orci would be interested in producing a new "Star Trek" TV show, but not being show-runner, agrees Manny Coto would be a good choice

Orci On Fringe:

X files reference in season two opener does not imply that the two shows share a universe, but (joked?) a "crossover" could be done

Feel its OK to "alternate" with serious sci-fi stories and regular stories

Team now feel "braver" after they "let the cat out of the bag" on the two universes"



Bob Orci and wife Melissa Blake at the Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray release party

Lindelof on Trek

Lindelof on 2012 release notes "we would be hard pressed to get anything on screen for 2011, if that is the case we better get to writing right now"

The team has "reached consensus" on the elapsed (in universe) time between Star Trek and the sequel, but they will not reveal that detail now

and the sequel, but they will not reveal that detail now Cites time setting of Bourne Ultimatum , which takes place party during the events of the previous film Bourne Identity as something he admires, noting "one of the things we like to do as story-tellers is drop you in the middle of something and the question you are asking yourself is ‘where am I in relation to the last time I left these guys? Could this be something that pre-dated some of the adventures they had in the first movie? Does it happen five years later? Is it happening two seconds later?’ We are not going to tell you"

, which takes place party during the events of the previous film as something he admires, noting "one of the things we like to do as story-tellers is drop you in the middle of something and the question you are asking yourself is ‘where am I in relation to the last time I left these guys? Could this be something that pre-dated some of the adventures they had in the first movie? Does it happen five years later? Is it happening two seconds later?’ We are not going to tell you" To prepare for writing Star Trek sequel he has been looking at other sequels he loves, including Aliens and Mighty Joe Young (1949 film somewhat related to 1933 King Kong )

and (1949 film somewhat related to 1933 ) Notes: "There is something people come to expect from a sequel to a movie like this which is, bigger, badder, louder, more bad guys. I think the idea of saying ‘do we have to do that? Is there something else we can do that is off the beaten path?’ I don’t know if this is going to be called ‘Star Trek 2’ or ‘Star Trek colon something’…We want to give the audience an experience that feels that it is not a sequel, in all the best ways"

Lindelof On Lost:

They have nine more episodes to write for Lost’s final season

final season The marketing strategy calls for there to be no previews before the season starts, but Lindelof "can’t unequivocally say we will hold the embargo up until the premiere"

Lindelof notes "even a single scene from the show would tip what we are doing this year, and what we are doing this year is different than what we have done in other years"

Does not expect to do more time travel, like they did in season 5



Damon Lindelof at the Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray release party

More Star Trek DVD/Blu-ray Party video interviews coming up

Look for more interviews from the party from cast and crew of Star Trek.

Photo by Carla Van Wagoner

Star Trek available now