The Wrath of Khan: Redux

Star Trek: Into Darkness or Star Trek II or Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Redux hits DVD and Blu-Ray today.

 You remember the one Paramount insisted wouldn't feature the Khan character as the baddie, the one where the cast and crew led by J J Abrams denied that they would be using the Khan character in the movie The one where fan speculation reached fever pitch but still the powers that be refuted all claims that Khan was after all the baddie. They even went so far as to create false trails saying that the baddie was actually Gary Mitchell from the second pilot of the original Star Trek, or someone called John Harrison.

And then after all the fuss it turned out that Khan was after all the baddie. None of this made any sense - after all, Khan is an iconic character and you'd think the studio would have wanted to build audience buzz by shouting loudly that Khan was back.In the end the reveal that Khan was the bad guy felt rather lame and Star Trek: Into Darkness received mixed reviews - the film currently holds an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not bad maybe but nowhere near as good as the original Star Trek reboot which holds a 95% approval rating.

Still, the movie was action packed and although not as good as the original Star Trek reboot, it still packed a punch.

I enjoyed the movie on the big screen and I'm looking forward to re-watching it on my home cinema system, so expect another review later this week.

The Star Trek Flops

I read a surprising fact among all the Star Trek info which is starting to appear around the Internet as the

world prepares for the premiere of Star Trek II . This fact was, coming from Paramount themselves,  that although the Star Trek movies have done well in the US market, none have been particularly huge business outside the home market  This did surprise me and I always thought  the UK had  a huge Star Trek fanbase, which it does but that hasn't always meant blockbuster box office results.

The Star Trek revamp was huge in the US but made just $128 million overseas. Compare those numbers to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which also hit that year and actually made more internationally with $434 million compared to $402 million here in the U.S.

Paramount are hoping  to change that when Star Trek 2 is released  - the premier iMax tickets have already sold out. However there is some fan dissent across the message boards with many feeling that the trailers released so far suggest an all action Star Trek, with the cerebral aspects that gave Star Trek its strengths  ignored in an attempt to appeal to action movie fans. One fan even called Star Trek 2, Die Hard in space.

Paramount are so determined to boost overseas sales that Star Trek 2 will be released in most overseas markets a full week before the US.

The official figures for the entire series reads

Released	Movie Name	1st Weekend	US Gross	Worldwide Gross	Budget
12/7/1979	Star Trek: The Motion Picture	$11,926,421	$82,258,456	$139,000,000	$35,000,000
6/4/1982	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan	$14,347,221	$79,912,963	$96,800,000	$12,000,000
6/1/1984	Star Trek III: The Search for Spock	$16,673,229	$76,471,046	$87,000,000	$18,000,000
11/26/1986	Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home	$16,881,888	$109,713,132	$133,000,000	$24,000,000
6/9/1989	Star Trek V: The Final Frontier	$17,375,648	$52,210,049	$70,200,000	$30,000,000
12/6/1991	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country	$18,162,837	$74,888,996	$96,900,000	$27,000,000
11/18/1994	Star Trek: Generations	$23,116,394	$75,671,262	$120,000,000	$38,000,000
11/22/1996	Star Trek: First Contact	$30,716,131	$92,027,888	$150,000,000	$46,000,000
12/11/1998	Star Trek: Insurrection	$22,052,836	$70,187,658	$117,800,000	$70,000,000
12/13/2002	Star Trek: Nemesis	$18,513,305	$43,254,409	$67,312,826	$60,000,000
5/8/2009	Star Trek	$79,204,289	$257,730,019	$385,680,446	$140,000,000
	Star Trek 2	-	-	-	-

Star Trek II

Karl Urban who slipped up in an interview earlier this week by revealing that Benedict Cumberbatch would be playing Gary Mitchell in the forthcoming Star Trek II and not Khan as many fans believed, told comic con that he regrets the slip up -  ”I’m really not at liberty to discuss anything about Star Trek. All I can say is that I did that interview after a 22-hour flight from New Zealand,” he said. “I literally hopped off the plane into the interview.”

Star Trek 2 - Benedict Cumberbatch's character revealed and he is KHAN

Though "Sherlock Holmes" star Benedict Cumberbatch has been known to have a villainous role in the forthcoming Star Trek sequel in J.J. Abrams rebooted sci-fi franchise, the specifics of his character have been kept under tight wraps. Though rumors circulated early on that the villain would be the iconic Eugenics War leader Khan Noonien Singh (originally played by Ricardo Montalban) from the original series who later went on to be the most praised villain in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, that fact became unclear after Benicio del Toro fell out of the role.

TrekMovie and AICN are both saying Cumberbatch will indeed play Khan in Star Trek 2. Apparently there's also word that Klingons will also be involved in some capacity, but details on that bit are more scant.

It also seems that Leonard Nimoy will be appearing after all as Spock Prime and sources are saying that he has completed his work on the movie.

Star Trek 2 - the state of play

The movie is now well into filming and the rumors are flying around at warp speed, but what do we know for certain about the new Star Trek movie? Well -

The Enterprise will be in 3D - Paramount lobbied for 3D and eventually J J Abrams relented. The director had since stated that the sections of the movie he has seen converted look quite amazing.

Leonard Nimoy won't be appearing -  There's a new Spock now and Nimoy is no longer needed, and these words come from Nimoy himself.

The script is huge - a writer's strike in 2009 meant that work had to be abandoned but the extended time has meant that the script is more polished than ever, say the writers.

Sherlock Holmes will be a baddie - Benedict Cumberbatch, a name I have to spell check every time I write it, has a substantial part as a bad guy which may or may not be Khan.

William Shatner is still pissed off - that he didn't get a cameo in either of the new movies.

And that's what we know - nothing new yet, then!

Star Trek 2 New Pic

Is that Khan battling with Spock? Whatever it seems to add proof to the rumours that Sherlock actor, Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing the lead bad guy in the new movie.

Star Trek II - is Khan to return?

The hot rumours are that Sherlock actor, Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing Khan in the forthcoming Star Trek 2, although this has not been confirmed. Though we do know for certain that Cumberbatch will be the main villain in the movie.

The budget for the new Trek  is more than the 2009 reboot. This was pretty much a given, as the motto for most sequels is “bigger and better.” The pricetag for the first flick was a reported $150 million, so Abrams and Co. must have something pretty impressive up their sleeve for the sequel in order to top that already high number.

The first Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan is generally considered the best of the Trek movies so it would be a neat touch to have the character as the driving force behind the new Star Trek II, but the question is would this film be a remake of the original first season episode, The Space Seed? Or would it invent an all new origin for the Khan character?

Paramount are insisting that the villain for the movie will be an original character but the Khan rumors are refusing to go away.  - Ahh well, only time will tell.

Star Trek 2 - the voyages are ongoing

Is it Star Trek 2 or Star Trek 12?  Whatever the number, the movie starts shooting this week for a May 2014 release and new casting details have emerged - Joseph Gatt has been added to the list of actors appearing in the film.

The film is described as bigger in scope than the original and word has it that Abrams himself has travelled to Hawaii to scout a location to double as part of a “jungle planet.” Location shooting is also said to occur at a Los Angeles museum for what is supposed to be a “famous Star Trek location.” Most of the filming, however take place on the Paramount lot.

It has also been confirmed that none of the cast of the original series will appear, which is certain to piss off the Shatner. Leonard Nimoy appeared in the last movie but this time the producers want the movie to stand on its own and create its own personality away from the original series. But, that doesn't mean no one is coming back. He's not exactly a face from the past, but it looks like Bruce Greenwood will reprise his role of Christopher Pike in "Star Trek 2.

The Shat wants to be Kirk one last time for Star Trek 2

William Shatner, self proclaimed cool old dude,  is once again eyeing up a role in the next Star Trek movie - the veteran actor seems to forget he was killed in a previous movie, and that they'd have to fly around the sun twice or something to bring him back. Mind you, this is sci-fi!!!

The veteran actor played the role of Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek for 19 years said that, just as his original co-star, Leonard Nimoy, had made an appearance in JJ Abrams' 2009 Star Trek revamp, he would also be pleased to have a role in the sequel to the movie saying: "I'd be delighted".

He added that one of the main motivations for wanting to appear in the film, which is due out in 2012, was so he can feel larger than life next to JJ Abrams. He joked: "I've become acquainted with JJ Abrams and he's smaller than I am. I like to find people I can stand next to that I can tower over."

William stars in the new television sitcom $#*! My Dad Days. He plays Ed, a sharp-tongued father, whose son, when forced to move back in with him, is faced with the ordeal of re-establishing a relationship with his rather over opinionated, politically incorrect father.

Star Trek 2 script ready and it's amazeballs, says Pegg

News on the new Star Trek movie has been scarce lately but Simon Pegg yesterday tweated some news that has got Trekkies in a frenzy:

To boldy go to the third dimension: Star Trek lastest news

Is it Star Trek 2 or Star Trek 12? It's all hypothetical anyway since the production looks troubled with Paramount pushing for it to be made in 3D, whilst director J J Abrams is dubious about the new technology and won't commit to directing until he's seen a script he's satisfied with.

"I have nothing against 3-D in theory," Abrams said recently. "But I've also never run to the movies because something's in 3-D."

Paramount likes this whole idea of making movies into 3-D, even if few other films have found the same success with it as "Avatar." But there is one thing that 3-D adds: Box office cash. Because 3-D films require a premium ticket price, Paramount stands to make more from a movie like the next Star Trek, and want Abrams to consider using the technology.


The script is being written right now by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who wrote the first film. This time, however, they are joined by "Lost" alum Damon LIndelof in the writers room.

Star Trek 2 (12) should hit cinemas in 2012

STAR TREK TWO RELEASE DATE CONFIRMED

It is now confirmed that the Star Trek sequel, currently still going by Star Trek 2, has a release date set for June 29, 2012.  Screenwriting partners Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Transformers) have been writing the script with Damon Lindelof (Lost), and the trio hopes to have the latest draft ready by the holidays.  The film will not feature the fan-favorite villain, Khan, but will instead feature a non-traditional villain that has some ties to the original series.  J.J. Abrams, who directed the first film, has yet to announce if he will be coming back to direct the sequel or not, but the studio definitely wants him back.  However Abrams will definately have a producer credit.

STAR TREK 2 - Engage

My mates would be green with envy if I had a bird like this!

Actor Simon Pegg had revealed that a script for Star Trek 2 has now been completed. The actor revealed that he hadn't as yet read it but is looking forward to the start of production. The film is slated to hit cinema screens in 2012.

STAR TREK GOES WEST

Gene Rodenberry called Star Trek, Wagon Train to the Stars and the classic TV series as well as its spin offs have done western related stories but now things are going a step further with the new Trek movie, Star Trek II - taking its cue from the forthcoming genre mesh-up Cowboys and Aliens, the new movie is rumoured to place Kirk and co in the Old West.

Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman insist the follow-up will remain immensely loyal to the original canon and bring the series back to the very origins of the franchise.


"['Cowboys and Aliens'] inspires it a little bit," Orci said. "'Star Trek' was 'Wagon Train [to] the Stars.' Isn’t that how Gene Roddenberry pitched it? So right now we’re just doing 'Stars Come to the Wagon Train' and now we start turning. Once we start relaxing about what we’re doing here, I’m hoping that being out in the woods a little bit will kind of inspire the right decisions hopefully."

The writer told Hollywood Online that they are halfway through the story.

"I’d say we’re halfway through the story," Orci said. "Halfway through all of us going back over what we’ve talked about and seeing if it really sticks. We’ve built a little Jenga castle storywise, and now we’re going to go pick at it and pull at it and if it stays standing. We know what we have."