Over on Trek Movie, they’ve been running a two-part exclusive interview with screenwriter Roberto Orci. Both parts of the interview are fascinating reads and well worth a Trekkie’s time. As with previous interviews going all the way back to 2008, you get the sense that of all the creative forces involved with New Trek, that Orci is the biggest fan. He sounds like one of us when he talks about this stuff.
Below the cut are a few things the interview clearly spells out about the future of booth big screen and small screen Trek. Plus: what the reveal about the current ongoing IDW series being declared canon means for the next film’s baddie!
Possible light spoilers ahead
Here’s a break down of the main bits of news this interview revealed:
- Orci thinks a new TV show will happen at some point
- Orci wants the a new TV show to be animated
- The future of Star Trek will depend on how the next movie is received
- Like the Countdown comics from 2009, the current ongoing Star Trek comics are considered canon. This means Gary Mitchell is out for Cumberbatch’s Star Trek 2 villain. (It also means Landru is out too, but we don’t hear anyone crying about that one.)
- Part one of the interview reveals that Cumberbatch’s character is from existing Trek canon, as is Alice Eve’s. Combined with the above revelation this means Cumberbatch is playing someone from established Star Trek canon but not anyone who has popped up in the comics. As for Alice Eve, she could be playing Janice Rand, because even though that character has appeared in the comics, she was blond and sort of looked like Alice Eve. Though my money is more on Eve playing Christine Chapel (mentioned but not seen in 2009’s Star Trek).
It’s also interesting to note that Orci simply says that Cumberbatch’s character is “canon” but not necessarily original series canon. We know from Countdown that Orci likes all eras of Star Trek—the comic of “Operation: Annihilate!” featured a TNG-style communicator badge. Could Cumberbatch be Q?
What does everyone else think? Do the latest Trek revelations make you happy? Sad? Indifferent? Tell us below!
[Full interview on Trek Movie]
Ryan Britt is the staff writer for Tor.com.
