| Star Trek | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | J. J. Abrams |
| Written by | |
| Based on | Star Trek byGene Roddenberry |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dan Mindel |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Michael Giacchino |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 127 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $150 million[3] |
| Box office | $385.7 million[3] |
Star Trek is a 2009 Americanscience fictionaction film directed byJ. J. Abrams, and written byRoberto Orci andAlex Kurtzman. It is the 11th film in theStar Trek franchise, and is also areboot that features the main characters of theoriginalStar Trek television series portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series. The film followsJames T. Kirk (Chris Pine) andSpock (Zachary Quinto) aboard theUSSEnterprise as they combatNero (Eric Bana), aRomulan from their future who threatens theUnited Federation of Planets. The story takes place in analternate reality that features both an alternate birth location forJames T. Kirk and furtheralterations in history stemming from thetime travel of both Nero and the original series Spock (Leonard Nimoy).[4][5] The alternate reality was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from establishedcontinuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements.
The idea for a prequel film which would follow theStar Trek characters during their time inStarfleet Academy was first discussed by series creatorGene Roddenberry in 1968. The concept resurfaced in the late 1980s, when it was postulated byHarve Bennett as a possible plotline for what would becomeStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but it was rejected in favor of other projects by Roddenberry. Following the critical and commercial failure ofStar Trek: Nemesis and the cancellation ofStar Trek: Enterprise, the franchise's executive producerRick Berman and screenwriterErik Jendresen wrote an unproduced film titledStar Trek: The Beginning, which would take place afterEnterprise. After the separation ofViacom andCBS Corporation in 2005, formerParamount Pictures presidentGail Berman convinced CBS to allow Paramount to produce a new film in the franchise. Orci and Kurtzman were soon approached to write the film, and Abrams was approached to direct it. Kurtzman and Orci used inspiration from novels and graduate school dissertations, as well as the series itself.Principal photography occurred between November 2007 and March 2008, in locations around California and Utah. Abrams wanted to avoid usinggreenscreen, and preferred sets and locations instead. Heavy secrecy surrounded the film's production and was under the fake working titleCorporate Headquarters.Industrial Light & Magic used digital ships for the film, as opposed tominiatures used in most of the previous films in the franchise. Production for the film concluded by the end of 2008.
Star Trek was heavily promoted in the months preceding its release; pre-release screenings for the film premiered in select cities around the world, includingAustin,Sydney, andCalgary. It was released in the United States on May 8, 2009, to critical acclaim. The film was a financial success, grossing over $385.7 million worldwide against its $150 million production budget. It was nominated for several awards, including four at the82nd Academy Awards, winningBest Makeup—the only Academy Award aStar Trek film has won. It was followed by the sequelsStar Trek Into Darkness (2013) andStar Trek Beyond (2016).
In 2233, theFederationstarship USSKelvin investigates a "lightning storm" in space. ARomulan ship,Narada, emerges from the storm and attacks theKelvin, then demands thatKelvin's Captain Robau come aboard to negotiate a truce. Robau is questioned about the currentstardate and an "AmbassadorSpock", whom he does not recognize.Narada's commander,Nero, kills him, and resumes attacking theKelvin. George Kirk,Kelvin's first officer, orders the ship's personnel, including his pregnant wife Winona, to abandon ship while he pilots theKelvin on a collision course withNarada, since theKelvin's autopilot is disabled. While Kirk sacrifices his life, Winona gives birth toJames Tiberius Kirk.
Twenty-two years later on the planetVulcan, a young Spock is admitted to the Vulcan Science Academy. Realizing that the Academy views his human mother, Amanda, as a "disadvantage", he joinsStarfleet instead. OnEarth, following a bar fight with Starfleet cadets accompanyingNyota Uhura, an adult Kirk meets CaptainChristopher Pike, who encourages him to enlist inStarfleet Academy. There, Kirk meets and befriends doctorLeonard McCoy. Three years later, Commander Spock accuses Kirk of cheating during theKobayashi Maru simulation. Kirk argues that cheating was acceptable because the simulation was designed to be unbeatable. The disciplinary hearing is interrupted by a distress signal from Vulcan. With the primary fleet out of range, the cadets are mobilized. McCoy and Kirk board Pike's ship, theEnterprise.
Recognizing that the "lightning storm" observed near Vulcan is similar to the one that occurred when he was born, Kirk convinces Pike that the signal is a trap. Arriving, theEnterprise finds the fleet destroyed andNarada drilling into Vulcan'score.Narada attacksEnterprise and Pike surrenders, delegating command of the ship to Spock and promoting Kirk to first officer. Kirk,Hikaru Sulu, andChief Engineer Olson perform aspace jump[6][7] onto the drilling platform. While Olson is killed mid-jump, Kirk and Sulu disable the drill, but are unable to stop Nero launching "red matter" into Vulcan's core, forming an artificialblack hole that destroys Vulcan. TheEnterprise rescues Spock's father,Sarek, and the high council before Vulcan's destruction, but Amanda falls to her death before thetransporter can lock onto her. AsNarada approaches Earth, Nero tortures Pike to gain access to Earth's defense codes.
Spock maroons Kirk on Delta Vega after he attemptsmutiny. There, Kirk encounters an older Spock from an alternate timeline, who explains that he and Nero are from 2387. In the future,Romulus was threatened by asupernova, which Spock attempted to stop with red matter. His plan failed, resulting in Nero's family perishing along with Romulus, while theNarada and Spock's vessel were caught in the black hole and sent back in time. They were sent back 25 years apart, during which time Nero attacked theKelvin, changing history and creating a parallel universe. After Spock's arrival, Nero stranded him on Delta Vega to watch Vulcan's destruction. Reaching a Starfleet outpost, Kirk and the elder Spock meetMontgomery "Scotty" Scott, who devises a trans-warp transporter system, allowing him and Kirk tobeam ontoEnterprise.
Following the elder Spock's advice, Kirk provokes younger Spock into attacking him, forcing Spock to recognize himself as emotionally compromised and relinquish command to Kirk. After talking with Sarek, Spock decides to help Kirk. WhileEnterprise hides within the gas clouds ofTitan, Kirk and Spock beam aboardNarada. Kirk fights Nero and rescues Pike, while Spock uses the elder Spock's ship to destroy the drill. Spock leadsNarada away from Earth and sets his ship to collide withNarada.Enterprise beams Kirk, Pike, and Spock aboard. The older Spock's ship andNarada collide, igniting the red matter.Narada is consumed in a black hole thatEnterprise escapes.
Kirk is promoted to captain and given command ofEnterprise, while Pike is promoted to rear admiral. Spock encounters his older self, who persuades him to continue serving in Starfleet, encouraging him to do what feels right rather than what is logical. Spock becomes first officer under Kirk's command.
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Chris Doohan, the son of the original Scotty,James Doohan, makes acameo appearance in the transporter room. Pegg e-mailed Doohan about the role of Scotty, and the actor promised him his performance "would be a complete tribute to his father".[48] Chris Doohan previously cameoed inStar Trek: The Motion Picture.Greg Grunberg has a vocal cameo as Kirk's alcoholic stepfather.[49] Grunberg was up for the role of Olson but dropped out due to a scheduling conflict. Grunberg was also interested in playingHarry Mudd,[50] who was in an early draft of the script.[51]Brad William Henke filmed scenes in the role which were cut out.[52]Diora Baird appears in a deleted scene as an Orion cadet that Kirk mistakes for Gaila.[53]Star Trek: Enterprise starDominic Keating also auditioned for the role.[54]Paul McGillion auditioned for Scotty, and he impressed producers enough that he was given another role as a 'Barracks Leader'.[49] Abrams offeredRicky Gervais a role in the film, but he turned it down due to being unfamiliar with the series.[55]James Cawley, producer and star of the webseriesStar Trek: New Voyages, appears as aStarfleet officer, whilePavel Lychnikoff andLucia Rijker play Romulans, Lychnikoff a Commander and Rijker aCO.W. Morgan Sheppard, who played aKlingon inStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, appears in this film as the head of the Vulcan Science Council.Wil Wheaton, known for portrayingWesley Crusher onStar Trek: The Next Generation, was brought in, through urging by Greg Grunberg, to voice several of the other Romulans in the film.[56]Star Trek fan andCarnegie Mellon University professorRandy Pausch (who died on July 25, 2008) cameoed as aKelvin crew member, and has a line of dialogue.[57]Majel Barrett, the widow ofStar Trek creatorGene Roddenberry, reprised her role as the voice of theEnterprise's computer, which she completed two weeks before her death on December 18, 2008.[58] The film was dedicated to her, as well as Gene, to whom the film was always going to be commemorated as a sign of respect.[59]
Orci and Kurtzman wrote a scene forWilliam Shatner, where old Spock gives his younger self a recorded message by Kirk from the previous timeline. "It was basically a Happy Birthday wish knowing that Spock was going to go off to Romulus, and Kirk would probably be dead by the time," and it would have transitioned into Shatner reciting "where no man has gone before".[60] But Shatner wanted to share Nimoy's major role, and did not want a cameo,[61] despite his character's death inStar Trek Generations. He suggested the film canonizehis novels where Kirk is resurrected,[62] but Abrams decided if his character was accompanying Nimoy's, it would have become a film about the resurrection of Kirk, and not about introducing the new versions of the characters.[59] Nimoy disliked the character's death inGenerations, but also felt resurrecting Kirk would be detrimental to this film.[20]
Nichelle Nichols suggested playing Uhura's grandmother, but Abrams could not write this in due to theWriters Guild strike.[63] Abrams was also interested in castingKeri Russell, but they deemed the role he had in mind for her too similar to her other roles.[64]
As early as the 1968World Science Fiction Convention,Star Trek creatorGene Roddenberry had said he was going to make a filmprequel to thetelevision series.[65] However, the prequel concept did not resurface until the late 1980s, whenRalph Winter andHarve Bennett submitted a proposal for a prequel during development of thefourth film. Roddenberry rejected Bennett's prequel proposal in 1991, after the completion ofStar Trek V: The Final Frontier.[66] ThenDavid Loughery wrote a script entitledThe Academy Years, but it was shelved in light of objections from Roddenberry and the fanbase. The film that was commissioned instead ended up beingStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. In February 2005, after the financial failure of the tenth film,Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), and the cancellation of the television seriesStar Trek: Enterprise, the franchise's executive producerRick Berman and screenwriterErik Jendresen began developing a new film entitledStar Trek: The Beginning. It was to revolve around a new set of characters, led by Kirk's ancestor Tiberius Chase, and be set during the Earth-Romulan War—after the events ofEnterprise but before the events of the original series.[67]
In 2005,Viacom, which owned Paramount Pictures, separated fromCBS Corporation, which retained Paramount's television properties, including ownership of theStar Trek brand.Gail Berman (no relation to executive producer Rick Berman), then president of Paramount, convinced CBS' chief executive,Leslie Moonves, to allow them eighteen months to develop a newStar Trek film, otherwise Paramount would lose the film rights. Berman approachedMission: Impossible III writersRoberto Orci andAlex Kurtzman for ideas on the new film, and after the film had completed shooting she asked their director, Abrams, to produce it.[68] Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman, plus producersDamon Lindelof andBryan Burk, felt the franchise had explored enough of what took place after the series,[69] Orci and Lindelof consider themselvestrekkies,[70] and feel some of theStar Trek novels have canonical value, although Roddenberry never considered the novels to becanon.[71] Kurtzman is a casual fan, while Burk was not.[8] Abrams' companyBad Robot produced the film with Paramount, marking the first time another company had financed aStar Trek film.[72]Bill Todman, Jr.'sLevel 1 Entertainment also co-produced the film, but, during 2008,Spyglass Entertainment replaced them as financial partner.[73]
In an interview, Abrams said that he had never seenStar Trek: Nemesis because he felt the franchise had "disconnected" from the original series.[74] For him, he said,Star Trek was about Kirk and Spock, and the other series were like "separate space adventure[s] with the nameStar Trek". He also acknowledged that as a child he had actually preferred theStar Wars movies.[75] He noted that his general knowledge ofStar Trek made him well suited to introduce the franchise to newcomers,[76] and that, being an optimistic person, he would makeStar Trek an optimistic film, which would be a refreshing contrast to the likes ofThe Dark Knight.[8] He added that he loved the focus on exploration inStar Trek and the idea of thePrime Directive, which forbids Starfleet from interfering in the development of primitive worlds; but that, because of the budgetary limitations of the original series, it had "never had the resources to actually show the adventure".[77] He noted that he initially became involved with the project as producer only because he wanted to help Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof.[68]
On February 23, 2007, Abrams accepted Paramount's offer to direct the film, after having initially been attached to it solely as a producer.[78] He explained that he had decided to direct the film because, after reading the script, he realized that he "would be so agonizingly envious of whoever stepped in and directed the movie".[79] Orci and Kurtzman said that their aim had been to impress a casual fan like Abrams with their story.[80] Abrams noted that, during filming, he had been nervous "with all these tattooed faces and pointy ears, bizarre weaponry and Romulan linguists, with dialogue about 'Neutral Zones' and 'Starfleet' [but] I knew this would work, because the script Alex and Bob wrote was so emotional and so relatable. I didn't love Kirk and Spock when I began this journey – but I love them now."[8]
"We're from different worlds, Alex [Kurtzman] was born here, and I was born in Mexico City and lived there until I was nine. Kirk and Spock are opposites from two worlds. That's us in a nutshell. We're drawn to each by what each of us lacks. The story of this film is about two guys who are such opposites that they might end up strangling each other but instead they bond and thrive together. That's us. We can go warp speed together."
Orci said gettingLeonard Nimoy in the film was important. "Having him sitting around a campfire sharing his memories was never gonna cut it" though, and time travel was going to be included in the film from the beginning.[81] Kurtzman added, saying the time travel creates jeopardy, unlike other prequels where viewers "know how they all died".[82] The writers acknowledged time travel had been overused in the other series, but it served a good purpose in creating a new set of adventures for the original characters before they could completely do away with it in other films.[83] Abrams selected theRomulans as the villains because they had been featured less than theKlingons in the series and thought it would be "fun" to have them meet Kirk before they do in the series.[84] Orci and Kurtzman noted it would feel backward to demonize the Klingons again after they had become heroes in laterStar Trek series, and the Romulan presence continues Spock's story from his last chronological appearance in "Unification", an episode ofStar Trek: The Next Generation set in 2368.[83] The episode of the original continuity in which Kirk becomes one of the first humans to ever see a Romulan, "Balance of Terror", served as one of the influences for the film.[70] Orci said it was difficult giving a good explanation for the time travel without being gimmicky, like having Nero specifically seeking to assassinate Kirk.[85]
Orci noted while the time travel story allowed them to alter some backstory elements such as Kirk's first encounter with the Romulans, they could not use it as a crutch to change everything and tried to approach the film as a prequel as much as possible. Kirk's service onFarragut, a major backstory point to the original episode "Obsession", was left out because it was deemed irrelevant to the story of Kirk meeting Spock, although Orci felt nothing in his script precluded it from the new film's backstory.[81] There was a scene involving Kirk meeting Carol Marcus (who is revealed as the mother of his son inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) as a child, but it was dropped because the film needed more time to introduce the core characters.[86][87] Figuring out ways to get the crew together required some contrivances, which Orci and Kurtzman wanted to explain from old Spock as a way of the timeline mending itself, highlighting the theme of destiny. The line was difficult to write and was ultimately cut out.[83][88]
The filmmakers sought inspiration from novels such asPrime Directive,Spock's World andBest Destiny to fill in gaps unexplained by canon;Best Destiny particularly explores Kirk's childhood and names his parents.[70][81][89] One idea that was justified through information from the novels was havingEnterprise built on Earth, which was inspired by a piece of fan art ofEnterprise being built in a shipyard. Orci had sent the fan art to Abrams to show how realistic the film could be.[90] Orci explained parts of the ship would have to be constructed on Earth because of theartificial gravity employed on the ship and its requirement for sustainingwarp speed, and therefore the calibration of the ship's machinery would be best done in the exactgravity well which is to be simulated.[91] They felt free to have the ship built inIowa because canon is ambiguous as to whether it was built in San Francisco, but this is a result of the time travel rather than something intended to overlap with the original timeline.[82] Abrams noted the continuity of the original series itself was inconsistent at times.[13]
Orci and Kurtzman said they wanted the general audience to like the film as much as the fans, by stripping away "Treknobabble," making it action-packed and giving it the simple title ofStar Trek to indicate to newcomers they would not need to watch any of the other films.[92] Abrams saw humor and sex appeal as two integral and popular elements of the show that needed to be maintained.[76] Orci stated being realistic and being serious were not the same thing.[90] Abrams, Burk, Lindelof, Orci and Kurtzman were fans ofThe Wrath of Khan, and also citedThe Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" as an influence.[70] Abrams' wife Katie was regularly consulted on the script, as were Orci, Kurtzman and Lindelof's wives, to make the female characters as strong as possible.[93] Katie Abrams' approval of the strong female characters was partly why Abrams signed on to direct.[94]
Orci and Kurtzman read graduate school dissertations on the series for inspiration;[69] they noted comparisons of Kirk, Spock and McCoy toShakespearian archetypes, and Kirk and Spock's friendship echoing that ofJohn Lennon andPaul McCartney.[70] They also noted that, in the creation of this film, they were influenced byStar Wars, particularly in pacing. "I want to feel the space, I want to feel speed and I want to feel all the things that can become a little bit lost whenStar Trek becomes very stately" said Orci.[80]Star Wars permeated in the way they wrote the action sequences,[82] while Burk noted Kirk and Spock's initially cold relationship mirrors how "Han Solo wasn't friends with anyone when they started on their journey."[95] Spock and Uhura were put in an actual relationship as a nod to early episodes highlighting her interest in him.[88] Orci wanted to introduce strongStarfleet captains, concurring with an interviewer that most captains in other films were "patsies" included to make Kirk look greater by comparison.[93]
USSKelvin, the ship Kirk's father serves on, is named after J.J. Abrams' grandfather, as well as the physicist and engineerLord Kelvin (William Thomson).Kelvin's captain, Richard Robau (Faran Tahir), is named after Orci'sCuban uncle: Orci theorized the fictional character was born in Cuba and grew up in the Middle East.[90] Another reference to Abrams' previous works is Slusho, which Uhura orders at the bar where she meets Kirk. Abrams created the fictitious drink forAlias and it reappeared inviral marketing forCloverfield. Its owner, Tagruato, is also fromCloverfield and appears on a building in San Francisco.[49] The red matter in the film is in the shape of a red ball, an Abrams motif dating back to the pilot ofAlias.[96]
The film's production designer was Scott Chambliss, a longtime collaborator with Abrams. Chambliss worked with a large group of concept illustrators, including James Clyne,Ryan Church, creature designerNeville Page, andStar Trek veteranJohn Eaves.[97] Abrams stated the difficulty of depicting the future was that much of modern technology was inspired by the original show, and made it seem outdated. Thus the production design had to be consistent with the television series but also feel more advanced than the real world technology developed after it.[69] "We all have theiPhone that does more than thecommunicator," said Abrams. "I feel like there's a certain thing that you can't really hold onto, which is kind of the kitschy quality. That must go if it's going to be something that you believe is real."[98] Prop master Russell Bobbitt collaborated withNokia on recreating the original communicator, creating a $50,000 prototype. Another prop recreated for the film was thetricorder. Bobbitt brought the original prop to the set, but the actors found it too large to carry when filming action scenes, so technical advisor Doug Brody redesigned it to be smaller.[99] Thephaser props were designed as spring-triggered barrels that revolve and glow as the setting switches from "stun" to "kill".[8] AnAptera Typ-1 prototype car was used on location.[100]
_bridge_panorama_.jpg)
Production designer Scott Chambliss maintained the layout of the original bridge, but aesthetically altered it with brighter colors to reflect the optimism ofStar Trek. The viewscreen was made into a window that could have images projected on it to make the space environment palpable. Abrams compared the redesign to the sleek modernist work ofPierre Cardin and the sets from2001: A Space Odyssey, which were from the 1960s.[101] He joked the redesigned bridge made theApple Store look "uncool". At the director's behest, more railings were added to the bridge to make it look safer,[8] and the set was built ongimbals so its rocking motions when the ship accelerates and is attacked were more realistic.[101] To emphasize the size of the ship, Abrams chose to give the engine room a highly industrial appearance: he explained to Pegg that he was inspired byRMS Titanic, a sleek ship in which there was an "incredible gut".[102]
Abrams selectedMichael Kaplan to design the costumes because he had not seen any of the films, meaning he would approach the costumes with a new angle. For theStarfleet uniforms, Kaplan followed the show's original color-coding, with dark gray (almost black) undershirts and pants and colored overshirts showing each crew member's position. Command officers wear gold shirts, science and medical officers wear blue, and operations (technicians, engineers, and security personnel) wear red. Kaplan wanted the shirts to be more sophisticated than the originals and selected to have the Starfleet symbol patterned on them.[101] Kirk wears only the undershirt because he is a cadet.[8] Kaplan modelled the uniforms onKelvin on science fiction films of the 1940s and 1950s, to contrast withEnterprise-era uniforms based on the ones created in the 1960s.[101] For Abrams, "The costumes were a microcosm of the entire project, which was how to take something that's kind of silly and make it feel real. But how do you make legitimate those near-primary color costumes?"[103]
Lindelof compared the film's Romulan faction to pirates with their bald, tattooed heads and disorganized costuming. Their ship,Narada, is purely practical with visible mechanics as it is a "working ship", unlike theEnterprise crew who give a respectable presentation on behalf of theFederation.[104] Chambliss was heavily influenced by the architecture ofAntoni Gaudí forNarada, who created buildings that appeared to be inside out: by making the ship's exposed wires appear like bones or ligaments, it would create a foreboding atmosphere. The ship's interior was made of six pieces that could be rearranged to create a different room.[101] The Romulan actors had three prosthetics applied to their ears and foreheads, while Bana had a fourth prosthetic for the bitemark on his ear that extends to the back of his character's head.[105] The film's Romulans lack the V-shaped ridges on the foreheads, which had been present in all of their depictions outside the original series.Neville Page wanted to honor that by having Nero's crew ritually scar themselves too, formingkeloids reminiscent of the 'V'-ridges. It was abandoned as they did not pursue the idea enough.[106] Kaplan wanted aged, worn, and rugged clothes for the Romulans because of their mining backgrounds and found some greasy looking fabrics at aflea market. Kaplan tracked down the makers of those clothes, who were discovered to be based inBali, and commissioned them to create his designs.[8]
Barney Burman supervised the makeup for the other aliens: his team had to rush the creation of many of the aliens, because originally the majority of them were to feature in one scene towards the end of filming. Abrams deemed the scene too similar to the cantina sequence inStar Wars and decided to dot the designs around the film.[105] Atribble was placed in the background of Scotty's introduction.[49] Both digital and physical makeup was used for aliens.[107]
Principal photography for the film began on November 7, 2007, and culminated on March 27, 2008;[108] howeversecond unit filming occurred inBakersfield, California, in April 2008, which stood in for Kirk's childhood home inIowa.[109] Filming was also done at the City Hall ofLong Beach, California;[110] theSan Rafael Swell in Utah;[111] and theCalifornia State University, Northridge in Los Angeles (which was used forestablishing shots of students atStarfleet Academy).[112] A parking lot outsideDodger Stadium was used for the ice planet of Delta Vega and the Romulan drilling rig on Vulcan. The filmmakers expressed an interest inIceland for scenes on Delta Vega, but decided against it: Chambliss enjoyed the challenge of filming scenes with snow in southern California. Other Vulcan exteriors were shot atVasquez Rocks, a location that was used in various episodes of the original series. ABudweiser plant inVan Nuys was used forEnterprise's engine room, while a Long Beach power plant was used forKelvin's engine room.[101]
Following the initiation of the2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike on November 5, 2007, Abrams, himself a WGA member, toldVariety that while he would not render writing services for the film and intended to walk the picket line, he did not expect the strike to impact his directing of the production.[113] In the final few weeks before the strike and start of production, Abrams and Lindelof polished the script for a final time.[114] Abrams was frustrated that he was unable to alter lines during the strike, whereas normally they would have been able to improvise new ideas during rehearsal, although Lindelof acknowledged they coulddub some lines in post-production.[115] Orci and Kurtzman were able to stay on set withoutstrikebreaking because they were also executive producers on the film; they could "make funny eyes and faces at the actors whenever they had a problem with the line and sort of nod when they had something better".[116] Abrams was able to alter a scene where Spock combats six Romulans from a fistfight to a gunfight, having decided there were too many physical brawls in the film.[16]
The production team maintained heavily enforced security around the film.Karl Urban revealed, "[There is a] level of security and secrecy that we have all been forced to adopt. I mean, it's really kind of paranoid crazy, but sort of justified. We're not allowed to walk around in public in our costumes and we have to be herded around everywhere in these golf carts that are completely concealed and covered in black canvas. The security of it is immense. You feel your freedom is a big challenge."[117] Actors likeJennifer Morrison were only given the scripts of their scenes.[118] The film's shooting script was fiercely protected even with the main cast.Simon Pegg said, "I read [the script] with a security guard near me – it's that secretive."[119] The film used thefake working title ofCorporate Headquarters.[120] Some of the few outside of the production allowed to visit the set includedRod Roddenberry,[121]Ronald D. Moore,[122]Jonathan Frakes,Walter Koenig,Nichelle Nichols,Ben Stiller,Tom Cruise andSteven Spielberg (who had partially convinced Abrams to direct because he liked the script, and he even advised the action scenes during his visit).[94]
When the shoot ended, Abrams gave the cast small boxes containing little telescopes, which allowed them to read the name of eachconstellation it was pointed at. "I think he just wanted each of us to look at the stars a little differently," saidJohn Cho. After the shoot, Abrams cut out some scenes of Kirk and Spock as children, including seeing the latter as a baby, as well as a subplot involving Nero being imprisoned by and escaping from theKlingons. This explanation for his absence during Kirk's life confused many to whom Abrams screened the film.[77] Other scenes cut out explained that the teenage Kirk stole his stepfather's antique car because he had forced him to clean it before an auction; and that the Orion he seduced at the Academy worked in the operations division. Afterward, she agrees to open the e-mail containing hispatch that allows him to pass theKobayashi Maru test.[88]
Abrams chose to shoot the film in theanamorphic format on35mm film after discussions about whether the film should be shot in high-definition digital video. CinematographerDan Mindel and Abrams agreed the choice gave the film a big-screen feel and the realistic, organic look they wanted for the film setting.[123] Abrams and Mindel usedlens flares throughout filming to create an optimistic atmosphere and a feeling that activity was taking place off-camera, making theStar Trek universe feel more real. "There's something about those flares, especially in a movie that potentially could be incredibly sterile and CG and overly controlled. There's just something incredibly unpredictable and gorgeous about them." Mindel would create more flares by shining a flashlight or pointing a mirror at the camera lens, or using two cameras simultaneously and therefore two lighting set-ups.[123] EditorMary Jo Markey later said in an interview that he had not told her (or fellow editorMaryann Brandon) this, and initially contacted the film developers asking why the film seemed overexposed.[124]
Industrial Light & Magic andDigital Domain were among several companies that created over 1,000 special effect shots.[125] The visual effects supervisors were Roger Guyett, who collaborated with Abrams onMission: Impossible III and also served assecond unit director, andRussell Earl. Abrams avoided shooting only againstbluescreen and greenscreen, because it "makes me insane", using them instead to extend the scale of sets and locations.[69] The Delta Vega sequence required the mixing of digital snow with real snow.[126]
Star Trek was the first film ILM worked on using entirely digital ships.[126]Enterprise was intended by Abrams to be a merging of its design in the series and the refitted version from the original film. Abrams had fond memories of the revelation ofEnterprise's refit inStar Trek: The Motion Picture, because it was the first time the ship felt tangible and real to him.[127] Theiridescent pattern on the ship fromThe Motion Picture was maintained to give the ship depth, while model maker Roger Goodson also applied the "Aztec" pattern fromThe Next Generation. Goodson recalled Abrams also wanted to bring a "hot rod" aesthetic to the ship. Effects supervisor Roger Guyett wanted the ship to have more moving parts, which stemmed from his childhood dissatisfaction with the ship's design: The newEnterprise'sdish can expand and move, while the fins on its engines split slightly when they beginwarping.[128]Enterprise was originally redesigned by Ryan Church using features of the original, at 1,200 feet (370 m) long,[129] but was doubled in size to 2,357 feet (718 m) long to make it seem "grander",[129] while the RomulanNarada is five miles long and several miles wide.[101] The filmmakers had to simulatelens flares on the ships in keeping with the film's cinematography.[126]
Carolyn Porco ofNASA was consulted on the planetary science and imagery.[130] The animators realistically recreated what an explosion would look like in space: short blasts, which suck inward and leave debris from a ship floating. For shots of an imploding planet, the same explosion program was used to simulate it breaking up, while the animators could manually composite multiple layers of rocks and wind sucking into the planet.[126] Unlike otherStar Trek films and series, thetransporter beam effects swirl rather than speckle.[37] Abrams conceived the redesign to emphasize the notion of transporters as beams that can pick up and move people, rather than a signal composed of scrambled atoms.[125]
Lola Visual Effects worked on 48 shots, including some animation to Bana and Nimoy. Bana required extensive damage to his teeth, which was significant enough to completely replace his mouth in some shots. Nimoy's mouth was reanimated in his first scene with Kirk following a rerecording session. The filmmakers had filmed Nimoy when he rerecorded his lines so they couldrotoscope his mouth into the film, even recreating the lighting conditions, but they realized they had to digitally recreate his lips because of the bouncing light created by the campfire.[125]
The sound effects were designed byStar Wars veteranBen Burtt. Whereas the phaser blast noises from the television series were derived fromThe War of the Worlds (1953), Burtt made his phaser sounds more like his blasters fromStar Wars, because Abrams' depiction of phasers were closer to the blasters' bullet-like fire, rather than the steady beams of energy in previousStar Trek films. Burtt reproduced the classic photon torpedo and warp drive sounds: he tapped a long spring against acontact microphone, and combined that with cannon fire. Burtt used a 1960soscillator to create a musical and emotional hum to the warping and transporting sounds.[131]
Michael Giacchino, Abrams' most frequent collaborator, composed the music forStar Trek. He keptthe original theme byAlexander Courage for the end credits, which Abrams said symbolized the momentum of the crew coming together.[132] Giacchino admitted personal pressure in scoring the film, as "I grew up listening to all of that great [Trek] music, and that's part of what inspired me to do what I'm doing [...] You just go in scared. You just hope you do your best. It's one of those things where the film will tell me what to do."[133] Scoring took place at the Sony Scoring Stage with a 107-piece orchestra and 40-person choir. Anerhu, performed by Karen Han, was used for the Vulcan themes. A distorted recording was used for the Romulans.[132]Varèse Sarabande, the record label responsible for releasing albums of Giacchino's previous scores forAlias,Lost,Mission: Impossible III, andSpeed Racer, released the soundtrack for the film on May 5.[134] The music for the theatrical trailers were composed byTwo Steps from Hell.[135]
The first teaser trailer debuted in theaters withCloverfield on January 18, 2008, which showedEnterprise under construction. Abrams himself directed the first part of the trailer, where a welder removes his goggles. Professional welders were hired for the teaser.[136] The voices of the 1960s played over the trailer were intended to link the film to the present day;John F. Kennedy in particular was chosen because of similarities with the character ofJames T. Kirk and because he is seen to have "kicked off" theSpace Race. Orci explained that: "If we do indeed have aFederation, I think Kennedy's words will be inscribed in there someplace."[91]Star Trek's later trailers would win four awards, including Best in Show, in the tenth annualGolden Trailer Awards.[137]
Paramount faced two obstacles in promoting the film: the unfamiliarity of the "MySpace generation" with the franchise and the relatively weak international performance of the previous films. Six months before the film's release, Abrams toured Europe and North America with 25 minutes of footage. Abrams noted the large-scale campaign started unusually early, but this was because the release delay allowed him to show more completed scenes than normal. The director preferred promoting his projects quietly, but concurred Paramount needed to removeStar Trek's stigma.[138] Abrams would exaggerate his preference for other shows toStar Trek as a child to the press, with statements like "I'm not aStar Trek fan" and "this movie is not made forStar Trek fans necessarily". Orci compared Abrams' approach toThe Next Generation episode "A Matter of Honor", whereWilliam Riker is stationed aboard a Klingon vessel. "On that ship when someone talks back to you, you would have to beat them down or you lose the respect of your crew, which is protocol, whereas on a Federation ship that would be a crime. So we have to give [J. J. Abrams] a little bit of leeway, when he is traveling the 'galaxy' over there where they don't knowTrek, to say the things that need to be said in order to get people onto our side."[90]
Promotional partners on the film includeNokia,Verizon Wireless,Esurance,Kellogg's,Burger King andIntel Corporation, as well as various companies specializing in home decorating, apparel, jewelry, gift items and "Tiberius", "Pon Farr" and "Red Shirt" fragrances.[139][140]Playmates Toys, who owned theStar Trek toy license until 2000, also held the merchandise rights for the new film.[141] The first wave was released in March and April 2009. Playmates hope to continue their toy line into 2010.[142][needs update] The first wave consists of 3.75", 6" and 12" action figures, anEnterprise replica, prop toys and play sets. to recreate the whole bridge, one would have to buy more 3.75" figures, which come with chairs and consoles to add to the main set consisting of Kirk's chair, the floor, the main console and the viewscreen.[143]Master Replicas,[144]Mattel,Hasbro andFundex Games will promote the film[needs update] via playing cards,Monopoly,UNO,Scrabble,Magic 8 Ball,Hot Wheels,Tyco R/C,20Q,Scene It? andBarbie lines. Some of these are based on previousStar Trek iterations rather than the film.[140][145] CBS also created a merchandising line based aroundStar Trek caricatures named "Quogs".[146]
In February 2008, Paramount announced they would moveStar Trek from its December 25, 2008, release date to May 8, 2009, as the studio felt more people would see the film during summer than winter. The film was practically finished by the end of 2008.[147] Paramount's decision came about after visiting the set and watchingdailies, as they realized the film could appeal to a much broader audience. Even though the filmmakers liked the Christmas release date, Damon Lindelof acknowledged it would allow more time to perfect the visual effects.[115] The months-long gap between the completion of the production and release meantAlan Dean Foster was allowed to watch the whole film before writing thenovelization, although thenovel would contain scenes absent from the final edit.[148] Quinto narrated the audiobook.[149]
A surprise public screening was held on April 6, 2009, at theAlamo Drafthouse theater inAustin, Texas, hosted by writers Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and producer Damon Lindelof. The showing was publicized as a screening ofStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, followed by a ten-minute preview of the newStar Trek film. A few minutes intoKhan, the film appeared to melt and Nimoy appeared on stage with Orci, Kurtzman and Lindelof, asking the audience, "wouldn't you rather see the new movie?"[150] Following the surprise screening in Texas, the first of many premieres across the world was held at theSydney Opera House in Sydney on April 7, 2009.[151] For almost two years, the town ofVulcan, Alberta, had campaigned to have the film premiere there, but because it had no theater, Paramount arranged instead a lottery where 300 winning residents would be taken to a prerelease screening inCalgary.[152]
The film was released on DVD andBlu-ray on November 17, 2009, in North America,[153] November 16 in the United Kingdom[154] and October 26 in Australia and New Zealand. In Sweden and Germany, it was released on November 4.[155] First week sales stood at 5.7 million DVDs along with 1.1 million Blu-ray Discs,[156] givingParamount Pictures their third chart topping release in five weeks followingTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen andG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.[157]
Official screenings in the United States started at 7 pm on May 7, 2009,[158] grossing $4 million on its opening day. By the end of the weekend,Star Trek had opened with $79,204,300, as well as $35,500,000 from other countries. Adjusted and unadjusted for inflation, it beatStar Trek: First Contact for the largest American opening for aStar Trek film. The film made US$8.5 million from itsIMAX screenings, breakingThe Dark Knight's $6.3 million IMAX opening record.[159] The film is the highest-grossing in the United States and Canada from the entireStar Trek film franchise, eclipsingThe Voyage Home andStar Trek: The Motion Picture. Its opening weekend numbers alone outgross the entire individual runs ofThe Undiscovered Country,The Final Frontier,Insurrection andNemesis.[160]Star Trek ended its United States theatrical run on October 1, 2009, with a box office total of $257,730,019, which places it as the seventh highest-grossing film for 2009 behindThe Hangover.[3] The film grossed $127,764,536 in international markets,[161] for a total worldwide gross of $385,494,555.[162] While foreign grosses represent only 31% of the total box office receipts, executives of Paramount were happy with the international sales, asStar Trek historically was a movie franchise that never has been a big draw overseas.[163]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 94% of 355 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Star Trek reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike."[164]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[165] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[166]
Ty Burr of theBoston Globe gave the film a perfect four star rating, describing it as "ridiculously satisfying", and the "best prequel ever".[167] Burr praised the character development in the film, opining that "emotionally,Star Trek hits every one of its marks, functioning as a family reunion that extends across decades, entertainment mediums, even blurring the line between audience and show."[167] He continued: "Trading on affections sustained over 40 years of popular culture,Star Trek does what a franchise reboot rarely does. It reminds us why we loved these characters in the first place."[167] Owen Gleiberman fromEntertainment Weekly gave the film an 'A−' grade, commenting that director Abrams "crafts an origin story that avoids any hint of the origin doldrums".[168] Similar sentiments were expressed byRolling Stone journalistPeter Travers, who gave the film a 3.5 out of 4 stars. He felt that the acting from the cast was the highlight of the filming, asserting that the performance of Pine radiated star quality.[169] Likewise, Travers called Quinto's performance "sharp" and "intuitive", and felt that Quinto "gave the film a soul".[169] Manohla Dargis of theNew York Times wrote, "Star Trek [...] isn't just a pleasurable rethink of your geek uncle's favorite science-fiction series. It's also a testament to television's power as mythmaker, as a source for some of the fundamental stories we tell about ourselves, who we are and where we came from.[170]Slate's Dana Stevens felt that the film was "a gift to those of us who loved the original series, that brainy, wonky, idealistic body of work that aired to almost no commercial success between 1966–69 and has since become a science fiction archetype and object of cult adoration".[171]Time Out London's Tom Huddleston praised the aesthetic qualities of the film, such as the design ofEnterprise, and praised the performances of the cast.[172] He wrote, "The cast are equally strong: Quinto brings wry charm to an otherwise calculating character, while Pine powers through his performance in bullish, if not quite Shatner-esque, fashion."[172]
The chemistry between Pine and Quinto was well received by critics. Gleiberman felt that as the film progressed to the conclusion, Pine and Quinto emulated the same connection as Kirk and Spock.[168] Tim Robey ofThe Telegraph echoed similar attitudes; "The movie charts their relationship [...] in a nicely oblique way." Robey resumed: "It's the main event, dramatically speaking, but there's always something more thumpingly urgent to command their attention, whether it's a Vulcan distress signal or the continuing rampages of those pesky Romulans."[173] Burr opined that Abrams had an accurate understanding of the relationship between Kirk and Spock, and wrote, "Pine makes a fine, brash boy Kirk, but Quinto's Spock is something special – an eerily calm figure freighted with a heavier sadness than Roddenberry's original. The two ground each other and point toward all the stories yet to come."[167] Similarly,The Guardian writer Peter Bradshaw expressed: "The story of Kirk and Spock is brought thrillingly back to life by a new first generation: Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, who give inspired, utterly unselfconscious and lovable performances, with power, passion and some cracking comic timing."[174]
Some film critics were polarized onStar Trek. Keith Phipps ofThe A.V. Club gave the film a 'B+' grade, and asserted that it was "a reconsideration of what constitutesStar Trek, one that deemphasizes heady concepts and plainly stated humanist virtues in favor of breathless action punctuated by bursts of emotion. It might not even be immediately recognizable to veteran fans."[175] In concurrence,Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times stated that "the Gene Roddenberry years, when stories might play with questions of science, ideals or philosophy, have been replaced by stories reduced to loud and colorful action." Ebert ultimately gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars.[176] Similarly, Marc Bain ofNewsweek opined: "The latest film version ofStar Trek [...] is more brawn than brain, and it largely jettisons complicated ethical conundrums in favor of action sequences and special effects."[177]Slate journalist Juliet Lapidos argued that the new film, with its "standard Hollywood torture scene", failed to live up to the intellectual standard set by the 1992Next Generation episode "Chain of Command", whose treatment of the issue she found both more sophisticated and pertinent to the ongoing debate over the United States' use ofenhanced interrogation techniques.[178]
A 2018 article byIo9/Gizmodo ranked all 11 versions of the USSEnterprise seen in theStar Trek franchise up to that point. The version seen in the film placed in the second lowest position.[179]
The film garnered numerous accolades after its release. In 2010, it was nominated for fourAcademy Awards at the82nd Academy Awards, forBest Sound Editing,Best Sound,Best Visual Effects, andBest Makeup.Star Trek won in the category forBest Makeup, making it the firstStar Trek film to receive an Academy Award.[180] The film was nominated for threeEmpire Awards, to which it won for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy.[181] In October 2009,Star Trek won theHollywood Award for Best Movie,[182] and attained sixScream Awards at the2009 Scream Awards Ceremony.[183] The film attained aScreen Actors Guild Award forOutstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture at the16th Screen Actors Guild Awards.[184]
Star Trek received several nominations. The film was nominated for aGrammy Award forBest Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, but was beaten out byUp, also composed by Michael Giacchino.[185][186] At the36th People's Choice Awards, the film received four nominations: the film was a contender for Favorite Movie,Zoe Saldana was nominated for Favorite Breakout Movie Actress, and both Pine and Quinto were nominated for Favorite Breakout Movie Actor.[187] On June 15, 2009, the film was nominated for fiveTeen Choice Awards.[188] In addition,Star Trek was nominated for fiveBroadcast Film Critics Association Awards and was named one of the top-ten films of 2009 by theNational Board of Review of Motion Pictures.[189][190]
The film's major cast members signed on for two sequels as part of their original deals.[191] Abrams andBryan Burk signed to produce and Abrams signed to direct the first sequel.[192][193] The sequel,Star Trek Into Darkness,[194] starringBenedict Cumberbatch asKhan Noonien Singh, was released on May 15, 2013.[195]
A third film,Star Trek Beyond, directed byJustin Lin and starringIdris Elba as the main antagonist,[196] was released on July 22, 2016, to positive reviews. In July 2016, Abrams confirmedplans for a fourth film, and stated thatChris Hemsworth would return as Kirk's father. Most of the cast and producers ofBeyond have also agreed to return; however, Abrams stated Anton Yelchin's role would not be recast following his death.[197]
AStar Trek prequel film to the 2009 film has been announced on more than one occasion, then dropped. At one point, Lindsay Anderson Beer was attached to write a script, before the project faded away.[198] In November 2023, actor Chris Pine told an interviewer that he was unaware of any further updates.[198] In January 2024, Paramount released a new announcement regarding a possible prequel, saying that directorToby Haynes and scriptwriterSeth Grahame-Smith had been attached to the project.[198]
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