Collider was recently at the party for the release of the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray/DVD at the California Science Center and was able to talk with director J.J. Abrams, who will still be a producer on the third installment and actor Simon Pegg. The conversation went from the behind the scenes content on the Blu-ray/DVD to the new director in the franchise.
“Collider: A movie like this is obviously movie magic at
its finest. When you put out a Blu-ray
that reveals some of those secrets, do you have to really think about what you
want to reveal and what you don’t?
J.J.
ABRAMS: I don’t like behind the scenes
happening too much before a movie comes out, which a lot of filmmakers do, and
to great success, of course. But to me,
I feel like, if I’m watching a movie and I’ve seen in the aggregate, half an
hour of how they did a sequence, I feel like it’s pulling back the curtain
prematurely. Once it’s on a Blu-ray, I
always think about, if I had behind the scenes stuff when I was a kid, which I
never did, it would have been so much more illuminating, as to the process, how
it works and why it works. So, it’s
really for people who are interested in filmmaking, and people who are curious
about the process. To give them that
access, to me, is one of the opportunities that we have. It’s a fun thing for us to do. And it celebrates the crew that often doesn’t
get any of the accolades, and deserves so much of it.
People
just don’t realize how much goes into a movie, especially one like this, until
they see that behind the scenes stuff.
ABRAMS: Oh, my god, yeah! Really, it’s an incredible thing.
How
much can you approach a Star Trek film like it’s your own thing that you can
put your own stamp on, and how much do you always have to think about the fact
that you’re working in the Star Trek universe?
ABRAMS: I think you have to have people who know it
and love it work alongside you to remind you, “You can’t do this. You shouldn’t do that.” But, you always have to follow your own gut,
of what is an interesting story, what feels fun and what feels exciting, and
then go that way. So for me, the
experience of working on Star Trek is acknowledging and being grateful for
everything you’ve been given. I really
feel like we’ve temporarily moved into this house that was built. Yeah, we’re going to remodel it a little bit
and make some adjustments, but we’re gonna keep it and hopefully it will leave
in better shape than we got it, for the next people who move in. And that’s not to say that we can ever
improve upon what Gene Roddenberry did, but it is to say that we want to try to
do something that people will be proud of and that will hopefully stand the
test of time.
Simon,
do you feel like you have a sense of ownership of this character now?
SIMON
PEGG: In great deference to James
Doohan, I always feel like I’m looking after Scotty for him. It’s a character that I’ve inherited, and I
never forget or lose sight of who it came from.
I will always be the first person to say that he is the best
Scotty. So, he’s now my responsibility,
but I’ll never not be aware of his roots, which is very much in Mr. D.
As a
fan of Star Trek, how often did you have pinch-me moments on set?
PEGG: Every day!
Every time I walk onto the bridge, or I put on my uniform, or I put my
badge on, it’s like, “Oh, god, I’m in Star Trek!” It’s exciting! And I love the fact that it fills me with
that kind of joy. I’d hate to walk on
set and be like, “Yeah, whatever. It’s
just a job.” It’s not a job. It’s Star Trek. It strikes me as a privilege to be a part of
it.
J.J.,
how important was it for you to stay involved with the franchise, even though
you won’t be available to direct the next film?
Does it feel a bit like you’re sending your baby away to college?
ABRAMS: It’s a little bittersweet. But, I will say that I’m going to be
producing the movie. Whomever it is that
directs the film will be someone we all know is going to keep the cast and crew
in good hands. I feel very lucky to have
been part of it, and it definitely feels like the right time to let someone
come in and do their own thing. I
certainly don’t want someone to come in and try to do what I would have
done. We want to hire someone who’s
gonna come in and bring their own sensibility.
I’m very excited to see what comes next, despite feeling jealous of
whomever that person is.
Are
you already giving creative input, as Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci are breaking
the story?
ABRAMS: Yeah, we’re working on the story now.
Simon,
are you a little nervous, at all, not to have J.J. Abrams there to direct the
third film, or is it just its own thing now, regardless of who is at the helm?
PEGG: It’s gonna be strange because J.J. is such a
part of it, but his stamp will be very much on it. And whoever he gets to direct it will be
someone he trusts implicitly. We’ve also
got each other, as well. The whole cast
is very united. It will be interesting. It will be fun to get a different take on
it. We’ve gotta keep evolving it. I guess it can only be good for the story, as
long as it’s the right person.
For
whoever that new person is that comes into the film with this
already-established family, will there be a hazing period, or will you guys all
be extra nice?
PEGG: We’re gonna give him noogies and wedgies, and
all the other things. No, I don’t
know. We’ll be very nice. It’s gonna be daunting for that person. It’s like being a stepdad or a stepmother to
a gigantic family. It’s gonna be strange
for them, so it’s up to us to make them feel as comfortable and as at ease as
possible, so that they can do their job.
What
would you like to see for Scotty, in the third film? Are you pulling for him to get more involved
in the action?
PEGG: I really enjoyed doing all the stuff in Into
Darkness. It was fun to be hanging off
stuff and running around. I’d love to do
more of that. I realize my duties are in
the engine room, and I should really stay there and stop leaving them to do
it. But, it’s irresistible to run up and
down a space hanger.”
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