Star Trek Sequel Will Deal with Modern Issues

Published by Jeff Leins on: September 23rd, 2009

In an interview last week with producer/director J.J. Abrams and producer/screenwriter Robert Orci, the LA Times had the opportunity to fire Star Trek sequel questions at the men behind the scenes. Orci will be working alongside his usual writing partner Alex Kurtman, plus “Lost” executive producer Damon Lindelof and Abrams is expected to produce with the possibility of directing again.

Abrams acknowledged the second film needs to be a different mission and not just a tacked on adventure for the already established characters. “It needs to tell a story that has connection to what is familiar and what is relevant. It also needs to tell it in a spectacular way that hides the machinery and in a primarily entertaining and hopefully moving story.”

Essentially the creative team is wanting to go for an allegorical story similar to the themes late, great Trek creator Gene Roddenberry used. Orci reiterated this, saying the fan feedback was positive but people wanted the next to deal with “modern-day issues.”

The LAT writer threw out the suggestion of a terrorism angle, the ethics of torture, or a political war with the Klingons to which Orci seemed surprised at how on the mark he was. “Well yeah, those are the kind of issues we’re talking about. Wow, you’re good! But seriously that’s the way we’re thinking, that’s an approach.”

I’d like to think Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof are going for subtle references, but two out of three are responsible for Transformers so I’m not holding my breath. That being said, I doubt Abrams is going to allow a script that preaches over an exciting space adventure. Starfleet Command won’t be debating health care or discussing gay marriage. Sequels are tricky and it’s good to see they’re thinking deeper than the rumored remake of Wrath of Khanor throwing the Enterprise into mindless space battles.

Speaking of Orci and Kurtzman, they’re in early negotiations with DreamWorks to work onXombie, a story about an undead cop escorting a little girl across a wasteland of zombies.

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