If you think it’s tough coming up with a "Transformers" movie that’ll please both the hardcore geeks and the total newcomers, imagine how hard it must be to get started on a "Star Trek" prequel.
The producing / screenwriting team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci haven’t been in Hollywood all that long, but already they’ve brought some pretty flashy product to the screen. After starting out on TV ("Hercules" and "Alias" mainly), the duo broke in with "The Island," "The Legend of Zorro," and "Mission: Impossible 3." Their next flick is a little something called "Transformers," and once the dust settles there, they’ll be finishing up their screenplay for J.J. Abrams‘ "Star Trek" prequel.
But what the movie studios care about the most is this: How do you please the loyal fans … while also offering up a movie that’ll be tasty to complete newcomers? In a recent New York Times article, "Lost" creator Damon Lindelof had this to say about the duo: "They can have a tremendous amount of respect for the source material, but they know that a studio is bringing them in because they can make it understandable to an audience that has no comprehension of that source material whatsoever."
As far as the new "Star Trek" movie goes, the Kurtzman / Orci team seems to strike a nice balance: One of ’em is a die-hard and lifelong Trekkie, while the other one … sorta gave up around "Star Trek 5." Should make for an interesting project. We’ll find out at the end of 2008.
Source: New York Times, Cinematical
