Star Trek Reveals or is J.J. Abrams Messing With Us?

A couple of reveals about the second movie in the new Star Trek series came out yesterday and today. One I think is probably more legit than the other, but we’ll see…

The reveal that came out today I saw on blastr (but it was credited to Bleeding Cool). It says that Alice Eve’s character is molecular biologist Carol Marcus. For fans of Star Trek, that should ring a bell. Not because she had a relationship with Kirk (because that’s not very unique for women in Star Trek), but because she was behind The Genesis Project. For those who need a reminder, the Genesis Project is a big part of the Khan storyline, so is Khan involved or not?

Second, as revealed on tor.com, Benedict Cumberbatch has a character name: John Harrison. Or is it? Because in Star Trek, John Harrison was a placeholder name for unimportant characters who were only on screen for a second. Surely Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t a redshirt, so who is he really? Is he the lowly genius ignored by the Federation? Is it an alias Cumberbatch provides when imprisoned–check out the pic on the tor.com link–(ugh, maybe part of his plan all along like the BBC’s Sherlock series, Skyfall, and the Avengers?)? Or is J.J. Abrams fooling us yet again by giving us a placeholder name instead of his real name, so we’ll spend our holidays wondering if Khan will be in this movie or not? Damn you, Abrams, you evil genius.

Oh, and if you go read the original Bleeding Cool article, you’ll also get another reveal: Klingons! Lots of Klingons in the new movie. But then again, if you have eagle eyes, you would have spotted at least one in the trailer.

So what is your take on the reveals? Legit? Hoax? Both?

New Star Trek Teaser Relased

The first teaser for “Star Trek Into the Darkness” was released today. Check it out:

What do you think? Khan, not Khan? Why does J.J. Abrams want to destroy San Francisco again?

It looks interesting, and I’m sure I’ll see it. I mean, I’d pretty much go see anything Benedict Cumberbatch does, and J.J. Abrams always produces something interesting. But like last time, I’m sure I’ll have my whinges and complaints despite largely liking it.

Oh, and in case you think it’s not a Khan-movie, check out the Japanese version of the teaser below. At the very end, there is a VERY Khan-like moment (HT: io9.com). Or, you know, just look at the freeze frame below.

What do you think? Excited? Couldn’t care less?

J.J. Abrams’s TED Talk

It’s Friday, so I guess it’s movie day on this site. Here is J.J. Abrams’s TED talk. It’s a great talk for storytellers because it stresses not only the importance of mystery and curiosity but also the human element of a story.

Abrams talks about mystery and curiosity, and how they are crucial for propelling a story forward. It’s that question we’ve all had as kids when confronted by good storytelling: “What happens next?” It keeps you tuning in, turning the page. Although that may help you drive your plot forward, Abrams also stresses the importance of characters. Without compelling characters, your mystery will fall flat.

Anyway, it’s another short video. Go grab a cup of coffee and check it out. I think you’ll like it, and it might get you to take a second look at that rough draft you have lying around.