That question will get an answer in 2008, when the as-yet-untitled 11th “Trek” film is scheduled for release. J. J. Abrams, the man behind such hit television shows as “Lost” and “Alias,” is in talks to direct. The film’s screenwriters, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, are not new to reviving iconic franchises. The pair wrote this summer’s live-action “Transformers” movie as well as “Mission: Impossible III.” Speculation on the film’s plot is rampant, and the writers would neither give cast details nor confirm rumors that “Trek” XI will be a prequel, focusing on Capt. James Kirk’s and Mr. Spock’s early days. “This is the most pressure we’ve ever faced,” Orci says.
“Trek” hasn’t been on TV since the critically reviled “Enterprise” ended in 2005, making the new film the first to hit theaters without new TV episodes currently airing. Box-office profitability of “Trek” films has also declined. The most recent, 2002’s “Nemesis,” made $43 million (estimated budget to produce: $70 million), making it the first to be unprofitable.
“Trek” XI has split the fan base. “This will give new momentum to the ‘Star Trek’ phenomenon,” says George Takei, who played Sulu on the original series. But Roger Nygard, interviewing Trekkers for the latest installment of his “Trekkies” documentaries, found fans who “felt it had to go away for a while in order to be rejuvenated,” Nygard says. “It’s just a matter of how long that break needs to be. Maybe as long as 20 years. Maybe it’s too soon for this [movie].” But no one expects “Trek” to disappear. “It will never totally die,” says Eugene Rodden-berry Jr., son of “Trek” creator Gene. “Someone will always say, ‘Hey, let’s try that again’.” Or as Spock might say, “Star Trek” will live long—whether or not it prospers.
