Both J.J. Abrams and William Shatner have been talking about Star Trek XI, targeted for a 2008 release. Abrams (“Lost,” Mission: Impossible III) confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the script is done, and it will be trimmed sometime soon.
Abrams said it’s a story that even non-Trekkers can enjoy. “On the one hand, for people who love Star Trek, the fix that they will get will be really satisfying,” he said. “For people who’ve never seen it or know it vaguely, I think they will enjoy it equally, because the movie does not require you to know anything about Star Trek. I would actually prefer [that] people don’t know the series, because I feel like they will come to it with an open mind.”
Meanwhile, SCI FI Wire caught up with William Shatner, who says the 11th movie will indeed deal with the early years of Capt. James T. Kirk and Spock – and that he will definitely appear in the movie if director J.J. Abrams can find a place to use him. Shatner, who originated the role of Kirk in the original Trek series and several subsequent films, said in the interview that he was invited to meet with Abrams.
“I met with J.J., and they told me they would like me to be part of their film, but they have to write the role,” Shatner said. And confirming the rumors, Shatner added, “Yes, we know the story is based on young Kirk.”
