Will ‘Star Trek’ be lucky?
Published 07 May, 2009, 13:41
‘Star Trek’ has finally hit the big screens worldwide. U.S. director J.J. Abrams speaks on luck, special effects, and big budgets.
In an exclusive interview with RT, Hollywood writer/director/producer J.J. Abrams said he wasn’t a Trekkie before the camera rolled for his film adaptation of the cult sci-fi series.
“I’m not typically drawn to movies like ‘Star Trek.' It never really grabbed me personally. Doing a version that would – that felt like a fun challenge to me. I’ve always loved the idea of taking characters you relate to that feel real and part of your world, and then throwing them into insane situations.”
Abrams started writing back in college. In the beginning of the nineties, he sold his script of the ‘Forever Young’ comedy starring Mel Gibson for 2 million dollars. “It was embarrassing. It was too much, I couldn’t believe it! I was very lucky. There are writers whom I know who are obviously much better than I am and aren’t working. And those who are hugely successful, and I think, 'What?' It’s all over the place. You work hard and do what you can, but it has to be luck.”
Abrams also wrote and directed ‘Mission Impossible 3,' which became the most expensive film ever made by a debut director. However, he is best known as the author of such popular TV series as ‘Alias,' ‘Felicity,' and ‘Lost.' “I directed this two-hour pilot for ‘Lost’ – it was in the Guinness book of world records as the most expensive pilot ever made. It cost $13 million dollars, which is for an American movie a very small budget. But I thought, 'this is crazy' because it was like doing a movie! It was two hours, lots of characters, special effects.”
Abrams says, though, that big budgets are not always synonymous with freedom. “You’re working on a movie with a huge budget and think, we can do anything, but you always find there’s a million things you want to do that you can’t afford.”
The most expensive ‘Star Trek’ ever is packed with special effects and action. What stands out in the Abrams version is that the sci-fi adventure is beaming with optimism. “I’ve always enjoyed movies that make me feel better – When I leave the theatre and feel stronger, bigger, happier. I remember seeing ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ by Woody Allen and feeling so great."
Abrams describes his ‘Star Trek’ as an ‘inherently optimistic story.'
“I don’t think it’s about being naïve, it’s simply about having a bigger heart. And to me all the action, all the spectacle, all the pyrotechnics mean nothing if you don’t love or care for the characters. That to me was the most important sort of ‘special effect’ of everything.”
When was the last time he felt lost?
‘I’m trying to remember the last time I felt found,” Abrams says laughing out loud.
Valeria Paikova, RT
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