J.J. Abrams talks Star Trek’s Appeal to Mainstream Fans

Star Trek Into Darkness hits theaters in two weeks, and as always, Renegade Cinema will have the review of the movie live before it hits theaters. In a recent interview, director J.J Abrams talks Star Trek as the man who brought the franchise back from the dead. He mentioned that his goal was to make movies that the average moviegoer could enjoy, sometimes at the risk of upsetting core Trekkies.

Trust me, I have an individual very close to me (a relative) who hated Abram’s first Star Trek movie because it “ruined” some of the mythology. I have sat at family get-togethers and listened to discussions about how the movie was crap because it ignored very specific things that broke continuity with the established universe – you know, like Chekov’s age.

“While people were [suggesting] things, none of that really mattered much to me, because I felt I was coming from the point of the moviegoer who just wants to be entertained, understand, and care about the world and the characters,” Abrams said. “I will say nothing matters more to us than the fans, and making sure they are getting something they love. But having said that, we can’t make a movie for pre-existing Star Trek fans, we have to make a movie for moviegoers, and if you happen to be a Star Trek fan, you’ll benefit because we are looking out for you, and we respect what  you are bringing to the film.”

What I think worked best about the movie was that it was for everyone and not just for Trekkies. When I left the theater after the screening, the first thing I said was this was a movie that Star Trek and Star Wars fans could both like – probably why Abrams was such a clear choice for the Star Wars movies.

Of course, one thing that any filmmaker knows is that hardcore fans will rip you no matter how great your movie is (just ask Shane Black after Iron Man 3).

“I think certainly [writers] Bob [Orci], Damon [Lindelof] and Alex [Kurtzman] are in tune with what the fans are saying and what they want. While I am as well, I feel like those guys are more wired, or wireless, than I am… I feel like the great thing about that was that we were able to be aware of the chatter, just like in the first movie, hearing what people might want, or not want, or expect or resent, or have to be concerned about.”

The way that J.J. Abrams talks Star Trek makes it sound like he knew exactly what he was doing. Does it bother you that J.J. Abrams made changes to the Star Trek movie world, or did he do it in a way that satisfied you? Let us know below.

Source: Collider