In 2009, the Star Trek franchise returned to the big screen with the new direction of J.J.Abrams: the reboot set in an alternate timeline, with a new and fresh cast of actors, was a box-office success and a critically acclaimed return to form, despite some detractors in the fanbase. Such success inevitably led to a sequel, which will be found in 2013 with Star Trek: Into Darkness.
New Movie, New Villain, Same Team
Paramount Pictures had actually a sequel in mind even before the first movie was released, and the creative team of screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof decided it was time to an antagonist for Kirk especially since Eric Bana’s Nero had been Spock’s nemesis in the first film.
The most natural choice was Khan Noonien Singh, tho it took some time to fully commit to that idea; originally portrayed by Ricardo Montalbán, the superhuman villain needed to be recontextualized in the new timeline, and given new motivations. As part of his trademark marketing strategy, J.J. Abrams kept the villain’s true identity with his “mystery box” secrecy to better surprise the audience.
The role of Khan went to English stage and television actor Benedict Cumberbatch, and the official synopsis hinted at a darker, revenge-driven storyline:
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
Into A Darker Movie
Filming began in 2012, and production shot in Paramount Studios and Backlot, as well as California and Iceland; Industrial Light and Magic returned to work for Star Trek, creating more than 1600 visual effects shot. The movie would also feature new ships like the USS Vengeance, and the return of the Klingons with a brand new design; and, following the
success of Avatar, the film was post-converted in 3D. Principal photography wrapped up in May 2012, and the much-awaited sequel was released in April 2013.
But would it maintain the hot streak set by its predecessor? Find out the answer in Rowan’s retrospective…
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