‘Star Trek 3’ Will Have the ‘Spirit of the TV Show,’ According to Writer and Star Simon Pegg
It was good news when Roberto Orci left the director’s chair on Star Trek 3. It was really good news when Fast and Furious franchise director Justin Lin took over. And it was even better news when it was announced that Simon Pegg would take over scripting duties, officially getting us excited for the third installment in the franchise after the somewhat disappointing Star Trek Into Darkness. And now Pegg is getting our hopes up even more, promising that the upcoming sequel is inspired by the original Star Trek television series.
Some of the best parts of J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek hearken back to the original Star Trek series — those moments of levity and great character chemistry, along with engaging sci-fi and a sense of real adventure. Pegg is looking to stick more closely to those ideas with his screenplay, which should make loyal fans pretty happy.
In a roundtable interview to promote his new film, Kill Me Three Times (via Comic Book Resources), Pegg explained that he landed the writing gig after having discussions with Star Trek producer Bryan Burk, who also produced Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation. Also, he adorably refers to Bryan Burk as “Burky”:
It just came out of conversations I was having with [Star Trek executive producer J.J. Abrams] and Bryan Burk, and they decided to kind of like restart the process. Because I’d been on the set with Burky on Mission: Impossible, he said, ‘Maybe you should come on and write it’ with Doug and Justin and him and Lindsey Weber. And I was a bit, ‘No. I don’t want to — it’s too much pressure!’
Pegg is writing the script with Dark Blue scribe Doug Jung, and the actor/writer says he’s dedicated to making Star Trek 3 more fun by bringing the spirit of the TV series into it:
I think we just want to take it forward with the spirit of the TV show. And it’s a story about frontierism and adventure and optimism and fun, and that’s where we want to take it, you know. Where no man has gone before – where no one has gone before, sensibly corrected for a slighter more enlightened generation. But yeah, that’s the mood at the moment.
Frontierism! Adventure! Optimism! Fun! These are all great words to hear in relation to a Star Trek film. Abrams’ first movie definitely had more of a sense of fun than the moody and sort of dour Star Trek Into Darkness, and with Pegg on writing duties, we’re hoping for a sequel that’s more exciting — and maybe a little more funny.
Star Trek 3 is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 8, 2016.