Simon Pegg Seems Like a Good Fit for STAR TREK BEYOND

Star Trek Beyond is out in just over a year and the film has only recently started shooting. That’s because there was a host of behind-the-scenes troubles with getting it made. The last instalment came out two years ago to a critical fan reception (what with the whole Khan debacle), and then director J.J. Abrams buggered off to make Star Wars: The Force Awakens. What a dick.

Screenwriter Roberto Orci stepped in to direct, however not a lot of people really like him since he isn’t very good. He stepped down after a while and the film was then looking for a new director. Paramount couldn’t even push the film back to 2017; next year is Star Trek‘s 50th anniversary, and the studio would never live it down if they missed that. Simon Pegg, the guy who plays Scotty in the movies, was brought in to do a re-write (which was only finished a few weeks ago) and Justin Lin is directing. It all seems like a very tight schedule which I’m not envious off.

Pegg has been quite open about writing the film, and in a new interview with Wired he opens up a little bit more regarding the whole process.

You’re writing Star Trek 3. What’s it like to be given that responsibility?
Terrifying.

Does it make you consider the meaning of the Star Trek universe?
You’re forced to bring into focus what it is that it’s actually about. And it is a very human story, Star Trek. Writing for characters like Spock and Kirk, you’re aware that it’s literally 50 years of history there. You want to advance it, but at the same time you have to ground it in what’s come before.

The TV series was pioneering in how it dealt with contemporary social issues at the time. Do you have to pay attention to the news now?
I don’t think you have to pay attention particularly, because those things emerge subconsciously anyway. Any expression of art always reflects the preoccupations and fears of the collective subconscious of the time. One reason Star Trek has become a phenomenon is that it’s an inclusive universe. It’s very idealistic, tolerant, super-integrated — albeit still led seemingly by white human beings! But the thrust of it, [Star Trek creator, Gene] Roddenberry’s desire was to make this future world where the notion of integration wasn’t even an issue. I mean — to have a Russian pilot ensign on board the Enterprise at the height of the cold war? That was such wishful thinking. I think Star Trek featured the first interracial kiss on TV. So I want to make sure we keep doing that, and keep Roddenberry’s dream alive.

Reading Pegg’s comments gives me a lot of hope for the next movie. It feels as if Paramount didn’t really know what to do with the franchise after 2009; “we just made this amazing reboot – now what?” The modern era has felt much more in line with Star Wars than Star Trek, so it’s great to see Pegg talking about how he’s tried to honour the original nature of the stories. I don’t know about you, but I’m quite excited for Star Trek Beyond.

Head on over to the link to read some more from Pegg on his life and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation regarding how he always seems to play tech-y characters. Well, it’s true.

Star Trek Beyond (what? Thunderdome?) is out July 8 2016 – although it’ll probably get pushed back.