Nimoy Couldn't Pass Up 'Star Trek XI'

[spidey27]

Leonard Nimoy makes no secret that a good script would always attract him to any project. But in the case of "Star Trek XI," he was onboard before he read a single word: All because of how he knew director J.J. Abrams would approach the 42-year-old franchise.
"I respect him a lot. I respect his work," Nimoy recently told TV Guide. "And he was very flattering with his thoughts about Star Trek and my involvement in it and what I might be able to contribute to the next film. We had a couple of exciting and very interesting meetings. He then sent me a script and it was unlike anything I had read before, Star Trek or otherwise. It was just so loaded with exciting ideas on a big scale and action and great characterizations."

Nimoy is reprising his role of Spock, possibly for the last time (especially since Nimoy has considered himself retired for the past few years). Taking on the role in the new movie is Zachary Quinto, best known as Sylar in the NBC series "Heroes" who also said he was attracted to the role because of Abrams' involvement.

"He brings his ability to execute his vision -- which is basically unparalleled -- a really generous spirit, a lot of respect for the people he works with and the people who work with him," Quinto said. "It's the way he re-imagined 'Mission Impossible III,' by bringing in sides of the character you hadn't necessarily seen before. [Screenwriters Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman have really embraced that idea."

Security has been the highest it has for any Star Trek film, but apparently it got even tighter as some leaks were taking place from the set.

"There's always been an issue of trying to protect the secrecy of the next Star Trek movie, whichever one it was," Nimoy said. "There are people who make it their business to try to get their hands on the script and be able to say, 'I got it and I can tell you what's happening.'"

The Internet is making it much faster for information to get out, and at the same time, allow directors like Abrams to lock things down before too much additional information gets out.

"The first day I shot the movie, before it was over, J.J. came to me with his phone and showed me a picture that he had downloaded from the Internet of us standing in the room we were still shooting in," Quinto said. "It was already on the Internet! That's actually what instigated the heightened security. The next day I showed up and we had floor-length vinyl jackets with hoods [to cover costumes] and golf carts that were completely enclosed in black tarp. That persisted through the entire shoot, even when we were on the lot at Paramount.

"It's unclear where Star Trek will go from here. Reports have been out for months that this film is part of at least a trilogy of movies centering around Abrams' reimagining. And who knows ... maybe it will last another 40 years. Any advice on how to approach that, Mr. Nimoy?

"It's been a long, long road for me," he said. "I first got involved in 1964, about 44 years ago, and it's had the ups and downs of a very long relationship. There were times when it was fantastic, and there were times when it was dismal, painful. There have been times of struggle, times of questioning -- What are we into and what should we do next? Should we do anything about this and why don't we just stop?

"And then suddenly there's a revival and it gets exciting again. It's a long and very, very interesting ride and now I really feel that I can let it go personally and watch it go off in a very good direction. :spidey

[iceman]

Sounds promising, especially if they got him to come out of retirement.

[Rico]

Yeah, I think Leonard knows what works in Trek so this is promising.  We have heard this from several people now from various areas of Trek.  In a bit more than one year we will all know if they were right.