Logan, Sirtis, & Stewart Talk Trek X

'Star Trek X: Nemesis' writer John Logan said recently that a union between writer and actor was a key factor in developing the film.

"My job as a writer is to take [the actors] ideas," Logan told SFX Magazine. "They've lived with these people for 15 years, so I can sit down with Jonathan Frakes and say 'Here's the situation with Riker, here's what's happening. Help me with how he would respond; give me the words he would respond with. Give me the ideas or the ramifications of what certain things mean to him.' So the cast, from my experience, were invaluable in terms of developing the story."

He went on to talk about how the movie opens, with the wedding of Counsellor Troi and Commander Riker. "That's a great example or symbol of what we've tried to do with the movie," Logan explained. "For all these years we've seen that relationship building; we've seen the ebbs and flows, the whole thing with Worf and then her getting back together with Riker. And then, finally saying, 'Okay, let's get them married.'

"So what does that mean as a couple on the Enterprise? How does it effect the other relationships around them? That's an example of something that has a ripple effect to the other characters and the ongoing story of Star Trek."

Marina Sirtis (Counsellor Troi) gave her seal of approval to this happy event for her character. "I'm just thanking God that it wasn't Troi and Worf. I would have killed myself," she said. "I never liked that relationship. We pretend that is never happened. Michael Dorn is subtexting his ass off, but a lot of it is ending up on the cutting room floor."

Patrick Stewart (Jean Luc Picard) meanwhile, had an interesting point to make about the other involvment of the other characters in the celebration. "In fact, when you look at it, it was a bad error of judgement not to have us all involved in the wedding night," he said. "I've always said that this is an ensemble; a group, but for some reason we weren't even in the bed."

One of the key questions surrounding the movie is about whether it will be the final film to feature the Next Generation cast. John Logan gave his opinion on the matter. "Do I think this could be a fitting and graceful end to TNG? Yes, it could. I hope its not, because I'm a fan and I respect the characters and the world so much," he said.

"I believe I treated the characters with dignity, and a certain nobility about recognising that, perhaps, this is the end of this particular story. If that was the case, I would be saddened, but I believe we do it with panache and with grace."

More from Logan and other actors involved with the movie, including Brent Spiner and Ron Perlman, can be found in the latest issue of SFX Magazine on sale now in the UK. Alternatively, parts of the feature are online here at the Great Link.

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