SFX Lin And Star Trek Beyond Cast Interviews
3 min read
The sci-fi/fastasy magazine SFX is out today, and it features interviews with Justin Lin and various Star Trek Beyond actors.
In these interviews, topics included the arrival of the new director, and character development.
As fans know, Lin was a replacement and was “under the gun,” according to John Cho. “Bob Orci had written a script,” he said. “[He and the studio] had gotten far along in the process and they decided to part ways. I understand it was amicable, but money had been spent, time had been burned, and Justin was under the gun. The release date was not moving [past July.]
“So he went into independent director mode. It was time to get creative and lean on his gut instincts. I think it could lead to something special, because he was having to be mindful of what his instincts were.”
“I knew why they came to me [to direct the film],” said Lin. “They know I can make big-budget movies. But at the same time, I had to find the appropriate journey for this movie.
“So yeah, there is a lot of action, but it can’t be action for action’s sake. In a very short amount of time I had to make sure that they understood that I know that that’s where commerce and art collide.
It’s my job to make sure that the action is appropriate, it’s organic, it’s something that can be embraced by people who like Star Trek.”
Chris Pine spoke about character development for Kirk. “What I really enjoy about this part of Kirk’s arc is that he’s relieved of all the onus of trying to live up to his father and the anger of never having met his father, all the stuff that drove the first films.
“I think it was very important, especially for the first film, to [see Kirk being a young maverick]. There were fans that were dismayed that he had so much bravado – but there’s no place for the character to go if you don’t start somewhere. And that guy is certainly still in there.
“Now he’s an older guy, not a young man anymore…he’s a leader and his priorities and motivations have changed. He’s thinking to himself, ‘Now that I don’t need [to be like my dad], what else is there?'”
Fans of Karl Urban and McCoy will be glad to read Urban’s comments on McCoy in Star Trek Beyond. “There’s a lot more McCoy in this movie than probably the last two movies combined. My relationship with Captain Kirk is not inferred – it’s there, you see it. You see him being a supportive friend, a consigliere, even a psychologist in a way.
“Also, for a huge part of the film, I get to spend time with Spock, which is something new. [McCoy and Spock are] thrown into great jeopardy and have to depend on each other to survive.”
Sofia Boutella‘s character Jaylah is “a survivor, and she is someone who thinks outside the box,” said Boutella. “She’s an alien warrior [who] has more in common with Kirk than anyone else in the film; they’re both very independent. She makes her own weapons.
“I was attracted to this character because she’s an alien, and she’s a completely original character in the Star Trek universe, so I don’t have to compare myself with anyone who came before me – I am Jaylah.”
SFX can be ordered here.
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