Cinema Hype

Apparently, Star Trek is cool again. Or maybe it’s working on being cool again. Or maybe it was always cool. (CH staff remains neutral on the subject, not being personally Trek-inclined, but also including several Trekkies as Friends of the Blog.) Anyway, things are picking up for the most-loved, most-mocked fandom of the 23rd century: rumor has it that Matt Damon, Adrien Brody, and Gary Sinise are thisclose to signing on to the new, big-budget Star Trek prequel.

It seems like the Star Trek franchise as a whole is signing on to the more generalized trend of going back to basics, exploring roots, and looking to canon, as seen in Batman Begins and Casino Royale. The new movie will see the biggest franchise shift since 1994, when Star Trek: Generations made the jump to Star Trek: The Next Generation casting.

The Star Trek series has had its ups and downs over the years, and these days–as actual content dwindles and fan culture dominates–it’s unfashionable in many circles (i.e. non-sci-fi ones) to be a Trekkie. So why would a big-name actor who has other things to do sign on to the Star Trek franchise?

For one thing, there’s the money. Mock the Trekkie culture if you will, but don’t call them poor, and don’t call them uncommitted. Even a bad Star Trek movie is bound to draw Starfleet wannabes worldwide to the theater. After that, there are DVD releases, box sets, action figures, posters, books, video games, t-shirts, board games, conventions, and probably all kinds of things a non-Trekkie like me can’t (and doesn’t want to) even fathom. There’s money in this gig.

But the biggest reason to join the new era of Star Trek–the reason I hope is behind the casting–is the hip-to-be-square nostalgia factor. Whether or not it’s cool to love Trek, it’s one of the big stories of the 20th century–it’s its own mythology with its own cache and a legion of fans. Even if the movies and shows are bad (not unheard of in this particular fandom), the chance to be in a new installment is the chance to be in something with a life of its own in the national–or world, really–culture. The original TV show and the first round of movies were staples of the 60s and the 80s, respectively, and a lot of writers, actors, and everyday people have been sucked in at some point. Some never left the fleet. Producer/director JJ Abrams said when he signed on to the project that he grew up as a Star Trek fan. And what writer/TV-lover wouldn’t want the chance to contribute to a story like that? Damon, Brody, and Sinise haven’t (yet) issued statements on their Trekkiness or non-Trekkiness, but we at CH wouldn’t be surprised if their inner fanboys were jumping up and down right about now.

Or at least, we hope so.

Star Trek, Star Trek XI, JJ Abrams, Matt Damon