Damon Lindelof Talks STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS And Keeping Villain's Identity A Secret

Damon Lindelof Talks STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS And Keeping Villain's Identity A Secret

Star Trek Into Darkness co-writer Damon Lindelof discusses the anticipated sequel, and talks about keeping the identity of Benedict Cumberbatch's villain a mystery rather than spoiling it early on.

By PaulRom - Mar 12, 2013 09:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Trek
Source: Hero Complex



Speaking with Hero Complex late last year at Bad Robot, screenwriter Damon Lindelof talks more about Paramount's highly anticipated sequel Star Trek Into Darkness. Of course, he remained mum on details for the J.J. Abrams-directed film, but he had this to say about the movie's title and how the storyline influences it. "If the first movie was about meeting and introductions, this movie is about becoming a family. The title of the movie is not just about the mission that the Enterprise is going on but what happens when you get to know each other a little better and the hurdles you must jump over in order to truly become family."

Arguably the biggest secret surrounding the film is the true identity of Benedict Cumberbatch's villain. Despite being named 'John Harrison', rumors suggest that he's actually playing a more obvious antagonist such as Khan. Lindelof shares his thoughts on not spoiling the villain' identity, and why it's best to keep these things a secret. "The audience needs to have the same experience that the crew is having. Kirk, you’re Spock, you’re McCoy, so if they don’t know who the bad guy is going to be in the movie, then you shouldn’t know. It’s not just keeping the secret for secrecy’s sake. It’s not giving the audience information that the characters don’t have.

"I feel like I’m constantly planning the surprise party — instead of it just being for one person in my life, it’s for all these people,” Lindelof said. “I’m working on a bunch of different projects, and I even have to keep secrets about one project from the people I’m working with on the other project. They’ll say, ‘So, seriously, who’s Benedict playing?’ I’ll say, ‘Do you really want to know?’ Then they go, ‘No, no, no, I don’t.’ They know that if I said it to them,” he continued, “they would have a five-second rush of exhilaration followed by four months of being completely and totally bummed out that they can’t tell anybody else and that when it gets revealed in the movie, it will have been spoiled for them. That’s why they’re called ‘spoilers,’ they’re not called ‘awesomes.’"


Star Trek Into Darkness stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Alice Eve and Anton Yelchin. The film is set to hit theaters May 17th.











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Anton
Anton - 3/12/2013, 9:35 AM
I'm seriously hoping he won't [frick] that movie up like he did 'Prometheus'.
ToTheManInTheColdSweat
ToTheManInTheColdSweat - 3/12/2013, 9:54 AM
damon lindelof?? well [frick] a duck.
scootaloo
scootaloo - 3/12/2013, 10:01 AM
Cumberbatch is playing Gusto.
RyGoR
RyGoR - 3/12/2013, 10:06 AM
@cipher I literally just shot milk out of my nose reading that you are one funny motha f*cker I gotta say hahaha :P
RyGoR
RyGoR - 3/12/2013, 10:07 AM
@gusto you too man that's some funny @$$ sh!t :D
devil
devil - 3/12/2013, 10:12 AM
khan
KaneRomita
KaneRomita - 3/12/2013, 10:12 AM
So if he told us we'd have a 5-second rush of exhilaration.? 'Guess it's not John Harrison then..
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 3/12/2013, 10:18 AM
devil
devil - 3/12/2013, 11:40 AM
someone from star wars?
Floke
Floke - 3/12/2013, 2:00 PM
If Lindeloff had anything to say, then I guess we never get to know who the villain is even after seeing the movie..
Shadowelfz
Shadowelfz - 3/12/2013, 6:44 PM
He has to be Khan. Otherwise why would they be going so far to keep his 'identity' a secret.

Maybe Q?
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