STAR TREK: Chris Pine Explains Why The Franchise Needs To Stop Trying To Copy Marvel Studios

STAR TREK: Chris Pine Explains Why The Franchise Needs To Stop Trying To Copy Marvel Studios

James T. Kirk himself, Chris Pine, weighs in on why the Star Trek franchise needs to stop trying to emulate the Marvel Cinematic Universe's success, offering his take on what the next movie should be.

News
By JoshWilding - Apr 04, 2022 07:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Trek
Source: Deadline (via SFFGazette.com)

Despite once again finding great success on television, the Star Trek franchise has stalled somewhat on the big screen in recent years. For a time, it looked like we'd seen the last of the actors who brought these characters to life in the new timeline introduced in the 2009 reboot, but Paramount Pictures has finally set a plan in motion to continue that story.

Chris Pine, who played Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, spoke to Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) and shared his take on why a new approach is needed for the series. Primarily, he believes they need to move away from trying to emulate Marvel Studios. 

"We always tried to get the huge international market," Pine recalled. "It was always about making the billion dollars. It was always this billion-dollar mark because Marvel was making a billion. Billion, billion, billion. We struggled with it because Star Trek, for whatever reason, its core audience is rabid. Like rabid, as you know. To get these people that are interested that maybe are Star Wars fans or think Star Trek is not cool or whatever, proven to be...we’ve definitely done a good job of it but not the billion-dollar kind of job that they want."

"I've always thought that Star Trek should operate in the zone that is smaller. You know, it's not a Marvel appeal. It's like, let's make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek. Let's make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great. But make it for a price and make it, so that if it makes a half-billion dollars, that's really good."

Pine is right in saying that Star Trek doesn't have the same sort of fanbase as Star Wars, and his ideas about how to best capitalise on this make sense to us. A lower budgeted project aimed at fans stands a better chance of appealing to the Trek faithful (unlike the glossy Star Trek Beyond, for example), and if it's a great movie, then non-fans are likely going to check it out, too. 

The franchise has certainly increased in popularity in recent years, especially thanks to all those TV shows bringing back longtime fans and creating a fair few new ones in the process. 

The next Star Trek movie doesn't currently have a release date. 

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TheShape9859
TheShape9859 - 4/4/2022, 7:21 AM
He hasn't played Kirk in years...there's a new Kirk now
suitekid
suitekid - 4/4/2022, 8:22 AM
@TheShape9859 - He’s about to play Kirk again.
The1st
The1st - 4/4/2022, 11:09 AM
@suitekid - Yup, he found out at the same time we did lol.
BobGarlen
BobGarlen - 4/4/2022, 7:30 AM
I think he's right. The merits of Classic Trek could be very interesting to those outside the fan base and if they can deliver a film of that tone and feel for the fans it could give them a way to properly introduce classic Trek to a new generation of potential fans and allow a fanbase to grow naturally as opposed to just trying to copy Marvel's shtick.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/4/2022, 7:37 AM
I think they did a solid job making Star Trek more appealed by the masses, but I can understand why that doesn't sit well with hardcore fans.

Doubt Pine or the rest of the reboot cast is gonna return, but if they I do think there is a space in-between where it can work for everyone.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 4/4/2022, 7:38 AM
"... because Star Trek, for whatever reason, its core audience is rabid."

With all due respect, Chris, this is not an exclussively Trek problem. Every major fandom has this very issue, some in greater persentage than others, thus being more indicative of its respective entirety. Trek fans are nowhere near the most "rabid" (not any more at least) and that's a good thing.
Dope21
Dope21 - 4/4/2022, 7:50 AM
He just exlpained the EXACT problem killing over half the studios out there. We all already knew this. Its just the first time we've heard someone say it. Studios are chasing that Marvel money. Not caring about what the fanbase loved about the frachise. Making something that works are represents the franchise in a meaningful way. Just "billion, billion, billion!"

Same thing killed DC, Monsterverse, Transforners, GI Joe etc... Studios are getting so caught up in chasing Marvel money they're sabataging the films, franchises before they can take off.

This is exacty what happened to Star Wars. Tried to Marvelize it while simultaneously throwing out the books and lore. What the hell kind of sense does that make. Crash and burned the whole francise. Same as DC.

""I've always thought that Star Trek should operate in the zone that is smaller. You know, it's not a Marvel appeal. It's like, let's make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek. Let's make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great. But make it for a price and make it, so that if it makes a half-billion dollars, that's really good."

Mutha[frick]er said a mouthful. You can replace the name Star Trek in that paragraph with any other franchise and it would make perfect sense. MAKE A GOOD MOVIE RESPECTING THE LORE AND FANBASE. That is all. Earn your billion like Marvel did. We've seen enough studios crash and burn in the pursuit of Marvelizing Hollywood to know that isn't going to work.
The1st
The1st - 4/4/2022, 11:13 AM
@Dope21 - True. They want the billion, but are bafflingly oblivious to how the billions are made.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 4/4/2022, 8:08 AM
Say it to JJ's face next time💁
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 4/4/2022, 8:21 AM
Star Trek was always the thinking person’s sci fi. What Abrams did was adapt it for the masses by dumbing it down and turning up the action, but by doing so he lost what made it Star Trek in the first place.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 4/4/2022, 8:26 AM
It also needs to get rid of that abomination known as Alex Kurtzman. I used to despise Rick Berman, but at least he continued Gene's vision. New Trek is shit and it all started in 2009, although I like the third movie the most! Which didn't have Kurtzman or Abrams, it had a real trekkie in Simon Pegg writing the script. Please come back! Jar Jar Abrams announced this movie before the actors were even contacted ffs
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 4/4/2022, 8:31 AM
I never thought they tried to make it like marvel but I did think they tried to mix old school trek with FastFurious and star wars.
Old Star Trek felt like dramatic suspense sci fi rather than action sci fi movies with comedic elements.
When I was younger I always differentiated StarWars as fun sci-fi action aimed at kids & adults alike and Star Trek was more serious sci-fi suspense aimed towards an adult crowd.
heisei24
heisei24 - 4/4/2022, 8:34 AM
When has Star Trek ever tried to emulate/copy Marvel Studios? Does appealing to the masses equate to following the Marvel way now?
Dope21
Dope21 - 4/4/2022, 8:40 AM
@heisei24 - look at this way. Pine was in every closed door business meeting. He wouldn't have said that if the powers that be weren't trying to do it. Along side every other studio.
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 4/4/2022, 9:06 AM
So…

Do they have the courage to make ‘The Voyage Home’.

That’s really what it all comes down to.

Do the creatives have the sense and the suits have the guts?

Let’s see them make a movie about the environment or a social issue without a single villain or a single fight.

I doubt they will be so brave and bold.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/4/2022, 9:22 AM
@IronGenesis - Picard s2 is remaking The Voyage Home right now. It's awful lol
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 4/4/2022, 10:10 AM
@Dredd97 - Q and Borg Queen would disqualify it from being a remake of the voyage home. Time travel alone does not equate.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/4/2022, 10:15 AM
@IronGenesis - Well they're throwing everything in the blender so none of it works. But they had the punk on the bus, one of them falls and goes to the hospital, ship is in a field somewhere, etc.
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 4/4/2022, 9:07 AM
Couldn't agree more! Honestly this should be the same approach for all franchises. Not everything has to be a critically acclaimed billion dollar success.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/4/2022, 9:28 AM
He's right. Star Trek has never needed to be the spectacle that Star Wars was and always suffered when they tried to outdo Wars. It's about ethics, philosophy, morality, equality, etc. Beyond was a step in the right direction, tone down the action and add more heightened dialogue and we're good. Also, make the script make sense
RolandD
RolandD - 4/4/2022, 4:51 PM
@Dredd97 - Agreed. I also think it is important to include that optimism Roddenberry oftentimes tried to inject. For one, a unified Earth and the notion of always trying to be better.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/4/2022, 7:32 PM
@RolandD - the optimism missing from the new Trek is just sad. I hate the non smart writing, but the dark gloomy business around all the shows are just not anything reminiscent of Trek
NathimusPrime
NathimusPrime - 4/5/2022, 7:03 AM
@Dredd97 - idk deep space nine got pretty dark and gloomy. Arguably more then most new trek does.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/5/2022, 12:19 PM
@NathimusPrime - I'd argue yes, but that it was handled much better. and written by people who understand Star Trek and the message it was founded on
NathimusPrime
NathimusPrime - 4/6/2022, 2:31 AM
@Dredd97 - written better absolutely, deep space nine gas the beat writing trek ever and will ever have. But it turns Roddenberry's vision of the future on its head. We've got the attemempted hostile takeover of earth by federation officers, the introduction of a shady intelligence agency operating within the federation to protect it at all costs and rhe lead captain of the show helping to cover up the assassination of a Romulan for the sake getting the Romulans involved in a war they were staying out of.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 4/4/2022, 9:29 AM
He’s not wrong. For that matter, none of the Star Trek films have hit half a billion, so they definitely have to adjust the budget. The question is if the cast needs to take a pay cut to make on at a lower cost, and would they?
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 4/4/2022, 9:47 AM
The action is a very small appeal of these Sci fi franchises. With Star Wars, the large appeal are the theatrical themes which echo from film to film, where with Star Trek the appeal was each episode is a self contained character study or examination of some form of the human condition. By showing this future devoid of monetary greed or political toxicity as humanity, as a unified federation coexisting with other alien species, explore the endless mysterys of space and understand the greater meanings of what it is to exist and boldy go where no one has gone before, Star Trek was a fresh new take on what we could one day strive for, theoretically.

That core heart of the TREK stories, exploring and discovering and learning and having our minds blown by something alien and thought provoking, that's why we fell in love with the crew of the Enterprise. Really, really good writing exploring even better ideas.
pintoman
pintoman - 4/4/2022, 10:00 AM
He is right. There are many brands that have chosen the "what do we think the mass market wants" route and have modified core brand, diluting what made them great. But he signed on for the Abrams/Bad Robot crap. "Let's make Trek like Star Wars." Even Star Wars trilogy suffered while trying to target a mass audience.
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