Writer Damon Lindelof Talks Star Trek 2

While everyone is eagerly anticipating “Prometheus” (well, I know I am), that film’s co-writer Damon Lindelof has also found time to talk about another sci-fi property that he worked on. Namely, the sequel to the hit “Star Trek” reboot, directed by J.J. Abrams. Collider recently managed to grab a few details from Lindelof while he was on a press tour in London.

First, he spoke about a major production design change that enhanced the crew’s capabilities: “It was incredible, and I think that Trek 2—there’s certainly an instinct to just go bigger in the second movie and one of the things that we did was we connected all the sets, so you can just basically follow the actors off the bridge, into a turbo lift, down, walking through a plaza, into the med bay as opposed to [having to] cut every time you do that, because when we were shooting on the Paramount stages we just didn’t have the money to connect all the sets. So the first day that I actually walked on the Enterprise, you walked through the Enterprise and it’s a very insular experience of like, ‘Wow I’m actually on a starcraft.’ “

Lindelof also his feelings on seeing all the actors at work again, especially Chris Pine in Captain James T. Kirk’s signature yellow uniform: “And then when you see all the actors again, and Kirk in his yellow—which we only really see at the very, very end of the first movie—and start playing those interactions between he and Bones, he and Scotty, Spock and Bones, etc. And then bringing in some new blood, Alice Eve is awesome.”

Most revealingly, Lindelof had incredibly high praise for Benedict Cumberbatch’s work as the sequel’s main villain. Note to fans — he will not be playing Khan, as has been rumoured for some time. But whatever character he’s playing, apparently he will be a formidable foe: “Benedict Cumberbatch, I can already say with a certain degree of confidence that he is gonna give an iconic film performance and one of the best sci-fi performances that I’ve ever seen. And not even having seen the movie yet, just sitting there in video village with the headphones on. So I’m really psyched.”

“Star Trek 2″ premieres 17th May 2013.