About a year ago, an unfinished trailer for the upcoming Star Trek Beyond was leaked online and provoked a bit of a backlash from fans and former Star Trek cast members alike. Apparently, this did not sit well either with co-writer Simon Pegg or director Justin Lin, as both men told Wired in a recent interview.
Lin was largely diplomatic about it, saying that he was “hurt” particularly by George Takei’s vocal public reaction to the trailer:
“George has always handled things with class. He was a huge part of my life, so for him to swing a sucker punch, that hurt,” said Lin.
Pegg, meanwhile, was even angrier about the whole thing than Lin. He said he was disappointed by the reaction, especially from Takei, Patton Oswalt and Wil Wheaton. Pegg thinks that they should be aware that an unfinished trailer is hardly a marker of a film’s quality:
“Get a fucking clue! It’s really good fun: thrilling and heartfelt,” said Pegg.
Lin and Pegg both have a point, but it’s hard to get overly excited about Star Trek Beyond. The leaked trailer was not impressive, but less impressive is the fact that the film was apparently rushed through production in order to meet the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the franchise.
Reactions to the second Star Trek sequel weren’t all that positive either, and some fans have begun to question whether this reboot is really trying to do justice to the show, or has lost the spirit entirely.
By the way, Lin also addressed that other popular franchise that he has more than a passing connection to: Fast and the Furious. With Vin Diesel determined to bring him back on board, it sounds like the director might very well be up for the task:
“Vin says you finish what you started, and he’s very persuasive.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m more excited by that prospect than anything to do with Star Trek.
Star Trek Beyond opens on July 22nd. Tell us, are you feeling confident about the film? Sound off below with your thoughts!
