Memory Alpha:Ask J.J. Abrams/submittedQuestions

1. Memory Alpha is a Trek encyclopedia, and we would really like to ask you specific questions about things in the film we might write articles about, but of course we haven't seen the film yet. Will you please give us a second interview after the film is released? --bp 19:09, 9 April 2009 (UTC)
2. Did the vast Trek canon help or hurt your work to make this film?--31dot 20:57, 9 April 2009 (UTC)
3. What made you decide to go with a Classic era film as opposed to say a Deep Space Nine/Voyager/Enterprise film and if this is successful might you look towards those series for a movie? — Morder 21:45, 9 April 2009 (UTC)
4. How many different incarnations of Star Trek get at least a little nod or tiny reference in the film? --JemHadar359 23:33, 9 April 2009 (UTC)
5. We all understand that this is an Original-Series film, but how did the other incarnations of Star Trek (from the other television series to the novels to any number of non-canon references) influence your interpretation of the chracters and franchise? YajEes 16:39, 9 April 2009 (UTC)
6. What would you consider was the greatest challenge for you when it came to trying to craft a movie that would both cater to the built-in audience as well as attempt to attract a new generation of viewers? 64.139.76.129 00:46, 10 April 2009 (UTC) (Panadero)
7. One thing many fans cite as a favorite point of Star Trek is it's so called "optimistic vision of the future." While some of the later series may have not upheld this feeling as closely as The Original Series, would you say that your movie paints a positive or negative view of humanity in the 23rd century?— Vince47 02:26, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
8. With the redesign of the USS Enterprise, will this design philosophy be reflected in the near future films, or will a bridging between the original series/movie ship design and other designs also be incorporated more (ex; USS Reliant - Miranda Class, USS Grissom - Oberth Class, USS Excelsior - Excelsior Class)? Kevinunlimited
9. Spoilers suggest rather major changes in the Star Trek universe directly affecting a major race. How will these changes manifest in future installments of the series? AaronM 04:13, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
10. Please tell me what was your favorite set or location during production? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 12.202.10.152.
11. The animated Star Trek series has had a loose relationship with official canon over the years. Does the film feature any elements that originated in the animated series, perhaps helping solidify its place in canon?--Tim Thomason 04:51, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
12. Memory Alpha has nearly 30,000 articles. How do you keep track of the huge amount of canon in the Star Trek universe? --Ortzinator 06:16, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
13. Now that you've used time-travel as a plot device to "rewrite the history of the future" and "reboot" the Star Trek Universe, haven't you made Memory Alpha redundant? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 91.108.238.168.
14. With Paramount already ordering a sequel for the upcoming film, are there any future plans to officially wrap up The Next Generation, or bring the other Treks to film by you or Paramount?12.76.118.67 08:08, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
15. Why have you chosen an extremely strange design for the USS Enterprise? --Startrekking2 12:03, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
16. How do you think people will respond to seeing new actors cast as the legendary officers of the Enterprise? If they like it, are you planning to do another? If not, are you thinking about doing another movie, perhaps based on another series? --EnsignBush 09:41, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
17. What is Star Trek? -- Connor Cabal 18:08, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
18. Who is your favorite character in the Star Trek universe? And does he/she/it have a role in the upcoming movie? --80.213.240.16 18:21, 10 April 2009 (UTC)LegoIndiana
19. Will we be seeing TNG-era stuff in future films?- JustPhil 18:50, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
20. When you hear the words 'Star Trek', what are the first things that pop into your head? Have these ideas changed from before you started work on Star Trek to now? And have they influenced the film in anyway? -- WormholeAlien 19:17, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
21. Do you think Star Trek is one of the better SciFi franchises? TrekkyStar
22. The original series had very tactile interfaces for the controls - utilizing levers, knobs, and buttons at each station on the ship. Later series and movies evolved into a more modern "touchscreen" sort of interface. Can you maintain that feel of the original series controls and still present those devices as futuristic now that our culture has taken great strides towards more modern touchscreen devices?--Joshg 19:34, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
23. Did your passions for more Earth-bound series, such as The Twilight Zone and The X-Files, influence your work on this movie at all and, if so, how? --Defiant 20:18, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
24. Will you be writing, or co writing, any episodes of LOST before the end of the series?--58.175.116.113 20:38, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
25. Existing Star Trek fans have a deep love for the minutiae of the established Star Trek universe, but the goal of the new movie is to appeal to a broader audience that doesn't care about "canon" and similar fannish concerns. In making Star Trek for a new generation, how have you balanced the needs of the few (existing fans) and the needs of the many (the larger audience, who we hope will become fans in the future)? —Josiah Rowe 21:19, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
26. What was your philosophy towards the film as you were making it? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.241.248.235.
27. How do you feel fans will react to revamping such a beloved character as Spock ? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 78.16.64.93.
28. How many different designs did the various Enterprise interiors such as the bridge, transporter room, engineering, etc, in this new film go through? --Delta2373 23:52, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
29. When Rebooting a Franchise, Fan's of the Original tend to be Alienated due the attempt to draw new fan's in, how did you address this when making this film? Henshin86 23:53, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
30. The villain of the movie, Nero (played by Eric Bana), is a time-travelling Romulan, why was the main adversary of the movie chosen to be a Romulan rather then a Klingon given how iconic Klingons are to Star Trek, particularly the original series? – Jrofeta 04:16, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
31. Roddenberry chose to address broad social questions of the day through Trek, for instance in the episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield." How does the new Trek follow in this path? Winn cochrane 07:07, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
32. A while back, I registered a project with the W.G.A. - East and then went looking for a literary agent. Why do these agents make it so difficult for people like me who is starting out? I have come across stories of other people who have managed to get their work published, and are also afraid of helping newbies? Where does this fear and dread come from? --CompaqPresario 07:39, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
33. Few months ago, when i first saw the design of this movie's U.S.S. Enterprise, i was stunned because it was awesome, but some people said that that design is ugly or something bad like that. What do you wish to say about the protest?
34. Will any familiar actors be seen in the movie portraying some of the lovable characters we know and love from any of the previous series? (Besides Leonard Nimoy of course)--Jonzam 09:15, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
35. How has your previous works on science fictions projects prepared you for your work in one of the, if not the most, well known science fiction series? --Jonzam 09:15, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
36. When you were writing the new film, did you ever discuss the lack of LGBT characters in previous Trek incarnations, and if so, can we expect to see any in the near future? --Geek Mythology 11:40, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
37. You are famous for creating exciting shows more questions than answers (Lost and Alias) - but as evidenced my Memory Alpha, Star Trek fans want answers!! Will your Star Trek movie leave us hanging? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.255.10.88.
38. what is the purpise of restartin the Star Trek franchise? – The preceding unsigned comment was added by 78.148.14.14.
39. Why do you make the dignified humans in the old series seem full of trivial angst?
40. Why are the battle scenes so stressed in the preview? Is this just another summer action flick with a scifi feel that recycles banal and overused character interactions and conflicts. Couldn't ou have just made a new movie unreleated to star trek for that rather than rape a franchise that is not known for battles and violence as a major tool for advancing the plot? Could you have actuall watched the series?
41. So far, we have only seen commercials for "Star Trek". When, if ever, will the new movie get a name?
42. Are their any villains, historical or fictional, from whom you drew inspiration when creating Nero?--Timstamper 19:21, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
43. Do you plan for the Klingons to be shadowy figures, playing a cat and mouse game with the federation?
44. I'm hoping to see more of what Star Trek: Enterprise has established. Will we see anything else besides the name dropping? --CaptainErika 00:14, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
45. In Balance of Terror, it was mentioned that no human had ever seen a Romulan, and that humans had not encountered the Romulans since the Earth Romulan War. How can Captain Kirk and his crew have encountered Romulans, and then say they have never seen Romulans. Also, why are the Romulans bald, and why have they lost the ridge on their foreheads. Icecreamdif 01:16, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
46. Is there any interest in taking this view of a more "modern" Trek beyond The Original Series and branching into reimagined depictions of The Next Generation or other Star Trek series? The reason for the question stems from being "spoiled" by Star Trek: Countdown and it's revelation of where this movie "takes place".TheTrueTrek 01:53, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
47. Being that this is a movie that involves time travel, if you could go back in time and change one aspect of this film, what would it be? e.g., is there anything continuity-wise that you regret changing? JerryJoe216 02:56, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
48. There are many people, including myself that are curious as to how you will handle the canon. It is a rather delicate task of holding on to the canon because the rest of the Star Trek series depends on it. So will this film undermine the other Star Trek shows? --jaredy89 03:17, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
49. Now that the film is complete, are there any parts of it you wish you could have changed or done better? - TrekFan ^Talk 04:10, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
50. What was it like directing Leonard Nimoy? Is there any direction you can give to someone who has played a character for so long, or do you just let him decide what is best for the character in each scene? --Jonzam 04:57, 12 April 2009 (UTC)