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Q: Rick, it has been announced now that screenwriter John Logan is working on the story and script for the new Star Trek film. How did you decide upon him?
A: John is an extraordinary writer, The list of his works is very impressive- especially in the last few years. I actually met him through Brent Spiner and I am really looking to working with him. We have not begun working on the script yet, though John has written the story, along with myself and Brent Spiner. The premise has been accepted and approved by all the parties involved, and when all the proper contractual arrangements with our cast have been completed, John will commence writing the script.
Q: Is Brent Spiner more involved in the story and script on this film than he has been on past pictures?
A: Yes, Brent has been more involved in the story for this film. He and John have always wanted to work together on a story, and Brent has certainly been a terrific part of the process. As far as the script itself goes, that is all a question of how things evolve.
Q: With Brent involved in the story of this film, is it likely we will see some new, interesting, developments with the character of Data?
A: Yes, I think you could say that. It's not the reason Brent joined us in the story process, but there certainly is a wonderful arc for Data in this movie.
Q: Rick, what do you hope to accomplish with this film?
A: I would love to be part of creating a wonderful movie featuring these characters that I've worked with for so many years. It is always my goal to make a great movie and, at the end of the day, that is what I hope to accomplish with this film. I want it to be able to stand on its own.
Q: What will be the mood of this film?
A: I think this film is a bit more light-hearted and more action-oriented. In a nutshell, it's a rip-roaring adventure with a lot of humor.
Q: What kind of director are you looking for?
A: We haven't even discussed that yet. Jonathan Frakes has done a terrific job on the last two movies, but I don't know what his schedule is going to be like. He has another project that he is involved with now- a movie he is going to be directing for Paramount and Nickelodean. So I don't know if he is going to be available to do this or whether we will be looking elsewhere. That is all stuff we will concern ourselves with after the script has been written.
Q: Will this film feature any of the other franchise characters beyond TNG?
A: At the moment, no.
Q: Will this movie have an all-new villain or an antagonist we've seen before?
A: This will have an all-new villain and an all-new race but it will also feature some previous villains.
Also, on the topic of the new series, Rick Berman says that there will probably not be a pilot produced in terms of a sales tool and that it has not been determined as to where the series will go. He then says that he guesses that wherever the series goes, it will most likely be produced as a full season.