Young Star Trek crew boldly walks red carpet

The 11th Star Trek movie in 30 years had its world premiere on Tuesday, its markedly
younger cast boldly going along the red carpet to a makeshift cinema in the Sydney Opera
House.
Chris Pine, 28, who plays a cadet-aged James T. Kirk, admitted he’d never met William
Shatner, who starred as the original Captain Kirk in the television series dating back to 1966 as
well as the first Star Trek movies.
But he said he watched the TV show “quite a bit.” “All it was doing was making me think
about what the best way I could do a William Shatner impersonation,” Pine said. “It wasn’t
helping bringing this story to life.” Hundreds of fans, including one wearing “Spock” ears,
waited for hours to meet the leading men who spent nearly an hour walking the red carpet,
signing autographs and talking with journalists.
“It’s hard to believe Eric Bana plays a meanie when he comes across as such a nice guy,” said
Alicia Wetherley, who drove from central Australia to the Opera House for the premiere.
Bana plays Nero, the film’s heavily-tattooed Romulan villain bent on avenging the destruction
of his planet.
He said all the film’s cast “did everything they could” to come up with something fresh this
time around.
The plot follows the young lives of the original cast from Gene Roddenberry’s TV show as
they find their places on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Enterprise as junior officers.
It was directed by J.J. Abrams, director of Mission Impossible III and Lost.
“I was never a huge Star Trek fan growing up and so what I hope people will experience
when they see the movie is one that stands on its own,” Abrams said. “It’s a huge action
spectacle but at the core it is got a big heart,” said Abrams.
Zachary Quinto plays Spock, the role made famous by Leonard Nimoy, 77, who has a cameo in
the film.
Nimoy had joined a campaign for the movie to hold its premiere in the small farming town of
Vulcan in Alberta, Canada, that was unsuccessful, partly because the town has no cinema.
Gavin Vonhoff, a 27-year-old IT engineer from Canberra, said he hoped the film would carry “a
message of hope to all Star Trek fans that Roddenberry’s spirit was still alive” 18 years after his
death.

Star Trek exhibit headed to Philly

The Franklin in Philadelphia says a traveling interactive exhibition showcasing the "Star Trek" legacy will stop at the museum next month.
Tickets for the show, which opens May 16 and will stay at the facility through Sept. 20, are to go on sale Friday.
The engagement at the Franklin's Mandell Center marks the exhibition's East Coast debut.
The 12,500-square-foot exhibition "enables visitors to connect with iconic 'Star Trek' moments and characters while celebrating the creative spirit of science fiction that gave rise to many of today's modern marvels," The Franklin said in a news release.
"Star Trek: The Exhibition" features a collection of authentic "Star Trek" ships, costumes and props from the popular TV shows and movies.
"'Star Trek' is undoubtedly one of science fiction's most celebrated creations," Dr. Dennis Wint, president and chief executive officer of The Franklin, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the imagination, artistry and craftsmanship of the franchise here at The Franklin."
A new "Star Trek" movie is set for release in U.S. theaters May 8.