STAR TREK 2 Writers Discuss Story and Villains

Star Trek writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman recently gave a little interviewed and talked about the ideas that they have been brewing for the sequel. 

The first film was incredibly fun, I absolutely loved it, but doing sequels like this is a a hard thing. There's a possibility that it wont live up to the standards of the original. That possibility grows even strong if J.J. Abrams doesn't come back to direct, which he still has yet to decide. As of right now all that matters is the a solid script be written.

Here is what Orci had to say:

We would never do a remake....it will be some time in the five-year mission. But that is a question. Should we pick them up immediately the next day or should it be later, we are still discussing that.

I really have no preference on where the story picks up with the Enterprise crew. They could go either way, and as long as the story works for it that's all that matters. But if they are still trying to figure this out have they even started on a script yet?

Kurtzman then come in and says the the villain in the sequel will be more focused on the villain,

I think our idea on this is that the first of any series is about them coming together or the formation. I couldn't really tell you what Jeff Bridges was doing in Iron Man, but it doesn't matter at all because it is all about Iron Man becoming Iron Man.

Whereas I think sequels are very much about the villain. Because while [in the first one] the villain serves to bring the crew together, the second one I think has to be a true challenging of what that family is about. That is why Wrath of Khan was so amazing. Khan tested each one of them and ultimately asked for the ultimately sacrifice, and that is why that movie held up so well.

There has been a lot of online speculation regarding who the next villain will be, and Khan is they guy that always seems to come up in discussion. It would be awesome to see Khan in the sequel, but I'd like them to go with a totally different villain. It will be cool to see who they eventually choose.

The two writers are definitely feeling the pressure to deliver the goods for a sequel though.

Frankly I feel more pressure because we were so confident when we came up with the idea of how to bridge canon, and yet free ourselves from canon. Now we have no excuses for anything, now we are free. Now we don't have the benefit of low expectations.

I'm very excited to see what direction they end up taking the sequel, and I hope it ends up being better than the first film.

Where would you like to see the Star Trek 2 boldly go?