In a new, mostly-biographical interview with STAR TREK BEYOND director Justin Lin, WIRED writer Logan Hill (who talked about Lin’s work ethic back in March) provides a well-rounded profile of the up-and-coming filmmaker’s history.
There are also a few more comments about July’s new Trek film, including are more detailed reflection of Lin’s take on fan reaction to December’s teaser trailer (along with a few notes from writer Simon Pegg.
On the BEYOND, Lin shot all day and spent all night in the editing bay, Cho says, assembling a cut on the fly. “At some point, it becomes like a psychological problem. Have a glass of wine with us!”
This is why Lin was hurt when some fans—including the original Sulu, George Takei, who voice-acted on Lin’s Bruce Lee mockumentary, Finishing the Game—bashed the 30-second Star Trek Beyond teaser that [released in December 2015].
Some complained it looked like ‘Fast & Furious in Space’ because Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk jumps a motorcycle (even though Pine also rode a motorcycle in Abrams’ 2009 reboot trailer). “George has always handled things with class,” Lin says. “He was a huge part of my life, so for him to swing a sucker punch, that hurt.”
He expected snark. He just didn’t expect it to sting. “On Fast, I wasn’t a car guy,” Lin says. “I guess it hurt more because [Star Trek] is something that is a part of me.”
His cowriter, Simon Pegg, is less diplomatic. Pegg says he was “disappointed that Wil Wheaton, Patton Oswalt, and George Takei were slagging off the trailer, because they know a finished trailer is never a reflection of the finished film. Get a fucking clue! It’s really good fun: thrilling and heartfelt.”
This interview also comes with one more new BEYOND photo, featuring Zachary Quinto’s Spock in an Enterprise science lab.
Take a deep breath, because this is just the start of a two-month publicity push for STAR TREK BEYOND, which continues with tomorrow’s release of the movie’s full trailer.