LOS ANGELES (AP) ? J.J.Abrams is no Trekkie. The director and producer of the new "Star Trek"film, due in 2009, said he was always more of a "Star Wars" guy.
"All my smart friendsliked 'Star Trek.' I preferred a more visceral experience," he tells EntertainmentWeekly in its latest issue, on newsstands Friday. Abrams took on the"Star Trek" project in hopes of creating a film "thatgrabbed me the way 'Star Wars' did," he says.
He was also drawn to thefranchise's idealism, he says.
"I think a movie thatshows people of various races working together and surviving hundreds of yearsfrom now is not a bad message to put out right now," he says. "In aworld where a movie as incredibly produced as 'The Dark Knight' is raking ingazillions of dollars, 'Star Trek' stands in stark contrast. It wasimportant to me that optimism be cool again."
"My only regret isthat the movie can't come out sooner," says Leonard Nimoy, who will donhis pointy ears to play an elder Spock. "I think the world could useit."
The younger Spock, playedby Zachary Quinto, says "Star Trek"is a franchise "that offers hope for unity."
But don't expect any unitywith William Shatner. The actor won't make a cameo as Capt. Kirk, Abrams says.
"I was such a huge fanof his, but we wrote a scene for him in the movie and it didn't feelright," Abrams says. "And he said to us ? he said publicly ? that doinga cameo didn't interest him. Which I totally appreciate. But we did try."
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