Simon Pegg talks writing Star Trek 3

Simon Pegg has been talking about his screenwriting process for Star Trek 3, going some way towards explaining the pressure that comes with landing such a high-profile gig…

“It’s terrifying,” says Pegg, when asked for an update by Collider. “On set, sometimes, there’s room for improvisation, but never anything more than little dialogue tweaks, here and there. Now it’s like, ‘Okay, now you’ve got to write the dialogue.’”

“It’s scary! Also, the timeframe we’re working in is extremely tight. It means we’re having to come up with the goods. We can’t be lazy about it. We can’t procrastinate.”

“We have to come up with the stuff because the production is hammering on the door saying, ‘When can we build this? What are we gonna we build? Who is in it?’ I don’t know! Let’s write it and we’ll find out. It’s an interesting process.”

And as for his approach to the story and characters, Pegg is at pains to make sure his version is as respectful of the source material as possible…

“I’m walking into a realm that doesn’t belong to me,” he explains, “and I have to treat it with a degree of respect. Obviously, I always treat things with respect, by I have to abide by certain rules and do right by the original series, and not be too post-modern with it and not be too aware of itself.”

Meanwhile, Pegg has also been lucky enough to pay a visit to the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and is hugely excited by the prospect of J.J. Abrams’ film. “It’s going to be extraordinary,” says Pegg. “I’m so excited for people to see it. It’s going to be everything that we wanted 16 years ago and didn’t get.”

Star Trek 3 will open in the US on 8 July 2016, with a UK date to be confirmed.

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