Promotion for Star Trek Beyond has been strangely quiet since the first trailer for the sequel debuted last December. Many in the movie press and fan blogs raised an eyebrow when there was no presentation for the movie at April’s CinemaCon, the event at which studios present their upcoming releases for theater exhibitors.
The lack of advance buzz attached to Star Trek Beyond led to speculation that Paramount didn’t have confidence in the film or was rattled by the negative reaction to that first trailer. (Although the intention all along may have been to save the next trailer for a fan event celebrating Star Trek‘s 50th anniversary.)
Many longtime Trekkers haven’t liked the rebooted films (the first two of which were directed by J.J. Abrams), feeling they were too action-oriented and straying too far from the original series’ themes of exploration and discovery. With plenty of action and fast cuts set to the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” the previous trailer appeared to be going even harder in the wrong direction.
Of course, the intention is to reach out to a wider audience beyond the core Trekker fanbase. These rebooted Star Trek films have been action movies in space. Star Trek Beyond probably isn’t going to be that much different, especially with Justin Lin (who’s directed four Fast & Furious films) at the helm. But the newly released second trailer certainly looks much better than the first one did. Take a look:
https://youtu.be/HzWIGFiGrlA
No loud music and amped-up action this time around. This new trailer begins with a more solemn note, getting back to the core narrative from the past two Trek films: James Kirk (Chris Pine) aspiring to be like his father and growing to become one of Starfleet’s greatest and most daring leaders.
Star Trek Into Darkness ended with the U.S.S. Enterprise beginning the five-year mission that drove the original TV series. And in this latest film, it looks like Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and the rest of the crew is definitely discovering a new alien race. But naturally, there’s a fiercer threat (led by Idris Elba, unrecognizable underneath prosthetics and makeup) than anything the Enterprise faced in previous Star Trek films. The ship is attacked, the crew is forced to flee to a nearby planet and then the real action begins. And we get a new look at the Enterprise traveling at warp speed, which is a nice touch.
Obviously, it’s possible that Star Trek Beyond is just as disappointing and misguided as Star Trek Into Darkness. But with a better villain, a story that at least hews closer to Trekkers love, and blockbuster big-screen action, diehard fans could be more accepting while a wider audience embraces this franchise and makes it as successful as Paramount wants it to be.
Star Trek Beyond hits theaters on July 22. With this second trailer now out and the movie two months away, we’ll likely be seeing plenty more in the weeks to come.
