Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin has shed some light on the film’s central villain.
While the plot is still shrouded in mystery, the sci-fi flick will see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprise their roles as Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock, with Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Anton Yelchin also starring. But it’s the addition of Idris Elba to the cast that is making waves, with Justin shedding some light on what fans can expect from the British actor’s take on the villainous Krall – one of the main antagonists in the upcoming movie.
“It definitely is not a character you’ve seen before,” Justin told Collider. “For me it was important because this film would not exist without this character. And I feel like it was important when I had that first meeting, and once I decided what journey this film should take, it really was hinged off, again, this antagonist’s philosophy. And so, that’s one of the things, and also getting one of Idris’ calibre and talent has been amazing.”
The Taiwanese American director continued to emphasise how Krall would challenge the Federation philosophy “in a very valid way”. He also touched on how he approaches his films and the means he goes about directing them.
“I kind of approach action/non-action very much similarly. It has to be character-based and it has to kind of come off the theme and the overall arc. I had a very strong opinion on what sets this journey off. That’s been the centrepiece of this film,” he explained.
Long-time Star Trek fan Justin added that his movie varies from the previous J.J. Abrams-directed films because he brings his own “sensibility” to the set, and tends to “trust his gut” when making decisions.
Star Trek Beyond arrives in cinemas in 22 July (16).
