10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Star Trek Into Darkness

star trek 2

Whether you love the rebooted series or hate it, there is no denying that the Star Trek films have come back in a big way. The 2009 big screen reboot of Star Trek was a huge success both critically and commercially, bringing a ton of heat back to a franchise that many thought had run its course. The big reason for this new-found success is due to J.J. Abrams, the man who directed both Star Trek and its anticipated sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. He molded these new sci-fi films as something that is accessible for a new audience while also pleasing (most) of the Trekkers.

Helping steer this Enterprise along was writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. While both have been involved in a number of projects, their writing on Star Trek may be their best work yet. As a screenwriter, I am always interested in how Hollywood writers can carefully balance the need to please a wide audience while still offering something inventive and fresh. Star Trek Into Darkness, with the help of Damon Lindelof, nailed that balance once again, I am happy to say. Overall, the plot was surprisingly layered and dense with several fantastic action scenes to boot. Coming out of the theater, I couldn€™t help but wonder how they pulled it off.

So here are 10 lessons that can be learned from Star Trek Into Darkness.

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS

Contributor
Contributor

Ryan Estabrooks is a film writer/director and photographer. When he is not busy solving mysteries, he can be found working on his feature length film. You can view all of his work at the imaginatively-titled RyanEstabrooks.com