Outdoor Movie Idea: Star Trek (Directed by J.J. Abrams)
The 2009 film Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams, is an excellent choice for your next outdoor movie event! The film holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has no doubt turned an entirely new generation into Trekkies. It stars Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Leonard Nimoy as the elder Spock, along with Winona Ryder and Zoe Saldana, among others. Here’s the theatrical release trailer:
Star Trek is a reintroduction of the original series, with most of the original characters portrayed by a new cast. The film follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) before they join forces on the USS Enterprise to bring down the evil Romulan, Nero. Nero is from the future, seeking to destroy the Federation of Planets as revenge for the destruction of his planet and the near-extinction of his race. The film moves back and forth through space-time, as the elder Spock (Leonard Nimoy) travels through time to help fight Nero’s plans.
Star Trek is an action-packed film, and with a PG-13 rating almost everyone in your community will be able to join the screening. It’s truly an inspiring movie — really about good and evil, as well as family and the things that bring us together. If you’re feeling adventurous and think your community would enjoy it, you could screen some of the older Star Trek films in a series alongside the 2009 version. You might be surprised at the turnout.
There are many pre-show activities you could create with Star Trek! Costume contests are a great choice, and you could serve some really interesting concessions such as gooey, alien-inspired treats. You could also have your MC dress up as a main character from the film. How great would it be to have Spock or Captain Kirk leading the evening’s events? It would be a memorable night for your entire community.
If anyone has screened Star Trek on their Open Air Cinema screen, please post an image and description of what happened in the comments section below. We’d love to see what you’re up to!