Last Thursday night, JJ Abrams’ Star Trek made its U.S. premiere in the heart of Hollywood, California. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was the setting for the all-star gala, and several familiar faces from Lost turned out to help celebrate the latest work from Lost co-creators JJ Abrams (Star Trek director) and Damon Lindelof (Star Trek producer). Thumbnails of the stars on the red carpet are below and after the jump; click to enlarge.

Matthew Fox

Image: Pacific Coast News	Image: Bauer-Griffin	Image: Bauer-Griffin
Image: PR Photos	Image: PR Photos	Image: INF

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The PR machine has hit warp drive (sorry) for JJ Abrams‘ big-screen Star Trek, which is now only a few short weeks away. For a little Friday fun, I thought I’d point out some Trek-related time-wasters to help whittle away those hours until weekend freedom arrives.

First, you’ve got to try this Trek Yourself widget thing where you can make a Human Captain, Human Officer, Vulcan, or Romulan out of yourself. It works surprisingly well, as evidenced by this Vulcan version of yours truly (even though the rules say to avoid facial hair and glasses, it worked anyway). Be sure to click “play.”

Iconfactory has a bunch of wicked cool Star Trek icons, folders, and desktop wallpapers you can download and use on your computer, like these:

AddictingGames.com has launched an online puzzle game called Star Trek Academy Trainer, which offers lots of tests of your reflexes and mental acuity. Here’s an example:

Those of you with an iPhone or iTouch (and oh, how I envy you) can download a fun App called Star Trek Phaser that turns your device into a Star Trek laser gun.

Finally, customize your blog or website with the downloadable materials in this Fan Toolkit.

On newsstands nowish is the May 2009 issue of Wired, which was put together with the help of Guest Editor JJ Abrams. You won’t find any spoilers for Lost, but you will find plenty of teasers and cheeky references to all of Abrams’ works, including our favorite island-based show, Alias, Fringe, Cloverfield, and of course, Star Trek. The issue is chocked full of the kinds of stuff that Lost fans and Abrams fans go ga-ga over (there are even hidden easter eggs in the issue), and I highly recommend picking it up.

Probably the best part of the issue is the cover story (which the Wired folks have been kind enough to post online in its entirety), written entirely by Abrams himself, in which he talks about the power of mystery, and how the Internet Age has all but destroyed the wonder of discovery. From Abrams’ essay:

People often ask me how Lost is going to end… I always wonder, do they really want to know? And what if I did tell them? They might have an aha moment, but without context… The experience — the setup for a joke’s punch line, the buildup to a magic trick’s big flourish — is as much of a thrill as the result. There’s discovery to be made and wonder to be had on the journey that not only enrich the ending, but in many ways define it.

I also like this bit, regarding the evils of spoilers:

The real damage isn’t so much that the secret gets out. It’s that the experience is destroyed. The illusion is diminished. Which may not matter to some. But then what’s the point of actually seeing that movie or episode? How does knowing the twist before you walk into the theater — or what that island is really about before you watch the finale — make for a richer viewing experience? It’s telling that the very term itself — spoiler — has become synonymous with “cool info you can get before the other guy.” What no one remembers is that it literally means “to damage irreparably; to ruin.”

Hit the link for the full article, or pick up the issue to get all of the Abramsy goodness. But be warned: there’s some NSFW language in that article (and in fact, the whole issue). Here’s a video from Wired.com that features Abrams and a couple of the mag’s editors discussing the May issue.

Image: Copyright 2009 ©Conde Nast Publications.

Lost creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof have already signed on to produce the next installment of Star Trek, and the first movie hasn’t even released yet. (It beams into theaters May 8th.) The film seems like a sure-fire hit, having mega-buzz off the charts, even among non-Trekkies. Star Trek writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will write the script alongside Lindelof. Abrams has not yet signed on to direct again, but he has the option.

Lindelof remained mum on what direction the story might take, saying only that they intend to take their cues from the fans’ reaction to the first movie, and that they will “be ambitious” about the next film’s scope.

Image: Copyright 2009 ©Paramount Pictures.

The final theatrical poster for Star Trek (which is produced by Lost creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof, and directed by Abrams, in case you’re looking for the Lost connection) has been revealed, and I’d call it a study in “geeky minimalism.” Like everything else I’ve seen regarding the Star Trek promotional campaign, I think it strikes just the right note. What do you think?

Image: Copyright 2009 ©Paramount Pictures.

Lost co-creator JJ Abrams is launching his mega-budget big screen reboot of the science fiction classic Star Trek in May, and it looks killer. Even non-Trekkers should dig it. Don’t believe me? Check out the final, full-length trailer for the film right here…

Here’s the Star Trek TV ad that aired during the Super Bowl. Star Trek, as if you didn’t know, is the upcoming reboot of the scifi franchise, produced by Lost’s Damon Lindelof, and directed by JJ Abrams.

Lost co-creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof appear in a new behind-the-scenes feature that’s been posted online, talking about their work on this summer’s new Star Trek movie. You can view it at a new website for the movie created by promotional partner Esurance. Just head over to www.esurance.com/startrek, and the short feature will start playing automatically. Sadly, there’s no new footage from the film, but several cast and crew members give soundbites on what the movie aims to deliver.

Side rant: Am I the only one who’s annoyed when widescreen video is shown at the wrong aspect ratio, making everyone look flat and squat?

Screenshot: ©2009 Paramount Pictures, © 2009 Esurance Inc.

The stars of Star Trek (the upcoming theatrical film directed and produced, respectively, by Lost creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof) spoke with The Wall Street Journal a few days ago about their approach to the Trek mythos, and how they expect fans to react to the changes made by Abrams & Co. An excerpt is found after the jump.

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In the past, ApproachingLOST.com has kept you in-the-know on other projects by JJ Abrams, co-creator of Lost, such as the feature film Cloverfield and the Fox TV show Fringe. Today we officially christen our coverage of JJ Abrams’ Star Trek feature film, which also happens to be produced by Lost’s other co-creator, Damon Lindelof.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Star Trek is Abrams’ massive-budget reboot of the Original Series, featuring an all-new cast in the iconic roles of the original crew of the Enterprise, on their very first adventure together. Star Trek stars Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Heroes‘ Zachary Quinto as Spock, along with a cast of rather inspired actors taking on these well-known roles (Karl Urban as Dr. “Bones” McCoy? Simon Pegg as Scotty? genius!).

Stay tuned in the months ahead as we’ll provide you with everything you need to know about the film, which arrives in theaters in just 4 months, on May 8, 2009.