J.J. Abrams on the Secrecy of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

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J.J. Abrams appeared at the Television Critics Association winter tour today, and covered a nearly every one of his current projects - for the full compilation of questions, head over to Collider.

As expected, Abrams touched on his upcoming film STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, and the neccesssary - and notorious - amount of secrecy he employees.

An extended preview of the film - about the first 10 minutes - is now playing in theaters nationwide, prior to screenings of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY. The reaction from fans has been positive, though Abrams admits it's always tough to gauge.

I got some anecdotal response about it," he said. "It wasn't like there was a target that I was aiming at and I wanted to hit a certain mark. I don't know how I could quantify what the reaction was. It's hard. There's no focus group or ratings or box office for what the response was to either the trailer or the preview. But, I will say that I'm very happy about how that sequence works in the movie. I can only hope that people enjoyed what they saw.

An aspect super fans may be less excited to see is Benedict Cumberbatch - whose role is being kept secret from the public, leading the rumors that he may or may not be playing infamous TREK villain, Khan.

"Benedict is unbelievable," Abrams said, thoroughly defending the actor and his role. "It's a tall order, coming into that movie, because the crew of the Enterprise - that cast - is so damn good and they're wonderful to work with and they're all good hearts...I not only love him in the movie, but I love him, as a human being. He's an amazing guy. I can't wait for people to see the movie and experience what he's done."

Finally, Abrams took on fans' frustrations with his unwavering devotion to mass-secrecy regarding any and all of his work, particularly Cumberbatch's role.

"It's not fun [keeping secrets] during the experience of withholding because then you sound like a coy bastard and you're being a jerk," he said. "But, what it really is about is making sure that, when you go to the movies or watch the show when it airs, you didn't read the synopsis that came out of my fat mouth because I was answering a question that I was grateful anyone would even ask. I'd rather people experience it and learn what happens than be told what happens, and see it and have it confirmed."

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS is set for a May 17 theatrical release.