since they'll have to use some young peeps to play Kirk and Spock in the academy
now, that sort of thing is ok if it's a flashback during a tv show or something... but to have a movie where those young peeps are the stars is blasphemous
paired up with damon lindeloff and others.
maybe they thought that since Lost is so flashback-driven, Damon & JJ could make it work. (I think that is actually how studio execs think).
I do have a lot of respect for Abrams, though. I know he could make a good trek movie.