DominicCobb said:
You do not have to stay true to the source. There's no rule that says that. There are plenty of films that have succeeded by not staying true to the source.
That's true: Tim Burton's Batman movies come to mind, in a way.
DominicCobb said:
The producers of Star Trek 09 decided that it would be a reboot, so, by nature, only staying true to the source in some ways. Not Abrams's decision.
According to Wikipedia, the producers were Damon Lindelof and J. J. Abrams, though :D