http://www.latino-review.com/news/star-trek-exclusive-trek-is-going-to-return-to-tv

 

So, GREAT news, Trekkers, CBS is looking to bring Star Trek back to TV.

 

The last we heard of a Star Trek TV series, was around 2006 before the Abrams movie planted its flag and destroyed most of what we knew (except Spock and - presumably  the plot of Star Trek: Enterprise)  there were two competing versions: Bryce Zabel (writer, Dark Skies) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, but I like crediting him as the good writer on The Real Ghostbusters) pitched a version called “Star Trek: Reboot the Universe” that actually made it online in PDF form.

 

The second was developed closer to the JJ reboot and was written by producer Geoffrey Thorne, novelist and writer on things like Leverage and Criminal Intent and was called Star Trek: Federation and was conceptualized with producer Robert Burnett, Bryan Singer (the X-Men director and producer of TV’s House among others) and Christopher (director of Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation). This other series wouldn’t reboot the Star Trek universe, but would vault it forward past the DS9 and Voyager series timelines into a far flung future where the Utopia Federation that we knew from other TV series had become boring and complacent.

 

Federation would have seen the titular group reduced to a mere peacekeeping force as the old ways broke apart. Vulcans withdraw from the United Federation of Planets and reunify with the Romulans, the Bajorans of Deep Space Nine would have also withdrawn and become a planet full of religious monks, like a “Tibet in space.” The Klingons wouldn’t be as warrior-obsessed anymore, but would instead be warrior mystics. The Ferengi would have a female Nagus. The Cardassians would have abandoned war and become an artist/philosopher race.

In essence, Federation would have advanced the timeline of the Star Trek Universe far enough in the future to re-define some of the characters that had been the same since the original series’ inception.

 

We don’t have too many details about the new Star Trek series CBS is going to get working on, but I spent some time filling you in on Federation, because it seems like the same people who made that pitch could be involved. Bryan Singer's name has been mentioned for the new CBS Trek as a possible Executive Producer through his Bad Hat Harry productions. While "Star Trek: Reboot the Universe" was invalidated by 2008's movie Trek, Star Trek: Federation still has a trio of enthusiastic producers, a script and a writer ready to go should CBS decide to give Singer the ahead to develop this new series. 

 

Robert Burnett is rumored to be working on a non-Trek project with Skydance Productions (Skydance worked with Paramount, McQuarrie and Bad Robot on M:I 5) and simultaneously keeping one foot in the Trek world. He's currently producing (one of the producers) a project independent of all previously mentioned parties,  Star Trek: Axanar, a 90-minute fan-made feature film about "The Four Years War," as mentioned in the TOS episode "Whom Gods Destroy." The film has scraped up and impressive cast and released “Prelude to Axanar” last year to show how this great venture can be pulled off on a fan-donated budget:

 

That’s the sort of Star Trek product Brunett can use as an example of how producing a reasonably-budgeted TV series set in the Star Trek Universe this day and age should be a piece of cake.

 

Back to our Federation three:

 

CBS is interested in Bryan Singer developing (and Singer reportedly loves Prelude to Axanar) and Federation co-conspirator Chris McQuarrie was still game for the project as of last December, if Twitter is to be believed.

 

As far as when to expect some sort of official announcement about who snagged the NEW Trek production job, that’s a bit tougher to predict.

 

Star Trek 3 seems to be the Trek Paramount would like us to focus on (Elba for Mogh of the House of Martok, right Simon Pegg?), Singer is only tweeting about making the new X-Men movie and McQuarrie is wrapping up the edit on Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation for later this year. The Star Trek: Federation story document still exists, though, and I’m told Geoffrey Thorne might have taken that treatment all the way to a pilot script before the project cooled, which would allow this show to get off the ground much faster.

 

For the sharp-eye’d Trek fan, all eyes are on Star Trek: Axanar (official site here) to show off what Trek on a budget can look like. If that can work and CBS can see it work, then we might get a riff on Star Trek: Federation. Either way, CBS is convinced it's a good idea to probe the idea of a Star Trek TV show, so TV Trek’s likely on the way.

 

I’ve been saying it since summer of 2005…

 

...no, I’ve been saying it since summer of 1990: There should ALWAYS be Star Trek on TV

 

Edited November 23, 20196 yr by The Unknown Poster

31 minutes ago, Logan007 said:

OMG, this is a terrible idea.  Can't they come up with their own original ideas and stop rehashing?

Like Beyond?

6 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Like Beyond?

That one wasn't too bad.

I’m of two minds.  If you’re doing a film in that timeline I think fans do want callbacks.  So if you’re involving Klingons why not use someone we know.  
 

but it illustrates how ill advised the kelvin timeline really is.  The guys that conceived it insisted it would free them canon but all they do is use canon over and over again.  The “new canon” is only to explain away their bad writing.  
 

there is nothing they have done that couldn’t be done without a new universe.  
 

I also think If they want to squeeze some more dimes out of kelvin and this cast, use every trick in the book.  What works for Trek?   Time travel. Revenge plot. Universe in jeopardy.   Original actors. 
 

use the next film to “fix” the timeline. Use Shatner.  Time travel. And connect it to the prime CBS Trek universe going forward.  

36 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

use the next film to “fix” the timeline. Use Shatner.  Time travel. And connect it to the prime CBS Trek universe going forward.  

great idea

2 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

great idea

There are rumours it was writer Bob Orci’s idea for what became Trek Beyond.  I think he said he didn’t fix the timeline. But he had Nimoy & Shatner in it.  
 

With CBS having so much Trek now and the unified movie/tv universe it makes sense for one group to do both.  And bad robot wasn’t so hot.  Let cbs produce the movies.  

 

 

https://www.twincities.com/2019/12/09/mounds-theatre-stages-its-an-honorable-life-a-klingon-variation-of-the-classic-film/

New teaser 

 

Story from Variety (per Trekmovie.com).  Some minor spoilers about general plot points.

 

Quote

Variety gives an overview of the state of the galaxy when Star Trek: Picard starts:

Picard finds its hero living in near-isolation on a very un-cosmic French vineyard. He is retired and estranged from Starfleet, the interstellar navy to which he devoted most of his life. He’s haunted by a pair of catastrophes, one personal, the other societal — the death of his android colleague Lt. Cmdr. Data and a refugee crisis spawned by the destruction of the planet Romulus. When those two seemingly disparate strands of his life cross, Picard returns to action, this time without the backing of a Starfleet whose moral center has shifted.

Picard is still haunted by the loss of Data, as seen in a dream sequence from recent trailers.

Patrick Stewart was initially reluctant to return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard, eventually the 34-page pitch Alex Kurtzman, Kirsten Beyer, and Michael Chabon wrote swayed him. Stewart came on not only as an actor, but also as an executive producer with input on the storylines for the show.

CBS Trek head honcho Alex Kurtzman said of working with Sir Patrick:

He is uninterested in repeating himself, everything he does is filled with innate integrity. He fights for the things he believes in. And he’s very willing to collaborate once you’re on the same wavelength.

Stewart explained his point of view on the new TV show:

I think what we’re trying to say is important, the world of Next Generation doesn’t exist anymore. It’s different. Nothing is really safe. Nothing is really secure. In a way, the world of Next Generation had been too perfect and too protected, it was the Enterprise. It was a safe world of respect and communication and care and, sometimes, fun.

Mirroring real world 21st century events, the Federation of the late 24th century has become more isolationist. Stewart says that this aspect of Picard, “was me responding to the world of Brexit and Trump and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought.”

 

On 2019-12-20 at 11:58 AM, The Unknown Poster said:

New teaser 

 

CBS has blocked it.

7 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

CBS has blocked it.

Just do a search.  That one I posted worked at the time but there will be region-free ones avail.

https://deadline.com/2019/12/star-trek-picard-renewed-season-two-patrick-stewart-cbs-all-access-1202809964

 

Reading this makes me cautiously optimistic.  Saying all the right things anyway.   From Latino review :
 

 

Since the last Star Trek movie didn’t perform that well at the box office, the future of the franchise on film has been sketchy at best. Setting the Quentin Tarantino aside, we have not had an idea of when we might see the next Trek movie appear, however, we learned back in November that Noah Hawley would be on writing/directing duties for the fourth modern Star Trek movie.

Nothing was known about whether this movie would be a sort of reboot, or whether the cast of the Bad Robot Star Trek movies would be making a return. Hawley recently spoke with Deadline about his upcoming projects and it’s still not clear how he will shape this new movie.

I have my own take on Star Trek,” said Hawley when asked if the sequel will feature the most recent film’s cast, “and going back to what I loved about the series Next Generation, when a lot of franchises focus on ‘might makes right’, Star Trek is about exploration and humanity at its best, and diversity and creative problem solving. There’s nothing better than that moment when William Shatner puts on his reading glasses and lowers Khan’s shields. It doesn’t cost anything. But it’s that triumphant feeling about smarting your enemy. For me it’s about to getting to those elements of the show. I don’t necessarily find action in and of itself interesting unless it’s story. So, it’s early days, I’m still talking with Paramount and I have a take and I gotta write a script.”

 

As to whether it will connect with the TV work of Alex Kurtzman,

“I should. I know Alex. There isn’t a mandate from Paramount to connect it. And on some levels, there’s a bit of the wall, the TV version and the film version. I have my own story and want to make sure as I did with Fargo and Legion that I’m respectful to the underlying material. That I’m not unintentionally changing things that people love or feel passionate about. So, it’s important to do that research as I go.”

35 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Reading this makes me cautiously optimistic.  Saying all the right things anyway.   From Latino review :
 

 

Since the last Star Trek movie didn’t perform that well at the box office, the future of the franchise on film has been sketchy at best. Setting the Quentin Tarantino aside, we have not had an idea of when we might see the next Trek movie appear, however, we learned back in November that Noah Hawley would be on writing/directing duties for the fourth modern Star Trek movie.

Nothing was known about whether this movie would be a sort of reboot, or whether the cast of the Bad Robot Star Trek movies would be making a return. Hawley recently spoke with Deadline about his upcoming projects and it’s still not clear how he will shape this new movie.

I have my own take on Star Trek,” said Hawley when asked if the sequel will feature the most recent film’s cast, “and going back to what I loved about the series Next Generation, when a lot of franchises focus on ‘might makes right’, Star Trek is about exploration and humanity at its best, and diversity and creative problem solving. There’s nothing better than that moment when William Shatner puts on his reading glasses and lowers Khan’s shields. It doesn’t cost anything. But it’s that triumphant feeling about smarting your enemy. For me it’s about to getting to those elements of the show. I don’t necessarily find action in and of itself interesting unless it’s story. So, it’s early days, I’m still talking with Paramount and I have a take and I gotta write a script.”

 

As to whether it will connect with the TV work of Alex Kurtzman,

“I should. I know Alex. There isn’t a mandate from Paramount to connect it. And on some levels, there’s a bit of the wall, the TV version and the film version. I have my own story and want to make sure as I did with Fargo and Legion that I’m respectful to the underlying material. That I’m not unintentionally changing things that people love or feel passionate about. So, it’s important to do that research as I go.”

Well it's always good when someone who is a faithful fan of the show does the work and talks the talk.  Let's just hope he can walk the walk.

If no Tarantino then i think the JJ films are done. Don't see Pine or Saldana really wanting another one.

Course they could wait until they done making WW/GotG movies. See you in 2025!

 

Edited January 10, 20206 yr by FrostyWinnipeg

16 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

If no Tarantino then i think the JJ films are done. Don't see Pine or Saldana really wanting another one.

Course they could wait until they done making WW/GotG movies. See you in 2025!

 

Based on the director's comments it seems like his idea involves a new cast.  It makes sense because Pine isnt even under a 4th movie deal now.  Paramount wanted blockbuster revenue and spent blockbuster money but it just didnt work out.  Trek can work and be a big deal but it cant be a a gigantic budget.  

Id be surprised if the next film isnt tied to the TV in some way, even if its just as producers and utilizing some of the people involved (set design, costuming, effects etc).

I love that he referenced William Shatner.  Any idea I'd pitch the studio would include Shatner as Kirk while he is still with us.  And I think there is many ways to do it without over-using him or over-taxing him.  Something akin to Luke in TFA, but a bit more obviously.  Actually Luke in TLJ and RoS are good examples as he was arguably the biggest character in Star Wars (aside from Vader) but didnt have much screen time.  Shatner has said its isnt so much about screen time as importance of screen time.

 

One has to be a Pike series 

 

3 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

One has to be a Pike series 

 

Starfleet Academy maybe?

It's a whole lot of Trek and we all know how it got burned out in the 90s by too much.

A Pike series would do well. It would be anticipated by fans. 

14 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

One has to be a Pike series 

 

I would totally be down for a Pike series.  I loved Pike and it wouldn't mess with the continuity as much as redoing the Kirk series.

 

I could care less about Section 31 though.  I'm not a fan of how they used them in the last season.  They're supposed to be secretive and yet they were making waves all over the place.  They just didn't feel covert enough for me.

43 minutes ago, Logan007 said:

I would totally be down for a Pike series.  I loved Pike and it wouldn't mess with the continuity as much as redoing the Kirk series.

 

I could care less about Section 31 though.  I'm not a fan of how they used them in the last season.  They're supposed to be secretive and yet they were making waves all over the place.  They just didn't feel covert enough for me.

I also have no interest in a section 31 series, not based on what they’ve shown us in disco.   The only weird thing with Pike series is the writers and producers of disco made such a big deal out of how they had to time Jump to the future to free themselves of canon.  So doing a pike series sort of undermines that.  And can they restrain themselves from screwing it up?

12 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Starfleet Academy maybe?

It's a whole lot of Trek and we all know how it got burned out in the 90s by too much.

True- but the way series are formatted these days is a lot more palatable...  having  three series with 24,hour long episodes is a bit much and easily leads to fatigue... but these 1hr, 10 episode seasons are really good and always leaves you wanting more it iseems... 

 

I think this new serial format will go over very well...

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by wanna-b-fanboy

1 hour ago, wanna-b-fanboy said:

True- but the way series are formatted these days is a lot more palatable...  having  three series with 24,hour long episodes is a bit much and easily leads to fatigue... but these 1hr, 10 episode seasons are really good and always leaves you wanting more it iseems... 

 

I think this new serial format will go over very well...

I tend to agree.  I think cbs sees Star Trek spiking subs and they likely see a drop when trek is off.  
 

it’s a bit of a surprise because the shows are very expensive but I guess CBS opened a lot of budget for the streaming service.  Plus they likely see savings based on re-using various things among the different series.  For that reason I’d expect them to have a split between eras.  Like Picard and probably Academy being post TNG era.   Pike and Sec 31 being tos era. Although sec 31 could be future too. Who knows.  Disco will probably end up using some Picard era stuff too I bet.  
 

they have also been successful at getting tax breaks in various locations for filming.