The Next Star Trek Movie

[Cyrus Kai]

In a news article dated August 29, originally found here:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/646/646065p1.html

They're discussing the next Star Trek film. Based on my previous experiences with news articles on the forum, I'm pasting it here:

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August 29, 2005 - Erik Jendresen, co-writer of the Band of Brothers miniseries, has turned in a script to Paramount for the next Star Trek feature film. According to Dreamwatch magazine and Trekweb, the movie is tentatively titled Star Trek: The Beginning; rather a bland title, but that could change if the project is greenlit for production.

"I'm excited about this project and I think the chances of it getting made are good," said Jendresen in an interview with the magazine. "It all depends on what the studio thinks, and Paramount has been through significant changes lately. But the people who are making the decisions are pretty responsible folk with a fine body of work behind them. So, we'll see. Right now, I'm optimistic."

The screenplay Jendresen has submitted is, as expected, a significant departure from previous Star Trek films. It takes place shortly after the television series Enterprise and doesn't star any of the Starfleet crew members familiar to viewers from the numerous Star Trek television shows. The story won't follow the usual captain-and-crew formula, either.

"We're looking at a very small group of men and women, particularly focusing on one character. There are a couple of ships, including a principal ship, but this is not a traditional captain and crew of a starship story in the least."

Another source of Star Trek news, CanMag, has their own scoop on Trek XI. They think Star Trek: Academy is another title under consideration, and that they might in fact give Enterprise's T'Pol an important part in the story. According to CanMag, the movie would be about the early days of Starfleet Academy – a story idea that has been discussed in previous Star Trek reports.

The same source also says that David Boreanaz, who starred in the TV series Angel, might be up for a part. However, the CanMag report must be treated as rumor for now; some details seem to conflict with Dreamwatch's interview with Jendresen.

According to Jendresen, the plot will center around a major event in the Trek storyline – the Romulan Wars, perhaps? Hopefully we'll get a better idea about the movie soon if and when Paramount decides to move forward with Star Trek: The Beginning.

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Thanks to IGN for the news break...

[Captain Robin Phoenix]

As I see it, good and bad news then.

The good is obviously there will be another trek movie, the bad news is it will probably lack the star trek feeling one gets when watching it. That was the primary thing I missed in 'Enterprise'. That, and going back in time again (like ENT the series) tells me this will not be a film, if publiced, I would see as a truly star trek movie.

So far, ENT has not been a formula quite as succeful as all others before her. True, many had warm-up problems, but all have been rather succefull DS9, VOY but mostly TOS and TNG. What is the problem with finally making a star trek series/movie which will continue after VOY end and the last movies. Why 'is this 'going back to the good old past' such a focus? I want to see the future, that's why I love startrek so much!

Just my personal thoughts on this. I already hate that new movie without reading more about it lol

regards,

[+ TyrWaltas]

I hate to be the cynic but..

Blah, blah, and blah.

Apparently Star Trek hasn't learned that B-level actors and rehashing material from TV doesn't fly nowadays. They have long departed from the formula that made Star Trek a success. Relying on anything that Enterprise touched on is risky at best due to the limited exposure and quick death that it experienced. If they really want to bring Trek out of the tailspin, they need to revert to the people and stories that made it that way. Continue the Nemesis storyline. Focus on the Borg attack. What about Star Trek: Wolf 359?

[Beta]

I was thinking about something, and the only thing they haven´t done is mirror universe series/movie, i mean a move of the fall of the terran empire at the battle of wolf 359 as it was writen in the book my william Shatner (sp). But one thing they must not do is a ENT movie, either my idea of goon with the nem plot but NOT an ENT movie.

[Salak]

I'd like to see a movie focusing on DS9 or VOY...

I'd dread an ENT movie, they have a nack of ignoring continuity of the other series when they go back to the "past"...

[Kwame Alexander]

I'd like to see a well written story that takes place in the Star Trek Universe.

That is it.

Sure its comforting to see all the characters we are familiar with for the TV shows, but lets face it, the movies of late have not been great. I am starting to believe that the over characterizations of some of our favorite faces have left them with very few stories to tell. Sure people change, but who wants that?

I don't think many of us joined UFOP to play Captain Picard or Data, but we wanted to explore new and different stories set in the ST universe. I say as far as the new movie, go for it.

[Captain Robin Phoenix]

Sure, they have to go for it...if truly honoring and remembering the TRUE essence of Trek.

Otherwise, like ENT, it will be just another...well... nothing really. :-D

[Cyrus Kai]

Gee, it's too bad there aren;t people working to write good STar Trek stories out there somewhere. Too bad that no one but Paramount spends any time exploring and developing the universe that Rodenberry created. Too bad that whole collectives of people don;t pool their ideas to come up with new, cool stuff.

Oh, wait...they do.

[JSheriden]

I would like to see a movie featuring the Titan. This way you have two characters we know, and then the rest is totally different. Truthfully, I would like to see a movie having the Titan deal with it's first mission going to Romulus to act as the head of the negotiating team...but forget the books...go with something totally different.

[Kwame Alexander]

Gee, it's too bad there aren;t people working to write good STar Trek stories out there somewhere. 

Do you read any of the books? The so-called Eigth season of DS9 was awesome

[ro_briels]

Here's my bit of input,

We all love our TNG characters, but if I have to sit threw another movie with the same people doing the same things.... eek. I'd really like to see a DS9 movie, or a VOY movie, although I doubt a 'voyager reunites' type thing would be interesting. Then again, you never know. As for the ideas about back to the past, can we squash them please? I don't mind the history of it, but I just don't want to watch a movie about it. I agree that something totaly new should be done, but at the same time, let's keep the star trek spirit. I mean, isn't a captain and crew story line what we've learned to love. I know I have.

Honestly, I want to see a Voyager epilog. Not as a movie, I just want to see it.

[Deran Beq]

Well, you should have heard Marina and LeVar talking about it yesterday at the Con panel in Atlanta! From what they were saying it's basically a show were they want to put a bunch of young 20 year old actors in the parts and make it a teeny bopper movie. Going for the younger element.

A lot of us older fans aren't too sure we want to see a Teeny Bopper Star Trek Movie.

So, I don't know about this.

I'd really like to see another movie with TNG. They were just the best in my own opinion.

[Cyrus Kai]

Yeah, Kwame, I read the books. And the sims. And the fan literature. That was the joke.

[Dopper]

I'd like to see one about Sisko's return. He did say t the end of DS9 that he would return. Sooner or later, that's gotta be shown.

[+ TyrWaltas]

Well, you should have heard Marina and LeVar talking about it yesterday at the Con panel in Atlanta!  From what they were saying it's basically a show were they want to put a bunch of young 20 year old actors in the parts and make it a teeny bopper movie.  Going for the younger element. 

Teeny bopper? Star Trek?

Are they TRYING to alienate whatever fans they have left?

Shoot me, now.

[Captain Robin Phoenix]

BANG!

But seriously now... I have to agree. It really seems they indeed are trying to destroy those fans that are left by destroying the world of Trek itself. On the other hand, I am not sure if we should take that Teen Trek idea quite that serious. I certainly hope it's a joke.

[Piet_Maximoff]

Truth be told, I love the TNG crew as much as anyone, but to put it plainly - the TNG crew had maybe two movies that were great... and the TOS crew had at least four of the six that were absolutely wonderful. The problem, I think, is not with the cast, but with the writers. They just haven't been up to par.

A DS9 movie I would love - I'm almost certain I've mentioned how much I love DS9 at some point here.

Give ENT a break - they were bringing it around in the fourth season - if they hadn't cancelled it, I bet everyone would love it now because it was going the direction it should have been.

I also agree that we've seen a lot of history lately - but if we're going to do history, let's look at the lost years between TOS and TNG, eh? I don't know if any of you read the Lost Era book series, but I loved those stories.

Anyway... I do really hope they have a new movie in the works. I don't really care what it is, as long as they make it a good one. It needs to be a First Contact or a Wrath of Kahn - not an Insurrection or The Motion Picture (pre-director's cut).

Matter of fact, there are a lot of books I've read recently that I feel would make wonderful movies.

[Captain Robin Phoenix]

All good points. Honestly though, I have never read a Trek book, partially because they are hard to find over here, so I won't crack what I don't know lol

And it is not just the writers, it are the directors and special effect etc as a whole. The thing is, Trek originally was based on real life events. (Almost) all TOS episodes had a wise message 'hidden' inside them. I recall race issues, vietnam, politics, the maffia etc etc. Where are these messages these days?

Trek is about learning from the past and creating a better future for all, not only a SF story with ,then, 'cheap' effects. ENT was very bad, because it broke the history rules AND previous series/movies and their facts and thus even changed some of these oh so important messages. Never, never mess with history!

But I'm rattling nothing new here, so I think I'll stop for now

[Cyrus Kai]

I think that one thing that Trek has going for it is the utopian vision of the furuture. You look at a lot of other versions of the future, and it's all dark. Humanity is usually the scum of the galaxay, on the run, under attack, double dealing, desperation. It's all bad. Trek is one of few (the only?) version of the future that's positive, and I think it's because of the idea that we can, if we choose, learn from the past to build a better future. I will admit that the idea of seeing some of the steps of getting from here to there would be nice, but it needs to done well. And I am losing my faith in the Trek writers...

[Salak]

Last time they tried to start writing light hearted, we got Insurection.

Which I preferred to First Contact by the way.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Salak

[+ TyrWaltas]

I liked Insurrection. Guess that's kind of obvious considering my character's race.

Light-hearted is fine. Just don't insult my intelligence or try to change the universe that I'm used to like Enterprise did. I think Braga is out of control.

[Piet_Maximoff]

I do blame Berman and Braga for what's happened to the franchise. While I don't think they're ignoring what Roddenberry envisioned, I think they're trying to put too much of their own ideas into it, trying to make it too much of an action show now than a space drama. I'd be happy if they had people like Ira Steven Behr (DS9 writer) start writing for a new show, along with other Trek-staples like D.C. Fontana. I don't know if any of you have ever looked at any fan films online, but the Star Trek: New Voyages fan films are probably some of the best I've seen - its basically a continuation of TOS if it had returned for a fourth season. Eugene Roddenberry, Jr, is one of the consulting producers, D.C. Fontana has helped to write some scripts, and I believe it really captures the old show well.

Anyway.

That or just let fans do it. Seriously. "The Trouble With Tribbles" was a fan written script... and you know they used to not take fan scripts... and Gene Roddenberry was like, "What the hell is wrong with you people? This is good stuff."

Edited September 8, 2005 by Piet_Maximoff

[ro_briels]

I, personally hate Berman and Brag. I blame them for so many things (though I don't claim that they are truly to blame for some of them). I hope that they get a reality check, you'd think they'd occasionally look at what fans are say. I like the idea of a fan written script. Actually, that'd be awesome. I vote that someone writes one. *Goes off to cry about how Berman and Braga ruined J/C*

[Idril Mar]

Ok... I may be one of the few that think this, but Enterprise was a good series once they let the writers write the way they wanted to. Third season was a vast improvement over 1&2, and 4 was just that much more improved over 3. Enterprise did nothing to 'ruin' the franchise.' People didn't get exactly what they expected... well tough. Enterprise is canon... deal with it.

I don't have a huge love for Berman and Braga, but people who are die-hard fans with their own thoughts about how the pre-TOS history 'should have been' need to understand that your personal vision of it might not have been right... you know? Just because TNG or TOS didn't mention the whole Xindi affair doesn't mean it didn't happen. I don't remember TNG mentioning the Eugenics Wars... or DS9 mentioning... gawd, I'm sure someone can think of an example. Fan history is always a problem when doing pre-quels.

Get off it... what's done is done, and UPN as a network is as much or more to blame for it as Berman and Braga. Understand that some of the blame is theirs, some is on UPN, and some is your own if Star Trek takes another 30 year to get back to the small screen... or if it never does.

*turns off her rant button*

Back on the subject... I think that a new movie with younger people in it might do well. We'll see how it goes. It might have a problem, though, because all of the movies so far had series as background so everyone knew the characters already.

Jenn

[Admiral Hollis]

I agree that Enterprise did not destroy Star Trek. It seems each show has a following of those who liked. Voyager for instance is my least liked Star Trek spin off. Janeway should have been locked in a small room for the insane. Having said that . . . I know people who love Voyager.

As to the movie, I think a good skript with good actors are more important than a certain age. I was very young when I watched ST in re runs. We still had a black and white TV so I didn't even know ST was a color show. I watched it first thing after school not caring that there wasn't a 8 or 9 year old on the show. Everyone is attracted to a good plot, great characters, and a sound vission regardless of age.

If they try to seek out a certain demographic you might get . . . Wesley.