This Week In Trek – Another Two Week Edition

Missed another week, so once again, you get two for the price of one. These past two weeks in Trek brings lots of movie news as well as news on Star Trek iPods, a former Star Trek captain’s injury, a delay for Walter Koenig’s InAlienable, writers striking Star Trek style, and a Klingon take on Charles Dickens.

Star Trek (2008 movie)

• Paramount has released their first official synopsis for the new Star Trek movie and revealed that Jeffrey Chernov has been added as executive producer and unit production manager, replacing Stratton Leopold. It was also revealed that Level 1 Entertainment has joined the project as a production partner, with the company’s head honchos (producer Bill Todman, Jr., billionaire Edward Milstein and chief operating officer Paul Schwake) serving as three additional executive producers. See the Trek Movie Report for more details.
• Leonard Nimoy announced in a guest blog on TrekMovie.com that he would start filming his scenes as the elder Spock on Tuesday, December 11th. As of this week, the original Spock is back!
• Chris Hemsworth has wrapped up his scenes as George Kirk, Sr. and has returned to his native Australia.
• One of Gabe Koerner’s design concepts for the new Enterprise was mistaken by several websites as being the actual design for the new movie. Trekmovie.com set the record straight, however, and let everyone know it wasn’t the real McCoy (pun intended).
• In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zachary Quinto (young Spock) showed off his shaved eyebrows and told us that we will know "within a matter of weeks" whether or not his Heroes co-star (and best friend of director/producer J.J. Abrams) Greg Grunberg will appear in the new movie.
• Using the colorful metaphors he is famous for, writer Harlan Ellison disproved the rumors that the new movie would involve the Guardian of Forever.
• Some scenes Star Trek will be shot at Long Beach City Hall; see our report for more information.
• The movie has also apparently been filming in Lincoln Park.
• UGO.com has a brief interview with a man named Paradox Pollack, who claims to be working on the new Trek film. According to his blog, Pollack is choreographing the movement of the aliens in the film.
• He may not have won the role of Scotty, but Stargate: Atlantis actor Paul McGillion will still have a small part in Star Trek. He has already shot his scene, in which he worked with Kirk actor Chris Pine.
• John Cho, the new Sulu, finally gave some of his insight into the iconic character he will be playing.

Shatner News

• William Shatner (you know, that Kirk guy) was presented with a lifetime achievement award by his Star Trek Generations co-stars Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) and Malcom McDowell at the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival on December 9th.
• TrekMovie.com interviewed Shatner on the night of the Jules Verne Festival, with the actor discussing his upcoming talk show (Raw Nerve) and chatting with an old pal (Leonard Nimoy). IESB.net also interviewed Shatner, where the Shat man again claimed ignorance that he would be appearing in the new Star Trek movie.
• Shatner appeared on PalTalk.com’s Hollywood Now on December 13th where he participated in a live video chat with PalTalk viewers, with the first question coming from a TrekMovie.com community member. See our report for more information.
• Shatner has received his second Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Denny Crane on Boston Legal. He was previously nominated in 2004, and ultimately won.
• William Shatner still isn’t in the new movie.

Trek Stuff

• The first in-game screenshot of Star Trek Online was released with Perpetual’s latest development log; you can check it out here. A second image was released the following week.
• Want an iPod nano featuring etched Star Trek art? Enter the Etchstar Customized iPod nano Giveaway at StarTrek.com today! Hurry, the giveaway ends on December 21st!
• A synopsis and a cover image for Leanna Morrow’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Mirror Universe novel Fearful Symmetry are available at TrekWeb.
• Cover images and synopses for the Terok Nor line of DS9 novels are also available.
• Author Christopher L. Bennett announced at TrekBBS that his next Star Trek: The Next Generation novel, entitled Greater Than the Sum, will be set after Star Trek Nemesis and will
  follow the events of Peter David’s book, Before Dishonor.
• Details have been released for Star Trek The Tour, including a start date of January 18th! See StarTrek.com for more information… and pictures!

Cover image for Fearful Symmetry

Trek in the World

• Striking Hollywood writers organized a Star Trek-themed picket at Paramount Studios on December 10th which was joined by several Star Trek actors, writers and producers. TrekMovie.com kept you updated on the event with reports here, here and here.
• Star Trek Online developer Perpetual Entertainment is being sued for fraud by their former PR company Kohnke.
• Two Star Trek commemorative wall-plates were among the goods recovered from a robbery investigation in Malvern, England.
• A fire which swept through a warehouse in Oregon, Illinois, has destroyed back issues of Star Trek Magazine, as well as copies of Starlog and horror magazine Fangoria’s entire back-issue supply.
• Can Klingons learn the true meaning of Christmas? Stage company Commedia Beauregard apparently thinks so since they put on a production of A Klingon Christmas Carol.

Live Long and Strike

Trek on the Web

• A Chicago Sports Review writer compares basketball player Kirk Hinrich to Captain Kirk, and not only in name.
• The Dallas Voice compares Dallas city life and culture to the Borg Collective, stating that the city’s lesbians and gays are being assimilated by the mainstream.
• The ill-fated Commander Sonak from Star Trek: The Motion Picture was IGN’s Obscure Character of the Week two weeks ago.
• The Toronto Sun has an article called That ‘blasphemous’ Star Trek, discussing Trek creator Gene Roddenberry being an atheist and how his views played out in the original series.
• Cananda Free Press considers whether or not humanity could ever hook up with alien races to form
  our own United Federation of Planets.
• According to TechRepublic, Star Trek fandom has "jumped the shark" several times (about half as many times as their own website).
• AskMen has an article called "5 Things You Didn’t Know (About)
  Star Trek… all of which, of course, were already known by Trekkies.

Fan Productions

• Star Trek Odyssey’s second episode "Wine Dark Sea" is now available.
• TheDay.com has an interview with Star Trek: New Voyages makeup artist Patty Wright.

Patty Wright touches up STNV’s Andy Bray (Chekov)

Trek Celebrity News

• Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko) suffered an injury on December 14th, forcing the cancellation of the December 15th performance of the play Tamburlane, which stars Brooks in the title role. The exact nature of Brooks’ injury was not disclosed, but he is expected to return for the next scheduled performance.
• Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) was present at the 11th annual Ribbon of Hope Celebration in Hollywood on December 1st.
• George Takei (Sulu) is not being welcomed back to do voiceover work on The Simpsons anytime soon. Apparently, Mr. Takei “creeped out the staff.” Oh, my!
• In the meantime, Mr. Takei talked Star Trek with SFX, stating he “would be more than happy” to return to the role of Sulu.
• Also in the meantime, Takei will replace his TOS co-star Leonard Nimoy (Spock) as the host and narrator of the Minnesota Orchestra’s "To Boldly Go…" concert in February. It appears Mr. Nimoy will be a bit too busy shooting scenes for a certain movie.
• Speaking of Nimoy, the #1 Vulcan made a surprise appearance at Lightspeed Fine Art’s 8th Annual Celebrity Charity Benefit in Orange County, California on Saturday, December 1st, where he discussed his return to the role of Spock in the new Star Trek movie. Also attending the event were the likes of Robert Picardo (VOY’s The Doctor), Connor Trinneer (ENT’s Trip Tucker), Nana Visitor (DS9’s Kira Nerys), and Garrett Wang (VOY’s Harry Kim). See StarTrek.com for more details.
• Star Trek: Voyager writer and executive story editor Lisa Klink appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! from November 26th through December 3rd, winning five games and nearly $100,000 before her reign as champion came to an end.
• Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) and Samantha Eggar (Marie Picard, TNG: "Family") will be hosting an event at the Pasadena Convention Center on March 16th. Called "A Day with Friends," the event will benefit Altzheimer’s research and the ALS Associations.
• Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) ranked #28 and #27, respectively, in AOL’s list of the 50 Sexiest Women Ever (on television). Other Star Trek actresses to make the list were Teri Hatcher (B.G. Robinson, TNG’s “The Outrageous Okona”), Kim Cattrall (Valeris in Star Trek VI), Nikki Cox (Sarjenka, TNG’s “Pen Pals”), and Julie Newmar (Eleen, TOS’ “Friday’s Child”).
• Chase Masterson (Leeta) was a special guest at the 18th annual Soundwaves Christmas Party on December 8th, according to the Pacifica Tribune.
• Masterson also attended Trek to the Troop’s 3rd annual Meet-and-Greet in Los Angeles on December 11th. Also attending the event were the likes of Tim Russ (Tuvok), Natalia Nogulich (Admiral Nechayev), and Chris Doohan (TMP extra and son of James Doohan), as well as Vaughn Armstrong (Adm. Forrest, etc.) and his Enterprise Blues Band.
• Simon Pegg (the new Scotty) won the Ronnie Barker Writers’ Guild Award at the British Comedy Awards on December 5th, where he talked a little Trek with Sky Showbiz.
• Eric Bana (Nero) was named Best Actor at the Australian Film Industry Awards for his portrayal of the title role in Romulus, My Father. Coincidentally, he will be playing a native of the planet Romulus in the new Star Trek film. (Funny how these things work, huh?)
• Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) will be making an appearance on Boston Legal, the hit ABC series starring fellow Starfleet captain William Shatner (James T. Kirk) and Shatner’s Star Trek III co-star John Larroquette (Maltz). TrekMovie.com reports that Bakula has already filmed his scenes on the show.
• The Toledo Blade has a piece on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor Rene Auberjonois (Odo) centered around his day as a guest lecturer in a "master class" at the University of Findlay’s Egner Center for the Performing Arts. You can read it here.
• TMZ.com claims to have caught Brent Spiner (Data) shopping at the Surly Girl boutique on Robertson Ave. in Los Angeles. Good for him.
• The horror movie Fallen Angels, starring TNG & DS9 star Michael Dorn (Worf), was screened in writer/director Jeff Thomas’ hometown of Monroe, Michigan on December 7th.
• Armin Shimerman (Quark) and Stephen Macht (Krim, DS9’s "The Circle" and "The Siege") staged a reading of the play The Quarrel at the Friends of Valley Cities Jewish Community Center in Burbank, California, on December 15th.
• TNG & VOY guest actor Jeff McCarthy is currently starring as lawyer Billy Flynn on the hit Broadway production of Chicago, according to Playbill News.
• TNG & DS9 director Chip Chalmers directed a production of the comedy Five Women Wearing the Same Dress at the Tallahassee Little Theatre in Tallahassee, Florida on the weekend of December 7th.
• Kings, the Irish Oscar hopeful starring Colm Meaney (Miles O’Brien), is now in general release in Northern Ireland.
• Designer and artist Doug Drexler shared some Star Trek memories in a recent issue of the Star Trek: New Voyages eMagazine. See TrekToday for more information.
• Veteran Star Trek writer and Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D. Moore revealed in an interview with Starburst Magazine that former DS9 star Nana Visitor‘s (Kira Nerys) role on BSG will be a recurring one.
• "The Trouble with Tribbles" writer talked Trek and Tribbles in a new interview with The New York Times… cleverly titled "Nobody Knows the Tribbles He’s Seen."
• The new feature film version of I Am Legend, from the novel by "The Enemy Within" writer Richard Matheson, opened in theaters on Friday, December 14th. In addition to star Will Smith, the film features one-time Deep Space Nine guest star Salli Elise Richardson (Fenna, "Second Sight"). See the official movie site for more information.
• Soul of Star Trek has an interview with Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov) in which the TOS actor discusses the upcoming Star Trek film, Anton Yelchin (the new Chekov), his work on Star Trek: Of Gods and Men and New Voyages, and his new film, InAlienable. You can read it here.
• And speaking of InAlienable, the film — which stars Koenig and the likes of Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), Gary Graham (Soval, etc.), Alan Ruck (Capt. John Harriman) and J.G. Herzler (Martok) — was scheduled made its online premiere yesterday and would have been available as a $2.99 pay-per-view download. Alas, Renegade Studios hit a bump in the road and have been forced to delay the premiere until early this week.

InAlienable still unavailable… check back next week!

In Memoriam

• Ken Southworth, a storyboard artist on Star Trek: The Animated Series, died in Anaheim, California on December 5th, after suffering multiple strokes. He was 89 years old.

Farewell to the STARTREK.COM Team

• On Friday, STARTREK.COM announced that its entire production staff had been laid off… the result of "restructuring" at CBS Interactive. The fate of STARTREK.COM, which for over a decade has been the official website for the Star Trek franchise, remains unknown. TrekMovie.com bids farewell to the entire STARTREK.COM team. We thank you for your dedication and hard work and wish you all the best.