FedCon: TNG Stars Hit Germany + Burton Hopes For TNG Movie

FedCon, Europe’s biggest Star Trek and Sci Fi convention took place over the last weekend in Bonn, Germany and over 5000 EuroFans came out to see the sci-fi stars. Among the many guests were TNG stars Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis and John de Lancie. Of particular interest were comments from Burton about hopes for another TNG move.


LeVar Burton
TNG’s Geordi La Forge was very enthusiastic and optimistic on stage, telling the crowd "I love my life, if you ever hear me complain about my life give me a smash to my head." He said that he and the TNG cast sees each other quite frequently and that they come together each year for a Christmas party. This TNG inner circle now also includes John Logan, writer of Star Trek Nemesis. Burton told the fans, that he still hopes for one more TNG movie and thinks JJ Abrams can make it happen, saying:

If the general interest in ‘Trek’ rises with the arrival of the new film by J.J. Abrams and it makes a lot of money, we might see one final movie with the TNG-crew. I don’t think ‘Nemesis’ was an appropriate farewell.

Burton, who worked closely with the late James Doohan in the TNG episode "Relics" also joked around about his time with Trek’s first engineer: 

He was so much fun to be around, but he usually started drinking at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and after 5 o’clock he was pretty much wasted.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Sometimes con reports loose something out of context, but Burton was joking around about Doohan. Remember that the episode “Relics” had a scene were Scotty got drunk, Burton was not maligning Doohan]

Burton also knew how to play to the home crowd, saying:

I haven’t had a good Bratwurst since I was eleven. It’s fantastic to be back in Deutschland.


LeVar Burton at FedCon XVII
(Photo: Jill Vanden Driessche)

Marina Sirtis
Marina Sirtis was generally much fun and very charming. The actress talked about recently travelled to Bulgaria to film a small part in the upcoming Direct-to-DVD horror sequel "The Grudge 3" and told the fans that she’s isn’t too picky when it comes to acting offers, joking:

I turned down a part in ‘Men in Black’, thinking it was a crap movie. There where other occasions that I made wrong decisions. Nowadays I take every offer, just in case it might be a good film

Sirtis also spoke about the role in the 2005 racially-focused film Crash and that she and her husband considered moving from the US to live in Europe. When on stage together wit Spiner and Burton she gave a beautiful rendition of Mary Hopkins’ "Those where the days, my friend". Her colleagues joined her for the refrain.


Marina Sirtis at FedCon XVII
(Photo: Jill Vanden Driessche)

Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner signed his new CD "Dreamland" and his panels were always filled with dry humor, hardly ever taking any question seriously. However, as he did at the recent Grand Slam, the actor said he was sure the new Star Trek movie was going to be a success.


Brent Spiner at FedCon XVII
(Photo: Jill Vanden Driessche)

John DeLancie
Q himself was also in attendance telling stories and taking questions. When asked how he felt about comparing the times he played Q on TNG vs. Voyager he said:

I enjoyed Next Generation and except for one show written by Michael Piller on Voyager about suicide ["Death Wish"], but I thought most of the shows were excellent. Next Generation were a little bit better than Voyager for me.


John DeLancie at FedCon XVII
(Photo: Caffey)

René Auberjonois
In addition to the TNG stars, DS9’s Odo, René Auberjonois was also at the show and the actor showed his ongoing connection with his character. He talked about how he would like to ask Odo what he thought about the abrupt end of his relationship with Kira Nerys and if he regrets going back to his people. When he was asked about the first kiss between Odo and Nerys he answered that he didn’t feel much, because tons of make up were between him and Nana Visitor. Apparently Nana wasn’t excited either, because her face was covered in his make up after that scene.


René Auberjonois at FedCon XVII
(Photo: Michael Müller)

 

Singing German Klingons
One last item just for fun, here are some vid clips of a group of German Klingons having fun singing and playing with Tribbles and Stormtroopers at FedCon.

 

Markus Kettner, TrekMovie’s new German correspondent, is one of the managers for The TrekZone Network, a leading German Star Trek website (and TrekMovie.com partner). More photos from FedCon XVII at TrekZone.

 

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its good to see them all moving on to other things beyond trek

That DeLancie is one cool cat!

TIM BURTON MAKING A TNG MOVIE WOULD BE INTERESTING though it could easily end up like planet of the apes

BRYAN SINGER would be perfect for this

It would be interesting to see the mighty Q and his son in the mix again

:o )

I’m a huge TOS fan, but I wouldn’t mind another TNG movie! It would be a lot of fun!

mmmm Marina Sirtis – milfalicious

I didn’t get the part where they’re moving on to other things. They all flew to Germany to attend a Star Trek convention and get together during the Chrismas holidays while hoping to do one more TNG film.

I wouldn’t mind another TNG movie, but the odds are slim. It’s very obvious Paramount wants to go in a new direction.

Seeing Q again would be cool but…it probably won’t happen on the big screen….hopefuly on TV again.

“Burton told the fans, that he still hopes for one more TNG movie and thinks JJ Abrams can make it happen”

Hope … is a good thing. It keeps you going when you would otherwise fail.

Like others have said, go the direct to DVD route. That way maybe we can get a Titan DVD with the Rikers.

Dream on, Levar….

When TNG blew 3 out of 4 movies it killed all chances,

If they were set in the same era, you might be able to work some TNG characters into a sequel to the new film. Bt, alas, they aren’t.

If the new film brings in a l-o-t of cash, Paramount might warm to the idea of a film, or TV series, that is set in a time immediately post TNG, but is not a straightforward continuation of the voyages of Picard’s Enterprise, or any other starship for that matter. (And not another DS9). It’s a big universe, so there are lots of story ideas.

Jonathon Frakes made 1 amazing trek movie and one (i dont care what flame i get for this) better than average one. He knows the characters, hell, he IS one of the characters, he’s been one of them for 20 odd years.

Frakes and the rest of the cast have all proven themselves in other creative areas since TNG ended its run, Would giving the actors creative control over one last movie or a TV mini series be that drastic?

I wouldn’t be against a good TNG film, however, I do strongly believe LaVar Burton has a big mouth. If Doohan drank, that was his business as long as it effected no one else.
I don’t believe it was Burton’s place to talk about James Doohan’s habits. Very poor form and he should refrain in the future… it gains nothing for anyone.

IMO,
X

It’s frakkin’ geil (engl. = horny) to be here (Mary McDonnel about the FedCon)

I’m from Switzerland and every year I go to the FedCon and this time I must say: “It was really frakkin’ geil”

3. paul – “TIM BURTON…”

The first thing I thought when I saw that headline “Burton Hopes For TNG Movie” was “dear god please don’t let Tim Burton near Star Trek!!” and that was for his shameful remake of Planet of the Apes! Glad to see this was not about him!

I’ve thought about Bryan Singer directing a TNG film, too. It probably wouldn’t be bad. Just no Michael Bay, McG or Brett Ratner!

FEDCON is the best!!! Been to 12 of them and they make CREATION Cons look just like that: cons. American Trek fans have no idea what an incredible convention this is. Think European Dragoncon.

TREK RULEZ!!!!!!

I totally agree with Levar. There should one more TNG picture. Nemesis wasn’t the right way to end the great series.

I WANT TNG MOVIE (with Q please)!

I’m a mild TNG fan, but I agree with the sentiment that TNG deserves a TV / direct to DVD film.

I would not have felt this way prior to the last Episode of “Enterprise”, but that nut job Berman had to go and revive TNG (from a lame TNG episode at that) and go and leave a bad taste in every trek fans mouth.

I say make another TNG – and don’t let anyone from previous Treks be involved save Manny and the actors – let Frakes direct – He’s really solid.

Quoting Shamrock:

“I totally agree with Levar. There should be one more TNG picture. Nemesis wasn’t the right way to end the great series.”

Bryan Singer!!!!

The *only* way would be a time-bending, time travelling movie involving the *new* TOS crew and the older TNG crew, and in some way involving Shatner as old Kirk. It could happen.

Pigs can fly too! :)

I think the crew deserve one more chance at bat, maybe when JJ reaches his third picturde deal Star Trek movie it can shoot back into the Next Generation.

Funny, Spiner is looking like RICK BERMAN on that pic!

YEAH ONE MORE TNG MOVIE.A TV MOVIE WHERE THEY FIX ‘GENERATIONS’.

How nice to talk about Doohan being sloshed.

You know, it wouldn’t be too bad if we had another TNG-era movie. Maybe not with the TNG crew, but certainly in the timeline. Perhaps even a little after. The actors have aged a good bit, so that might be more difficult. But I would definately love to see another film or series after this movie.

It might even be a good idea to continue with these new actors for more NeOS (Neo [new] + TOS) films. I’m trying to coing something, here! Roll with with it…

I’d like to see more Quinto and Pine.

#2 Harry Ballz: *** “That DeLancie is one cool cat!” ***

When I was in college back in the early to mid 1980s, I used to watch “Days of our Lives” (hey! we had to do SOMETHING between classes).

My favorite character was the wacky (some would say “mad”, but benevolent) scientist/inventor Eugene Bradford played by none other than ***John de Lancie***. This was pre-TNG and nobody except us “Days” fans ever heard of this guy, but my friends and I loved him — he stole every scene he was in…he was truly “one cool cat” as Harry Ballz said.

One storyline had de Lancie’s character building a time machine with which he disappeared off the show for a few years…when he came back on the show, he had an android version of his wife that he built while in the future. Oh — and he also had a ‘sixth sense’ that would allow him to know when bad things were going to happen.

…That’s some Great Stuff!! They don’t make good soap opera characters like that anymore.

I just saw Leonard Nimoy in a DAS Auto commercial

Xai#16- I assumed Burton was joking, Xai, refering to the Scotty character as being the drinking dude – Scotty ended up in 10-Forward getting drinks from Data in Relics.

#16 Xai

I couldn’t agree more. Sad

31:

“It is green.”

I hope we hear that in the NeOS movie. Yes, I will continue to try to coin this term! Stop me if you will!

#31, I believe the phrase was:

“It is green.” -Data

I hope that they reference this in the NeOS movie. Yes, I will continue to try to coin this new term for the movie. Stop me if you will! MUA HA HA HA HA!!

Sorry, my computer didn’t show the first one, so I thought it got lost, I’m having internet issues. Delete one if you care.

That Guy#28- You need to go see Quinto at a con, my friend. I am going to Toronto in July to meet up with Katie and Harry for a con featuring Quinto. You should come there, or try the con in Tulsa in June (I think he will be in attendance there for a couple days). There is nothing like seeing our beloved characters in person.

37, True is dat.

Despite the fact that we have not yet seen them in their prized roles in the upcoming NeOS movie as Kirk and Spock yet, I’m already hoping for another one. Do tell how it goes. I’ll be around.

Q is my role model. I once wrote a 10-page paper about him and how his words “All good things must come to an end” changed my perspective on the world. And it’s true, those words changed a lot for me. Q has since become a personal icon for me. Ever since then, my friends noticed that I seem to pop out of nowhere, especially when they least suspect me…

Maybe Q will be in the NeOS movie…???

Chris Doohan#32- Do you think Burton was not joking Chris, because, if that was the case, that was truly the most dispicable thing I have ever heard coming out of a con. Do you think he was saying that about your dad, not the character?

JC#36- Very callous remark. Sounds like the type of thing one might hear from the pappanazis who chase celebs down the highways pistoning them up against concrete walls in the hopes that they will get a shot of someone screaming – well, if they are celebs, they should expect that kind of thing right?

RE: doohan drinking
the article notes he was joking around…the episode it mentions also has a scene of scotty getting drunk. it was a joke. Sorry if it offended anyone…everyone knows that Burton is the nicest guy around and would never say a bad thing about some one in malice.

Thank you for the clarification, Anthony. It was hard to imagine him saying such a thing in front of thousands of people.

I think it would be great to have one last TNG movie, one that could truely bring closure to the series. I was hugely disapointed when it was announced that the current movie was going to be TOS, but I still have hope that it will reignight the franchise. If it does, though, I hope that they move beyond the 22nd and 23rd century. Just doesnt seem right to be moving back through time that way, there has to be some sort of temporal paradox for that…

Did anyone notice the showbiz fog behind Levar?
Haha. That’s pure cheese.

Also I’m sure Levar made the comment about Doohan getting wasted because its Germany (people). Half that audience was prob drinking (warm) beer. I didn’t feel it was in bad taste.

John Delance is a cool cat I met him years ago at a Grand slam con in Pasadena. He walked in the backstage door and I said “its Q!” He smiled and shook my hand. For a second I thought he might snap me into Oblivion.

Hey, I remember back in the day when Mr. Doohan asked a friend of mine who owned a comics shop and was hosting him in Fort Lauderdale if he could score him a little weed. (And that isn’t meant as any kind of a put-down at all–in fact, it just served to impress us that Scotty was a regular guy who knew how to party. It was South Florida in the ’80s, after all.)

Done right one last TNG movie would be brilliant. Frakes should direct, Coto and Ronald D. Moore should write, and Myers should Produce and Jeri Taylor should be Exec Producer.

There are a couple of unfinished story lines from TNG (Like that little alien thing from the end of TNG season one that took over much of starfleet and that sent a message) that could launch a movie, which in turn could launch the next TV series. The main thing is not to ignore what happened in Nemesis, don’t have Data in it, if anything Nemesis could be tied in (loosely, as could DS9 and ENT and TOS) all three series has one thing in common with TNG (parasites that can either take over your body or kill you) thus uniting the Trek universe. All it would take is careful and daring writing, and it could lead into a brilliant new TV series.

40. Anthony Pascale – April 23, 2008
RE: doohan drinking,,

Thanks for the clairification. Sorry to stir the pot Chris, I always enjoyed your Dad.

I think the world needs one more TNG movie :)

Seriously, lets get one more made in the next 5 years. 25th anniversary would be the perfect time for this film to come out. Bryan Singer or Jonathan Frakes should direct… it needs to be done by a fan of the series, and both those men are big fans!

I’ve wanted a NGen film since Nemesis. But the way it looks it aint ever gonna happen now.

Paramount would have to include Berman since he owns a piece of that show. And that’s not going to happen.

(Boy how cool would it have been to hang with Scotty!)

I shutter at the mare thought of another TNG Movie Crap -O-Rama.
I’m sure the TNGer’s are jumping for joy over the hopes of seeing their ever expanding crew wallowing across the silver screen once again.

Just for the record, I’m sure LeVar was just joking around and I’m sure he was referring to the character. My father would never get “wasted” after only one hour of drinking. He could out drink the best of them..even Scotty

#44

He was just a regular guy, but it never happened.