Patrick Stewart Interested In Appearing In Star Trek Sequel + Mad Max 4 Rumor + more from PS in OZ

We have even more Sir Patrick Stewart news for you this weekend. TNG’s Picard was in Australia Saturday and Sunday appearing at OzTrek2, and while there he said he would be interested in appearing in the next Star Trek movie. He also talked X-Men, animated TNG, Doctor Who and more. Details and photos below. Plus there is a new rumor that Stewart may be in the next Mad Max movie.  

 

Patrick Stewart Down Under

Con report by Brendan Waite and Hanne O’Connor

Patrick Stewart headlined the OzTrek 2 convention which was held Saturday in Melbourne, Australia and Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

No to TNG Animated – Yes to JJ Trek
It was while Stewart was in Sydney that he made his comments about his future with Star Trek. Firstly, regarding his most lasting impression of working on The Next Generation, Stewart said it was the lightness on the set and the "rolling on the floor with laughter" he remembers most. During the Q&A he was asked if there were ever an animated series of TNG, would he be interested in doing the voice work. Stewart said he "probably wouldn’t", noting that the actors of TNG "have moved on" and the "story has been told" and "the work stands on its own." However, he did say that he would do it if Seth MacFarlane wrote it (Stewart voices a recurring character on MacFarlane’s American Dad and last year did an episode as himself on Family Guy).

Stewart then went on to talk about JJ Abrams and the new Star Trek movie. He said that he really liked the work that Leonard Nimoy did in the film and then offered the following without being asked about it:

If I was asked to do a guest role, like Leonard, in the new film, I would do that. They’re a fabulously talented group of individuals.

[Editors note: Stewart is the fourth Trek captain to express interest in appearing in the Star Trek sequel. William Shatner has made his desire clear, and in recent interviews with TrekMovie, both Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula said they were interested. Avery Brooks has not spoken about the Abrams films yet, but did recently say he would be interested in doing a DS9 movie. So we have added a poll, which Captain would you like to see, if any…see right column.]


Patrick Stewart at OzTrek2 – says he is ready to suit up for a new Star Trek movie, but says no to voicing any potential future TNG animated series (Photo: Anas Photos)

Stewart on X-Men, Doctor Who and more
In both Melbourne and Sydney, Stewart also talked about the X-Men franchise. According to Stewart, working on X-Men with Sir Ian McKellen was "one of the best and most fun experiences" he has ever had, and that it was "the best job in the world" because every day he got to go to makeup and say good morning and give a kiss on the cheek to Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Famke Janssen and Anna Paquin (and even Hugh Jackman). As for the future of X-Men, Stewart talked about the upcoming young Magneto & Xavier film (joking they were going to hire 8-year olds), but he doesn’t expect to be involved. However, Stewart did note that "working with Ian again would be wonderful."

Stewart was also asked about the rumors he would be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who. He said that his Hamlet co-star David Tennant said he should do a guest spot, but nothing ever came from it and he now feels "that ship has sailed." (especially because Tennant is no longer part of Doctor Who)

While in Melbourne Stewart was asked about the Lion in Winter TV movie he did with Glenn Close in 2003. He first talked about how cold it was filming in Budapest, but then mysteriously said "watch this space". Could that mean there is a Lion in Winter sequel or other Glenn Close project? He didn’t elaborate so that will remain a mystery for now.

Stewart finished his sets with a treat, by performing a monologue from Macbeth.


Patrick Stewart gives a serious Shakespearean look at OzTrek2 in Melbourne on Saturday (Photo: Fannish Inquisition)

For more Stewart in Oz photos, check out Fannish Inquisition’s set at Flickr.

Stewart and Hardy together again in Mad Max 4?
The final bit of Patrick Stewart Australia news is most certainly a rumor. A reader of Aint it Cool News sent in a tip that she spoke to the actor while in Australia, and asked him if he would ever be shooting any films down under. The reader reports that Stewart said he would be "back here soon to film a movie with George Miller." Looking at the schedule of director George Miller there are only three known projects, Happy Feet 2, Mad Max 4: Fury Road, and The Odyssey. Stewart specifically said it wasn’t Happy Feet 2 and the reader report doesn’t get more specific. This has prompted a wave of "Patrick Stewart in Mad Max?" stories across the web. What makes it even more intriguing is that none other than Tom Hardy (Star Trek: Nemesis’ Shinzon) is reported to be playing Max (taking over the role Mel Gibson played in three films). Filming for the fourth Mad Max film is scheduled to commence in the summer, so we will know soon enough if this one is true.

[UPDATE: Rumor Debunked]


Stewart and Hardy in "Star Trek Nemesis" – will they be back together in "Mad Max 4"?

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Would be nice to have Stewart and Hardy together in a better project than Nemesis.

Much as I love to see Patrick Stewart act in anything, and particularly as Capt. Picard, it’s hard to imagine a storyline with him in ST 12 that wouldn’t seem an awful lot like ST 11. Great idea, but I’m ready to see the new ST crew have their own adventures.

#1 – I wonder if Mad Max has any shot at being that project.

Wow!

I’ve had one or two “first” comments in various threads. But today wa sthe first time I had “firsT’ in answering a poll question.

What POWER! ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of respondants agreed with ME!

WOW!

I want to see Kirk Prime AND Picard in Trek 2, Kirk Prime in a recording, and Picard at the end of the film reflecting on his friendship with Kirk Prime. At his Ambassador inauguration with some of his old crew in the audience….

That would be SOOOOO cool! Make it so! :D

I thought Nemisis was impressive and deeply moving. It did have it’s moments of fear and doubt, but Hardy was awesome and the concept was fascinating

id say Homers The Odyssey is more likely than Max 4 for Patrick..but then again maybe not. I just hope Gibson turns up in Max 4 in some capacity..i still cant believe they’ve recast with Hardy…..Sly returns for Rocky/Rambo, Willis for DH 4, Ford for Indy 4..Nimoy for Trek, yet no Mel for Max 4? crazy

and yeah id like to see Stewart in trek 12..more so than Shatner actually…heck i fully expected him to show up in Trek XI in Spocks mind meld scene

dunno how though beyond more time travel…unless they have an opening scene set in the 24th Century Prime universe…or if they made a film of Countdown

No offense, but isn’t it just as likely that Stewart will pop up in The Odyssey?

And to paraphrase Family Guy: “Do we really need another Mad Max picture?”

Having just closed a stage production of Lion in Winter, I can’t imagine what a sequel could say that wasn’t said in the original. More likely, another project with the two of them working together?

What about Mirror Picard (we never saw him before, I could imagine Stewart with Chang’s moustache!)…?

I’m getting sick of hearing the older Trek actors pitching for a role in the next film. Move on and stop trying to hog the new guys time in the spotlight. You’ve had you go- and in the case of TNG actors a very generous 200 hours or so of it.

I would love to see Stewart’s Shakespeare projects be released on DVD.

I know theater purists usually shy away from something like that, but flying to London just to go see Sir Patrick would easily run a thousand euros.

I’d love to see him, but not THAT much. :)

And get your ass to FedCon, man! He was confirmed at least twice now and had to cancel each time because a theater project came up.

The image you’ve used from Nemesis is back to front. Come on people! I hate that!

Actually it might be kind of cool…and reassuring to the fans that feel the new Star Trek somehow negated the original…to have Picard appear in a flashback with Spock Prime leading up to his mission to stop the star from going nova….a la Star Trek Countdown.

Hmmmmm. Interesting plot idea? 24th century Prime Enterprise crew trying to retrieve Spock from altered 23rd century timeline. SOmewhere toward the end…imagine a face-off between the two Enterprises.

I’m such a fan boy.

I actually prefer Stewart making a cameo in the trek sequel, instead of Shatner.

Only 12% for Archer? Hate to say it, but you are not real Trekkies. Remember McCoy in TNG Farpoint? Archer’s the only thing that will work… as an old admiral, maybe with T’Pol. Bakula is a wonderful actor. In any case, the others have no place in a straight sequel, not Janeway, not Sisko, not Picard, and definitely not Shatner’s Kirk. Get over it, people.

As for Brooks’ idea for a DS9 film? Yeah, I’m all for it. Wait a few years, set it in the prime timeline, make it two films back-to-back, and that’s where you can bring your beloved captains back into the mix… Picard and Sisko still have to settle a few things. And maybe there’s also a place for Admiral Janeway. Would be interesting to see what happens in the prime timeline universe after the destruction of Romulus.

I definitely want sir patrick in the sequel. Yes. MAKE IT SO!!!

Schultz

you do not decide who is a ‘real Trekkie’ and who isn’t. Certainly the criteria is not ‘those who disagree with Schultz’

Kirk Prime and Picard Prime in ‘Star Trek XI’? Sounds good to me! Let’s hope that new movie would end with either Kirk Prime or Kirk Alt. saying this:
‘Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its on-going mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.’ Or Picard saying the same thing but with ‘continuing’ replacing ‘on-going’ and ‘forms’ dropped.

Why not have Picard play his bloodline from the First Martian Colonies?

Here’s an idea: How about NO MORE CROSSOVERS OR GUEST SHOTS.

Enough of that. Let the new Trek stand on its own two feet. No more of the older casts, no remakes or revisiting old plots or ideas. A movie without Klingons or Romulans would be nice– you know, a movie where the crew actually seeks out new life and new civilizations. A movie without time-travel or something similar would be a godsend. It’s called Star Trek, after all, not Time Trek.

It was nice seeing Leonard Nimoy one last time to pass the torch, really it was. And I understand why the the writers and producers chose the device they did, and it really worked. But let’s look forward now.

#21 Hear ye!

#18 Anthony: I’m definitely in the position to observe who is producing reasonable ideas within the logic and timeline of the Star Trek universe and who is not. Unless the writers find a similiarly compelling and convincing way to integrate Picard, Shatner’s Kirk or any other Prime Captain into the sequel as they managed to do with Spock Prime—and not just a forced flashback or hologram message—, then all of that is simply irrelevant. Moreover, it would be disrespectful of Star Trek if they simply slam Stewart or Shatner in there, just so we can see their faces again.

Schultz I dont care what you opinions are, everyone here is a trek fan and you are no better at being a fan than anyone else

we just dont tolerate the ‘people who agree with me are the real fans and the rest of you arent’ bs. find a way to debate without labeling and attacking the others

While I agree seeing Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard on the big screen again would be awesome, I tend to believe Stewart when he says the cast has moved on. JJ’s Trek is based on TOS, so if we ever see TNG again it will probably have to be a reboot.

#24 Anthony, you might have noticed that I removed the sparse ad hominem language. But the style of my post has no bearing on the fact that I am entitled to criticize other people/fans for their opinion. And slamming Stewart and/or Shatner into the sequel just for the sake of it is utter lunacy. It’s beyond fandom. That’s all I wanted to say. We have a new timeline now, a new universe, and we should work within the confines of that framework. Archer is in there. Is Picard in there? Is Shatner’s Kirk in there? How could they be? If someone has a decent idea of how to include one of them (or both) in the sequel, tell me. I’m all ears. But nothing half-baked, please, because the logical answer would always be: Leave them out.

The only cameo that could POSSIBLY work is Bakula as Archer. Otherwise, the fabric of time and space completely unravels. But regardless, let this crew stand on its own, pass the torch to another TV crew after the movies finish, and let them make cameos.

Schultz #26

Hate to break it to you, but nobody outside of these boards even knows who Archer is.

Shatner and Stewart as Kirk Prime and Picard would be a big deal to the casual fan/general public that recongnize them (along with Leonard Nimoy)as the face of Star Trek. As to how to do it…There is always a way. The writers came up with a pretty clever way to get Shatner involved last time, but it just didn’t work out.

The return of Archer would generate a lot of who is that guy comments from fans.

I’m not saying that I wouldn’t welcome some type of cameo from Bakula, but I don’t think that people that didn’t watch Enterprise for free at home would get too excited about him having a role in ST… Shatner and Stewart have a much broader appeal with a general audience.

s26. shultz

No need to get too demanding… whatever the writers decide, that’s it, period. They aren’t gonna listen to you any more than they listen to everyone, in general. The logical answer is not simply to “leave them out.”
That is just your opinion. Don’t make it sound like LAW.

I’ve got it. Just as in the “Five Doctors”, Star Trek should do a movie called “The Five Captains” that way all of the old guard could have one last hurrah before finally moving on.

…and I’d also like to see Stewart on Doctor Who. He’d be a great villain. He would be fantastic as an incarnation of the Master maybe during a time war flashback or something. Or maybe the return of Barrusa (did I spell that right?).

#27 Pragmaticus. Above I fiercely spoke out against Stewart, Shatner et al. being in the sequel. I also said that only Bakula would work. Simple logic. So we could simply acknowledge that the whole thing is a non-discussion and go home, but it would be fun to think of ways of how to include the prime captains in the sequel—beyond mundane ideas like flashbacks and holograms and “we need some of your whales”. But is there a way?

The only thing to do this is probably a take on what you described as “the fabric of time and space completely unraveling”. Sounds like big worthy Star Trek drama to me! What if the new timeline is somehow unstable, the whole alternate universe? Let’s assume for a moment there is a (“science”-fiction) possibility for the new alternate universe to collapse back into the prime universe, or even worse, rip apart etc. What if the actions of the Pine/Quinto-Enterprise—ultimately going back to Nero’s initial intrusion—, have a devastating effect on the future of that timeline, the alternate TNG universe? What if that’s the reason Picard *has* to return to the past to try to repair the damage, or ensure a smooth fusion of both timelines? Using future technology? Or even together with a Starfleet captain from the farther post-TNG future? That’s just an idea.

The film could always open in the TNG era ‘present’ just following Romulus’ destruction, with Ambassador Picard doing this or that. Or maybe the film ends with Spock returning to greet Picard and co? If the new picture includes Elder Spock again, a return to the other timeline is always possible (though i’ll admit, unlikely). Would be great to see a deleted scene like that though, especially as the TNG era cast seem willing to do small cameos, unlike Shatner.

#11: I don’t think anyone is actually lobbying to be in the film. It seems like they’re simply being asked in interviews “any interest in being in the ST sequel?’ Their answer is always ‘if they asked me, sure!’

#29 P Technobabble: Of course it’s the law, but not of Star Trek, but of filmmaking. If an idea is half-baked, forced, illogical, artificial, it must be ignored, ergo: captains left out. Sure it’s the writers who decide, but I don’t think they’d be willing to include any prime captain just for the sake of it. Would you?

RE: Lobbying vs. just answering questions
Well in the case of Mulgrew and Bakula that is true. However, Stewart wasn’t asked about it, he suggested it. He was asked about voicing a TNG animated show. As for Shatner, there can be no doubt he is lobbying for the job

I think that there is plenty of room in the Trek universe for Patrick Stewart to reprise his role as Captain Picard. The question remains whether it should be in the next Star Trek movie, and my first inclination is to answer it in the negative.

Nevertheless, the conceptual room is there, since the events of “Countdown” could be relevant, albeit the comic is only semicanonical.

On another note, I am disappointed in Obama’s cancellation of our Constellation program. NASA’s history is intimately tied with Trek, both fictionally and nonfictionally, and I believe that our future is made less interesting when we, as a people, fail to support a strong space program. Private enterprise has its role, but it is not up to the task of human exploration of the Solar System.

#21: Sorry, but are you forgetting who’s writing the sequel?

#23: Wow, not only are you acting like a dink instead of simply pointing out that Archer would be the most sensible choice for a cameo considering the setting, but:

“Unless the writers find a similiarly compelling and convincing way to integrate Picard, Shatner’s Kirk or any other Prime Captain into the sequel as they managed to do with Spock Prime…”

Please tell me that was dripping with sarcasm. Props to Nimoy for the good job he did and all that, but Spock Prime’s appearance was even more contrived than everything else in that movie, which is saying a LOT. O&K could literally just have all of them show up for the hell of it and it wouldn’t be much worse.

Okay, I’m feeling better now that I’ve vented. :)

#32: “The film could always open in the TNG era ‘present’ just following Romulus’ destruction, with Ambassador Picard doing this or that. Or maybe the film ends with Spock returning to greet Picard and co?”

That’s all fine, but Spock’s or Picard’s “this or that” would need to be inseparably connected to the main plot, which of course takes place in the alternate TOS era with Pine, Quinto & Co. If there’s no compelling connection, it won’t be done.

As delightful as it would be to see Patrick Stewart return as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (…and believe me, I’m clamoring for an alternate-reality version of TNG), I do believe that this new cast should be allowed to carry a movie on their own. I ultimately agree with Schultz: do we want Bob, Alex, and the Supreme Court to shoehorn in Kirk Prime or Jean-Luc just because they can? I mean I lurk enough to know that most of you are sick of the time-travel angle and that is the only feasible way I can think of that you could deliver a cameo. Even more than Picard, do you know who I would GEEKGASM to see Sir. Patrick play again, on the silver screen and in a new Star Trek? Locutus. But…how would they ever bring him back?

No, I trust Chris Pine and Zac Quinto, not to mention our good friends Bob and Alex in this next film. Khan, the Klingons, or whomever, I think 2012 can NOT get here quick enough.

Admiral Archer is the only one that would make sense. And he’s still pissed off at Scotty for leaving his “abandonment” on Delta Vega! So let’s say he has some sway on the council then.

“I sent you there cause you atomized my dog, you jerk!”

and so forth.

I think a TNG animated series wouldn’t go over well. There’s no real lost years, maybe some inbetween time during the films, but that’s it. If anything I think a last film to wrap up both TNG and DS9 would be the best, but I know the chances of that happening are slim to none.

The only captain cameo that would make even remotely any sense is Archer. He’s probably still alive, in fact the way they talk about him and his beagle implies he’s around, plus it would be another nice way to tie the continuity together. It doesn’t have to be anything big, maybe kind of like Janeway in Nemesis, though in person would be better. T’Pol and maybe Dr. Phlox could also still be alive.

If Stewart said yes to a new Trek Film then they should make Countdown into a movie.

Let me ask: Is it as hard for the TOS generation to see Shatner get older as it is for people from the TNG generation (such as myself, born in ’87) to see Patrick Stewart get older?

Logically, I had to vote for Archer in the next Trek movie – although I shoulda voted for “none”. The fanboy in me wants to see all of them in a film, but I’d rather see our new crew go where no one has gone before rather than keep treading old ground.

On another thought – where is my DS9 movie??? Let’s get Sisko outta the Temple and back to work protecting our interests in the Bajoran sector!

I don’t see any reason to have any TNG era, or enterprise charactors being in the second film. I do see a way for TNG era and enterprise in the 4th film which would or could be a reboot of TNG.

Until the 4th film, all of the cameos can be told in novels, comics and fan films.

Truth is is that as much as I want to see Kirk Prime in ST:2, having Ambasador Picard would make more sense. Still after boborci answered his takes on timetravel in this Trek it probobly won’t happen because to do so may interfier with STO and I don’t believe CBS, Paramount, The BadRobot Guys, and Cryptic would b e happy with canon going haywire! Could just change the laws of physics, like they did in Voyager! :)

There was an ideal spot to have had Archer at the swearing in ceremony in the movie, so he could easily be worked in in ST XII. If it works with the story line, I am up for all appearing in some fashion.

But you could do just a cameo if they took Any of them and put them in somewhere. Mabye a name in some text or something? You never know what the writers may come up with. Let me make this plain and simple for any of the ST:2 writers reading this; I WANT KHAN! Sorry, just had to get that out of my system.

@PJ

I Fell the same way.

@Schultz

I enjoy debates but Anthony is right, we all have oppinions. He’s not asking that you keep those oppinions to ourselves but to tell them and leave it and not discriminate what others oppinions are. People do this stuff all the time elsewhere and the staff here just wants it to be toned down. Just lighten up and have fun with Trek! Live Long, and Prosper!