EXCLUSIVE: Michael Dorn On (Almost) Part In Star Trek Sequel + Plans To Pitch Capt. Worf TV Movie + More

Next Generation/Deep Space Nine-star Michael Dorn has logged more hours in Star Trek than any other actor, and in an exclusive Phoenix Comicon interview with TrekMovie, he reveals that he wants more. Dorn plans to pitch a Worf TV movie and he has also started a production company to make other (non Trek) movies targeted at Trek fans. He also dropped the bombshell that he almost got a part in JJ Abrams Star Trek sequel All the exclusive details below.

 

Exclusive: Michael Dorn on his Worf movie pitch/ Star Trek sequel almost casting + new movie project

At Phoenix Comicon I had a chance to talk to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s (and Deep Space Nine’s) Michael Dorn about a couple of his upcoming Star Trek-related projects and about his (almost) casting in JJ Abrams 2013 Star Trek movie.

TrekMovie.com: so, is it true you got a call from the casting people for JJ Abrams recent sequel?

Michael Dorn: Yep. I don’t know what the role was. They called in November or December of last year and said "hey, we would like to know if Michael is interested in playing a part of an officer – a soldier." And we said "yes." Then time went by and we finally talked to them at maybe the end of January or February and they said they had changed their mind and that’s as far as it went?

TrekMovie.com: Do you know why? Was it that they didn’t want to mix the old with the new?

Michael Dorn: That’s what they said, but who knows really. If you know the business as well as I do, who knows? It could have been the casting people going "hey this would be a good idea and they shot it up the road to JJ and he said ‘no, we aren’t going to do that.’" But I don’t know. It is nothing nefarious. Nothing mean. They changed their mind, so I don’t worry about it.


Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf (ancestor to his TNG Worf) in Star Trek VI (1991) – he almost also got in to 2013’s Star Trek sequel  

TrekMovie.com: Changing subjects to your current focus, what can you tell me about this romantic comedy that you wrote?

Michael Dorn: It’s called "Through the Fire," and its about two successful urban black characters in New York who find each other after many many years. And they find love after denying that they need love after many years. I will be play opposite Anne Marie Johnson – if you look her up on IMDB, she’s been around for years on shows like Melrose Place, JAG, In The Heat of the Night, House of Payne and other shows. She is seasoned, beautiful, wonderful actress.

TrekMovie.com: Who are some of the costars who will be joining you?

Michael Dorn: Marina Sirits plays my best friend in the movie, who is my best friend in real life. Armin Shimerman who plays an actor, his wife plays another actor in a scene on stage which everyone says is one of the funniest things they have ever read. Nana Visitor has a wonderful part. Bob Pine, father of Chris Pine, is in there too – that is all we have for now, because we wanted to populate it with enough characters but not overpopulate it, so its not like "oh its like all these people, but in street clothes."

TrekMovie.com: So you have started your own production company and you are going to use Kickstarter for this?

Michael Dorn: Yes. We got a movie that we have a lot of interest in. Most of the roadblocks were that they didn’t think that our fans were numerous enough or loyal enough to support a movie. So we are going up on Kickstarter in a couple in two weeks. It is sort of our way of answering the question of – will the fans do this? If it is true, then I think we can have a cottage industry of small movies that are targeted towards the Star Trek fans. The thing is that this movie is not a science fiction movie, but if it gets picked up our next movie and the one after that are going to be science fiction. And what we are going to do this first movie ["Through the Fire"], we will have the fans vote about what they want to see in the next movie.


Michael Dorn at Phoenix Comicon 2012 – plans to launch Kickstarter campaign to generate interest in new production company for films targeting Trek fans

TrekMovie.com: So in your panel you mentioned the idea of pitching the a lower budget Star Trek movie with Worf? Is that serious?

Michael Dorn: I am serious. I think there is a place for it. Straight to DVD or straight to cable. Who wouldn’t want to have this kind of thing going on? It is going to help their movie. The fans aren’t going "we are going to see this movie, but we aren’t going to go see the big movie in the theater."

TrekMovie.com: Do you have a writer lined up?

Michael Dorn: I think I am going to write it.

TrekMovie.com: So where do you see Worf now?

Michael Dorn: He is captain of a ship – a Federation ship. He is out there in the front lines basically chasing terrorists.

TrekMovie.com: So you want to make it edgier? Darker?

Michael Dorn: Totally, totally. I think we will have some of our Star Trek people in it, but mostly new characters. It will be interwoven into the fabric of Star Trek. And also what we going through right now?

TrekMovie.com: When do you think you are going to have your first meeting at CBS?

Michael Dorn: I have couple meetings I want to do before that. First with Rick Berman, who produced all of our shows, just to see what he thinks. Then my manager. And I know people at SyFy. And I’ll just start gathering information. If anything happens it is going to be next year because I have a bunch of stuff to do this year. I have already started writing the script and excuse my language, but it f—ing great."


Michael Dorn as Worf commanding the USS Defiant (Star Trek: First Contact – 1996) – plans to pitch Captain Worf TV movie

 

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sounds very interesting. Hope it goes through and oh yeah first!!!

Well, Worf certainly had the longevity to carry on from TNG to DS9, and when written well he’s a solid character. Having him as Captain of a federation ship doing something dark and gritty compared to the traditional starfleet mission would be where I and many others would think Worf would be most at home. I’m certainly excited for it to be made, although, realistically we all know the chances are slim.

More Power to you Dorn! I hope you have continued success in this, especially a Worf movie! I miss the TNG era

Everybody has a pitch for a Star Trek project these days!

It should be in animation, if you ask me… and criss-cross all the series.

Shame jj vetoed having dorn in his movie. this new worf idea sounds awesome.

Bring it on!
I’d love to see a worf movie. It’s a great character. I just hope there would be some scifi in their scifi movie and just a shoot em up.

Instead of the ship’s councilor sitting beside him on the bridge, Worf should have a bat’leth.

“Worf on Terror.” And if it’s successful, you could do “Worf on Golf.”

If Bad Robot called Scott Bakula for ST2, I’d hope he’d say YES no matter what it is.

Hot, Dorn! Will have to read the article later, but Mr. Worf, unadorned, is looking really good!

Thinking about it, Dorn would be sounded out for a Klingon wouldn’t he?

Like Star Trek: Enterprise had a Duras ancestor. Star Trek VI, Worf’s grandfather, again Michael.

Wow, I have always thought that Star Trek is perfect for made-for-TV movies. The episodes themselves are already mini-movies in themselves, and the two parters are almost always amazing…

Worf chasing terrorists sounds like it could be amazing, assuming it’s got some deeper levels to ponder and not just “Chase the evil terrorists, America wooo!” And I doubt it would be that.

Shame that they didn’t pursue Dorn for the 2013 movie. It would have been great to have seen him as Colonel Worf, for example, again. I’ve said before, but for me Worf is the most important character in the whole Star Trek universe, alongside Spock. Both of them a fish-out-of-water, both of them rising to accept their human qualities (obviously Spock by birth, Worf by adoption), both becoming diplomats and influencing greatly the politics of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Spock laid the groundwork for the alliance with the Kilingons and later the Romulans, Worf cemented that in the 24th Century.

It is for those reasons, also, that I think that a Worf movie would have more legs than the long-mooted Sulu series. Sulu was not much more than a background character, with limited impact on the wider universe/canon of the series. A Worf movie, on the other hand, would be as big an event as a Spock one. I’ve always regretted that Worf was kind of forgotten in the TNG movies, when his character was arguably more imprtant – at least in-universe – than Data.

Would buy this on dvd. Greenlight it. Infact, lets have a klingon mini series.

Sorry for the double post, but imagine the dramatic potential of a movie showcasing both Spock and Worf. I’ve always wanted to see the two meet. The cool, logical Vulcan alongside the emotional, warrior Klingon. This has more resonance than the Kirk/Picard pairing of Generations, where both were experienced, old, heroic, yet jaded captains.

BTW I’m sure Michael Dorn must have done more hours of Trek than anyone else: 7 seasons of TNG, plus 4 (I think) seasons of DS9, plus 5 movies (including TUC). That makes him Trek’s greatest hero in my book.

I’m ready to stand corrected if I’m wrong about all that.

Would love a dvd/cable trek franchise. The prime actors deserve a farewell of quality.

Hey Bob Orci. Can you Elaberate on why Dorn was not cast in Trek 2009

Sounds pretty good, especially about him making the first film, a non sci-fi one. Nice to see Robert Pine getting parts as well.

Gosh yes, Michael Dorn does look good!

I think it would be great, as a closure for so many TNG/DS9 plot arcs, or follow up for others. Just as Babylon 5 and Stargate did.

Would love to have seen Dorn in the next Trek movie, but would be more than happy to see him reprise Worf in a TV movie. Not optimistic about it happening but will keep my fingers crossed. I’d certainly buy a DVD of it.

Please give us TV / direct to Disc Star Trek movies!
I mean come on Avery Brooks (Sisko), Michael Dorn (Worf), Alexander Siddig (Dr. Bashir), Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun / Shran), Scott Bakula (Archer), Connor Trinneer (Trip), John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Marc Alaimo (as another Cardassian), J.G. Hertzler (Martok), Andrew Robinson (Garak) and others have few future Trek appearences in them!

Put the Worf movie on Kickstarter … you know us Trek fans would set a new record in hitting the funding goals.

@22. Combs also played Brunt of the FCA (Ferengi Commerce Association), and Alaimo played the first Cardassian ever seen in Star Trek on TNG well before DS9, just like Shimmerman played the first Ferengi seen long before Quark. Also, since you are including Enterprise characters, Hertzler played the Klingon defense lawyer assigned to Archer and sent to Rura Penthe with him.

This sounds like a great idea. It’s a way to keep the Prime universe going, and it’ll be run by one of the best characters in Trek history in Worf. Kickstarter is the way to go. You know ahead of time how much interest there is in the project. Does Kickstarter take PayPal? That’ll be the only way I could contribute.

Can Worf have a command? Didn’t he ruin his chances when he ignored orders and rescued Jadzia.

Didn’t Dominic Keating say that as far as he could tell, the casting people had no idea who he was or that he’d been on Enterprise?

Getting a TV or DVD/BD Worf movie made would be about more than funding. CBS would have to agree to it, and I’m not holding my breath.

I appaud Mr Dorn ‘s effort..and wish him well..but i think CBS/Paramount believes TNG ship has sailed..

I’d watch it. Worf is one of the most prominent characters in the TNG era. I would love to see a post-Nemesis follow up where he wasn’t the butt of every joke and turned down on every turn. Even though his actions in DS9 wouldn’t warrant him one, I’d still like to see him take command of a federation ship.

It sounds a little desperate. I thougt the reason for star trek not being on television was. They could not leave it alone they just kept churning it out. Those last few movies were just terrible and direct to video movies is a sign of desperation. Take a deep breath and let things unfold as they should and thats with the jj movies and not forcing Trek on to television or into vidio stores. And wheres the reasoning for using Kickstarter for star trek. If I was someone who wanted to do something new in sci fi and I heard you gave the money to Michael Dorn for a star trek movie. I would not be setting my phasers to stun.

Really?

……..what the heck happened to the fact he accepted an ambassadorship from Martok? Why was he then, immediately following that moment in which Worf said, “I accept.” to Martok’s offer, suddenly in the next TNG movie in uniform? Ok, perhaps that was shortly after the DS9 episode in question as far as continuity is concerned….but a starship captain years later? What…did he tell Martok where to go? Or did he get reinstated as an officer after dealing with being an ambassador for a few years and decided “screw this!”?

If…and that is one hell of a big ‘IF’….he actually gets CBS to agree to this….venture…I would certainly hope he would explain this mess. It not, it wouldn’t surprise me since that was a requirement for ‘Berman-Trek’…ignore continuity when it suites you, throw it to the wind for the sake of a ‘clever’ line of dialog, etc.

As for the concept of a Captain Worf chasing down interstellar terrorists….

If I were CBS, I’d be asking, “….AND…?”

Seriously…haven’t we seen this sort of thing over and over throughout Trek history? Good guy chasing bad guys….shoot, shoot…yay we win. I mean is that REALLY what Trek should be about?

Here’s an idea in the very likely case CBS tells him to take a hike….write a book. Trek fans will eat it up.

I think it might end up as cheap and horrible as the B5 direct to dvd crap. Not that it would ever happen.

I’ve been saying this for years: a mini-series direct to video or on cable is a no-brainer! Dorn is right, it will only help the movie!

I think Para/CBS is scared about over-saturation again. As long as they are careful it won’t happen. Many Trek fans are hungry for more Trek, especially in the TNG prime universe!

Go Dorn!

@26 I think Worf’s post- Change of Heart Starfleet career probably warranted Starfleet have their own ‘change of heart’ regarding his future command options. After all, he pretty much saved the UFP by deposing Gowron.

The post Nemesis TNG novels address this and have Worf as Picard’s New XO.

If Abrams has a say in a Worf movie, it will never get off the ground. The best Mr. Dorn can hope for is to become a paperback writer.All that has gone before is no more.

Awesome idea about time there was a feature series in trek on tv!!

@28 Amish Electrician, I don’t think CBS thinks TNG’s ship sailed or they wouldn’t be spending money on putting out TNG in Bluray.

If someone can write a good story TNG or any of the Rick Berman era characters can be great again.

Hope the Captain Worf independent movie gets made. Maybe he should partner with Tim Russ (who directed the fan made, “Of Gods and Men”).

I’ve met Dorn and he’s a nice guy. I wish him all the best….
;-)

@35. Bob Tompkins – May 26, 2012

“If Abrams has a say in a Worf movie, it will never get off the ground. The best Mr. Dorn can hope for is to become a paperback writer.All that has gone before is no more”

Well, I don’t think that Abrams have a say when it come to Star Trek on TV, series or TV movie, and honestly he shouldn’t be given any authority regarding Trek TV.

I enjoy Abrams works, from writing “Regarding Henry” to his TV projects, Felicity, Alias & Lost. MI: 3 was the best in the movie series & of course Star Trek (2009). Now, having said that, the problem that it took him forever to make Trek 12.

I think that Trek TV should be in the hand of a different group, who are more focused on Trek.

…ugh…I’m so glad the idea or Dorn in the next movie was never realized. TNG was cut from such a radically different cloth that TOS, the two mix like oil and water. JJ’s trek is decidedly old school TOS-style Trek, please leave any TNG stuff where it belongs, in it’s own universe.

Best of luck, I’d love to see this!

I haven’t seen any real evidence of the “Abrams won’t allow” new Trek projects stuff. Okay, there were some JJverse planned (or written) books they put the kibosh on (and this, the not letting random stories with their characters come out, kind of makes sense to me)…

Love Dorn, but the dude is 60 years old now — too old to play a convincing soldier in an action role.

Enough with the geriatric sentimentality. Memo to JJ: no Nimoy. Dorn or other former cast in the new movie, please!

It is a new day in Trek.

@28 “I appaud Mr Dorn ’s effort..and wish him well..but i think CBS/Paramount believes TNG ship has sailed..”

Agreed! It is not iconic like TOS was. I really doubt it will ever be revisited again either in movies or TV.

44…And CBS spending money on blu-ray …is a money making deal on a ship that has sailed…

# 43

MJ~

Shatner and Nimoy were both 60 when they made “The Undiscovered Country” in 1991. I’d say that movie worked out well. I’m sure Michael Dorn doesn’t have an action extravaganza in mind on an independent movie budget anyway…..

But I agree with your opinion on the new movie; the Abramsverse cast really need to ‘boldly go’ without any TOS cast training wheels now….

I would love to see a Wolf movie. I think it is a great Idea maybe if we all tell CBS that we want this. It might get a green light.

@46. Exactly my point. Yea, that was a good “last movie” for them given Trek V. That was the end run of TOS.

Agreed! ;-)

@45. Sure, I mean it’s not like they are spending 10’s of millions on new seasons of episodes. I purchase DVD’s and Blu-Rays of tv series whose ship had selled every year. Not sure what you point it???

I wonder how much longer they should wait for Trek to be back on TV because its been 7 years since Enterprise ended. I keep wanting Trek back on TV but I also wonder if they should wait a little longer. Maybe 10 years?

@50. Yea, I think if the 3rd and final movie comes out in 2016, we’ll see a new series in 2017. If the careers of the Big 4 don’t take off too much, I would not be surprised if HBO or Showtime picked up JJ Trek with this same cast mainly intact, to do 10 episodes a year for a multi-year run.