JG Hertzler Joins Star Trek Renegades Cast – Project Just $25K Short Of Kickstarter Goal

In September TrekMovie reported that Tim Russ and Walter Koenig were reprising their Star Trek roles for a new independent movie "Star Trek Renegades." The project has just one week left for its KickStarter funding and they are only $25,000 short of their target. They have also just announced JG Hertzler had joined the cast, which now includes nine veteran Trek actors.

 

Star Trek Renegades

Renegades is a brand new independent Trek film, being developed by the same team that created Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. This time they have gone to the crowd-funding site KickStarter to finance the project. Here is the official Kickstarter promo featuring Walter Koenig and Tim Russ reprising their Star Trek roles.

The project’s goal is to bring in $200,000 by next Monday. Currently they have a bit more than $175,000, so they need less than $25K. You can pledge as little as $10 which gets your name on the official website and full access to exclusive web content. $25 gets you access to an HD version of the final film along with extras. And there are additional perks for higher donation rates including getting props, set visits and even a role in the film. To donate visit KickStarter.com.

J.G. Hertzler Joins Expanding Cast of Trek Vets

The latest Trek vet actor to join the cast of Renegades is J.G. Hertzler, best known for playing the Klingon Martok on Deep Space Nine. Hertzler will be playing Borrada, the main antagonist in Renegades. Other vets in addition to Russ and Koenig who hav signed on include Gary Graham (ENT: Soval), Garrett Wang (VOY: Ens. Kim), Robert Picardo (VOY: The Doctor), Ethan Phillips (VOY: Neelix), Manu Intiraymi (VOY: Icheb), and Richard Herd (VOY: Adm. Paris). 

The series has also picked up a number of non-Trek vets. The role of Captain Lexxa Singh will be played by Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena, SW: The Clone Wars). Other non-Trek vets who have joined the cast include Larissa Gomes (Saw films), Courtney Peldon (Entourage), and Vic Mignogna (Dragonball Z).  

For more about the project, visit www.StarTrekRenegades.com.

 

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Hope its good!

I have to be honest… it makes me cringe when I see the various Trek sites branding this as an “independent film.” It’s a fan film. Its not licensed, sanctioned or made with anything close to the budget required for good Star Trek. It may utilize actors associated with the show, but that doesn’t elevate its status as a fan film. A film made by three guys in their basement, using paper props, is a fan film. This movie, which has a higher budget than that, is also a fan film. And like most fan films, this one will probably come off amateurish, poorly written and cheesy, just as OF GODS AND MEN did.

“Of Gods & Men” left a lot to be desired, for sure. But, if they make it, I’ll watch it.

I can’t wait to see this. #2. Your Argument is not valied. This is a Independent Film being done with professional’s who are all doing this for the love of Star Trek. Also. Star Trek of God’s and Men was a good show and I really enjoyed it, As Scotty said. Everyone is entitled to there opnion!.

I hate to agree with BulletInTheFace on this one, but he’s right. Of Gods was terribly amateurish and poor. For some reason they think that because they have all these actors to participate, they have to write for all of them. I’d rather they just have one or two “big” names and then try and create a good, solid story that is so appealing it gets the big attention they’re looking for. Also, they write as though they think they need to jam little bits of what everyone has ever liked about Trek into one movie. That won’t get them where they need to go.

#2 – “Its not licensed, sanctioned or made with anything close to the budget required for good Star Trek.” That’s why it’s called an “independent film.” Fan films also are independent films.

Like most fan films, this looks less-than-promising. After “Of Gods & Men” and the laughable teaser stuff for this one, I’m hoping that fans are smart enough to pocket their money or to spend it on, I dunno, making their own fan films.

Nothing about this project is appealing to me or to any fans I know in real life. I hope all of you save your money, or donate it to a worthwhile cause, or buy yourself a DVD or two–just don’t fund this nonsense! (I’m not going to complain about it past this post, but I had to throw in my two cents.)

I feel quite sorry for the Trek actors that take part in these fan films; they are obviously driven by their need to eat, clothe and house themselves and their families.
The fans that want to make pap like this are pretty much taking advantage of them.

I for 1 enjoyed of gods and men and am looking forward to renegades. I enjoyed the little nods to all the trek movies/series, and amateurish as it was at times, it was made by people who love trek, not star wars fans trying to appeal to a wider audience.
It had its faults, but it was fun. How many other star trek episodes or movies are perfect in every way in every scene? None. Did turnabout intruder or the way to Eden make TOS a bad series? Doubt it.

Nobody but Trekies know who most of these actors are. With the possible the exception of Robert Picardo (and only because he has starred as a lead character in something other than Star Trek), these actors are barely considered “B” list actors. Let’s all bask in mediocrity and cheer about it, why don’t we!?

@ 9

You could say that about pretty much everyone in Star Trek. How many people in Star Trek have really gone on to transcend that?

Patrick Stewart? I guess Shatner even though most people view him as a parody of himself.

#4 wrote:
“#2. Your Argument is not valied. This is a Independent Film being done with professional’s who are all doing this for the love of Star Trek. Also. Star Trek of God’s and Men was a good show and I really enjoyed it, As Scotty said. Everyone is entitled to there opnion!”

First of all, it’s “their,” not “there.” Second, if everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, how do you explain how earlier statement that my argument is “not valied?” (I’m going to assume you meant to say “valid.” You’re a hypocrite–and unlike you, I never tried to invalidate anyone’s opinion.

And by definition, since it’s not licensed or sanctioned, it’s a fan film.

TrekWeb has an interview with Tim Russ and another with the producers. Their heart is in the right place.

Actually, Courtney Peldon played Red Squad Cmdr. Karen Farris in the DS9 episode “Valiant”.

Courtney Peldon guest starred on an episode of DS9 – the Valiant. Might want to update the article.

Hey #11. I will not play your School Yard Games. I quit doing that many years ago.

Holy crap. So many spiteful and evil comments here from a group of nobodies.

I would never ever suggest “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything” because that would defeat debate and free speech, etc, but this is just rudeness and negativity for negativity’s sake. There’s literally nothing constructive being entered into the “interweb” in these comments forum.

You would think that you could get support for Trek material on a Star Trek website.

This is like going on Howard Stern super-fan webpages where all the posts are just bashing the show.

Posters here are mad because it won’t look like a $70 million+ Hollywood movie. Why would it?

Here you have the opportunity to see an incarnation of the franchise you love and you want to bash it and literally personally defame the actors.

#7…. “I feel quite sorry for the Trek actors that take part in these fan films; they are obviously driven by their need to eat”

Wow… what a miserable insulting coward you are. What hate is inside of you that you really wanted to take the time to write that.

Your mommy proud to raise a son like that?

Piss off.

#15: Um…. it’s not my schoolyard game. It’s yours. Re-read your initial post.

#15: You’re the one who told ME my opinion was “invalied.” That’s the only reason we had any interaction on this thread in the first place. Grow up, kid.

@16 – Anonymous Coward

You need to calm down and not attack me for expressing my view – I genuinely feel sorry for those actors that have to make these awful films because they need the money.

#16: Remember to breathe. That was melodramatic and over-the-top.

#18. Calm down. Tke your meds.

#17. I pointed out a fact. You did not like it. Now you are doing the name calling and such. Have a nice day!.

Bloody hell! If you want to see renegades, see it. If not, then don’t. It is fiction, made by trek fans for the sheer love of it. I for one can’t wait.
JG is always welcome in trek

The trailer’s being released before the 14th and online??
Ok, so someone might have mentioned this in an earlier post but either way, can anybody confirm this?
http://trekweb.com/articles/2012/11/19/MAJOR-NEWS-Star-Trek-Into-Darkness-Trailer-NOT-Attached-to-The-Hobbit.shtml

#16. Totally agree with you! Well said!

I enjoyed Of God and Men, and I’m looking forward to this one as well :)
It doesn’t have the budget of the series, and the special effects weren’t the greatest…But I still enjoyed it :) Good to see those actors again :)
Hope they make their goal!

I wonder why we never see Colm Meaney in any of these things.

Maybe it’s because he actually finds real employment elsewhere.

Anonymous Coward,

Wha~???
This is downright tame compared to the usual. Ha ha, I’d loved to see how’d you’d react on a Khan vs. not Khan thread. Seriously there were only 15 posts before yours. You definitely need to find another forum if you can handle this, LOLZ.

#27: It’s because he has real work.

Correction: If you CAN’T handle this…

I’m sure the former Trek cast members starring in this are all cool people, but they are also a group of has-beens who don’t have the talent/clout to make it in Hollywoood anymore outside of “Star Trek”.

Asking the fans to help pay to keep their struggling “careers” afloat is, quite honestly, a disgrace. And the fans who donate clearly prove how desperate they are for anything with the words “Star Trek” on it.

Even if they get the $25,000, there still is no guarantee that a single episode gets made.

Even though I know this is a fan film, I’d rather see it then anything official JJ Abrams puts out!

Interesting, but I really wish they where making Star Trek: Excelsior instead. Get Sulu in there. Could easily have Chekov and Tuvok involved in that as first officer and security officer. I understand wanting to do a 24th century episode, but it is kind of stretching it with Chekov’s age. What is he… 140?

I know, I know, if you don’t have anything nice to say…but honestly, this looks especially bad. That original trailer made me downright uncomfortable.

World Enough and Time showed how good a fan film can be.

There are a few (not all) B5 vignettes that are certainly worthwhile.

I don’t subscribe to the idea that money buys quality. Said in 2 words: John Carter.

I’ll give this a look and find out. Til then, Good fortune, all!

Wow, this looks like garbage lol. I mean, good for them, I hope it succeeds and they accomplish what they wanted but I need quality trek and this is laughable, uncomfortable and just bad. I never really cared for the novels, animated, or indi productions outside of the Paramount live-action movies and tv shows. Unless its Star Trek commissioned by Viacom’s white honkies – movies and TV shows – I have no interest.

@24

Trekweb tend to speak truth.

Not so bad, really. It says the trailer will be released online and sooner than Dec14.

To see the first ‘Darkness’ trailer sooner is fine by me.

Such a lot of vitriol here…

Guess some Star Trek fans have never heard of IDIC huh?

I’ll be watching it. If it is good or bad, I’ll say so. But I won’t rubbish it until I see the final product.

As usual, the anonymity of the Internet makes people who would never have the guts to say these things to the peoples faces, suddenly grow very large gonads.

Ho-hum…

I once had a friend who thought classical music was the only “real” music and turned his nose up at everything else. He was a snob, plain and simple. Those people who turn their noses up at indie projects are, IMO, being snobbish.
Think about it: every movie ever made is a “fan film,” a film made by someone who loves making movies. The only difference is the amount of $$ and resources some film-makers have access to. I totally agree with #35 CmdrR’s statement: “I don’t subscribe to the idea that money buys quality. Said in 2 words: John Carter.”
The people participating in this Trek project are as capable of producing good Star Trek as anyone else who ever worked on a Star Trek production. Certainly, not everyone will like the results but in the world of Star Trek we’re used to this, right?

What I don’t understand is that Sanctuary started off as an independant pay-per-episode web series. It was good. Then it was picked up by a studio and was on TV for 5 seasons.

This what Renegades are trying to do. Make a pilot, then present it too to CBS, to get the rights to make a pay-per-episode web series.

Besides, how many rubbish star trek episodes and films have there been…?

#28…. I’m getting bent out of shape not because *I* can’t handle what I’m reading here… but you know for a fact Tim Russ, etc, is coming here to read the response to these posts as this amount 2 or 3 other sites are the main Trek feedback sites on the internet.

I just feel really bad at how much of a thick skin they have to have reading the really unnecessarily hurtful stuff. I’m cringing for THEM not me.

And I don’t believe that “they have to be able to take it if they want to put it out there”. That only goes to a certain point.

They shouldn’t have to feel like they are essentially perceived as homeless because they decided to make a indy Trek movie.

Gods and Men would have *drastically* been better received if they didn’t shoot it on what almost appeared to be a Sony Handycam. And if the CGI movement didn’t need to have the cartoonish elasticity to them.

All they needed to do is stay visually consistent with the nature of how ships move in previous Trek episodes and the framerate/contrast of film and it would’ve been worlds better.

We’ve forgiven questionable acting on countless Trek episodes before.

Gods and Men problem was literally about technical presentation in the end. There was no excuse for that in the 21st century of film tools.

And yes,watching the brief ship CGI scene in the Renegades trailer…. I get frustrated wondering why the ship bobbles around the screen like a butterfly in the wind.

Now THAT is constructive criticism of how they can massively elevate their production.

Notice I don’t have to call them “desperate vagrant a-holes”. Imagine how that how everyone reacted to the accomplishments and projects in your daily life?

The effects will be much better than STOGAM that was shot 6 years ago. STR will be shot in HD and no shaky cam stuff . The team behind this has set the bar much higher this time.

STOGAM was made from hardly anything and conditions on the set were brutal (over 100 degree heat with no AC). This film will be shot in the LA area in April or May so that give plenty of time to setup the production.

As of this morning 18k left to go!

Cheers!

I agree with #2. Well said. And perhaps the stronger views of #6.

As evidenced by some of the folks who have responded strongly against your post(s) – there seems to be too great of an appetite within the Trek community for what I would call “less than stellar” fan films.

I wrote a post almost a year ago addressing the issues surrounding Trek Fan Films. Here are the highlights:

“My primary issue with them is almost more often than not, fan productions serve not as a genuine attempt at telling a Star Trek story but instead as the self expression of fantasy by those acting in them = aka role playing.”

Understandably trying to do Trek on next to no budget is virtually a fruitless endeavour – the ones that have had a decent budget, Star Trek Phase II, Of Gods and Men, squabbled their resources when poor vision and a severe lack of creativity was applied.

At the very least they should try to seek out a Director thats good to helm this project.

I have yet to watch a truly good Star Trek fan film–and that includes both WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME and OF GODS AND MEN, which I found to be dreadful. Some might attribute that to the low budget and poor effects inherent to the medium. And yet, good effects are not required to tell a great story. TOS proved that every week. So if fan films are usually bad, it’s not due to the low budget. It’s due to the writing and acting. You can have the budget of a pauper and thrill people with quality writing and acting. There’s not a single Trek fan film out there, in my opinion, that has ever thrilled me, mainly because they’re so badly written. Now, with Russ, Hertzler, Koenig, Graham, Picardo, Philips and Herd in the film, there will likely be good acting from them (Wang, not so much–that guy’s pretty damn awful when it comes to acting). But given the track record, it’s extremely doubtful that the writing will be there to back them up.

Wow, the level of anger & negativity from fellow Trek fans is just shocking to me. For whatever it’s worth, I thoroughly enjoyed ST:OGAM. I thought it was a ripping good yarn, as one of my old college professors used to say. Whatever it may have lacked in polish and sophisication, it *more* than made up for in heart. Say what you will about Walter Koenig, Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, et al. I’m a lifelong Trek fan, and these people have brought me many hours of happiness through their hard work and dedication. And lest I be accused of not putting my money where my mouth is, I just pledged $25 toward “Renegades.” Best of luck to Walter, Tim, J.G. and the rest of the cast! LLAP!

#45: Anger? I see no one here expressing anger. This isn’t a topic that would generate anger. You’re being a bit melodramatic.

As of right now…

$181,377

I bet someone puts in the rest right at the last minute, its very close.

I will add in 25K this very second if they promise NOT to make another awful Tim Russ fanfilm. His last one was utterly awful to sit through, and a waste of good cameos. Make the movie if you have to, but make sure that Tim Russ steps away from the camera/script slowly and carefully. The man couldn’t make a decent movie to save his life.

I will up my offer to 50K though, if you can convince some of the hot chicks to reprise their roles from the last movie. Emphasis on the TOS uniforms, the ones with the short skirts and the slutty boots.

Unfortunately or not (YMMV), this is indeed a Tim Russ fanfilm. I doubt he will step away, since it is his baby.