TNG@20 – ET Visits TNG
A newly uploaded YouTube clip shows two Entertainment Tonight segments from July 1987 where they visit the set of TNG during the shooting of the pilot.
A newly uploaded YouTube clip shows two Entertainment Tonight segments from July 1987 where they visit the set of TNG during the shooting of the pilot.
Fans of The Next Generation (and Deep Space Nine) will have much to look forward to in terms of Diamond Select collectibles for the rest of 2008. In honor of TNG’s 20th Anniversary there is a new Art Asylum first season Jean Luc Picard figure with Chair coming out in September (joining the already available Kirk and Pike w/ command chair figures). Plus Diamond has just announced a Nemesis Beverly Crusher, as well as TNG Season 7 Miles O’Brien, a limited Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, and (Diamond Previews Exclusive) Ro Laren [see below]. It is good to see DST has been listening to fan requests for more secondary characters. Those will be are joining other TNG figures becoming available over the next month…
In a series of interviews conducted during his visit to New York City as part of the Heroes World Tour this past week, Zachary Quinto talked about getting the role as the new Spock and his preparations to don the ears for the new Star Trek film. "It’s something I gunned for. I mean, I really wanted to play this role," he tells the London Free Press, but noted to the National post “I don’t think I would have gone after it if I didn’t feel ready for it.” Quinto told SciFi Wire that he is "becoming more familiar with the mythology" of Trek, but also still charting his own course: I am going to go about it in my own way, which I am starting to do now. And that is really exciting. I am learning a lot about Vulcans and a lot about Romulans and a lot about really interesting stuff so I am looking forward to more of it
The 8+ minute video preview (below) of the Season 1 Star Trek TOS Box Set in HD-DVD has been shown by CBS at some recent cons. It shows some of the cool HD features, previews of the Billy Blackburn behind the scenes footage as well as a glimpse at unseen effects. Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames.
The following is a TrekMovie.com community member written story The Heroes world tour came to New York this week to promote the Heroes – Season One DVDs and the Season 2 premiere. On hand were artist Tim Sale, writer/producer Jeph Loeb along with Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah), James Kyson Lee (Ando), new cast member Dania Ramirez (Maya), and Zachary Quinto (Sylar and the new Spock). All were there (squeezed together on one table) signing DVDs, so chatting and taking pics was tricky.Mr. Quinto was cool and I welcomed him to the Star Trek family with a Vulcan salute. The new Spock quickly returned it with his left hand, but admitted he couldn’t do it with his right yet. Dania Ramirez apparently is a real Trekkie and showed off her Vulcan sign with both hands! (see photos below) I asked if Zach would pose with the gesture and he said "Please no, I’m gonna be doing it for the rest of my life soon enough!"
While promoting his new film Fierce People, Anton Yelchin briefly answered a couple questions about his role as Pavel Chekov in the new Star Trek film. “There’s not much to say, actually,” he explained to Collider.com, but went on to say he was excited the project and about working with director J.J. Abrams. The 18-year-old Russian born actor guessed his age and background may have something to do with his casting, joking “I can do a Russian, [I am] familiar with Russian people. Very, very familiar.” UPDATE: Yelchin talks about audition process (see below)
[possible spoilers] AICN has posted an article on plot rumors for the new Star Trek film that posits much of the film takes place in an alternative timeline (possibly as a way to avoid canon violations). AICN’s Moriarty (apparently based on a dinner chat with someone at Paramount) describes the film involving Romulans going back in time to kill James T. Kirk and change history with older Spock (Nimoy) doing what he can to fix the timeline. However, it is a little hard to separate what are possible plot rumors from and what is Moriarty’s own speculation. Beyond the notion that the older Spock character is central to the film’s plot, TrekMovie.com cannot confirm (or refute) any of the details at this time.
TrekMovie.com has another Star Trek casting scoop (remember we were first with Quinto as Spock). Sources close to the production tell TrekMovie.com that 29-year-old actress Zoë Saldana has been offered the part of Uhura – the USS Enterprise’s communications officer originally played by Nichelle Nichols. Apparently the deal is not yet final and one outstanding issue may be related to her schedule starring in the James Cameron sci-fi mega movie Avatar which is still in production. Sources indicate that Avatar will be doing location shooting starting in October and Star Trek is slated to start shooting in November. Dealing with a busy actor’s schedules is not new to the Star Trek producers – the same had to be done for Quinto. Insiders tell TrekMovie.com that casting for other Star Trek characters is still ongoing. UPDATE: Confirmed – Zoe Saldana Is The New Uhura
It is finally (almost) here. Season One of Star Trek: The Original Series digitally remastered on combo HD-DVD/DVD disk is available for pre-order on Amazon.com (CLICK HERE). The Amazon price is [UPDATE: $129.99]…which is a bit more palatable (retail price is listed as $199.98 and was previously reported to be $217.99) and Amazon lists the release date as November 20th. UPDATE: Paramount has released interior and exterior box art (see below)
In 1996 Free Enterprise director/editor/co-writer Robert Meyer Burnett had some free time with his AVID and created what is probably the best Trek mashup ever (before people knew what mashups were). This was so good it was even used by Paramount later…
It seems a day doesn’t go by without a new interview with Zachary Quinto. This time, the actor who will be Spock discussed his relationship with his predecessor and soon-to-be co-star, Leonard Nimoy, with National Ledger. “His involvement and support really mean the most to me at this point,” he says. “To step into a role this iconic and have the actor who created it at your side — it’s a true gift.” He again expressed his hope in getting to know Nimoy “as a person and as an actor,” referring to him as “an incredibly multifaceted and fascinating artist.” Quinto says he is already practicing his own characterization of Spock – in between takes on Heroes.
In their coverage of Comic-Con 2007 Star Trek Magazine talked to Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci about the introduction of the two Spocks. Lindelof noted the excitement at Comic-Con and said that is what they want for the film: "the pure magic of seeing Zach Quinto and Leonard Nimoy in a room together for the first time is exactly the magic we’re trying to put on the screen. Mr Spock is a character that transcends sci-fi, he’s almost mythic." The writers talked about how important it was to them (and the script) for Nimoy to agree to do the film: We knew the odds that our script would actually lure Nimoy were about a million to one, but it was a gamble we had to take, even knowing that if he said no, the whole thing was for nothing. To have him sign on and then manage to also get Zachary Quinto, who everyone can see is going to be an inspired heir to this legacy, is like winning the lotto twice in a row. For a couple of Trek fans, this is a dream we hope we don’t wake up from. …More in the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine. See below for new images from Comic-Con
Another busy week for Trek news and Trek in the news. This week’s summary brings news of Spocks, rumors, Trek baby names, donut eating Klingons and much more… full report below.
There is a great new interview with Majel Barrett Roddenberry in the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, just arriving in the US. The interview is mostly about her time with TNG (for the anniversary), but the magazine also asked what she thought of the new J.J. Abrams film and if she would be open to doing a part. Barrett seemed enthusiastic, saying "They’re going back to the beginning. And I would love to do the computer voice." But she also noted that she is happy in retirement, saying "I’m ready to step back. I have no feelings of, ‘Oh, I must have another part.’ Nothing like that ever goes through my head."
USA Today Celeb Watch has released their ‘outtakes’ from their Quinto/Nimoy interview
Creation TV caught Shatner backstage at the recent Vegas con Bonus Video New Shatner video from Pocket Books on new novel below…
Another day, another Quinto interview – this time with ComingSoon.net. The actor, who has admitted that he is new to the franchise now says he will not necessarily be analyzing old movies and episodes too much: “I think that the key to the success of this character is probably going to be reestablishing a perspective on this character with gratitude and respect for what’s come before.” The new Spock also gives the strongest indication yet as to the setting of the film: The interesting thing is that you meet this character before you ever knew him on the television series and the other movies, so sort of what you know about him and then also an exploration of how he got to that point. All of the characters, not just Spock.
Some of you may have noticed that both the streaming site for "World Enough and Time" as well as the main Star Trek New Voyages site are down or having problems. UPDATE: StarTrekNewVoyages.com is back up, but MagicTime streaming video site warns that that "World Enough and Time" had to be taken down ‘temporarily.’ While the NV site was down I called James to offer TrekMovie.com to get a message out to the fans…see below
Exactly 20 years ago today Paramount sent out print, TV and radio spots promoting their new Star Trek The Next Generation series, premiering in September 1987. Take a look at this promo video included on the 1987 VHS release of Star Trek IV (the 1986 hit movie that helped convince Paramount to bring Trek back to TV).
In a new Interview with Aint it Cool News Zachary Quinto seems ready to take on the role of Spock in the new Star Trek film, saying “I can’t be daunted. I have to be absolutely honored and prepared. There’s no room for daunted.” He noted the courage he feels working with the likes of Leonard Nimoy, producer/director J.J. Abrams, and the film’s writers and producers. “I feel like I can just implicitly trust these guys and I’m so inspired by their enthusiasm, so I’m nothing but excited.” Regarding Star Trek’s “notoriously picky fan base,” Quinto acknowledged that Star Trek is an important part of many people’s lives and that the new film’s creative team were aiming to please the fans while also putting their own spin on the franchise. Their hand in it is going to inevitably influence it and change it and that’s really exciting as long as it’s done with the work in mind and the respect at hand.
J.J. Abrams and Paramount want an A-Lister to be the villain in the new Star Trek movie and word is that Russell Crowe is on the list. The actor was again asked by ExtraTV if there is anything to the rumors and his reply "Apparently. But I haven’t read anything. I can’t make a decision about anything until I read it so we’ll see what happens" implies that there may be something there. The most likely scenario is that he and/or his agent has been sent something (maybe even a script…although Paramount is keeping a tight lid on those), but that the busy actor hasn’t looked at whatever has been sent. Even IGN who first put his name out there acknowledge that it is unlikely he will be able to do the role. So the big question is…what other A-Listers on on J.J.’s list?
The current issue of TV Guide has an interesting Trek item in their regular ‘Hotlist: Best of the Web’ sidebar. It announces that Star Trek The Next Generation is now available to view online for free at VEOH.com That is big news as TNG is the only Trek series not available online (plus TOS, DS9, VOY and ENT episodes all cost $1.99 at XBox Live, Amazon UnBox and Apple iTunes). But once you visit the channel TV Guide lists it quickly becomes clear that this is not a new offering from CBS (who have an official VEOH channel), but rather pirated episodes being uploaded by a Norwegian teenage girl named Monica (aka ‘Meopic90’ pictured right). In addition to the channel owner clue, each episode is branded with the name and url of an unauthorized torrent site…oops.
In the interest of full disclosure I must say that I have never been a fan of the so-called Star Trek fan films. Sure I can give them credit for good effort and they seem like they are a lot of fun to do, but in the end they usually are no more impressive than community theater…and often worse. The efforts of the Star Trek New Voyages team have so far been the shining star of this lot with very impressive production design, sets, costumes and even some stunt casting, but to date they have still fallen short of being something that I could consider a professional production due to too many weak links spoiling otherwise good work. This is why I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised after watching latest episode "World Enough and Time" starring George Takei. Although it is not without its flaws, this fourth episode from New Voyages is certainly the best Trek fan production ever made and likely the first that could quality as a truly professional production worthy of the name Star Trek.
TV Shows on DVD has revealed the interiors to the upcoming First Season of Star Trek The Original Series on HD DVD/DVD combo. Each of the 10 disks comes in a sleeve with a description of the episodes and features on the disk. Bear in mind that the disks are double sided (DVD on one side, HD DVD on the other)…so there is no artwork on the disks themselves.
CBS has released the new schedule for the second syndication season of the remastered Star Trek: The Original Series. All of the remaining 40 episodes (including the original pilot "The Cage") will be aired between mid September and next August. The first episode to air will be the Spock centric "The Galileo Seven" on the weekend of September 15th – which will certainly have a lot of shots of a digital shuttle craft. This will be followed by four more episodes from the original first season of TOS (as expected due to the CBS team having to finish up for the season one HD DVD release in November). "The Ultimate Computer," the most effects laden episode for the upcoming season, will air in the 2nd weekend of February (just as "Doomsday Machine" was in the first syndication season). The project will come to an end on August 2nd 2008 with the airing of (fittingly) of the final TOS episode "Turnabout Intruder." Full schedule available at the TrekMovie.com TOS-R Season 2 Episode Guide
In an interview with Rope of Silicon, Zachary Quinto discussed his portrayal of Spock in the upcoming Star Trek film, particularly in comparison to his role as the villainous Sylar on NBC’s hit series, Heroes. Quinto found no similarity between the roles (does anyone?), and he still seems to be coming to grips with moving on from Sylar to Spock. "It is just settling into me now and I am just embarking on this preparation and I think it is going to be a pretty epic journey," said Quinto. However, the new Spock does see more than just the growing list of cast connections when comparing the two shows: I think the message of "Star Trek" and the message of "Heroes" is the overwhelmingly optimistic message about humanity and its capacity to evolve and survive and to hold itself accountable considering the state of things. We live in a world where that is imminently necessary. It is nice to be a part of those things.
At the 3:10 to Yuma junket IGN had a chance to ask Russell Crowe about the ‘Paramount want Crowe to be the Star Trek villain’ story they first reported a couple of weeks ago. It seemed to be the first time Crowe had heard about it (although co-star co-star Christian ‘Batman’ Bale had some fun with it)..see video
The New York tabloids want to get in on the fun that the Brit tabloids have been having with the new Star Trek movie. However, instead of fabricated casting news, they seem to want to focus on William Shatner and his (made up) anger at director J.J. Abrams (remember it was the NY Post that started the ‘Shatner is furious‘ story). Now the New York Daily News is taking Shatner’s appearance at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention (see TrekMovie.com Con report) and totally distorting it to fit with the Shatner/Abrams feud story.
With the eleventh feature film of the Star Trek franchise on track to possibly deliver a tale of the first adventure of Kirk and Spock aboard the starship Enterprise, one might wonder about Spock’s first mission aboard the storied vessel. Veteran Trek script writer D. C. Fontana attempted to do just that back in 1989 with "Vulcan’s Glory" – recently re-released by Pocket Books. At least a decade before the arrival of James T. Kirk on the scene, Captain Christopher Pike commands the starship Enterprise. Having recently returned to Earth for repairs and upgrades, crew transfers are also effected. Enter one Lieutenant Spock, a young Vulcan scientist who seems to have problems relaxing (according to his former commanding officer), and Lieutenant ( J.G.) Montgomery Scott, an engineering whiz and moonshiner of note. Both are new assignees to the Enterprise, and both are in for quite a ride.
Buffalo-based Independent Health is running a billboard campaign…and it is clear they do not have any Trekkies working in marketing. (image and story source: Adland) [h/t Trek Today] Independent Health needs to watch these videos, or read these statistics