The previously teased new project "Space Command" has now launched their KickStarter campaign. The envisioned series of sci-fi films feature a number of Star Trek vets behind the camera and they have also announced a number of Trek actors who are also involved, including Armin Shimerman, George Takei, Ethan Phillips and Robert Picardo. Watch the intro video to learn more below.
Star Trek Vets Looking To Fans To Help Launch ‘Space Command’ Series
Space Command is a new series of science-fiction films and the brain-child of Marc Scott Zicree, a writer who worked on Star Trek: TNG & DS9, Sliders, and many other genre shows. He has also brought in Oscar and Emmy-winning designer Doug Drexler, another Trek and Battlestar vet, to head up the visual effects. And they have also announced that the cast could include Trek actors Armin Shimerman, Ethan Phillips, George Takei, and Robert Picardo, who would join Doug Jones (Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy), Billy Mumy (Lost in Space, Babylon 5) and Rachel Luttrell (Stargate Atlantis). Also on board are Trek designer Mike Okuda and Emmy-winning TV screenwriter Michael Reeves (yet another Trek vet).
Space Command concept art (Doug Drexler)
Today Space Command launched their KickStarter campaign, looking for $75,000 in seed funding to get started. Here is the intro video that explains the project, and also shows off some early effects work.
There are a number of different pledge levels starting at $5 and going up to $10,000 or more. Each level comes with different goodies. Any pledge at the $27 "Lieutenant" level or more gets you a DVD of the first release. Higher levels can get you props, walk-on roles, speaking roles and even a producer credit. More info at kickstarter.com.
Some of the stuff you can get for pledging to help fun Space Command
By the way, Zicree, Drexler and producer/director Neil Johnson will be on Coast To Coast AM with George Nory talking about the project tonight at 10PM.
Great casting!! Seriously, these are top notch performers who will commit to these roles.
What a great gift to aging Trekkers.
To the filmmakers:
Please…PLEASE bring Nicole deBoer on, as a regular!
Great nostalgic feel, would love to see it.
This idea reminded me of that great opening sequence to ‘Zathura’:
http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/zathura/opening-sequence
I second Rush Limborg’s idea!!! I love me some Nicole deBoer!
@1 What a great gift from aging Trekkers too!
Can’t wait!
OK, I’m in.
Why does this excite me more than about 98% of professional television series’?
Ya know, after watching the pitch video here, I’m convinced more than ever that the future of Trek on the small screen will be done like this and I don’t have a problem with that.
So one of the things you get for pleging is an ancient Macbook Pro with an equally ancient webcam?
They had me until Rachel Luttrell. She is SUCH a horrid actor and was the very worst cast member on Stargate: Atlantis. I just can’t bring myself to watch anything else with her on it.
#9: Yeah, really–what’s with the very old computer being among the gifts??
10. Landru
What exactly do you not like about her? I think they wrote her as a very formal speaking “alien”, but is there something in particular?
Sure, we’re seeing a great deal about the talent behind and in front of the camera, but there’s not one scintilla about what it’s really about — other than that it’ll be like all those old 50s shows and books. What’s the story? Why would I care to watch? They want folks to invest in talent rather than content. I’m pretty tired of these kickstarters that showcase effects and talent over actually story.
Early in B5’s development, JMS did a similar video, not as a kickstart, of course, but as a pitch to SF fans. It was shown at conventions and stuff. It showcased Peter Ledger’s original concept art and JMS talked about he universe and the types of stories he wanted to tell. Sure there was a bit of the self-serving, these people come from here. But there was more time spent talking about the universe, the story and the ultimate goal — a five-year novel for TV.
These folks could take a lesson from that. In so many words, what’s the story.
This looks very interesting indeed…
“World Enough and Time” is enough of a resume to convince me! That’s the only really great fan-made Trek I’ve seen.
Hey coolio. Umm, but is there any problem with the name ‘Space Command’? There actually is a Space Command (http://www.afspc.af.mil/). Though I bet they’d think this was coolio too. :)
#9, # 11: Where do you guys see a webcam and computer among the rewards? What level?
With funding already at over $20,000 of $75,000 asked for, and 59 days left to go — they’re going to get their funding for this, without help from the critics here.
Oh, and a computer and webcam are NOT among the rewards, contrary to what # 9 and # 11 said.
Read guys, don’t just look at the picty wicties.
The graphic with the computer and the webcam on it is meant to convey a SKYPE meeting with the producers as per the $2000 level reward.
most of the people here don’t have the attention span to read any more than they can tweet.
Best wishes.
Just a few hours later and it’s now over $22,000. If they just average what they got in the past few hours for the duration of the campaign, they’ll end up with another $118,000 on top of what they have now.
I’m in.
I came to post here simply to share my joy for the New Voyages episode mentioned in the Kickstarter “World Enough and Time”. I have never been able to get into New Voyages, but I mostly was looking at their earlier stuff.
To those like me, please do yourself and favor and go watch this episode. I literally was brought to tears numerous times, the story is pure Trek and is the embodiment of what I wish the 2009 movie had been. I am still filled with emotion even as I type this. You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNnYcjF1bI
If fans are going to get worked up over a show called ‘Space Command’, I’d rather they lobbied CBC to release the remaining original show(s) they have, either on disc or on the web – search https://archivesales.cbc.ca/content/stocontent.aspx?pageid=stohomepage and you’ll see some of it still exists.
But CBC archive sales don’t sell stuff to the peasants, only to commercial companies. Unless they get enough fans clamouring at their door, maybe?
While I am donating $10, it worries me that this sounds like “old farts in space”. I’d be more interested if they brought in some cast members below the age of 60.
George Takei? Really?
I think that the artwork is fantastic! It is great to see a retro look for a sci-fi show that mirrors the period. Remember Star Trek Enterprise? Great cast but they went back in time and made it look better than TOS which came after. That is why I lost interest in Enterprise. Perhaps this one will go retro and do the series justice? I can only hope.
“Most of the network suits JUST, DON’T, GET IT! “Boy! Truer have never been spoken!
This could be great stuff and I’m betting it will be. It’s obvious the networks are not capable of thinking outside of relatively small boxes. Projects like this can show them what’s possible. Though no doubt they’ll try, way late, to replicate it, filter it through the tiny sifters of their corporate minds, produce some expensive crap that will FAIL, then say “See! Science fiction just doesn’t work on network television!”. History repeats itself. Same as it ever was.
I like what I’m hearing here. Gonna pitch in.
Wow..the best all worlds…or universes!…..gotta get Walter Koenig and Wheaton!!!….need some STAR WARS..”I know…blasphemy!”…in there…I bet Billy Dee would do it!!
If the internet can hold up to the bandwidth, what you are seeing here is the future of video programming – Productions targeted to small pockets of devoted subscribers who pay up front for content yet unseen.
The complete opposite of the standard television network/cable model.
It looks like an excellent team and a wonderful experiment. I wish the producers luck and god speed.
Wait a minute! Isn’t that the Excalibur from Crusade? ;)
Just sent them some $$. Looking forward to this!
The campaign is currently past $59,000 (of $75,000 sought), with 58 days to go. This is SO going to get made.
Good to see the collection growing. I just hope they limit the “old fogies” parts in this. Based on my donation, I would like to see some cutting edge scifi versus retread roles for the over-60’s types mentioned in the article. And please, take a pass on Takei, guys.
Good luck — can’t wait to see the result!
33. MJ –
I personally would prefer ‘balance’ as opposed to ‘limits’ and ‘inclusion’ not ‘exclusion’, IDIC and all that. And I don’t think that precludes scfi that’s cutting edge. God knows this ‘old fogey’ craves good solid cutting edge science fiction, perhaps stuff that’s even more radical, iconoclastic and subversive of the genre than you might want. But for me that’s more about the writing than casting.
And none of that’s based on my donation.
Looks like many Trek vets discovered KickStarter.
First John de Lancie for his BronyCon documentary, and now this?
Awesome.
Okay, I have nothing but respect for the guys in this video. They’re responsible for some of my all-time favorite entertainment ever (TNG, BSG, B:TAS, DS9) and for those years of fun and escape, I’ve got nothing but gratitude.
But I just don’t feel that the 50s aesthetic is where one should put money right now. The FX they showed just looked…outdated. Not at all compelling to modern audiences.
Look at the designs in this vid, then go look at the designs for Prometheus, esp. the ship herself. BEAUTIFUL stuff.
I want real science fiction again, not the crap we’re asked to accept these days. But this just doesn’t look right.
And as others have said: what’s the story? Give me the setting and overall theme, at least.
(\S/)
And fully funded in only three days! If people keep backing it during the remaining 56 days of the campaign it might end up fully funding the entire series of films! :P