Exclusive: First Look And Details For ‘Star Trek: Continues’ Fan Series

Back in March we reported on Star Trek Continues, a new TOS era fan film led by anime voice actor Vic Mignogna as Kirk and features Chris Doohan as Mr. Scott (his Dad’s old job) and Mythbuster Grant Imahara as Mr. Sulu. The team has now completed shooting on a couple of vignettes and they have sent over exclusive publicity pictures. Get the lowdown on Star Trek: Continues below

 

Star Trek Continues wraps production on 2 vignettes + first episode shoots later this year

Star Trek Continues is a new fan film which is trying to literally "continue" the five year mission of the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek series. The new series is being led by Vic Mignogna, best known as a voice actor with leads in shows like Fullmetal Alchemist and Dragonball Z. Mignogna has cast himself as James T. Kirk and will even be directing. Star Trek Continues has partnered with Farragut Films (makers of the fan series Starship Farragut) and both groups are sharing stages at a 9600 square foot facility in Georgia. 

For the cast, Mignogna has brought in some other familiar faces, including James Doohan’s son Chris as Scotty, Kim Stinger (formerly of Star Trek: Phase 2) as Uhura, and Mythbuster’s Grant Imahara as Sulu. The rest of the cast are filled out with experienced and trained actors, with Chuck Huber playing McCoy,  Wyatt Lenhart as Chekov and Todd Haberkorn as Spock. 


 (L-R): Chris Doohan (Mr. Scott), Wyatt Lenhart (Ensign Chekov), Chuck Huber (Doctor McCoy), Vic Mignogna (Captain Kirk), Kim Stinger (Lieutenant Uhura), Grant Imahara (Mr. Sulu), and Todd Haberkorn (Mr. Spock).

Recently the team wrapped up filming 2 short vignettes. These are currently being edited and will premiere at the Shore Leave convention in Baltimore (first weekend of August). The vignettes will also be made available online at the official site for the new series startrekcontinues.com.

Mignogna tells TrekMovie that he is very much trying to have Star Trek Continues feel like a continuation of the original Star Trek series. Of course the show was about a five year mission, but only had three seasons, so there is plenty of room for new stories to tell. One way Star Trek: Continues will try and fit in with TOS will be to present the show in a 4:3 aspect ration, even though it will also be in HD.


The "big 3" Chuck Huber as McCoy), Vic Mignogna as Kirk, and Todd Haberkorn as Spock)

Mignogna also says that the goal is to match the act structure, run time, and directing styles used, instead of using more modern techniques. There was even some discussion of trying to use models for the effects shots but this was too impractical, however they will be trying to match CGI shots to the original feel, with Mignogna noting "we’re not going to go overboard on effects shots, the focus is on the characters and the story." They are also constructing more original series sets with a goal to have more sets than any other fan production.


Chris Doohan as Mr. Scott

Currently the first episode for Star Trek Continues is being written by  Steve Fratt and Jack Trevino (who has 3 Star Trek: DS9 story credits). This is not Trevino’s first foray into non-official Star Trek as he was the co-writer of the 2008 fan film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. The only details Mignogna would provide on the first episode is that it is a sequel to another Star Trek episode and it will feature that episodes original guest star.


 Grant Imahara (Mr. Sulu) and Wyatt Lenhart (Ensign Chekov)

Shooting for the first episode will begin in October. Mignogna also has a very aggressive timetable for post-production and hopes to release the episode online by January 2013. Vic will be directing the episode along with Jack Marshall, who will be directing scenes with Mignogna in them. Star Trek: Continues also hopes to release at least one other full-length episode in 2013.


Kim Stinger as Lieutenant Uhura

TrekMovie will report on updates for this fan production, including posting the two vignettes in August. If you want to learn more about the show and the cast you can visit the recently updated site at startrekcontinues.com.

Here is one last image sent over from Star Trek: Continues.


Haberkorn and Mignogna in classic publicity shot

You may recognize this last photo as a recreation of a classic publicity shot (which was also recreated for an Empire Magazine cover promoting the 2009 movie).


 

 

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Looks good.

I got a good feeling about this

Love the lighting on these shots. Good luck to the STC team.

Chris Doohan looks just like his Dad! Haberkorn’s shirt is a good bit baggy in all the pics…

Why would they do that when Phase 2 is basically doing the same thing (and doing it so well)?

#3 Have to agree. It does look good and Chris Doohan looks amazing.

This is going to be awesome as Phase 2 is moving into the transitional phase between TOS and TMP as this will be within the TOS era. Chris Doohan is a dead ringer for his father. Kim Stinger was in Phase 2 as she continues playing Uhura. It seems things are not working out with the Phase 2 crew.

This is gonna be awesome!

May a 100 Star Treks bloom.

Chris really does look like his Dad! Looking forward to seeing what this cast can do. Good luck guys!

Looks REALLY promising!
(My compliments to the photog- nailed the lighting.)

#5, because the end result is MORE STAR TREK. (Also, because the quality of acting in Phase 2 is low enough that it wouldn’t be watchable if if weren’t so pitch-perfect in every other respect)

Chris looks sooo much like his dad. Wow!! Having CD aboard gives the production a nice air of legacy to it (as did the TOS guest star appearances in Phase 2).

I’ve decided early on not to try to be too judgmental regarding this series’ vs. the Phase 2 shows. I will try (in the best spirit of IDIC) to embrace them equally. I enjoy the P2 series very much, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy these as well. The passion and energy that goes into these fan productions never ceases to amaze me….

And I can’t wait to see Mythbuster Grant Imahara as Sulu. ;-)
Mythbusters is a favorite show in our house (for my wife and I). Very curious to see how he fares as an actor (we already know from Mythbusters that he is THE go-to guy for robots and unusual engineering challenges…). This looks like a lot of fun.

And seconding the opinion of # 11 (Dr. Image);
the lighting is TOS-perfect…

;-)

These stills look great and of course it is REALLY COOL to see Chris filling his father’s shoes. However, I don’t mind good updated visual effects. I agree Trek was great for good stories and characters but if you can put a shine on the sfx, do it.

Good luck to everyone on this project!

These days I’m of the opinion that Star Trek is becoming increasingly like Shakespeare or Sherlock Holmes; there are so many ways to do the material that it’s more fun sometimes just to see different interpretations than to simply watch new stories. I am a huge fan of fan series (even the Star Trek in the Park; I’d love to see one of those someday… they look like a blast!).

I remember how so many naysayers said the TOS crew could NEVER be recast, but ST09 (and it’s considerable box office) proved that was not so. If it’s done with care and conviction, then anything is possible…. ;-)

Is there any way to contact these guys? I really need to ASAP!

My guess is Michael Forest will reprise his role of Apollo in the first episode…

500 years in the future they’ll be still be remaking Star Trek, so the Shakespeare analogy is correct.

wow the photo of the fan series is much better than the new cast…lets paramount pay for a fan made series with good actors.

I nominate Kari Byron to play nurse Chapel !!. Tory would fit in well as a red-shirt.

Chris Doohan, are you going to be in the sequel?

I briefly met Ms. Stinger while working on Phase 2 a couple of years back (hard to believe it’s been that long already), and fell in love with her instantly. A very pleasant, personable young woman.

Also got to meet Mr. Mignogna on that same shoot, and while I didn’t fall in love with him :-) I was struck by just how energetic the man was, acting the part of George Kirk while supervising the creation of the visual FX for his own episode “Kitumba” between takes. In the shooting I witnessed, he seemed to be one of the actors most comfortable with improvising dialogue and having fun. While I was saddened to hear of the break between him and the Phase 2 producers I’m sure that STC will turn out to be well worth a look, and wish it every success going forward.

#15

Well put, Sebastion.

By the way, I enjoy reading your posts. Don’t always agree, but do appreciate the thoughtfulness.

4
Thanks. I will see what I can do about Spocks shirt. He’s not very emotional about it.

7, 10 and 13 Really think so?

18. I second that

This should be fun.

Uhhh… why is Spock Asian?

These dudes deserve a shot, just like everyone.

Make it so, Mr. Doohan!

This looks promising. Phase II has always blended touches of modern continuity and modern style into its vision of continuing TOS. This production looks like a different, despite the “Continues” title, more purist “Recreation” of TOS from a technical and style standpoint. There’s always room for more!

I can’t wait! With all due respect to Star Trek Phase 2, this one has a more authentic appearance.

Chris Doohan certainly looks his part- eerily so.

#15 i would say it was James Cawley and his gang that made it possible to consider others in the classic roles. In fact i’d say it was that which led directly to ’09 being commisioned.

# 21 Vultan~

Thank you. And agree or disagree, I’m just glad you can be so civil about it (a lesson to be gleaned from that for some). And BTW, I love your quotes from movies in your posts (Your use of ALIEN Parker’s “I’m asking you to pull the plug” in the ‘Prometheus’ thread was priceless! LOL).

# 22 Chris Doohan~

Indeed you do. ;-)

# 23 Strider~

Because there were no Vulcans available at Central Casting…. ;-D

Asian spock? wtf

#29

Kane: Quit griping.
Lambert: I like griping.

:D

Chris Doohan will make a good Scotty, he already played the part in the Farragut Animated show and has the voice down well.

Kim Stinger was great as Uhura on Phase 2, and will undoubtedly continue to be good in the role. But, she will certainly be missed on Phase 2. It’s hard to tell from these photos, but her costume in STC doesn’t seem to fit as well as her P2 costume.

I think Grant Imahara has a great look as Sulu, and we’ll have to see how well he plays the role.

I’m not particularly happy with Todd as Spock, as he is just too small and thin. But, so was Jeff on the first few episodes of Phase 2. It’s up to Todd to perform well in the role and give Spock the presence that will overcome any difference in appearance from Nimoy. The proof will be in the pudding.

I wish they had chosen a different ship and crew as Phase 2 is already doing the Enterprise. Vic actually looks more like Commodore Wesley than Kirk, but he has always wanted to play Kirk, and like James Cawley… he has created his opportunity to do so.

It’s good for Farragut films to share the sets so as to split costs and the labor constructing additional sets and props.

I’m really unhappy with all the background stuff and politics going on between all the productions.

But, I can say that I wish each production well. I’ll be interested in seeing what the STC production comes up with.

Yes, James Cawley and Co. did open the door for others to play the classic roles.
But I have to tell ya its a real stretch to see anyone else, other than Nimoy, as Spock.

It’s easier to accept Quinto because he really does resemble a young Spock and even then its a stretch. But if you stick another actor in that roll that doesn’t have similar features and its really hard to buy them as the character.

That said, I do wish the “Continues” crew luck. I agree, more trek is better than no trek.

# 31 Vultan~

“OK, knock it off!!”

;-D

“Are you receiving this, Ash?”

Looks promising. Hopefully this set of actors will have some actual charisma and screen presence.

The thing these fan productions always seem to forget is that it was the ACTORS that made TOS work, not the sets and special effects.

Hate to be the materialistic weasel of the trek board…but who pays for all this stuff?

Engineering!!!

Nitpick I can’t help making: surely it’s a colon-less “Star Trek Continues” — which makes grammatical sense and captures the show’s intent — rather than “Star Trek: Continues”, which doesn’t. What’s a continue?

38. FredH

The colon is to ensure a proper Shat-like delivery. “Star Trek CONTINUES!! ”

;-)

Why is Spock more Asian than Sulu? And is Phase 2 dead?

#7. The Phase 2 crew is moving along just fine. In fact, they are currently lensing a new episode, with, I believe, a new Uhura at the Comm.

Actors move on. It happens. they have been very adaptable.

I wish BOTH shows the best of luck… it is a big sandbox, lots of room to play for everyone.

#23, #30, what’s wrong with an Asian Spock? Nimoy was a Jewish Spock, Quinto was an Italian Spock. Do you think an character always needs to be played by the same race of actor in order for canon to be maintained? Do you think Spock’s previous whiteness at all relevant to his character?

I don’t. And I think that maybe you need to think really hard about why it upsets you so much. Everybody has racist thoughts and says racist things sometimes, and that’s OK. What makes somebody a shithead is if they refuse to apologize for acting racist when it’s pointed out, and keep on doing it henceforth.

They say that any Trek is good Trek
So we took what we could get
And we listened up with our pointy ears

For news of a new Trek
Buh-buh-buh baby
We’ve got news of another Trek
This is something that we
Never can forget
Buh-buh-baby we’ve got
News of another Trek!

(With profuse apologies to Bachman Turner Overdrive)

God I hope the acting is good!

#23, #30, what’s wrong with an Asian Spock? Nimoy was a Jewish Spock, Quinto was an Italian Spock. Do you think an character always needs to be played by the same race of actor in order for canon to be maintained? Do you think Spock’s previous whiteness at all relevant to his character?

I don’t. And I think that maybe you need to think really hard about why it upsets you so much. Everybody has racist thoughts and says racist things sometimes, and that’s OK. What makes somebody a jerk is if they refuse to apologize for acting racist when it’s pointed out, and keep on doing it henceforth.

The photography and lighting on the latest Farragut promos has been fantastic and it looks like it’s carrying over here. Well done.

I’m always disappointing when these productions go to so much trouble to build great sets and costumes and they don’t know how to shoot any of it.

Some of them seem to be getting worse.

#34

Is it me, or did Dallas wake up on the wrong side of the “freezerino”?

@ #36, Ados.

All of this is being paid for out of our own pockets, mostly Vics, John Broughtons, Mike Bednar, Michael Day and Steve Dengler.

It’s fine to ask by the way :)

The more Trek the better. I hope everyone will enjoy what we’re doing, and if not that’s okay, because for us, it’s about having a great time with our friends making some childhood fantasies come to life.

Enjoy the show, and keep on Trekkin’!