Exclusive: Nicholas Meyer Talks Star Trek: Discovery’s “Niche” And Hints At Another Star Trek Project

Earlier this week TrekMovie published an interview with writer/director Nicholas Meyer to mark the 35th anniversary of his film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Even though Nicholas Meyer has been tapped as a consulting producer and writer for the upcoming CBS All Access Show Star Trek: Discovery, the plan was to focus on Wrath of Khan in deference to the anniversary and because there is a general code of silence surrounding Discovery. But when Meyer noted how he generally “didn’t give any thought” to the first Trek film or the original Star Trek series when working on Wrath of Khan, it prompted the following quick diversion into Discovery.

TrekMovie: Obviously there is much much more Star Trek piled up on the shelf now that is harder to ignore. With Wrath of Khan there really wasn’t a lot. Now there may even be too much to deal with.

Meyer: I think that is fair. What I can say is that when Bryan Fuller invented Star Trek: Discovery and conceived it, he found a niche in the chronology that allows for another stream.

TrekMovie: But it still fits as part of that chronology, but you feel there is freedom in that niche?

Meyer: Yeah.

Nick Meyer says Star Trek: Discovery has found a “niche” in Star Trek history

Hints at another Star Trek project

While Meyer did open up a bit to reveal the above, he also noted that he couldn’t really talk about Discovery,  joking he “signed the Official Secrets Act.” However, and entirely unprompted, Meyer dropped a bit of a bombshell…

Meyer: One thing that has nothing to do with Discovery is that I am working on another Star Trek project, but I can’t discuss that either.

After pressing him, Meyer assured he could “absolutely!” reveal on the record he was working on this non-Discovery Star Trek project, and that it was something he was working on currently.

The only other known major Star Trek project that comes to mind would be a feature film. But Meyer wasn’t budging when asked to confirm this assumption…

TrekMovie: Are we talking more feature film because as far as I know, there is only one television project, I assume.

Meyer: You can assume.

In addition to writing and directing Star Trek II Meyer also worked on the scripts for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered country, which he also directed. That 1991 movie was his last feature as a director and he has primarily remained active as a writer in both television and film since, including writing for Star Trek: Discovery.

Since it was first announced last summer things have been generally quiet with regards to news of the next Star Trek feature film. Even though Star Trek Beyond didn’t meet expectations it was still the best performing film for Paramount for 2016. As recently as March the chairman of Paramount’s parent company was talking about how Viacom sees Star Trek as one of the key franchises for the Paramount’s future tentpole releases. However recent comments from the actors like Zachary Quinto reveal they are in the dark as to future plans, even prompting Chris Pine to lament he needs to know what is up so he can make plans. 

That original announcement from last July noted that J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay would write the screenplay for the next Star Trek feature, although a tweet from last December from Simon Pegg hinted that he and his Star Trek Beyond co-writer Doug Jung may be returning as writers.

It is of course possible Meyer is talking about some other Star Trek project that has nothing to do with another entry in the Star Trek film or television franchise. It could be anything: a documentary, a book, comic book, game, attraction, event or even merchandise. 

Nick Meyer is working on some new Star Trek project, is it the follow-up to Star Trek Beyond?

On Stella the Star Trek Dog

That is all Meyer could really say about Discovery or his other Star Trek project but he did open up a little bit about a certain dog.

TrekMovie: Can you talk about your dog and why she tweets so much?

Meyer: About Stella? She has written all the best episodes. Some consider her dogmatic, but I am not among them.

Nicholas Meyer’s dog Stella has her own Twitter account

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.

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Is it possible that this is just what Klingons look like naked and without their make-up on?

Ancient Klingons returning after a long crying sleep, possibly hybrids. Done solved.
Clearly Fuller wanted to use the Klingons for the show. Since the Klingons of the period look like humans, which would confuse the heck out of uninitiated viewers, he chose to go this route to adhere to canon and have scary looking Klingons At the same time.

EXACTLY! Klingons are my fav Trek species, I am glad they are included in Discovery. And considering the images of the sarcophagus ship were leaked a while back I was not at all surprised by the look of the Klingons neither do I have an issue with the way they look. Their armour, the inside of their ship, looks ancient, like their are “medieval” Klingons. The Fuller reason you give is logical.

Ironically Star Fleet Battles (a TOS spin off) had the Klingons as the former subject race of “The Old King’s” galactic empire – when the Old King’s disappeared the Klingons rose up with the aim of taking their place as the new masters of the galactic empire. Explains how an advanced aggressive militaristic race could arise. Could have some fun with a story like that.

I agree, there DOES need to be an explanation for things that specifically violate established canon. So I want to know why the Klingons look like that (and I think we will get an answer) and why the uniforms look like that (not so sure we’ll get an explanation on those).

I wouldn’t put too much stock into this theory, it just seems so contrived, but anything’s possible so why not I suppose? I really don’t think we’ll be seeing any explanation for the Klingons’ look, any more than we’ll get an explanation for the Starfleet uniforms or for the bridge being underneath the ship. These things don’t require explanations. Just accept the look of the show and move on.

Yeah, it’s a pretty stupid concept, so I hope that’s not it.

I disagree, we’ve heard of the Iconian’s, T’kon empire, the Debrune, the D’Arsay etc. ancient space fairing empires from hundred’s of thousands of years ago. They always remain a mystery. In Star Trek Beyond I like to think in my own head canon that the old outpost and weapon that Krall was using was Iconian. Since it wasn’t mentioned it simply is yet another ancient civilization that remains a mystery. These Klingons, mainly their costumes and interior of the ship look too ancient to be modern Klingons (but we don’t know for sure). I’d like to think that they are a form of medieval Klingons. I think it an exciting and mysterious concept that could add intrigue to the Klingons. I don’t understand how the concept of Klingons who have been asleep from the imperial age and brought awoke in the future is a pretty stupid concept. For arguments sake what would your theory be assuming for the fact these are not typical modern Klingons. Just another breed from the same era as Discovery? C’mon lets hear something interesting/

They never had to explain the change of uniforms in TOS or from TMP to TWOK. Not an issue to me. It bridges the uniforms from Enterprise nicely.

Well, TMP happened after TOS so there was ample time for uniforms to change. Same goes for the uniform change from TMP to TWOK. I was in the military for 27 years and the uniforms changed 4 times during that period. They changed again right after I retired. But never did the uniforms change retroactively.

Lostrod “ample time” — right cuz 18 months is ample time? Ample time to completely change the entire uniform? I’ve seen pictures from a hundred years ago of the US military — still recognizable. Starfleet changes its wardrobe more often than a pageant model

albatrosity,

Re: a hundred years ago of the US military — still recognizable

Probably because they still use them on the USS CONSTITUTION:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/US_Navy_050730-N-0335C-002_U.S._Navy_Cmdr._Thomas_C._Graves_and_Executive_Officer_Lt._Brad_Coletti_look_on_during_USS_Constitution_change_of_command_ceremony.jpg

In my lifetime the Navy khakis, didn’t fare nearly as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uniforms_of_the_United_States_Navy#Obsolete_uniforms

That was 1917?

As you can see from the cited source’s snippet view of its page 74:

http://books.google.com/books?id=x8RC13sSlSgC&dq=%22khaki.%22

Yep.

Moauvian Waoul,

If you meant did my lifetime started then, no. I was born with Rock and Roll.

This snippet shows Khakis reinstated in 1925:

https://books.google.com/books?id=0qXVAAAAMAAJ&dq=1925

I was more thinking abou the obsolete dress khakis but the whole in/out history of khakis in general I find pertinent.

We know they have food replicators in TOS, so who is to say that uniforms aren’t created the same way? The new designs are rolled out on Monday, and by Friday, the crew pick up their laundry from the “cleaners” with a whole new design. 18 months is nothing with that technology. Now we don’t know what technology they were using in the Cage era, or even by WNMHGB, so who is to say the uniforms were seeing were the same uniforms everyone in Starfleet was wearing? Who’s to say that just like the service patch insignia we saw in TOS, some branches of Starfleet actually had different duty uniforms?

@Lostrod — I always liked how Rodenberry chose green, blue and khaki for THE CAGE uniform colors, and then essentially brough that same color palette back in TMP. I always felt that was a decision he made based on his years in the military, representing the Army, Navy and Air Force color schemes.

Like I said. They transition nicely from Enterprise.

Precisely.

I agree. To contribute to your point, in DS9 alone we saw Sisko in 3 different uniforms with 4 different variations, and that was one era, one show.

Although I want to see gold and red uniforms, I’m completely happy with Discovery blue uniforms with the gold, silver, and copper highlights, each looks sharp! As as you said bridged from Enterprise nicely.

And to those still debating the look of the uniforms, there are so many explanations that could be conceived of for why they look different from The Cage uniforms. In TNG/DS9 starfleet ship uniforms were different from starbase/space station uniforms until all of Starfleet adopted the newer DS9 uniform. Heaven forbid I anger anyone but even in Star Trek Beyond, those on the Yorktown base had different uniforms, just like in today’s military there are different uniforms for different positions and purposes. Its not unusual or wrong that Discovery uniforms don’t look like The Cage.

I think being upset at uniforms, the looks of the ship, the technology are all petty reasons to be angry about Discovery. I don’t know how one is able to functions in life if they can’t look past such insignificant minutia. They all look great, and will all contribute to a wonderful show. Case closed.

All true. It still doesn’t make sense when comparing these new (very cool looking, I might add) uniforms with ones a year earlier in The Cage…even if you updated those to account for technology leaps since 60s tv.

Again, Fuller tweeted a pic of uniforms in the colors from The Cage. They would have made sense. These don’t. Yes, they do look very post Enterprise (actually, they look more post STB in that universe/timeline).

They aren’t a deal breaker for me, but I have to see more before I’m on board (no pun intended). It doesn’t feel Trek-ish enough for me so far. Not enough for me to spend an ADDITIONAL $6 a month to watch (those of us on a very fixed budget can’t just find room to spend more than what comes in).

Besides that…why is it that everyone elses opinions aren’t as valid as yours?

Are you referring to Fuller’s joke tweet about the Gucci turtlenecks? He saw them and was amused at the TOS-like colors they’ve chosen. No more, no less.

https://twitter.com/BryanFuller/status/771872524619489280

https://www.gucci.com/us/en/pr/men/mens-ready-to-wear/mens-sweaters-cardigans/cashmere-turtleneck-p-443035X42144600

From what I understand the uniforms seen in the recent trailers are the uniforms Fuller designed.

He made comments about it not being anything like we’ve seen before:
https://trekmovie.com/2016/08/28/breaking-bryan-fuller-reveals-new-star-trek-discovery-details-in-august-27th-interview/

The uniform change from TOS to TMP and from TMP to TWOK didn’t require an explanation beyond the obvious. TOS to TMP there were major changes happening ‘back home’ with Starfleet getting an overhaul. From TMP to TWOK was even MORE obvious since some 15 years or so had passed between them.

Discovery ‘bridging’ the uniforms from Enterprise would make MORE sense if Discovery were taking place within a decade of that series. It isn’t. It takes place 10 years before TOS which would be 1 year AFTER events in the first pilot ‘The Cage’. Fuller’s original uniforms would have bridged that ‘gap’ perfectly. These new ones don’t. They look like they’re within a decade or so of Enterprise in the Prime timeline & five years of Star Trek Beyond in the “Kelvin Timeline”.

Trying to justify such a glaring continuity issue doesn’t help. If you like it, fine. That’s all that needs to be said, but don’t try to make excuses for it.

Who made you continuity god? Just because YOU don’t like doesn’t make you right. Sorry… but through the end of tng and ds9 and the tng movies, they were wearing 2 different types of uniform. THAT’S all that needs to be said.

The only franchise “fans” won’t accept a reimagining or updating. Weird worship of a dogmatic nature. As if their perceived reality and understanding is under threat.

Agreed! The uniform change is actually pretty realistic. This is 10 years before TOS, right? Just look at the military. I’ve been in the Air National Guard (Air Force) for 13 years. I’ve worn two different uniforms just in that time, and I’m certain there’ll be at least one more before I retire. Why would Starfleet be any different?

I think you’d be quite justified in expecting any kinds of theories at this point.
The litany of inconsistencies has spread well beyond the pearly gates of the trek specialist websites.

Gone are the days of arguing minor manusha of insignia, uniform colour, bridge designs, previously unseen aliens in a private forum.

There is now a full boycott of STD in progress, by the supposed ” wider audience” it’s aimed at, yet also managing to irritate a rather large and vocal section of the “preexisting fanbase”. I really don’t understand the majority demographic its being aimed at, and neither does anyone else.

This main reason is because CBS are using the Star Trek IP as a hurdle to change it into something else entirely. They don’t seem to understand Star Trek, in any way, shape or form. It’s just a brand to be exploited by them on the back of the JarJar Abrams exploitation.

How many times must the be told that being a prequel is the single biggest tun off? Simple – they don’t understand their audience.

One thing is clear though. The hard core fans won’t actually accept the failure until they write their letters pleading that CBS give it a second season. It’s Enterprise all over again, struggling to appeal to a wider audience whilst also managing to screw over the existing fanbase, and inexplicably deciding on yet another prequel.

Are they crazy?

No, you are crazy Oversight/Enterprize. No boycott exists. Move on with your life now.

The goats called. You’re wanted back under the bridge.

Yup. Sounds reasonable to me.

“really don’t think we’ll be seeing any explanation for the Klingons’ look” Don’t be too sure of that. This show was conceived of by Fuller, a huge fan, Im sure we’ll be getting explanations for the Klingons, maybe not a bridge on the underside of the saucer but definitely the Klingons.

I disagree, the Klingons do need an explanation, not for the moping fans but simply for history, for canon. I want an explanation simply to satiate my curiosity not to alleviate my angst.

“Just accept the look of the show and move on.” Again, disagree, for the people curious and willing to discuss the look of the Klingons its not about non acceptance. The non acceptors are the one complaining. The ones willing to discuss are fans like myself who are curious but excited to see a new breed (possibly ancient) Klingons. I think it fascinating and exciting. Its incredible fun and satisfying brainstorming and debating. Why cut that short and move on? You take all the joy out of it.

Ignore them, Chadwick. They’re like the Borg. Going around trying to force the rest of us to assimilate.

“Ancient Klingons returning after a long crying sleep, possibly hybrids. Done solved.
Clearly Fuller wanted to use the Klingons for the show. Since the Klingons of the period look like humans, which would confuse the heck out of uninitiated viewers, he chose to go this route to adhere to canon and have scary looking Klingons At the same time.”

Clearly? How can you say “clearly?” There’s no evidence to back up this theory whatsoever. It’s not at all clear.

What is clear is the reason you’re actually here…and it ain’t to discuss a potentially exciting new tv series.

💯 agree. Tired of seeing them get blasted because if this. People need to understand this isn’t the 1960s. We have the tech to make aliens… Not be cheap, make them human with Stalin like mustaches.

CBS – hey you know those new Star Trek movies? Well we have the rights to tv so we should make a tv version.

CBS Shareholders – yeah cool! we should totally do that.

Paramount – Ugh, Star Trek Boyond lost us millions, we don’t exactly know why, and unsure why star trek fans voted Into Darkness as the worst star trek movie of all time.

CBS – Shut up Paramount, you’re just not doing it right.

Netflix – Oh yay! we have every series of Star Trek in our offering, now you want us to be the only ones who distribute a new one? Hell yeh! Shut up and take our money! We’ll cover the entire production budget!

CBS – Uhh, so we fired the showrunner and the VFX team because they were making stuff we didn’t like. Oh, and sorry, but that means we have to push the deadline back, again.

Viewers – ugh, why does that ship look like it’s from elete force?

Netflix – So when is the deadline now?

CBS – When we’re ready, it’s our precious baby.

Netflix – right. so, what, fall 2017?

CBS – yes, that sounds totally legitimate, we’ll go with that.

Viewers – So this is the 2nd trailer which has completely missed the mark. Do you understand cannon or did you fire it?

CBS – luls, don’t worry, it’s great, everything is fine, and you’re going to love it.

Viewers – wtf have you done to the Klingons?

Netflix – wtf have you done to the Klingons?

CBS – WTF have we done to the Klingons

CBS – oops sorry, ugh, well we’re making it the same by making it different.

Viewers – but that is too different, its not in any way the same.

CBS – Don’t worry, it’s still the same.

Netflix – So is it going to be done this year, or..?

CBS – When we are ready, it’s our precious.

Viewers – I’m not going to pay for this on CBS AA or Netflix or any other streaming service. You can see that you have created garbage, right?

CBS – When we are ready, it’s our precious. OUR PRECIOUS.

The internet – Boycott it.

TOS fans – no don’t boycott it, this is my favourite time period

CBS – We’ve rewritten everything, but you’re still on board right?

TOS fans – Yes, we like change when everything is the same and does not change, but are also willing to accept everything changing.

CBS – trailer 3 yay! look at what we showed our investors! Isn’t it cooler than ice?

Netflix – Wait, what? what is this?

The internet – *facepalm*. Could someone please direct me to the official boycott page?

The Internet – No, seriously, we’re not endorsing this by watching it, where is the boycott page?

The Internet – WHAT? WE HAVE TO PAY TO BOYCOTT IT WITH ANY LEGITIMACY?

The Internet – We can sense death is coming.

CBS –

CBS –

Netflix –

CBS –

Netflix –

The internet – Is it over now? have we won?

CBS –

CBS –

CBS –

Please note that a CBS All Action subscription is required to continue with this discussion.

Pessimistic but still…..ROTF LMFAO!!!!! I only say pessimistic because throughout all the delays, all the “bad” choices, all Kelvin esque styles I love it and completely support it. I love it all from TOS to Beyond. Anyway, don’t want to debate that lol….

Seriously though…they fired the VFX team and brought in a new one!? I didn’t know of this. Do you have any info or any articles regarding this? Does that mean they got rid of John Eaves? I mean he was never confirmed. But I swear I read somewhere that Eaves was/is involved.

Meyer could very well be working on a Trek novel, comic, or documentary. It’s not necessarily a Trek show or movie. I guess what i’m saying is, let’s not get too excited.

Indeed. Once you think about it that’s probably what it is. If Discovery is a smash, we might get another show to run along side it, or after it, at some point. Diluting or splitting the talent pool before Discovery is properly established though would be insane. It won’t be a movie either, as that is a different company.

Far too early to be talking about some kind of second Trek show.

It won’t be a movie either, as that is a different company.

^That’s actually not a valid reason to discount the movie possibility.

Meyer can consult with whomever he’d like. There’s no reason why he can’t be giving script notes on both DSC for CBS and the next Kelvin-movie for Paramount.

Meyer is a busy guy, he’s been pursuing all kinds of other things while also helping out the DSC writers. Note that Meyer is basically a consultant, he’s not in the writer’s room banging out episodes, he’s been made available to the writers for consultation and guidance.

Although I agree, I know we would all love to have another era where we have two Star Trek TV shows and movies at the same time. I have a feeling it won’t be a second show. CBS wants to focus on this one show and make it the best it can be.

It would be lower budgeted, but CBS does have a motion picture wing. Maybe Paramount’s let some option slip and CBS can proceed? It would be as good a reason for secrecy as anything else.

@Disinvited — No, Parmount likely has all theatrical rights tied up in their license with CBS. CBS has to stay out of first run theatrical space, as there’s no kind of option I can imagine that Paramount would have forfeited, that would allow CBS into that space. On the other hand, there’s nothing preventing CBS from making a feature-length TV movie for All Access — unless there is. Paramount was part of the AXANAR lawsuit for a reason, and it wasn’t just copyright infringement over costumes and props. My guess is it’s still the production of feature length fan fiction stepping on their licensed rights. A two part TV episode with a runtime of less than 90 minutes each would be fine, at least as far as CBS is concerned — especially now that streaming sites provide for expanded episodes not subject to strict broadcast and advertising time slots.

Curious Cadet,

Did you catch this?:

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-ct-shari-redstone-viacom-20170531-htmlstory.html

Where Shari Redstone says she was the one that called-off the CBS/Paramount merger?

@Disinvited — I didn’t see that particular story, but she would have been about the only one who could, no? I still don’t buy the reason she gave — I think it’s pretty obvious, she doesn’t want to bring down CBS by diluting a highly successful company with a toxic one. Viacom needs to turn the ship, and until then, it’s an albatross around any management team, and the stock as a whole. In fact, it’s likely that future merger that will keep CBS TV properties at Paramount for the purposes of films. Nobody wants another Marvel situation like they have with rights spread around to Sony and Paramount … At least Paramount is so weak that they will happily take the money to give Disney control of the franchise …

Maybe you can correct me, but as far as I know (and I swear I read it somewhere) that CBS still owns the Star Trek franchise as a whole, including the movies and simply license the movie rights to Paramount. Now that does not mean that CBS can make movies, but it does mean they own the franchise as a whole. And I am certain you are correct in saying that CBS could make a Star Trek TV movie.

The Chadwick,

Re: Maybe you can correct me

The exact particulars aren’t known but the closest approximation that can be pieced together from interviews and interpolation is, when Sumner Redstone decided to split Viacom in 2005 to resolve an all out office war between the heads of CBS and MTV Networks, he took the old Viacom which included old Paramount and renamed it CBS. He then created a new spinoff company and named it Viacom with a new film studio now named Paramount and the warring MTV faction. To help make the “new” Paramount viable and functional Redstone transferred over old Paramount’s film library and lot.

This created a lot of weirdness for the CBS-owned properties of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, MANNIX and STAR TREK. Through some arrangement, new Paramount has film development options for those television properties in the film library hand-off. However, CBS as the primary copyright holder can veto any direction taken by Paramount that in CBS’ evaluation would devalue those properties.

Is CBS barred from making two-hour, one-off episodes for their streaming service? Just because it’s a self-contained, two-hour story, is that a “movie” if it never sees the inside of a movie theater? Maybe a question for the lawyers but my hunch is that a streaming-only thing that lasts two hours does not meet the legal definition of “movie” as the bean-counters define it, eg, something that collects box office revenues.

nerdrage,

I’m inclined to look at it your way too. The lines are blurring; especially with the studios pressuring theaters to allow them to release simultaneously features to VOD streaming.

I am surprised that theaters, seeing the handwriting on the wall, haven’t joined together to tell the studios “You want to do VOD simultaneously while we exhibit your feature? OK, but only if you exclusively do the VOD streaming from our own website that divies up the view fees by geo location amongst our members so we can make up for lost seat revenues.”

I doubt it will be a second show. Granted we would all love another era where we had two shows and movies at the same time, its not that era, and I have a feeling CBS is focusing on one show and making it the best possible.

Although Meyer is working for CBS on the show, there is no reason he can’t participate with JJ, Payne & McKay (if they’re still writing the 4th movie). Meyer worked for Paramount on two movies, no reason CBS would say “you can’t work with Paramount”

@Chadwick — they could do a standalone miniseries without doing another series per se. It could even be a TNG reunion project or some other prime universe production which CBS can sell to the core fans to boost its lucrative merchandising business. Drawing on TUC, Meyer would be an excellent candidate for such a project. I’d love to see a RED-type Trek movie where some of the old cast was reunited for a special mission.

That said, Abrams will not likely be back — BR spends too much money and has demonstrated it can’t be trusted with the budgets Paramount feels it can justify for Trek. But Meyer could be an executive producer, serving the Harve Bennett role in a new Star Trek movie — he can’t talk about it now because Abrams still has a first look deal for another year I think, and would have first dibs on a new Trek project, even as Paramount has likely decided to get out of the Kelvin Universe business …

Sounds like an interesting theory. Could even be a TV movie.

Agreed, if JJ would be back it would only be in a producing role on the next movie.
Ok that makes sense, I was not aware of how much longer BR/JJ had first dibs on Trek movies.

“even as Paramount has likely decided to get out of the Kelvin Universe business” I really hope that is the case and that Meyer is concocting something regarding prime universe movies.

It’s doubtful they’d green light a second show before seeing the response to this one.

Exactly.

Torchwood,

You don’t consider Netflix paying for the entire first season outright a market demand based response?

Are you kidding?

ALL ABOUT THE HYPE TRAIN CHOO TOOOSREBOOOOOOT!

#justkidding

#Maybenot?

#Probablyam

#Internetcommentsright?

Ah shit, and I misspelt aboard.

That ruins my credibility entirely.

Probably just some crummy game. TOS TOS TOS is completely uninteresting to all but the hyperfans that frequent this site.

The world disagrees.

I don’t.

You don’t disagree that TOS is only interesting to the hyperfans?

I don’t even know anymore…lol

lmao

TOS and the TOS-cast films are the only Treks with *real* cred.

@Vokar

I hate TOS. I like the movies (generally) but Trek will always be TNG/DS9 to me.

Im the same, not about the TOS part (I love it) but that Star Trek for me will always be the TNG/DS9/VGR era. TOS laid the foundation for the megastructure that TNG/DS9/VGR built.

…more like TOS laid a foundation that TNG and all of it’s spin-offs chose to ignore. Sadly, they built on a fault line instead, too often using substandard materials…and paid the price when it all came tumbling down with Nemesis and Enterprise.

I doubt its another TV show, I would love for him to be participating in the next movie, but you’re right in that its probably a game, or even novel or comic.

But I disagree that TOS is uninteresting to all but hyperfans. Im a hyperfan, but I seriously love all Trek from TOS to Kelvin movies. I embrace all and love all, they ALL have their strengths and weaknesses without question.

This new show is aimed at the casual fan. Star Trek movies and shows are always aimed at the casual fan. They know the hyperfans will watch anyway so why bother about them? Reaching a larger market (maybe not mass market in this era of niche streaming services) is the goal.

DSC will succeed or fail based on its performance on Netflix, which is footing the bills (since CBS knows they won’t get a land rush to their domestic streaming service right away). If somebody sees the Star Trek brand on Netflix, nicely subtitled to their local language, will they click play because they recognize the brand? That’s the whole question. My guess is yes.

One only has to go to the YouTube trailer 3 and review the comments in newest order to understand the wider public commentary of STD. That is the “wider audience” is supposed to be appealing to. I dare you to look at the top comments during your research.

What next? YouTuber’s arn’t the intended audience? Are they not the general public at large?

The STD apologists have only one argument left to throw on the table, the “wait until you see it”, at which point I’m 100% confident they will start blaming the writers and actors.

It is Enterprise all over again, except this time CBS have outsourced the entire funding of the season to Netflix. How on Earth will CBS justify to it’s investors that it is in their best interests to pay for a season 2 in which Netflix refuse to be a part of it?

But then, of course, this is the website of the hyperfans. They have no separation between hope and realty, they literally can not tell the two apart.

I’m sure you’ve been following the hashtag #notmystartrek

Here it is again should you feel like some actual research outside of your bubble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dxe_ugmIVM

Completely logical.

Disagree that TOS is uninteresting to all but the hyperfans. Many of the new fans who started watching because of the new movies enjoy TOS. My girlfriend who I recently introduced to Star Trek and now loves it…TOS is still her fav, even tough we’ve finished TNG and up to season 5 of DS9.

But agree about the hyperfans who frequent this site part.

So in other words, what the article stated.

Please, please, please, please, please let Meyer be working on the next Trek Movie.

I deeply hope so. Considering he worked on the two best movies, to add his brilliance to the Kelvin movies would elevate them to a whole other level!

…or that Paramount it leaving the Kelvin universe and going back to Prime.

I suppose it *could* be a licensed product, but I’m not sure he’d need to be so coy about that.

It would be rather amazing to have him on board a film as a writer. As someone who clearly has a great understanding of classic literature, I feel he understands the archetypes from which characters such as Kirk, McCoy and Spock spring, which previously allowed him to bring them to life in a way that was better than perhaps they ever had been before.

If he happened to be involved in the writing of a film (I’m sticking to ‘ifs’) I’d love to see what he could do with the classic characters in their prime, where he’s always had to deal with them in their later years before.

I’ve long felt that the differences in the Kelvin timeline have been overplayed; by getting the Enterprise out among the stars away from the Federation, Klingon and so on, there’s no reason we can’t get that great ‘ultimate’ original series Star Trek adventure for which we’ve all been waiting.

Just because it’s licensed doesn’t mean he’s free to talk about it. New books, comics, and video games often operate under the same kinds of Non Disclosure Agreements.

For example, there’s a new miniatures game that was just announced, and I think it was under wraps for a long time.

That’s not to say I think it’s one of those, just that it’s far too early to get too excited. So often we hear a vague hint dropped about something and people come up with all sorts of wild theories, and it turns out to be nothing as exciting as imagined.

If you know your Doctor Who, Torchwood, you’ll know who said ‘”If” is the middle word in “life!”‘ ;) If there are NDAs at work, I suspect it will be a bigger deal than some comic. It’s all “if,” as I said, but humourlessly censoring speculation is just being a big ol’ party pooper! ;)

I always thought it was Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (as told by Dennis Hopper) who said it.

Your suspicions mean nothing. It could very well be a film or TV show, but i’ve known many licensed books and products that were under NDA’s. I’ve seen time and time again a creator say something along the lines of “finally able to announce that secret project i’ve been working on!”

Keep in mind also, Meyer does not actually cite that he’s signed any kind of NDA– just that he can’t discuss it. Could be a novel or comic or video game that the publisher doesn’t want announced yet.

Or it could be that he’s writing and directing Star Trek 4.

Torchwood, dude. I don’t really care that much. I don’t have ‘suspicions;’ I’m speculating for fun. Michael Hall, Tegan said it in Doctor Who, from which Torchwood is a spin off. Whether anyone else said it misses the point of the injoke. Chill. There are terrible things happening out there right now. It doesn’t hurt to mull in some fun speculations! :)

I’m perfectly chill, thanks. Just wasn’t aware of the DW reference, since I’ve never followed that franchise (though I have no doubt it’s worth following). Just curious, though: when was the line first used on that show? If it wasn’t prior to 1975 or so, then, sorry, Francis Ford Coppola got there first, and it’s very possible given the notoriety of Apocalypse that the ‘Doctor Who’ writers were quoting it.

Can’t wait for Retcon: The Next Generation

Are you Enterprize?

Yes, he is. And as Shakespeare put it: “Johnny One-Note-On-the-Kazoo, by any other name, is still a bore.”

He’s a bunch of socks. He’s also Xandercom on Trekcore.

Hope its another movie! Must be something worthy of his talents for Meyer to be so NDA about it.

My fingers are crossed.

Meyer could be working on a stand alone Star Trek movie TV movie…

A pity we couldn’t have had a Kirk/Spock film from him with the original actors meeting one last time…

@Andrew — maybe, maybe not. If I were Paramount, I’d prevent CBS from making any feature length TV projects. Paramount allegedly put a moratorium on CBS to prevent them from even developing a TV series for 10 years.

How in the world would Paramount enforce that moratorium? Star Trek took this long for a new series because the whole entertainment distribution world is in an uproar and the mainstream entertainment companies are playing deer in headlights because they don’t know what to do about Netflix and Amazon.

CBS’s solution, when they finally it on it after the usual years of bureaucratic inertia, is to use Netflix as a stalking horse. CBS takes its best-known international brand, Star Trek, and makes a new series for its streaming service while licensing it overseas on Netflix, thus building an audience for their series.

Then as CBS discovers what works and what doesn’t on their own domestic service, they start a country-by-country global expansion. First up is most likely Canada, which may be why that country wasn’t part of the Netflix deal. CBS expects to expand there before the Netflix license expires. They’ve timed the license expiration to coincide with more expansion. Star Trek is the means CBS is using to become a Netflix competitor.

Netflix is well aware of these plans and they are betting that CBS will never get its domestic service to stand up on its hind legs. Then Plan B is for CBS to license this and all future Star Trek shows to Netflix globally the end. Worst case, Netflix has a junior-league competitor called CBS All Access competing with them across the world. That won’t hurt Netflix because they’ll still be the market leader and the odds are against CBS anyway.

Hmm no paragraph breaks? Oh well sorry.

nerdrage,

Re: no paragraph breaks?

Look at the bottom right hand corner of your post. Click on the “Read more”

@nerdrage — it’s called a “contract”. And it was well reported that Abrams and Paramount allegedly demanded CBS not produce any TV series during the term of the initial license to produce the films. That legally binding contract likely also limits CBS from making feature length productions.

“In May 2017, Meyer announced he has written and created a new show for CBS All Access, Ceti Alpha V: A Star Trek Adventure.”

You can now be dubbed Jason The Argonaut , the only Hero who had the correct Answer ! Move to the High Level and let them all argue on !

I really hope it’s a feature. Meyer could rectify the mistakes Berman and Abrams made with this series since Generations.

IMO the only meh TNG movies are Insurrection and Nemesis…the only mistakes Berman made were killing Kirk and Data, seriously, who does that!? And looking back, the writers regret both those deaths.

Yes, but that was the fans’ fault!! ;)

@Chadwick — with all due respect, those are hardly the only two mistakes Berman made with Trek under his watch.

I’ll say.

Oh “I’ll say”, I’m repeating that in the most condescending voice possible. You probably have a litany of complaints because nothing is ever good enough or meets your expectations. Are you butt hurt by changes in canon? That Discovery does not adhere to the visual representation of The Cage? Bermans mistakes are over inflated and really only happened with Insurrection and Nemesis. TNG was great, DS9 was great, VGR was somewhat lacklustre, Enterprise was fantastic, I wouldn’t change a damn thing about them. First Contact was fantastic. The largest letdowns were Insurrection and Nemesis. Oh “I’ll say” blah blah blah. “I’ll say” my arse.

Rather than saying “I’ll say” why not enlighten me with your viewpoints rather than a fracking two word response. As Worf would say “defend yourself!”

Using the term “butt hurt” seriously, only lessens your credibility for anyone to engage further with you. That’s a troll word, not an overture to intelligent discourse.

The Chadwick

Re: “defend yourself!”

No response is required against your knee-jerk rearing up. As in most posterior fixated questions, thems that’s spelt it are thems that felt it –to turn a phrase.

Mistakes are in the eye of the beholder. With all due respect most Star Trek fans are too pissy and get butt hurt far too easily, Star Trek Discovery is PROOF POINT! TNG was fantastic, DS9 was amazing, VGR was lacklustre but still fine, and Enterprise is still among my fav Trek series. Enterprise filled in the gaps I wanted filled in. I wouldn’t change a damn thing about Enterprise say it theme song. Now I know many will disagree about Enterprise, but again, eye of the beholder. I don’t feel Berman made any mistakes with Enterprise. For me (as Guinan) would say, its like a warm blanket you can wrap yourself in.

My only issues were how lacklustre Insurrection and Nemesis were. If you give me a list of Berman mistakes Im sure I will completely disagree with some of them simply because of a difference of opinion. What I should have said is that the two biggest mistakes in canon were killing Kirk and Data along side hiring director Stuart Baird because he was owed a movie. THAT was a huge mistake.

I love most of Berman Trek except Enterprise. It took me some time to like but now I truly love it. The TNG films could’ve been better but FC is really a great film and still my third favorite….after the two Meyer directed ones.

Berman produced over 500 episodes of Star Trek and four films. Of course he made mistakes. He also did more good than bad and why Trek is such a big franchise now. Roddenberry was screwing it up by 3rd season of TOS, TMP was boring and overstuffed and we know what happened with his early time on TNG. Seems like he hasn’t done much right since the second season of TOS and yet fans praise him for some odd reason. Will never get it.

Dump the blasphemous JJVerse, and GO BACK TO ACCEPTED TREK CANON, GODDAMMIT!!

You’re wasting your time.

Sorry but it is part of Star Trek canon. Mad bro?

What Torchwood said, don’t count on it. JJVerse is no different than Mirror Universe movies. They’re fine and they’re fun. Not Trek at its core, but thats fine. One day I am sure the movies will return to Prime.

‘Blasphemy?’ Religious terminology? Really?? At the core, there’s little difference between the Kelvin timeline and the original. Stick the Enterprise in deep space, exploring a strange new world and there’ll be little difference, beyond the visual aesthetics, between TOS and the new universe. It’s all about decent writing.

Unfortunately, that last sentence (which I agree with) contradicts your fourth.

I got it– Nick Meyer is writing and directing AXANAR for Alec Peters!

Although I love Prelude to Axanar and support them, that is hilarious lol.

I thought prelude was awful, bad acting and directing, bad writing, and I would never ever support that con man.

I did write a few paragraph response but did not want to open up a huge debate about it. So ill simply say as a 1 time donor to Prelude and 3 time Donor to Axanar, I completely disagree about all your points and that I never felt cheated. Their facility was impressive and the photos of the sets they were building were phenomenally professional. Why would long time Star Trek designer Robert Blackman join a con? Are you calling the late Richard Hatch a liar or blind to the con.

Seriously, the con was perpetrated by the butt hurt fans who had a delusional view of what was going on. So director Christian Gossett left as did actor Tony Todd because they didn’t agree with some thing, they are a minority as opposed to the majority to stayed? Why, because Gossett and Todd were too sensitive and butt hurt about some things. I also can’t blame Peters for paying himself, granted fan films don’t work like that, but that amount they put into the facility which was the majority of donor funds, I can’t blame the guy for paying himself. There were so many Star Trek alum involved in this, if it truly was a con, they would have ALL left, not just Gossett and Todd. Food for thought.

New Voyages, Star Trek Continues, Renegades, Of Gods and Men are awful, the acting is so cringeworthy I cannot watch any of them a second time. I respect what they are doing and that they are continuing their own vision, but its not for me. Preluded to Axanar is the only fan production I consider part of my personal canon because it was higher quality, from the costumes, to the sets, to the CG work, even to the type of camera and film they used.

and ill leave it at that.

Yeah support someone who criminally backs a for profit business with a kick starter and someone else’s intellectual property.

Seems your just butthurt every time someone does not agree with your opinion. Here, you are spouting nothing but opinion and assumptions. All of your extrapolations and assumptions mean nothing as there is no fact to them. Reality is CBS and Paramount took them to court, and got a settlement.

There was a hell of a lot more than just paying himself and others a few hundred thousand every 3 or 4 months. All the court paprs are free to view none of it paints them as legal or otherwise.
Look at Peter’s history, it is not a pretty one. Most of it revolves around earning profit off other’s work. It is all on the internet, a quick google will bring all sorts of crap from foul forum posts to blog posts and comments and, ragefits on newsgroups (usenet).

Sad thing is, Axanar was good. Yeah acting could have been better, some of the cgi looked rushed. Sad thing is all of those who donated work and time to it get screwed, while Peters was spending on high dollar cars and suits many of the people who spent hundreds in time and work got NOTHING. All that cgi rendering I bet someone swallowed that cost in computer, time, and power use. Maybe he was on key and paid for it but I know some who got squat from it but bad rep for being related to it.

Oh M G I really hope he is working on a Post Nemesis series they must of hear all the Angry People saying ”WE WANT A POST STAR TREO NEMESIS SERIES”

I seriously doubt CBS would be preparing a second TV series already. So that leaves feature films, which would suggest writing Star Trek Reboot 4 as the front-runner.

I actually hope he’s working on another prequel. Your tears will amuse me.

I’m going out on a limb to predict that Discovery’s so good, and anticipated to draw in so many viewers, the powers that be have green-lighted development of another Star Trek series for All-Access.
I know that, contrary to popular belief there are many at CBS who wish to take the franchise forward, as well as fill in the blanks to it’s history, and a new, prime timeline series would satisfy those fans who wish to continue the 24th century timeline.

I doubt Nick Meyers would have been proactive with his comment if weren’t a significant development. There just hasn’t been a press release yet, and likely won’t see one until the concept, premise, and draft script is worked out.

I’m taking this as great news. I have complete faith in Nick Meyers creative prowess, and ability to develop a concept from scratch. Just watch STII:TWOK, The Voyage Home, and STVI:The Undiscovered Country, and you will see his writing and creativity all through those movies.
These are exciting times for the franchise.

ST: Discovery has my undivided attention, but I have to wonder: What would Gene Rodenberry think about a Star Trek prequel, considering the show was designed to boldly go, and seek out NEW life?

Gene would love it. Your narrow mind is the only one that defines “boldly going” and “seeking out NEW life” as adding years to a fictional character.

Solid point…but I still want Star Trek to go into the future, not the past. That being said, Im still damn excited about Discovery and am looking forward to another Kelvin movie. Love all, embrace all.

Same. Sick of prequels but I am still pretty excited about Discovery. And yes would be happy to see another Kelvin film as well. I love Star Trek, I support it all even if its not all to my personal preference.

I always assumed Mr Roddenberry’s remarks were philosophical, rather than about time period. If the core values of Star Trek could be taken forward in a contemporary series about early 21st century astronauts and cosmonauts, I consider that to be just as valid.

Then again, I’m less married to canon: I’m happy to go with ‘Once upon a time, the Starship Enterprise went to…’

Remember, Star Trek was described by Roddenberry himself as “Wagon Train to the Stars!” The futuristic setting was simply a vehicle to be able to tell modern day social morality tales in disguise.

I don’t think Gene would give two spits if a new Trek show was set after, before, or in any period on the Trek timeline. His motive for setting TNG long after TOS was simply so he could progress the look and technology while the movies were still going.

People often forget that one of Gene’s earliest ideas for a spinoff was a prequel: “The Academy Years” featuring a younger TOS cast. If you look at early concept art, there was no intention of keeping the visuals consistent with pre-TOS. It would have used then-modern FX and a more up-to-date style and aesthetic, just as Discovery is doing today.

Torchwood,

Re: “The Academy Years”

I think you may be confusing Bennett’s original movie concept, THE ACADEMY YEARS for which TWOK introducded the transition setup, with Roddenberry’s prior TV production PHASE II where Kirk got a new Enterprise with a young crew and his old cast mates minus Nimoy?

Torchwood,

Re: “The Academy Years”

Apparently Bennet came up with the Kirk and Spock at the Academy after STV:

https://trekmovie.com/2006/11/23/bennett-sees-parallels-with-his-star-trek-vi-and-star-trek-xi/

“After the lackluster performance of Star Trek V in 1989, Bennett (along with writer David Laurie) developed a script called ‘Star Trek: The Academy Years’ which was to reboot the franchise with younger actors playing Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy.” — AP

which I confused with his initial intentions with STII to transition to the cadets.

You’re right, but I do recall hearing that during the post STIII discussions of a new Trek series, Gene and Paramount had discussed a prequel with a young kirk. Wish I could find where I once read that…

Still, the Academy Years concept art from 1990 showed their willingness even then to retcon the visuals and ships and technology to fit better with a modern vision of the future.

Agreed, definitely.

@Trouble — CBS has many projects in development, many of which will never see the light of day. It takes a lot of time to get a show to air, and CBS likely has great hope for rebuilding the franchise on TV, and has plans for numerous spin-offs. With DISC only 15 episodes, there’s plenty of room to have two series running at the same time — one for Spring/Summer and one for Fall/Winter. If Meyer is developing a series waiting for a green light until DISC premieres and CBS knows how well it’s received, then they could get the show in production in time for a mid-season debut immediately following on the heels of DISC, epscially if the former has basically paid for the establishment of the special effects foundation to support the franchise. That then keeps the post facility up and running year round, as well as the production staff and crew, and facilities. It actually makes a certain amount of sense.

Exactly! I always brings this up but this CBS we are talking about. Its the network/studio that has:

-4 CSI shows
-3 NCIS shows
-3 Criminal Mind shows
-2 Big Brother shows
-2 Good Wife shows
And has also made 5 CW DC shows that all take place in one universe (Black Lightning will be coming next fall). This is sort of their wheelhouse and if Discovery is a hit its not if there will be a new Trek show, simply when.

And I think it would be a great idea to have one show air in the fall/winter and the other Spring/Summer as you said. And they can get AA subscriptions all year. My guess is there won’t be an announcement of a new Trek show until Discovery is in second season but definitely see one coming.

Keep in mind that CBS scored big when they licensed the show to Netflix, which is basically paying production. So why wouldn’t CBS want to do more of the same? Maybe they’ve had discussions with Reed Hastings, who promised to clear out some pricey deadwood (The Get Down, Sense8) and free up more budget for more Star Trek series. The Star Trek brand name alone will get more attention than those type of shows, so it’s a win/win for CBS and Netflix.

You don’t want to over-saturate the market, though. Paramount learned that lesson with TNG/DS9 and DS9/VOY running concurrently along with movies every two or three years, which resulted in Trek fatigue and audience apathy. I don’t think they’ll make that mistake again, even if it is CBS now and not Paramount.

I don’t think there is any proof that “fatigue” instead of just poor writing and producing led to declining ratings.

Ometiklan,

Agreed, if there was fatigue it was Berman formulaic dictums fatigue, NOT STAR TREK.

Man you have ANY idea how many Marvel shows are currently running right now? 10! Yes TEN shows are all in production. DC has 7 shows in production. And thats not counting all the movies that comes out (just watched both Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 last weekend).

To have two Trek shows on is childs play at this point. Its funny how 2 shows and a film every few years is seen as fatigue when Marvel now runs 3-5 shows a year while having 2-3 films on EVERY year.

This is not 20 years ago, the audience is different today. Make it good they will happily watch it all.

Meyer also did an uncredited polish on Star Trek III for Harve.

Interesting. Didn’t know that. Given Mr Meyer’s, IMO, correct reservations about Spock’s resurrection (a grave story error IMHO) I thought he’d made it clear he refused any involvement with STIII.

I’ve always said resurrecting Spock was a mistake that has made real death way too mutable in Star Trek. I’d have brought Mirror Spock into the films, had it been me. ;)

You didn’t know that because it isn’t true. Meyer didn’t agree with the decision to bring Spock back and had nothing to do with the project aside from wishing it well.

Hi Michael. Yeah, I always assumed that was the case. Nick Meyer’s whole aesthetic was about giving Star Trek a palpable realism – its evident in both films. I can’t imagine him ‘polishing’ mystical Vulcan resurrection.

Fascinating. Let’s hope the next television incarnation of “Star Trek” would broacast on CBS–not just streaming on CBS All Access–and take place sometime after the events of 2002’s “Nemesis.”

I have to say that I am soooo happy that Discovery is a streaming show. To be honest, I only watch cable or streaming shows because their dramatic quality is usually much better, there is much more artistic freedom for writers and producers. However, as a German I will get Discovery via Netflix, and I can understand the frustration of Americans (and Canadians) who will have to pay extra for this.

Indeed Streaming allows for much more freedom and they even said Star Trek Discovery will be a Darker grittier show that is why they went to streaming in the first place for more creative freedom, a lot of trek fans don’t want this but if they don’t like it they can just go bite the curb.

It will be carried on SPACE network in Canada… I already have it as my cable package and won’t have to pay extra.

It will probably be an edited version of Star Trek: Discovery that will air on SPACE. I bet the unedited version will be placed on CraveTV.

@Don — lets hope not.

I’m not quite ready to afford the $7-a-month subscription to CBS All Access yet, to be honest 2

McDonalds is probably hiring. One hour a month of flipping burgers in a paper hat should net you a subscription.

Hello. I’m just an stay-at-home offspring teaching myself composing, conducting, and multimedia artistry, despite my formal training as pianist and cellist. I hope I get a music-related job.

Once Star Trek has gotten established on their streaming service, I could see past seasons being aired on CBS broadcast, with the intent of garnering more attention for the streaming service. Moonves has seen the broadcast viewing trend lines, and they are down down down, especially for the under 49 viewers that advertisers want. Netflix and Amazon are stealing the viewers. If you can’t beat em, join em. Moonves is trying to get CBS’s streaming service up and running so any broadcast of the show will need to serve the overall goal of moving viewers to the streaming service.

Paramount asking Meyer to be involved in the next Trek film wouldn’t be so bad. ‘You can assume’ wasn’t a firm or hinted denial. :)

IF they do yet another series, it should be set further into the future. Further than TNG. Start with a fresh sheet of paper with a new era and crew.

Better still, restore a couple of characters from the past to life using advanced technology, Peter F Hamilton-style, and follow them in the far future. Have Kirk, Picard and Data in new bodies aboard a vast starship Enterprise (not necessarily USS) travelling through the Andromeda Galaxy in the 33rd century.

@Dom — what a horrible idea … Why not just a talking head in a jar? These characters all had their time in the sun. New characters played by new actors, new adventures, doesn’t matter when it’s set.

@Curious Cadet. Yeah, I sympathise with your opinion, but if you went all out for a far, far future story, it would be interesting, storywise, to abolish conventional death. I don’t know if you’ve read any Peter F Hamilton, but the removal of conventional death, referred to as ‘bodyloss,’ makes for a fascinating, very different future environment.

However, introducing an audience to a really radical, different future can require a character to be their ‘avatar,’ hence Section 31 having backups of maybe Kirk, Picard or especially Data. We already know Data’s electronic ‘soul’ is transferable, so Data, in particular, like Asimov’s R Daneel Olivaw, is a good character that has the possibility of existing in the far future and is a good ‘gateway’ character. Besides, wouldn’t a wise, 1,000 year-old Data be a fascinating character to explore?

I don’t have a problem with that concept as scifi, but I do have a problem with it as Star Trek — there’s a reason why Rodenberrys set TOS in the period he did, with the technological limitations he did. TNG pushed the envelope only marginally to get some of the things Roddenberry wanted in the 60s but budget and technology wouldn’t allow. After Rodenberrys died, Berman ran amok pushing the technological limits past what made for compelling drama, and introducing us to a world of technobabble to justify it all to an increasingly dwindling fan base. Let’s go back to the WagonTrain to the Stars for Trek — that’s what audiences wanted in the 60s and that’s what they want today — it’s no wonder that GotG, Iron Man and Avengers do so well …

@Curious Cadet. If you read futurists such as Ray Kurtzweil, we’re looking at the possibility of sentient AI and human external memory backup being possible within the first half of this century; that’s not accounting for some kind of technological revolution on the scale of the computer/internet revolution. I mean, I’ve been walking around with one of those portable touch screen gadgets they used in TNG’s 24th Century for over half a decade!

It’s actually why I’ve argued for a long time that Star Trek should adapt or be allowed to die: it’s become ridiculously old-fashioned and limited in its view of what constitutes mankind in the future. 300 years from now, a blind guy wears a slipped-forward hairband that lets him see? And he’s a rarity?! A combination of gene therapies and bionics will likely be able to heal people from all disabilities within the century. The Borg are a nightmare version of technology gone wrong, yet I don’t see genocidal behaviour from kids walking around wearing cochlear implants! I don’t see people being given gene therapy turning into Vidiians or Suliban! It’s as if Star Trek, as it has got older, has developed a deep-rooted fear of the future. It’s a far step away from the hopes Kirk and Pike spoke of in the 1960s where deserts were banished and hunger abolished by technology.

Our technology is progressing at a phenomenal rate, meaning our very concept of what constitutes ‘human’ will likely be wildly different even 15 years from now.

We’re far more likely to be in Ghost in the Shell territory shortly than Star Trek. Star Trek should either embrace the imminent possibilities or just give up and retire.

So create an entirely new concept and slap “Star Trek” on it. Yes, thats the best way to bring Trek back to TV.

For example Star Trek Nemesis took place in the year 2379 1 year after Voyager got back from the Delta quadrant and the Hobus Star Went SuperNova and destroyed Romulas in the year 2387, why not just go forward for example lets go to the year 2440 we open up with a new Ship a new Crew and a new threat has entered the quadrant so this new Century is not like the peaceful happy 24th Century it would be more Defending against threats that want to destroy the Federation, it would be more of a reflection of the world we live in.

Post nemesis seems so boring to me.

Agreed as does the majority of the fanbase from what I can gather on website, youtube, Facebook and twitter.

Obviously, you can keep up with things better than I! LOL. Thx

Me too. Im not against it. I just usually see no relevance to the usual arguments in favour of it which seem to be 1) “moving forward” (as if moving forward in story-telling means literally moving forward in time 2) so visuals dont contradict a 60’s TV show 3) to advance technology 4) not to mess with canon.

1) silly. 2) also silly. 3) my biggest issue. Why not have a room full of people on earth commanding ships with their minds and interacting with aliens via holograms? If you advance technology too far, you end up taking the soul out of the story. The reason Voyager was anticipated was the idea of a “TOS-style” out on the fringes of the frontier type of story, which they screwed up anyway. 4) I’d prefer writers have a sandbox to play in then to show them a giant pit and ask them to make their own sand, toys etc. Im not sure I trust them. With TNG, you had Gene, for better or worse, who forced them to play in a sandbox inspired by TNG and the “rules” of Star Trek and everything since was derived from that.

@DS9 is King. I favour moving to around 1,000 years later. Be really radical. Move beyond the Federation and the Milky Way Galaxy. Embrace genetic engineering and cybernetic modification. Have a sentient AI running the Enterprise – maybe Data has evolved to be that. Go wild and move away from the fairly narrow focus of old Star Trek.

Heck, why not just have a movie so far in the future where all the characters are disembodied voices that have evolved beyond the physical realm, exploring another state of consciousness? The audience can just stare at a black screen with occasional flashes of light and color for 90 minutes while they absorb the ultimate future of Trek?

Well, if you can think of a way to make that interesting, why not! ;)

Dom,

I think the point CC was making is that you are doing what quite a few of my fellow US citizens do which is just jump to an unwarranted conclusion that if 1 aspirin made me feel good then 1,000 aspirins will make me feel better than anyone ever has! NO IT WON’T!

One of the reasons for the future time period chosen in original Trek was specifically so its science, technology, mores, etc. as depicted would still be close enough to be relatable to its audience.

You go a 1,000 years beyond it and you may as well make it the all Q all the time show and who can relate those antics to our life now in any meaningful way on a weekly basis?

@Disinvited — yes, and to clarify; the problem is not arbitrarily picking a date and assigning technology to it, as Roddenberry did with TOS, it’s that the technology has been established in canon, and moving forward means moving beyond that already fantastical technology by today’s standards. TNG is a perfect example — Roddenberry set it 100 years in the future, so as to make a clean break with TOS, and the antics of James T. Kirk, but if you look at it, the technology TNG uses is much less advanced than the advances we’ve made in the last 100 years, much less what we hope to make. In fact, TNG is very similar to TOS — by design; Roddenberry wanted to keep the technology relatable to contemporary audiences, when by all rights it should have advanced considerably further from the 23rd to the 24th centuries. Regardless, after Roddenberry died, technology began moving wildly beyond the limitations Roddenberry imposed upon it — such that by NEM we had portable emergency transporter devices the size of a dime, which would transport themselves. That’s canon. So moving 100 years in the future just compounds the problem. And why? What’s the point? So they can design ships and uniforms that don’t conflict with art direction conceived in the 1960s? Dumb.

Curious Cadet,

Did you catch this?:

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/paramount-pictures-brian-robbinsparamount-players-1202457210/

It looks like Brian Robbins and PARAMOUNT PLAYERS were the source of the production ramp up indications that I was getting.

“In the past five years at Awesomeness I learned that new distribution has created so many more opportunities to find/watch content as a consumer and feed/market content as a creator. But, at the end of the day, it’s still about the creative: making good films that people will show up to watch. From there you can build a brand that people will trust and care about. I can’t wait to disrupt the status quo with a new approach to filmmaking. It also feels really good to be reunited with my Nickelodeon and MTV families and to work with all my new colleagues.” — Brian Robbins, Paramount Players

Wouldn’t that have to take place in the Kelvin-Universe? With Spock and Nero vanishing in the wormhole and altering history, the old timeline from 2387 on would cease to exist and merge with the Kelvin timeline. So post-Nemesis would have to be the Kelvin timeline.
Difficult to explain, but some sort of back-to-the-future-II logic.
Except if somebody went back in time with Spock and Nero and corrected the alterations like the ENT-E did it in ST VIII.
What do you guys think?

4K transfer of Star Trek VI Director’s Cut.

I would also like to see Enterprise cast reunited for a movie covering the Romulan War & Birth of the Federation. Use the 22nd Century Franklin designs from Star Trek Beyond, for how Archer and his crew might look 10 years after the show ended.

I Second That , Chris Roberts ! Thoroughly Enjoyed Enterprise & Dream For More Of it !

You’re all still here?

Hello Bob. Not sure if asking this is worthwhile, since your answers usually bring up even more questions… but here goes anyway; What do you think Meyer’s next Star Trek project would be and the obvious corollary, would you be involved (or interested in being involved) in any way?

Oh Good, Bob, who clearly lurks here, with his monthly “hello” to get everyone kissing up to him. If a guy needs this much adoration, perhaps he should get a cat or something.

Or at least contribute something to the discussion. Every time he does this, people ask questions. He ignores them and when the Bob-talk dies down, he pops in for another quick hello.

Have to give him credit for at least still coming here after the embarrassment of STID and losing the Beyond gig.

Why should he be embarrassed? STID was a great movie, not as good as BEY or ST, but great nonetheless. Honestly though it came out 4 years ago. It’s yesterday’s news. DSC is now.

True though, I wish he’d answer the questions if he really is Mr Orci.

@Trex – Bob’s behavior was very embarrassing after STID from ripping on fans to his nasty rants here. To my knowledge, he has never apologized for it.

Also, good for you for enjoying STID. It was a lame, half baked lousy story. It was awful. For those that enjoyed it, imagine how much you’d love it if it wasnt so bad.

Good to see you, man. How’s life?

@ boborci – yes, the TREK ‘franchise’ still pulls some of us here for debate, no matter what’s done it’s source material. Stick around, as I’m sure we’d all be interested in adding to our own thoughts on DISCOVERY when it airs.

TYPO ALERT – …no matter what’s done TO it’s source material

and – …we’d all be interested in YOU adding to our own thoughts on DISCOVERY when it airs.

What are you up to these days Bob ?

Hey Bob! Still hugely grateful for your contributions to the Star Trek multiverse. Hope to see you back on future shows or films. Big fan of all your work on lots of TV shows and movies!!

If Netflix’s international license to the show really did pay for production indefinitely, the deal could be sweet enough to inspire CBS to start the wheels rolling for more Star Trek series…or movies made expressly for streaming. It’s hard to envision how Star Trek on Netflix could be anything but a success, and CBS will be patient with using the franchise to build their domestic audience. They’re playing the long game here.

As far as any other TREK project that Meyer is currently working on, perhaps it’s a ‘tie-in’ to the DISCOVERY series in the way of a ‘tie-in’ graphic novel…which will ‘explain’ why the show features non-TOS-looking ‘Klingons’ and production design which greatly differs from the classic show’s era….

On the other hand, if he’s working on a script for a TOS-themed (or DISCOVERY-themed) LEGO STAR TREK game, then count me in! ;)

@Cervantes LEGO Star Trek the Motion Picture? ;)

@ Dom – Preferably not, due to the bland-looking outfits in that. ;)

But a selection of colorful Lego TOS crewmembers taking phaser potshots at Lego Klingons and Mugatos would make for a diverting blast for the kids. Beaming around various planetary settings and Enterprise vs Klingon vessel levels would make for plenty of variety. And bonus unlockable Lego characters such as a Gorn or Ferengi here and there should keep the young ‘uns quiet for a while too.

(Not much in the way of the ‘Prime Directive’ would feature however, but hey ho)

They really need to stop “explaining” why things visually look different. Worst decision they ever made, to first point out all the discrepancies in DS9, then dedicate 3 episode arcs to retconing them. All it does is keep feeding the core base who really needs to let it go …

How could JJ work with a dude who more or less despised his movies? After Lin (a dude who I’m not even sure, to this day, he actually watched the first movies, let alone like them), hiring Meyer – someone who would accept just for the money without really caring about this trek, let alone respect its fans – for the next movie would be a deliberate choice by paramount&Co to drive away the fans who loved the reboot.

Wow ”Meyer – someone who would accept just for the money without really caring about this trek, let alone respect its fans – for the next movie would be a deliberate choice by paramount&Co to drive away the fans who loved the reboot.” It’s one thing to hate the movies and to hate JJ Abrams for making these movies but to hate the fans who support these movies and make it a success is going a little to far, OG Star Trek Fans are so butthurt they are starting to hate on the Fans of Nu Trek fans it’s just Pathetic it’s hilarious because they can hate and hate but at the end of the day there is nothing they can do lol.

The more conservative and purist side of the fandom is ruining the party for the rest of us who liked the reboot since years. Had these movies not been successful and liked by other fans, they wouldn’t care. My bitterness is over the fact that it seems the people behind this trek care more about placating the haters than respecting the fans that made the reboot successful. Beyond pretty much is an example of that, and it backfired for them to cater to certain old fans and alienate the people who liked these movies and their character dynamics. I don’t think things will get any better, though.

So you think the JJ films were so successful that the studio cut off their nose to spite their face? “Hey, we know this is working and making us tons of money but let’s respect the fans more and make a film that doesnt do as well”.

I dont think so. STID was a complete mess. An awful script. Terrible creative decisions. A half-baked and limp anti-America narrative. Didnt make nearly as much money as some want to believe due to the out of control budget and marketing.

Beyond was what it was. But make no mistake. If the JJ films are dead, STID killed them. Beyond was just a death rattle.

Putting aside the numbers showing the obvious, the fact that Beyond’s creative team saying they were ignoring STID seems to have backfired, instead of helping them, does, alone, suggest you are wrong about the majority supposedly hating STID and liking Beyond more.

“But make no mistake”
sorry but, no. Try to convince someonelse. Making an argument that Beyond is the least successful of the trilogy not because it may be the weakest movie of the 3, but only because of star trek into darkness, a movie that is more successful and critically praised than Beyond is ANYWAY, is ridiculous, not to mention getting old now. STID was flawed, but so is Beyond. STID might have been the beginning of the creative team losing track of the reboot and what people liked about the first movie, thus wasting its potential to cater to fans with nostalgia, but Beyond is its end and did it even worse. Maybe you just can’t see why a movie like Beyond might have been a disappoitment for the reboot fans who liked these movies because, after all, you aren’t one of those fans. Had Beyond been the most successful of the 3, it probably wouldn’t be the movie you liked.

It’s interesting, anyway, how the response Beyond got successfully displayed the ulterior motives and absence of coherence of many reboot haters, and how disingenuos their arguments are. Fanboys established that STID was a flop, in spite of facts proving otherwise, in the same way they are now denying evidence about Beyond and want to rationalize it being the least successful of the trilogy. The flaws STID had are overinflated in the same breath Beyond’s ones are given a free pass on (even for the same flaws STID had). Even the two creative teams are judged with double standards, with Pegg&co getting a pass for things that the previous writers were crucified for. But then again, I didn’t have any doubt.

@Jemini – you’re simply making up false facts to support your narrative. STID was a flop in many ways. If you’re Bob Orci, you crow about your bank account. But revenue isnt the only way films measure success. There are examples of films making lots of money and being considered failures…or at least under-performers (Superman Returns comes to mind).

If revenue was the only metric worth measuring, then the studio would have been thrilled to have Orci return. But as time marched on and STID didnt make as much as they hoped and was critically panned and all the other issues, PLUS his submissions for Trek 3, they got nervous and pulled the plug and went with a smaller budget.

You simply cannot deny that STID de-railed the JJ Trek film franchise. Its okay if you liked the film. No one can take that away from you. But its not a debate between Trek purists and “new Trekkers”. Its the difference between those that are happy with mediocrity and those that arent.

Plus, Im not sure “it wasnt as bad as the last one” is a ringing endorsement of Beyond. Beyond was as silly and contrived as STID but the story was smaller and simpler so it was less offensive. Which would be a great way to describe it on the DVD cover, unfortunately.

Jemini,

Re: placating

Your claim flies in the face of the fact that JJ said of STID after its run that Paramount did not want STID to in any way seem as if it was a film oriented to any previous STAR TREK fan, even those of the 2009 effort.

It’s gonna be yuge!

like…covfefe huge?

Marvel has all those different series running concurrently on Netflix.

I don’t think its at all outside the realm of possibility that they could already be developing another show.

@Jason Star Trek has always been the most obvious franchise to run a bigger expanded universe, starting now and running into the far future. Indeed, imagine a Star Trek that opens with Kennedy’s speech and, say, follows a family through the 20th century, the Eugenics Wars, WWIII, then the TV show/film eras. There’s so much that could be done with the series l!!

GUYS I just saw Wonder Woman and I have to say it is one of the best films of the year. Chris Pine’s best role to date, at least that I’ve seen. I laughed, I cried, I believed in humanity again. Highly recommended!

Good to know, probably going next weekend

Let me add to the praise of Wonder Woman.
Great Movie.

Ewwww. I want to punch people who say Galaxy Quest is the best Star Trek movie. Right, its better than TWOK, TUC or First Contact. GQ is slapstick nonsense and annoys the frack out of me. I watched it once and never again. Its the most annoying piece of garbage in motion picture history…for me anyway lol. Orville looks funny and enjoyable, its an homage….but its NO Star Trek!!!

The Chadwick,

Re: but its NO Star Trek!!!

For new Paramount, GALAXY QUEST does have the beauty that they turned around, after the fact, and bought it. Unlike with STAR TREK, Paramount Pictures owns both the TV and motion picture rights to GALAXY QUEST. CBS might veto it, BUT it it is with Paramount’s scope to be able to cross the two over in a movie, i.e. make GQ Trek canon.

How would that work exactly? GQ takes place during the present, and Trek 200-300 years from now. It would have to be some kind of time travel situation, or GQ contact with Trek’s alien races in the present day/Trek past …

Curious Cadet,

Re: How would that work exactly?

Well, my understanding was that for the GQ TV show Paramount was going do clever fun stories based on the fictional TV show’s characters’ adventures parodying other shows’ SF adventures, i.e. make its fake remade TV Show production a real sf TV production.

That fictional show’s episodes, i.e. its canon, don’t actually exist so it is entirely within Paramount’s purview to make it up out of whole cloth such that it dovetails with STAR TREK’s canon quite nicely.

If Paramount chooses to go with the GQ movie’s premise then the Thermian ship shows up in contemporary Earth orbit picks up the cast for some mission and undergoes speed of light time dilation into the future of Trek and gets stuck there.

STAR TREK has written several episodes from its first series onward where Earth’s had several first contacts with off-world civilizations before the “official” Vulcan one. The Thermians just became another one that was kept secret.

It could just be that Meyer’s working on the “Talking Trek” after-show in some capacity.

Oh yeah, that Klingon definitely looks as though he belongs to the same race from the original series who in the time line are only 10 years in the future. Rolling my eyes.

That’s what I’ve said on a few threads here before. And not only about the Klingon look. I wish STD was set after the events of TUC and before TNG. There are decades in the prime universe unspoken for between those eras, and I think would have been a cool place in the timeline to put this. Personally, this ‘ten years before Kirk and Spock…” I’m not buying it.

You guys seriously need to get over the “look”. The Klingons in TMP don’t look like the same race seen only a few years before, either.

No, but they do resemble the original concept art for the Klingons in the original Motion Picture/Phase II TV production reboot.

I hope we see Richard Robau and George Kirk in Star Trek Discovery. The new starships will be interesting.

The big story here could be Meyer’s involvement in the next Star Trek film.

Nick Meyer knows how to do quality Star Trek on a budget. For this reason alone, I think it’s possible he is writing the next Star Trek film.

When one considers the commercial failure of Beyond and it’s massive $185 million dollar budget, I think it’s very possible the studio could be looking to someone who they know can deliver a quality ST product for significantly less money than Beyond…I’m thinking Alien: Covenant’s $97 million dollar budget (maybe even less $ than that) rather than Beyond’s bloated budget.

I hope this rumor is true. I’d much rather see a Nick Meyer Star Trek film on a “micro budget” than another ST film like Beyond, that was essentially two hours of things banging into each other to a Beastie Boy/Public Enemy soundtrack.

Meyer is too far removed from the nuts and bolts of the modern film industry to be involved in a large capacity in any movie-making. He might contribute to a story, or even write a script, but I’m afraid his directing days are long behind him. Not that he doesn’t have a good eye and isn’t capable of learning modern technicques, I just don’t think he would care to go to film school for the next year just to learn how a big effects heavy film is shot these days, and most certainly, not for a Star Trek project…naybe his own…but even that would be pushing it.

@jonboc,

Yeah, it might be just a book or a graphic novel that he’s working on.

Or it’s something not as grandiose. Like overseeing the TWOK and TUC conversations to 4K HDR. Another chance for Paramount to double dip into the well.

I’d be over the moon with him writing or contributing to the next Abramsverse movie. Not holding my breath on that though.

I doubt he’d mention another Star Trek property he’s working on if it wasn’t something that had some meat to it, so I doubt it’s a game, book, or merchandise.

Meyer: “. . . when Bryan Fuller invented Star Trek: Discovery . . . he found a niche in the chronology that allows for another stream.”

“another stream”?! Could he mean that, though they have gone back to the original time stream, that they yet veer off into a 3rd time stream?!

Very interesting wording. And it makes me wonder what Fuller saw that allows them this “new stream”? Im not sure we can take Meyer literally in the sense of a new timeline. That would seem to be a non-starter for CBS who saw the whole “new timeline” idea with the JJ films end up not working out very well.

But who knows… what if they are time travelers?

Harry Knowles AICN site is hinting that Nick Meyer is writing and possibly producing and directing a Khan project. It was not mentioned if this was meant as a film or a tv project.

They also seem to suggest that there may be more where that comes from including post Nemesis prime time line projects/films. The story suggests that there may be “loads of Trek projects suddenly in production simultaneously or in rapid succession? Wouldn’t it be WILD if these Star Trek projects were set at different points in Federation history, some even far subsequent to Admiral Janeway’s subspace conversation with Captain Picard in “Star Trek: Nemesis”?

Granted their information is very vague, but this could be some pretty exciting news.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/77983

What exactly would a project about Khan look like? Unless its his time on Earth before cryo-freeze, we know what happened. Unless its his time on Ceti Alpha which doesnt sound very interesting.

Or unless its his time in the kelvin timeline which sounds horrendous.

I hope that his new project is to set the JJ-verse right, & correct it into the prime timeline!

I hope he isn’t working on an “Abrams Trek” film. Personally, I’d like to see the “new” cast go away. Abrams had three chances to hit it out of the ballpark, and only managed a double with the first one, a strike out with the second one, and a double with the third. If Beyond had at least been a triple, I might support more Abrams Trek, but in my book you get three swings and then you’re out.