Last week after months of no news on the Star Trek movie front, it was reported that Paramount had commissioned a new script from former Discovery writer Kalinda Vazquez. The fate of the film franchise has been on hold since Emma Watts was brought in to head up feature films for the studio in mid-2020 when she put all the various Star Trek projects on pause.
But TrekMovie has some exclusive news on another project that was pitched to Watts, from some one very familiar to Star Trek fans.
Nick Meyer’s new Trek pitch
In 1982 the young writer/director Nicholas Meyer was brought in by Paramount to help move the franchise forward after the studio felt they didn’t get the return they were hoping for on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Meyer didn’t know anything about Star Trek, but he went on to craft the script and direct what is still considered the best film of the franchise: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Ever since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond underperformed, Paramount has been struggling to get another Star Trek film going, much like the time in the early ’80s after Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In a new exclusive interview with TrekMovie, Meyer revealed that he has “more than an idea” for what Paramount can do next with Star Trek on the big screen, and last year he put this into action.
Nicholas Meyer on set with William Shatner for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
After Star Trek II, Meyer followed up by writing the script for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and writing and directing Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The success of those films set up the cliché that the even-numbered films are the “good ones” in the franchise. Meyer returned to Star Trek in 2016 to work as a consulting producer on the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, where he also developed a TV miniseries prequel to The Wrath of Khan that would tell the story of Khan Noonien Singh’s time in exile on Ceti Alpha V, a project that was never put into production.
Now, working with his Time After Time and Star Trek VI producing partner Steven-Charles Jaffe, he has developed a new Trek pitch. Meyer tells TrekMovie:
My partner Steven-Charles Jaffe and I wrote a whole treatment and plan for a Star Trek feature film. We didn’t write a whole script. We wrote a very detailed treatment and a whole pitch doc with illustrations. It’s very comprehensive thing. And we first we took it to Alex Kurtzman, then we took it to J.J. [Abrams], and then we took it to Emma Watts at Paramount.
Filling a hole in Star Trek history
Meyer didn’t want to get into details but confirmed this was a new idea and not a repackaged version of his earlier Ceti Alpha TV mini-series. However, he explained how the new idea could end up spawning something on TV:
It was a detailed proposal for what could have been a film, or it could have been a series, or it could have been a film leading to a series or a series leading to a film… It could be a series of films. Yeah, absolutely.
Pressed for more details, Meyer confirmed this wasn’t directly tied to the past TOS movies, TNG movies or Kelvin movies and would involve “new characters” that would have to be cast with new actors. He did offer this one detail regarding how the Meyer/Jaffe pitch fit in with the Trek universe:
This was an independent piece of the Star Trek universe based on holes in the chronology, which would allow for the insertion of original material.
According to Meyer, this pitch was in the last year. As of now, he has not heard back from Paramount but has not given up hope in the idea. But if you are one of those anticipating a new title from the Star Trek team, you can stream some of the existing titles that are available on Hulu in UK conveniently.
For now, it appears that Emma Watts is moving forward with the new idea from Kalinda Vazquez. However, that doesn’t mean Paramount will only explore a single Star Trek movie idea; it has been reported that getting the franchise back on its feet is a priority for Watts. It was just three years ago that her boss, Paramount CEO Jim Gianopulos, was touting that the studio had two Star Trek films in development at the same time, something that is becoming more common with film franchises.
Nick Meyer at Destination New York in 2016
More from Meyer to come
There is much more to come from TrekMovie’s chat with Nick Meyer, including a discussion about the new audiobook release of his memoir The View from the Bridge, his reflections on his time with Star Trek, and more.
Find more news and analysis on upcoming Star Trek feature films.
I just want a 4th Kelvin cast movie. Meyer can direct it if he wants. Paramount should let him as an apology for not letting him direct Nemesis cause he wanted to re-write the script. Stupidest decision ever. Especially considering Nemesis was just a Wrath Of Khan clone.
I agree with you. I do not like the Star Trek on TV and I am not interested in viewing another rebooted cast for another rebooted or renamed Star Trek space ship.
I wouldn’t mind it either, but it does seem like Paramount is moving on. And it will be five years this year since Beyond opened. They are probably thinking of something new that will go on for a few years that can capture new fans. But you never know?
Aside from one major character dying, I don’t see how Nemesis is a Wrath of Khan clone. The stories have almost nothing in common.
A threat from the captain’s past, an enemy with a WMD who wants to kill the crew with it, an emotional wake for a beloved crew member, a captain feeling rejuvenated by the end?
What was the threat from the captain’s past? Picard never even knew Shinzon existed, unlike Kirk and Khan who had a lot of history. Its been a few years since I last suffered through Nemesis, but what wake? Picard talking to B-4 was a wake? Picard was looking pretty rejuvenated early on in the dune buggy scene and actually seems more weary at the end of the movie than at the beginning.
The wake scene (for Data) was cut from the final film. I’m pretty sure it’s on youtube. I’m old and often wrong, so someone can double-check.
The clone could have been created after Picard’s mission to Romulus in ‘unification’, just as a TV episode was used as the backstory for ‘khan’
What?! Nick Meyer offered to re-write Nemesis? One can only dream…
I don’t think it would have worked, the TNG universe is just boring compared to the TOS movie era.. the ships, the sense of exploration – it really is Hortio Hornblower in space for TOS. TNG is more The Love Boat/cruise ship where limitations of the frontier/conflict and starship combat that lasts more than 10 seconds doesn’t seem to fit in.
I remember reading Nick Meyer kept telling the set designers to make the corridors smaller, add buttons, more submarine and warship like with space on the starship at a premium (enlistedmen on the Excelsior in bunks), at red alert have noncoms with phaser torches ready to deal with hull breaches.. just wouldn’t have worked with TNG where the bridge is just wasted space where the Captain is stuck looking at the view screen. If he really turns his head he might see some blinking hard drives or whatever when not talking to his shrink.
Am definitely a TNG fan, but this did make me smile :)
Can’t wait to hear what his pitch for Star Trek is.
This is huge! I would LOVE to see this. That said, I’m sure Paramount will pass on it for one ill-considered reason or another. And what a shame that would be.
The second photo caption should read “ Nicholas Meyer on set with William Shatner for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” Kirk would’ve been wearing an Admiral’s insignia if it were ST2.
Yeah. The set is also Kirk’s quarters in Star Trek VI.
And Shatner is wearing the Lee Majors looking toup, not those terrible things he word in the earlier film that looked like hair transplants from his pubes.
I’m looking forward to Laurie and Tony no doubt discussing this on Friday, during the All Access Podcast.
Same!
Me too
Yeah, should be interesting.
If nothing else, I think Meyer could come up with some original ideas, not just copy, paste and string prior tropes, characters and events into a new show/movie, which is all Abrams, Kurtzmann, Goldsman and their ilk have been able to do.
I also wouldn’t mind seeing Meyer take a crack at writing and directing a movie for the Kelvin-verse cast which I still think is better than the material they have been given.
Personally though, I don’t see either scenario happening. Once Kurtzmann took over for Fuller on Discovery, Meyer (who was attached to that first season) was quickly marginalized, ignored and ultimately discarded and as far as I know not a single idea of his was ever used.
Maybe they weren’t good ideas? I have ZERO interest in that Khan prequel, for instance. Also, Kurtzman didn’t take over for Fuller, Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts did, and they were fired a year later for being horrific bosses, so blame them.
Yeah, the irony was for me is the Khan mini-series (ugh) just sounded like Meyer can’t do anything new and since he directed that movie that starred Khan he was now peddling a show or mini-series about it. I’m so glad it didn’t happen. To hear this news is just much more exciting.
I don’t have any hope of it going anywhere however. He was the guy who sounded like he was fired off of Discovery after just a year by TPTB and now he’s asking pretty much the same people to finance and even direct a big screen film. Good luck lol! But if the idea is intriguing enough to them, who knows?
Wow, personally I think Meyer doesn’t deserve this kind of attitude. All he touched in Trek so far turned gold. Think about it: the only really good Trek feature movie without this involvement was First Contact. Only. Good. Movie. Out of 13 attempts. Cut the guy some slack, will ya?
But that was 30 years ago! Is anyone asking Richard Donner to work on the next Superman reboot film with JJ Abrams? He’s still available and his Superman movies are still considered the best films decades later.
Don’t kill the messenger but Meyer’s time in Star Trek has most likely been done long ago. Of course if he got something actually green lit, I will be just as excited as anyone here to see what he comes up with. I was near glee-ful when it was announced he was coming back to the franchise after nearly 30 years with Discovery. It didn’t exactly work out though, did it? ;)
You have to face reality, maybe just maybe the stuff Meyer wants to do either doesn’t jive with what TPTB want with Star Trek today, or simply lacks any good ideas or maybe both. I don’t know obviously, but he keeps getting shot down for a reason, right?
I literally said the idea of him pitching a new and original Trek film (or new characters) is very exciting to me! I would love to know what it is like everyone else! But he also said he brought the project to every higher up that has some involvement with Star Trek today….none of them even bothered to return the guy’s call. And we now know they are going with someone else for the next movie whose idea was at least interesting enough if they commissioned her to write a script. Again, I’m just stating basic reality, nothing more..
Nicolas Meyer is a family friend of J.J. Abrams. They have known each other since Abrams was a boy. He even attended Abram’s Bar bar mitzvah, and would read him books as a kid. Safe to say J.J. would take his calls on anything movie-related.
So I guess that’s why JJ Abrams has offered Meyer a chance to be involved Star Trek, Star Wars or the MI movies, all the other related Bad Robot movies or any of the dozen TV shows he has running for the last 15 years.
I don’t think we should think just because they are friends, he trusts him to be in charge of huge blockbuster films or TV shows because from what I can tell Meyer has not worked on a single Abrams show or film to this day….not even as a ‘consultant’. And the article literally said Meyer has heard back from no one. Did Abrams just forgot to call him back? Maybe he’ll read this article and remember.
George miller returned after 30 years with ‘fury rd’, nearly 1/2 billion worldwide, 4 Oscars
George Miller created Mad Max. And it took him DECADES for him to get that movie made. He was trying to get a Mad Max movie off the ground since the early-90s (and he did almost get one made in 2000 with Gibson returning but 9/11 killed that project).
Again, that’s apples and oranges. Meyer directed a few movies from a multi billion dollar franchise that started before and after him. It’s not the same thing. Star Trek is now a machine. People come and go all the time. Rick Berman ran it for 18 years. Kurtzman could probably run it another 18 years (not saying he will) and then he’ll be replaced for someone younger and with different ideas for the franchise too. Not one person has any permanent clout over it outside of their current responsibility to it now. But they get fired, someone else will just show up. So no matter who is involved with it, it’s going to keep going regardless because Trek doesn’t live or die by any one person anymore. It hasn’t since TOS frankly when Roddenberry was around and he lost his own clout with it with the movies, ironically when Meyer came aboard TWOK.
That’s the difference and proves how powerful a brand could be. That’s literally my point with Richard Donner and Superman. Those films were great, but he didn’t create any of the characters. They been part of the popular culture ethos long before he showed up and long after his movies were made; because end of the day he was just another cog in the machine. Just a bigger cog at the time. One day someone will take Kevin Feige’s place for Marvel as well. After all he didn’t create a single character, they all been there before he got there, just like most people working on Trek today (although they at least have created new characters along the way).
I’ve always liked Star Trek III. Sure, it isn’t as good as Khan or Voyage Home, but it was a good movie.
See the 80s DC Comics to see what could have been had Meyer been in charge – Saavik, David Marcus and Sulu the next generation, Kirk training up future crews; Federation in chaos given the Genesis crisis.
At the time I was horrified on reading Nick Meyer basically refused to do III because he was begging them to keep Spock dead, now I totally agree with Meyer; it was a mistake to bring him back. It cheapened his perfect death in Star Trek II, did not allow Saavik to become the new Spock (but half Romulan!) and prevented the movie era from heading “out there”.
That being said, III was a good movie I think. I just think that Meyer would have done a better job being all in on a sequel to the Wrath of Kahn. And like Meyer himself noted, Spock back gave us IV (and VI).
The new chilled out Spock after III was a joy to watch right up to his last appearance in ‘darkness’
Yes, I loved IV and VI (and thought his part in ST:2009 was nice).. that being said I think Meyer had a grand strategy for a whole new story continuation that went up in smoke with III (including a young Saavik half Romulan/half Vulcan growing up serving under the greats being the *new* Spock, the Enterprise serving as a training vessel, David Marcus, etc), you have to wonder if those two movies with Spock were worth a whole rejuvenated Star Trek movie era continuation as ‘the next generation’.
Also Spock’s death was just perfect… but now not really his ‘death’.
Yeah I’ve always liked TSFS as well. Not as great as those two but still decent IMO.
I wonder if this hole in the chronology could be somewhere in the large span between the TOS movies and TNG. I could see how he might want to continue from Undiscovered Country, albeit with new characters in that era. Doubtful it would involve Sulu on the Excelsior, but you never know.
That large span would interest me
Well, it would certainly be him working with the era he knows (and has had success with) and one that hasn’t been explored much at all.
I’m not holding my breath on actually getting to see this pitch made real (Paramount not getting back to him doesn’t inspire confidence) but I like the thought of him still pitching new Star Trek ideas. I especially like the idea of “.. an independent piece of the Star Trek universe”. Could be interesting.
Would also be quite interested to hear what ideas he might have for the Kelvinverse crew too.
Perhaps a new crew just after VI on the 1701-A
The A was decommissioned shortly after VI, wasn’t it? Though they could easily come up with some reason for it to be used again. Another training cruise.
Yes, she was to return home to be decommissioned and a few years later Kirk was at the commissioning of 1701-B. So there’s not really room for a 1701-A story unless someone steals her like her predecessor.
Change the A to PS (Pirate Ship) and you got yourself a movie! ;-)
Has it ever been explained why the Enterprise-A was decommissioned after less than 10 years in service? Sure, the command crew retired but they could have easily handed her over to a new crew. The original Enterprise was in service much longer. Excelsior-class and Miranda-class ships were still in service during TNG/DS9. It just seems unreasonable that Starfleet would retire a perfectly good ship after so few years in service.
In his final log Kirk states “this ship and her posterity will soon become the care of another crew”.so who knows? Still it would be interesting to see Saavik and a fresh crowd carry the torch.
YES!! Love the Ent-A. Maybe that’s the ship that goes missing in action(??!?!).
Maybe go with Enterprise C?
I was not convinced by the design of that ship, or rather disliked it.
It was limited by the budget of a TNG episode in 1989 so its all good, but I’d be happy to see a more ‘punchy update for the Enterprise C, and that’s the ship (and crew) that’s been least explored so far in filmed Trek Canon (for all the Ents. up to E anyway).
Even if not the Enterprise itself, another ship (perhaps of the same respective classes) that was out there exploring the galaxy at the same time as the Enterprise B or C could make for an interesting story.
Yeah sure.
My line of thinking is that the movies have always been about the Enterprise and I’d suspect Paramount will continue that tradition.
Yeah, you’re probably right. Just wondering whether, with SNW on the horizon, CBS/Paramount might not want to have two Enterprise-focused developments happening at once. Could that be seen as a potential barrier to any new fans (i.e. too confusing)?
Nah just have the era different.
We did have TOS movies and TNG both running concurrently for a few years and both aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. So I don’t think it’s a big deal AS LONG AS there is a big enough time gap between the two like what TOS and TNG did. It doesn’t have to be that big, but maybe something post TUC at least.
Yes, with the exception of Nemesis being released during the ENT run, I believe that’s the only time we’ve had two different versions of an Enterprise ‘up and running’ at the same time.
Was just imagining a ‘focus group’ of some sort advising against having two alternate Enterprise ships/crews though, to avoid ‘diluting brand identity’ or some such.
Hopefully SNW will be well enough established by the time any new film is released for this to be an issue.
I completely forgot Enterprise and Nemesis also running at the same time. Yeah, another good example.
So I don’t think it would be that big of a deal, especially since the other is a film series that just runs every few years. It would be more of an issue if it was two TOS projects or something and probably why they never considered a new TOS show when they were trying to get All Access more subscribers because the Kelvin films were already around.
But I just don’t think people are that confused by this stuff, certainly not today. DC has multiple duplicate characters running around in the TV and movie verse and no one flinches. They just launched a new Superman TV show and they are going to introduce another new Superman in the movies supposedly. There is now season 7 of Flash and they had a movie Flash for a few years as well. And movie Flash is finally getting his own standalone movie as well. No one over there seems worried people would get confused over all the different characters and various universes.
And that’s the funny thing, out of all people, genre and science fiction fans adapt to this stuff the most because it’s already part of a format that presents multiverses or alternate timelines as part of its storytelling, hence the Kelvin movies. Tell them that’s what it is, no one would blink.
Yes. You make a very good point about how adaptable sci-fi fans are. Comes with the territory, I suppose.
There was a lot of overlap between the TOS movies (Enterprise-A) and TNG (Enterprise-D). Maybe I don’t understand what you mean.
I was just wondering whether there would be any sort of reluctance from CBS/Paramount to release a film focused on a ‘new’ Enterprise at a time when SNW would (presumably) still be in its infancy.
Might they be thinking that having two versions running at the same time could discourage potential new fans from getting invested?
This isn’t something that I believe myself, but I just thought it worth mentioning given that, as you say, the only other time it’s been done (NEM/ENT aside) was back in the late 80’s/early 90’s when TFF & TUC were released during TNG’s early seasons.
Tiger2 raised some good points to counter this though (see above), so hopefully it won’t prove to be an issue.
(Hope this makes sense)
Unless a series becomes huge…
I think that’s fine. If they think having the starship Enterprise is what sells on the big screen, do it. Even on the TV show, three (soon to be four) shows have an Enterprise on it. They can still have a new cast of characters on it. And there are still plenty of letters left in the alphabet. ;)
The c would be awesome.
It will be hard to get into a movie about the C, knowing its fate. (Yes, I know, Butch Cassidy and Titanic were successes. This just seems different though.)
Enterprise c rra
I agree that the “lost years” between TOS and TNG would be a great place to have Meyer play in.
It doesn’t have to be the Enterprise, and I’d rather have latter era of the B than the tragic C if it is the Enterprise.
But I would think that the recently commissioned one would need to be greenlighted and in preproduction for real before they’d let this happen.
And like Hawley’s script, if it can fit in and be made for a more modest budget, a made-for-streaming movie or limited series could be a option.
Watts may want to curate their streaming series, but Paramount+ seriously needs more original content.
Heh, I still remember the days when a good number of us were guessing that Discovery would be set between TOS and TNG. I’d still love to see that.
Me too.
Yeah, I was pretty stoked about that concept of post-STVI with Meyer and ancient Klingons involved. Oh well…
I was one of those. Yet another layer of disappointment when we found out otherwise.
Excelsior could work with the reboot Sulu in the rule and a new actress playing Janice Rand?!? Have Saavik transfer aboard, new cast.
No offense to Mrs Vazquez, but her credentials working on Discovery give me absolutely zero confidence in her ability to write a good ST script. Discovery makes no sense, from season 1 to the last. Just because it’s science fiction doesn’t mean you can do anything you want just to fit the story or change established concepts just to add your own ideas to satisfy your own ego (and pat yourself on the back for it). I’m all for new ideas but at some point it’s no longer Star Trek. Nicholas Meyer has cred and talent but unfortunately, the powers that be have no idea what they’re doing and will probably choose the Vazquez route.
Completely agree with this. I actually think the reason that Vazquez’s script has a greater chance of catching on than Meyer’s might be more sinister, in a sense: I think that with the exception of “Picard” — where the involvement of, and need to accommodate, Patrick Stewart necessitated bringing in big creative guns (e.g. the already-famous and highly acclaimed Michael Chabon) — Paramount/CBS’s overall plan is to emulate Disney by structuring the franchise more like a corporation than a creative enterprise. Kurtzman is the CEO and the pitchman, “overseeing” the creative process and becoming the public face of the franchise as a whole (delivering vague hype quotes, mouthing platitudes about Trek values, etc. — I’m staggered by how prominent he personally is in Twitter ads I get that are ostensibly for the Trek franchise as a whole), while he has handpicked lieutenants from the “farm team” (i.e. young, relatively inexperienced, readily steered, and less well paid creatives, e.g. Vazquez) quickly promoted to positions of authority. A handful of old-guard enthusiasts thrilled at being “promoted” to positions of power — people who wrote Trek franchise novels or comics, or who were junior crew on the previous shows — get sprinkled in as an olive branch to “the fans” and to find ways to maximize the interconnectedness of the new IP instances, like coming up with cameos by characters from obscure old episodes (like that outrageous Okona, say). People with genuine creative vision and excellent track records, with all the attendant clout (and doubly so if they had actual power in the Trek franchise previously), are kept out because they’re less likely to play by the rules: less willing to maximize crossovers, to keep the budgets small, to cast studio-preferred talent, etc. And even if they’re brought in, they’re shown the door quickly amid “creative differences” — think Edgar Wright on “Ant-Man”, Rian Johnson after “The Last Jedi”, or Bryan Fuller on “Discovery”. What remains will be largely hyperpalatable pablum — pop entertainments full of glitz and dense insider-references but devoid of daring or creativity.
Whether this will actually work out… I have my doubts. I don’t think Trek has ever had the broad appeal that Paramount/CBS would like to think (as evidenced by the good-but-not-great performance of the Kelvin movies), and I don’t think Kurtzman is the brilliant operator they think he is. (They probably didn’t know what to expect with streaming, and credit him where credit may not be due.) But regardless, I don’t think we’re in for *good* Trek moving forward. The occasional quality bit will make it through, to be sure, but it’ll be accidental, in a sense: Paramount/CBS want saturation and streams, not art. Nicolas Meyer would strive for art. So the odds are sadly not likely to be in his favor.
Vazquez isn’t really an example of what you describe her as, though. She has been writing for TV shows since 2009 and producing shows since 2011. Her role as a consulting producer on Disco is probably the least authority she’s had on any project she’s been involved with, and it was for only 6 episodes of S3. She’s an industry veteran at this point.
Now, I have no idea if she’s going to write a good movie. I just don’t think a false narrative about her is a valid reason to have doubts (I am not saying there aren’t other valid reasons).
I’m going to keep an open mind until we hear more, though I’m all for more Meyer. The person in charge of making movies at Paramount is new, so I don’t have any basis for making assumptions about the type of movie she’d want to greenlight. And Vazquez has written for and produced a few shows that I enjoyed, so I’m not willing to write her off immediately. Fingers crossed.
No, it’s not a false narrative. She is, as I said, “young” — early 40s, I’d guess, going by her first credits as an assistant in 2003 — and I stand by the characterization of her as “relatively inexperienced.” She’s not totally new to the industry, sure, but nor has she cut her teeth on critically acclaimed productions, writing/producing/editing on “Prison Break,” “Human Target,” “Nikita,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Runaways,” and “Fear the Walking Dead.” Plus a Short Trek and a single “Discovery” teleplay. (Nothing wrong with enjoying them, but these shows weren’t striving to be art.) And she’s never worked on any film (aside from being an assistant to Brian Grazer on “Cat in the Hat.”) Bottom-line, she’s in-house and doesn’t have a lot of objective clout in the industry — she’s not likely to bite the hands that feed her, even if those hands need to be bitten.
Now, it’s entirely possible that she did come up with a brilliant idea for a film, and it was chosen purely on its merits, and she will do a brilliant job on the script, and the film will 1) happen and 2) actually be good. But there’s nothing in her record thus far — which is relatively short, and relatively undistinguished — that would suggest that this is objectively likely. And the fact that they’re foregrounding her *name* in the press (the press-push is low-key, to be fair — and who knows how serious any of this is, even with Bad Robot lining up behind it) as evidence of her love of Trek is not promising.
For the record, I have similar concerns about the also young and relatively inexperienced Terry Matalas, but 1) he’s the showrunner for a show, not the screenwriter for a film, which alleviates the creative burden 2) Michael Chabon seems to still be heavily involved creatively (I’ve seen reports he “broke the story” for S2, and has been free to spend much more time on the show than anticipated thanks to COVID-19 delays to his own other productions, 3) Matalas at least worked extensively on Trek (VOY and ENT), and 4) “12 Monkeys” was well-regarded critically under his watch.
Absolutely agree with you, Silvereyes. I say bring on Meyer’s treatment – his track record with Trek is meritable, no matter how long it’s been since TUC. Just the thought of one of DSC’s hack writers penning a feature Trek film fills me with…nothing.
Let’s keep in mind that there’s evidence that at one point Meyer’s scripts crossed beyond Roddenberry’s concept of Star Trek at the time.
Lol My understanding is that 90s Roddenbery HATED Meyer who was all 60s Roddenbery (Wagon Train to the Stars, Horatio Hornblower in space). You had these cool militaristic uniforms with ranks, non-commissioned officers, action/adventure and limitations on the frontier – stuff that 60s Roddenbery would have loved he now hated given he was the utopian visionary now. Also I think it really bugged him that Meyer did 60s Roddenberry better than 90s Roddenbery and TNG was an attempt to erase that all.
Your understanding is spot on, sir. Great analysis!
Quite true. Roddenberry of the 80’s and 90’s had strayed from his original vision or at least, we can say he didn’t always have great ideas and was certainly a pain to work with. So all the better if Meyer’s scripts crossed beyond Roddenberry’s concepts. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Fascinating
However, it looks at the moment that Watts hasn’t picked this up
Shame, seems like a gift to Paramount
We don’t know what the idea is though. It could really really suck lol. Again, it just proves that fans base a lot of things on nostalgia more than anything. He made a few films decades ago fans really liked so that much mean every idea after that is gold.
And I have to remind people the guy is in his mid-70s now and hasn’t directed a big screen film since TUC. In other words, no one is begging him to work. And the one time he officially worked on Star Trek again with Discovery he was let go after a single year.
We all fawn over Meyer like it’s still 1991 but it’s literally 30 years later and he doesn’t seem like any of his ideas since has won anyone over at CBS or Paramount thus far even when he was hired on for both Discovery and to make a Khan miniseries. That could be for a very simple reason: they weren’t very good ideas.
Quite possibly
But there have been Directors of that age and over….Even Clint Eastwood, and have no doubt you could name a few more of that vintage.
Clint Eastwood has been steadily working for the last 30 years, Meyer hasn’t. That’s the difference. I’m not saying he’s too old to direct, what I’m saying is he’s probably been out of the game too long for anyone to see him as a real viable director today. The entertainment business is like any business, you can be at the top of your game, but once you are away from it for too long, it’s hard to reclaim that position because a lot of the industry you were once a part of has A. either changed to understand it or B. that you have 100 guys like you once who were just as successful as you were and understand how things works today.
There are tons of older directors still working of course, but most of them been directing for decades now like Spielberg, Eastwood, Ridley Scott and on and on. But those are big time A list directors who still has tons of clout and very involved with the industry. Meyer basically retired from directing decades ago. Either that or he just couldn’t get work? Either one doesn’t give him any clout today. No one even suggested he direct an episode of Discovery and he was there for an entire season.
I’m just stating basic reality nothing more. We have to take off our fandom glasses, Nic Meyer is just not seen as a viable director or even writer like he was 30 and 40 years ago when the TOS movies were around. If that was the case, someone would’ve called the guy back by now. Trust me, when Eastwood pitches an idea, even if they don’t like it, they always call that guy back. ;)
What’s strange is: According to IMDB Meyer co-created a TV show a few years ago (“Medici”). However, it seems that he wasn’t involved beyond the first 2 episodes. And he certainly didn’t direct any of the episodes.
It’s almost like Bryan Fuller who co-created Discovery and has story/teleplay credits on the very early episodes but isn’t involved in anything beyond that. Obviously, I don’t know if Meyer was fired from Medici but it seems strange.
Good points Tiger2.
It’s hard to image that he hasn’t made a cinematic feature since he was in his 40s.
Suggests something along the lines of not playing well in the sandbox. It’s not like Frakes’ disaster with Thunderbirds where a bad film nearly sunk his directing career.
He was working from a script with no understanding of the TV show so it was not his fault.
If you’re talking about Frakes and Thunderbirds, the script was one of several issues, including a lead that didn’t want to be there.
Frakes has talked about the lessons he learned and one of them was when he needed to be tougher, and draw the line as a director.
I think Meyer was considered more of a working director, ie, he doesn’t have any major clout to create his own projects but certainly can get work on different films or shows . That’s obviously what the majority of directors and certainly TV directors like Frakes is today, a working one. They just get the job they get.
And Meyer has made a few solid films for sure, but yeah it was all from literally decades ago now. Most under 40 years old has never even heard of most those movies unless they are huge movie buffs. And we only talk about the guy because of Star Trek. If Meyer never made those movies, very few of us would be talking about him unless you can convince me of other directors people still rave about when their last big film was from 1985. And there are just too many up and coming directors out there Hollywood is taking advantage of today. They all seem to be working on Marvel or Star Wars projects though lol.
I’m not saying anything other than basic reality. And of course I was really excited when I saw the title for this article. I thought wow, this was a Tarantino situation and that the studio is at least interested and we could see something come from this. It felt very exciting at least for a few minutes. And then I read it and realized the truth, he pitched yet another idea no one took seriously enough and clearly moved on. Yes it’s still possible but since we know they have actually commissioned another script now, it was probably DOA from the start.
I still would love to see something come of it, but the chances are very small now. These people passed on Tarantino’s and Hawley’s ideas and both are very relevant today unlike Meyer. I do think it’s more about not being sure where they want the franchise to go next more than any one director, but that tells you something in itself.
Well, until he proves us wrong, I’d assume he’s still got a few gems left in him.
He hasn’t been able to prove anything in decades, that’s the only I’m making. No one has given him a job in a long long time, at least as a director.
Michael Dorn has a pitch, too. Next.
Except Mr Dorn does not have three solid Trek films under his belt.
Neither does Mr. Meyer. TUC is a wobbler, at best.
TUC is the best of all the thirteen films.
Glad you like it. Not everyone shares that opinion.
I must admit, I really like TUC too. Not necessarily my favourite, but definitely in my top 3. Each to their own, though.
TUC is still my second favorite Trek film after TWOK. FC is my third.
I can never quite decide between TWOK and FC as to my absolute favourite. Ask me on any given day and I’ll probably give you a different answer.
Those two, along with TUC, definitely make up my top 3 though. So TUC takes some beating in my book.
TWOK was actually not just the first Trek movie I saw in theaters, but one of the few movies I remember watching as a kid at a drive in theater. In fact, we didn’t even go to watch that, we went to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark and TWOK was playing with it and my mother wanted to get her money’s worth lol.
So on nostalgia purposes alone makes it my favorite. ;)
But yes, TWOK, TUC and FC have been my three favorites for over 20 years now. Sad with the later TNG and Kelvin movies, none of them have gotten close to top 3 for me.
Cool story. Don’t know how much your tickets cost that day, but those two films definitely sound like value for money to me :)
Agreed. I like some of those films well enough, but do think we’re long overdue something that can sit alongside the ‘classics’.
The only reason I think TUC < TWOK is the Uhura scene. Yes it was funny but should have been better worked out (it being some weird Klingon code language that changes all the time specifically designed that those who simply speak Klingon and/or use translators to not be recognized). Uhura to be is supposed to be a lingustics/communications expert and I worry it doesn’t come off that way. Still it was a funny scene and she does get them through the Empire.
Yes, that scene certainly doesn’t seem to fit with what we know of Uhura. Maybe it was a particularly obscure dialect they were speaking ;)
In hindsight, something like you suggest would make more sense. Or, if they particularly wanted to lean into the comedy, have Uhura be off the bridge at that point (for some reason) and have the rest be scrambling around for their copy of “Klingon for Dummies”.
But, as you say, good fun anyway and doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the film (for me at least).
Not everyone shares yours either.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Don’t think I’ve ever implied otherwise.
That’s for sure. Considering how right he got the characters in TWOK and TVH, I think there was more assassination going on in the scripting of TUC than in the movie!
Thank you.
TWOK in my opinion is the best, but I guess I am reinforcing that Meyer has solid Trek films under his belt
TUC is fantastic and widely regarded as one of the best in the series. Your mileage may vary and that’s your right, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many people who would agree with you.
So Lucky to have it and Chris Plummer
I’ve never had any problems finding folks who think it’s a lower tier effort. It’s better then Generations, TFF, and Insurraction. But, sorry, the story hasn’t held up well, and there are enough continuity issues and dangling dialouge that don’t enshrine it as an above average offering….and opinions will vary, there’s nothing wrong with that.
TUC is great. The last good TOS movie imo until the feeble attempts by JJ and his crew.
I’ve been rewatching them all and I gotta say TVH hasn’t aged well. The 80’s comedy schtick kills it for me. Were as TUC hold ups remarkably well. Honestly if their was a fire and I had to grab a few of them from getting destroyed I would run for my copies of TWOK, TUC and FC. That all that needs to be said.
This is the third pitch we’ve heard about that presumably doesn’t involve the Enterprise crew. They must not want to pay Chris Pine & co.’s sequel rates.
By the time we get another movie on the big screen (assuming there are any left), Beyond will likely be nine or ten years in the rear view mirror. I’d be surprised if we get a feature with the Kelvin cast again.
No more kelvin, its prime time now, plus its not the tos era.
I have no qualms about the Kelvin universe, but ten years between movies of the same cast is a likely fail.
Could use the same cast but in the movie “prime” era and do Kirk’s second five year mission. Then do some DC stories at the time (the disappearance of the Organians fighting with the Metrons setting up a war to test good vs. evil = awesome movie material).
Shame
Or perfect for a Motion picture type adventure that is only just beginning
how long has this site existed now? gotta be pushing 15 years now isnt it?
I’m just happy so many writers are actually pitching something new for the movies. It’s nice to see people like Hawley and Meyer recognize that and even though we probably won’t see a new Trek movie until 2026 the way things are going there is now a feeling of hope Paramount isn’t looking to just regurgitate TOS or TNG characters on the big screen for another decade. This is what so many of us been wanting for a long time now and really what the franchise needs.
I wasn’t a huge proponent of the Kelvin movies when it was first announced. A TOS reboot film really didn’t interest me that much. That said, i obviously understood it at the time and it made perfect sense to reenergize the franchise again from the beginning and start anew. It was basically a reset to the franchise as a whole. People can argue all day if it really worked or not but at least for a few years anyway it tried to reintroduce the franchise to a new generation of fans and still do something different placing it in another universe (that was the part that actually made a bigger fan of the idea).
But those films are clearly done now. So instead of ANOTHER TOS or even TNG reboot now is the time to really do something unique and can draw in both old and new at the same time the way the new shows are trying to do.
Unfortunately I don’t see anything coming out of this, especially since they already announced a new Trek film writer for a new film and it sounds like he pitched this at least months ago. But maybe something will come of it. It’s just nice the latest projects, success or not, is trying to take the movie franchise in a new direction for a change.
If they keep throwing enough stuff at the wall, eventually something will stick. I don’t imagine this will be it, either.
Yeah and the fact that we heard zip about it until now is probably not a great sign either. It sounds like Paramount heard it and moved on with Vazquez’s idea. Even Meyer talks about it in the past tense although he says it’s still possible. But we know most likely it’s pretty much DOA since they clearly with someone different and (ironically) a current Discovery writer, which Meyer was the first person hired for Discovery and as a writer.
But you never say never I guess. I just want something, anything, new presented and it’s great so many writers are going down this route now. It sounds like whatever Vazquez could be writing something completely new as well.
Have to say, I think I’m virtually in complete agreement with you on this.
It’s the thought of NEW ideas, whether they’re coming from well established or newer writers, which I find to be the most exciting too.
A new ship perhaps, new crew, a new mission, new discoveries, new dangers…and maybe taking place in a new (or barely explored) era of the Star Trek universe.
It sounds like our thoughts on the Kelvin films are pretty similar too. Able to enjoy them on their own merits, though separately from the events of the prime universe.
I posted some rambling thoughts on the ‘All Access’ podcast post the other day, in which I mentioned that if the studio feels the need to follow the pattern of recent movies (all-action, taking on a central villain etc.) then I think I’d actually prefer they stick with the Kelvinverse, where that style has become the norm.
Otherwise, let the writers have a blank canvas and see what exciting things they can come up with for the prime universe…
Honestly I’ve always liked the Kelvin movies, I just never had a strong pull to them like the other movies. In other words, they make more, great, I’ll watch them for sure. If not, no big deal. I don’t hate any of the KU movies, I just never been wowed by any of them either. And then they stuck to the uber-villain trope for three straight films and kind of worn out their welcome. And I really do like the idea of being in another universe, but sadly they kind of squandered the idea very early, so yeah.
But now since it’s been pretty obvious for awhile now they moved on from those movies and cast, then now is the time to take a chance and present some original ideas. And if they are trying to grab new audiences, then maybe it would help to have brand new characters and not ones bogged down with 20 years of canon or character development they have to somehow weave in for the actual hardcore fans but still make it digestible for new people.
I just never believed this odd idea Star Trek films will only succeed with known characters. That is about as myopic as believing Star Trek could only survive with just the TOS characters. People believed that for years until TNG proved otherwise and it was the first show out the gate. Like that, the only way they will really know is to TRY it first.
Couldn’t agree more.There is a whole realised universe that’s been established (across multiple eras), so why not take advantage?
The thought that we’d be sticking with the same existing characters and scenarios all the time seems a bit like a child having a box full of toys and yet only ever playing with one or two of them.
As you say, it has been proven before that change CAN work. The transition in characters from TOS to TNG or from TNG to DS9 perhaps being the best examples. The idea of setting DS9 aboard a space station, rather than a roaming starship, opened up some new storytelling possibilities too.
People will always have their favourites, of course, and perhaps that best proves the point. Whether it’s TOS, LD or anything in between, there is something about each show that has a unique appeal to somebody.
When we’re currently in a time where multiple shows are in production (and films might even be returning now too) I’m personally hoping for as much variety amongst them all as possible. I might not like them all as a result, but this seems like the best way of achieving a ‘something for everyone’ approach.
Meyer is doing the same thing QT was a year ago. It wasn’t going anywhere with the studio, so he figured giving it a pitch to the media might generate a response.
It was a bit different with QT, they at least commissioned a script for it. And my guess is if Tarantino was serious about directing it, they would’ve at least discussed it with maybe changes or just had him come up with another idea. I do think the studio was at least interested in Tarantino being part of Star Trek, I just don’t think the story he came up with was anything they wanted to go forward with, that’s all. But I would like to think the guy can come up with more than a single idea lol. Right?
With Meyer, I don’t think they are interested at all with him being associated with Star Trek today. They clearly like and respect the guy since his movies are still considered iconic (for Star Trek). After all they at least heard it. I can guarantee you I can take his same idea and I would never get passed security lol.
But yes, this is nothing new. They have listened to every former Trek actor, writer or producer pitch ideas over and over again. There is tons of stories out there on websites where everyone from Johnathan Frakes to William Shatner who has pitched ideas that is rarely talked about, because they never talked about it themselves in public. And then of course we have people like Michael Dorn and George Takei and their pitches for new shows because they WON’T stop talking about it lol.
So I agree this is par for the course. It sounds like Paramount or CBS will listen to any former Trek actor, producer, director etc ideas, especially when they are still very popular in the fanbase themselves. But that’s still a very long way to getting it beyond that for a multitude of factors probably. There are probably tons of treatments and scripts sitting in a room somewhere by many people long associated with Trek in the past but never anything more than that.
The C era could be movies since its not era much used, while the tv series fill other eras. The tv and movies using different era has been done before.
Tho a colony ship would be interesting too.
I agree, the Enterprise C has lots of potential too obviously and be a nice prequel era to TNG the way SNW probably will be for TOS.
That’s the beauty of Star Trek, it’s a franchise that expands centuries into the future (now literally over a thousand years into it) and it’s setting is the freaking galaxy. There should never be a lack of stories lol. It’s just more of an issue of fresh new ideas to tell those stories in basically.
If the new movies had to at least bring back an Enterprise, then fine. I would be more than fine to a movie set on the Enterprise B or C….or even the F or G. There is really no limits you can do with future stories and even previous ships since we know so little about them outside an episode or film.
The report quotes are in the past tense
Nicholas Meyer making a movie pitch is the best Trek news of the year!! This isn’t just some retired actor pitching, this is the director of ST II:The Wrath of Khan, writer of ST IV: The Voyage Home and director of ST VI: The Undiscovered Country. This is a guy who turns down movies when the script sucks or when the vision isn’t bold enough. That’s what Trek needs.
It’s great news, but it means zilch if the studio doesn’t even call the guy back lol. That’s the only point being made. Everyone is cheering for something that already sounds like its DOA, so what am I missing? Love to be proven wrong of course.
And when was the last time the guy was even offered a to direct something to turn it down? You’re talking about him like he’s Steven Spielberg and people are knocking down his door to work with him when in reality last time he directed something was a TV movie from over 20 years ago. That’s a looooong time.
And he is basically a retired director at this point. He doesn’t have any clout and the little that he had was probably decades ago already, which makes it even harder for him to get any real projects off the ground, Star Trek or not. I wish people can take off their fanboy glasses for a minute and realize his name just doesn’t hold much water these days no matter how much we like him personally.
If the director/writer of ST II:TWOK doesn’t have clout for having a movie (THE Star Trek movie?) unequalled in decades… something is seriously wrong.
Y E S! go for it!
YES, YES, YES. PUNCH IT.
I’d say go Enterprise-B time period… you get the movie era starships/sets/technology/frontier.
Also no one knows what happened to the ENT-B.
I say send her far far away from the Federation, maybe even has to set up a TOS style Federation elsewhere (maybe never to return to the oncoming snoozefest of TNG).
Doesn’t get any more Wagon Train to the stars/Horatio Hornblower in space than that.
Yes not B not C
Agreed, though someone noted that the ENT-A could have gone missing with a training crew… imagine that!! That would rock!! Ent-A with new untried crew on freighter duty for a colonization effort (escort?) ends up MIA never to be seen again… these are their voyages.
I don’t agree with the dislike for TNG myself, as that was actually my intro to Star Trek so I do hold it in quite high regard. I do really like your idea though.
A long-term mission into the unknown for the ENT-B? That’s definitely got the potential for a successful film series, IMO.
Sign me up!!
I guess I should say something nice about TNG – I liked the episodes are the ones where Picard joins the ultimate evil collective unimind and destroys most of the Starfleet to mix things up.
Ah, knew there’d be something you could enjoy about it ;)
If they redesign the B, I’m all for it. That “Excelsior with extra doo-dads” design was hideous.
But I thought the middle years (Season 3-5) of TNG were excellent. Not sure where the “snoozefest” criticism is coming from.
Wish they had left the Ent-B a base Excelsior. Bridge was cool though. Engineering can look like it did a Connie in TMP. Also have the the cool shuttle bays, warp shuttle sleds, etc .
Maybe a transwarp experiment gone wrong. Have the Ent-B have to colonize the unknown, find dilithium before they run out of fuel and end up trapped around a star.
Maybe they were transporting a colony ship and end up transported where no one has gone ever. Have them need to use a black hole for power (Penrose process) then have it where they have to stop an alien race which has enslaved all the local inhabitants from triggering a Higgs field collapse around a black hole).
Yes the B would be great, looks wise love the C.
Well, if Paramount passes on this, which seems like maybe they already did considering the other recent Trek movie news, he could still put it in novel form. He is a writer after all.
Oh. Joy.
But seriously why not have him rescue the film series again.
Hopefully this will be more ‘voyage home’ than ‘khan’
Exhilarating news. Meyer is a highly literate, intelligent and creative talent with a proven track record of top notch films and books- Trek, and beyond. We know he can deliver first rate Trek—on a tight budget and deadline.
Crossing fingers and wishing him all the best. Whether Kelvin, prime or something totally new- the odds of getting a new- and great- Trek film have greatly increased.
Fans should be thrilled.
Why has there never been a series that takes place from the Klingon or Romulan point of view? Can you imagine the timelines and stories that could be explored??! Anyways, I hope Paramount gives Meyer the reigns and let’s him run with a new film or series. I have been saying for years that we need a series following the Enterprise B.
And c
I’ve always been interested in seeing something from another perspective too.
What would the equivalent ‘5-year mission’ have been aboard a Klingon or Romulan starship? What sort of missions would we have seen them undertake each week?
Another interesting idea I heard once (can’t remember where) was for something set aboard a mercenary ship (like that in TNG S7’s “Gambit”).
We could really step away from the ‘sanitised’ world of the Federation for a bit there, as who knows what sort of misadventures such a group of rogues might have..?
Star Trek Picard kind of tried that and it didn’t go over well with part of the fandom. If anything, it seems that many long-term fans want to go back to the “good old days”.
True. PIC was certainly the closest any show has come to that idea.
I wonder whether something that features no existing characters (and the baggage such inclusion can often bring with it) might be better received though…
A gang of mercenaries or smugglers, operating in the orbit of the Orion Syndicate perhaps.
There could be enough references and links to the wider Star Trek universe, to make it clear where it was set, but it would otherwise be it’s own distinct show, with its own particular target audience.
Some of the violence and language present in the new era may feel less objectionable in this type of setting too.
SNW will hopefully satisfy that desire for the “good old days” by delivering a show in the classic Star Trek tradition of episodic exploration, wonder and optimism.
At some point the question becomes: Why call it a “Star Trek” show anymore? To some extent, this discussion started already with DS9 (for some maybe even with TNG) but it picked up steam with the Kelvin movies and with Discovery and Picard. Some fans do not consider these newer productions “real Star Trek” because (in their opinion) they stray too far from what they believe makes Trek Trek.
In legal terms, anything that the owner of the IP (CBS/Paramount) decides to call Star Trek is Star Trek. But for many Trek fans a show has to retain certain elements that they deem essential. Obviously, what these essential elements are differs for each fan
Would adding the Orion Syndicate to “Killjoys” make it a Trek show? Would adding Klingons to “Firefly” make it a Trek show?
CBS and Secret Hideout are pushing the envelope with some of the stuff they do. In some cases they have backtracked after fan backlash. In others they have stood their ground and have driven some fans away as a result.
But I guess the further they take new Trek away from older shows the louder the complaints will get. And at some point the question really is: Is it worth still calling a show Trek if it has nothing in common with previous outings except for, say “using warp drive”?
This is the way.
It’s a fair point. The way I see it, it’s a matter of how MANY Star Trek shows are actually in production…
They touched on this during one of the recent ‘All Access’ podcasts, when discussing the potential Quentin Tarantino movie. If it was the ONLY thing on offer, then it may possibly be far less appealing than if it was just one of several offerings.
Like TheRealCaptKirk, I have been interested in the idea of a show set from another perspective (than that of Starfleet) for quite a while. No issues with Starfleet, their fine protagonists, but I’d just be interested to see what life aboard another vessel was like (their missions, motivations etc.) and what type of show could develop out from that.
Right now, we’re seeing more Star Trek in production than ever before, so it feels like this could be an ideal time for just such a show (whether featuring Klingons, Romulans, Orion pirates or something else) to be made.
The important point being that this would just be ONE of a number of shows on offer, which people could choose to watch (or not) based on whether it held any particular appeal for them. If not, they would hopefully be able to get their Star Trek ‘fix’ elsewhere.
As for exactly what makes a Star Trek show, and why some fans have been “driven away”, I think that’s quite a difficult one. We all have our own reasons for liking Star Trek, and the very shows that have perhaps alienated some fans will be the same ones that have brought new fans onboard.
Here’s my ‘two cents’ worth…
The quality of the writing, the coherence of the plot and the development of the characters are obviously crucial to any show. For those who felt that DIS and/or PIC fell short in any of these areas, I think that’s a perfectly rational reason to dislike them (and stop watching).
Beyond that, I think there are also certain expectations that might come with the setting of a show onboard a Federation starship during a particular era or from revisiting well-established characters. All of which likely stems from fans’ own ENJOYMENT of the previously established world-building. Something that is also perfectly rational IMO.
It then becomes a matter of whether any newly-introduced elements are felt to ‘rock the boat’ too much. Personally, I did feel that the introduction of the spore drive in pre-TOS era DIS was quite jarring. A bit like if Amazon were to introduce laser-guided missiles to Middle Earth in their new LOTR show!!
I try not to focus on this sort of thing too much myself, but I can accept that too many such examples may detract from some fans’ ability to invest in (and so enjoy) a show, as they are SO committed to what has gone before.
Lastly there is the increased levels of violence and strong language which has taken the new shows away from being suitable ‘family’ viewing, which I know is a very important point for some fans.
When dealing with an established property like Star Trek, it must be quite difficult to balance the expectations of a studio, and the desire to make something distinctive that will appeal to as wide an audience as possible (so as not to seem like a ‘members only’ club), while at the same time staying true to the show’s roots and keeping long-term fans invested.
I might be being shockingly naive here, but hopefully, as time goes on, Secret Hideout will be able to fully refine their approach and we may then start to see enough different shows that there will be something on offer for all types of Star Trek fan…
God, I’d about die from giddiness if this was an Ent-B movie along the lines of the thing I thought up after stumbling out of GENERATIONS back in 94 … that’s a period when there is still a frontier feel and everything isn’t replicated and easily recrystalized.
How about a ent b to c film series that leads to a tv series of the c.
I enjoyed Nicholas Meyer’s latest novel starring Holmes and Watson, a bizarre adventure about an ancient example of fake news, until I got to the author’s postface, in which he ironically echoes fake news and calls the President of Russia. Very unpleasant.
I have a feeling one of the reason for Paramount passing on this idea, rather than quality of it, is because of the modern sensibilities in entertainment. Maybe it just wasn’t diverse enough, or they’d rather choose a writer/producer who goes on much better with the modern zeitgeist.
Agreed. You have to wonder how many great scripts are being passed on out there for those very reasons. It’s a shame.
I agree with this as well. There are probably several reasons but that’s probably a big one. Meyer is the guy who said he can’t even understand the Kelvin movies because they move too fast for him. And I know how a lot of people here feel about those movies, but that’s the style today. He is probably just very old fashioned and his style of movies would never get a green light, at least when it comes to big action movies which Star Trek is now.
I remember when Orci lost the director chair for the third Kelvin movie and his name was dropped a lot to replace him and of course they went with the guy famous for the Fast and Furious movies. That really told you everything and the mindset Paramount has with these movies today. But to be fair that’s the mindset of pretty much every studio now.
There are plenty of stories to be told in a vast star trek world. Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans.
I certainly hope so. Nick Meyer would be a boon to the movie franchise as he has proven his skills in Trek. There is no telling what he could come up with. The only problem is waiting on the project. As we all know, these films now seem to take 3 or 4 years from start to finish these days. Unlike back in the day, it was 2 years in between. Oh well, we shall see where it goes. I am hoping for the best.
Well, back in the day they were also making them on the cheap, it was a lot easier to wind up another production when another one was winding down.
I’m cool with this being a direct to streaming movie series. Not allowed in theatres anymore anyway.
Meyer has been involved with all of the most successful Trek films. Once again we have someone with talent and a vision and Paramount passes. They have NEVER known how to properly handle Trek.
Sounds like Nicholas Meyers is talking about the Romulan Wars. Whatever he pitched, I’m sure it will be great. Loved Star Trek VI and II. I miss well-written Star Trek.
.. perhaps again nick can save star trek with real trek, yet I’d keep his idea away from jj and especially kurtzman
I think that if you gave JJ and Kurtzman a good script they would rock the production.
I think Transformers Prime for instance was rocking. Best Transformers series ever.
How can the same guy who did the BEST transformers also do those movies?!?!?
It all comes down I think to script. They are people who take a script and make it come to life. The problem I think is that when script write, they literally take scenes they want to film and then reverse it and it just doesn’t work for movies where everything has to come together in hours.
That being said if they have a good script, it all works.
End of the day to be blunt, they are great producers but ain’t good script writers. They need a Director like Meyer who will read the script and go “yeah, I want to make this” or “I will fix this” or “I ain’t making this” based on the story. Alternatively they need to find a good script writer that can crank out stories for them. But because they refuse to accept their movie scripts are subpar they crank out Transformers the movie again and again with hints of greatness, but never great.
Don’t usually disagree with the Commander, but on this one, I think if you gave JJ and/or Kurtzman a good script, they’d gut it. Except for TFA, I’ve never seen anything Abrams directed that I honestly was able to enjoy even slightly (and TFA is one I’m definitely on the fence over, so it is qualified light praise.) From what I’ve read about this last SW flick, Abrams seriously trashed the storyline and characters in addition to delivering a murky-looking mess. Even SUPER-8, which sounded like something nobody could screw up premise-wise, was a total suckfest.
Can’t comment on TRANSFORMERS, as I barely got through the first one of those.
The Star Wars prequels were god awful. I just rewatched phantom menace and i am struggling to get through attack of the clones. I had no such problems unplugging my brain for 2 hours and getting some enjoyment even out of Abrams remakes of Star Wars and Return of the Jedi. Maybe because he was riffing on films i actually like. And i liked Poe, Finn and Rey. I got my 20 dollars worth but i can see people saying how crass and unoriginal they are.
Fair enough, and Transformers the movie made no sense. It’s Transformers Prime (the animated show) that was rocking. That Prime was better than the original totally wow’ed me