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Wrath of Khan and TNG Make EW’s Best Sci Fi List

The editors of Entertainment Weekly magazine have picked what they consider to be the best 25 sci-fi TV shows and movies of the last 25 years. Two Star Trek items make the top 10: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (#5) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (#8). Topping the list was the 1999 film The Matrix and former TNG/DS9 writer/producer Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica got 2nd place. Star Trek XI producers JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof also made the list via their show Lost coming in at eleventh place. Excerpts and the complete list below.


AICN Interviews TOS-R Producers

Dave Rossi, Denise Okuda and Mike Okuda were interviewed by Aint It Cool News’ Merrick. They talk about the upcoming episodes "Tomorrow is Yesterday," “Errand of Mercy,” “Patterns of Force,” and "Shore Leave." It includes shot of the "Tomorrow is Yesterday" Ent doing the time warp around the sun. Go read the whole thing at AICN



Trek XI Update: No Confirmed Cast – Some Shooting At Universal

Things are still pretty quiet on the Star Trek XI front. As JJ Abrams said in his recent message to the fans they were in ‘pre-pre-pre-production.’ However, TrekMovie.com has learned that they are getting ready to move into the pre-production phase soon. The script is complete, however the budget is not (so there may still be some changes based on the final budget). The production office should be opening up on the lot by mid month, and hiring for various behind the scenes people has already started. Although some ‘nuts and bolts’ Paramount people who have worked on Trek in the past (like in construction) are being tapped, for creative work it appears that the Abrams team is sticking with people that they have worked with in the past. Production designer Scott Chambliss is still filling out his art department, but some artists are already at work (primarily at their homes). They should be moving into offices on the lot this month as well. Set construction is set to start in early July.




Takei Recommends New Voyages Actor For New Sulu

George Takei recently reprised his role as Hikaro Sulu in the Star Trek New Voyages episode "World Enough And Time." It is not yet known if Sulu will appear in Star Trek XI, but when asked by IGN who could be the new Sulu Takei immediately thought of his experience on the fan film  the guy who plays Sulu is a hot shot Washington, D.C. attorney… I saw the man who plays me, as Sulu, as a young man, and he’s a wonderful actor, a powerful actor. There’s one scene where he breaks down in anguish and it’s very moving. John Lim is his name, and despite his success as an attorney, after having done this he wants to be an actor. He’s talking about leaving his law career and coming to Los Angeles as an aspiring young actor. So I would recommend John Lim.


Review: “A Piece Of The Action” Remastered

GETTING INTO THE ACTIONWhether you’re a die-hard fan of the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine or Voyager (and, god help you, if you are), it’s hard to argue that there’s only one series which did comedy well and that was Classic Trek. Unlike Next Generation (which tried to be funny, painfully in episodes like "Manhunt" and the somewhat wittier "Captains Holiday" in which Picard vacations on a pleasure planet with the story eventually degenerating into mindless technobabble) and Voyager, Classic Trek and Deep Space Nine were the only series for which humor was an essential ingredient.


Dinner With JJ

As part of our ‘get to know your Trek XI team’ series, here are some clips from IFC’s Dinner for 5 shot In the summer of 2005. There is nothing about Trek in this, but shows JJ Abrams in a more relaxed setting.


Rossi and Nemecek Opine On Star Trek XI

In the latest Star Trek Magazine, regular columnists Dave Rossi and Larry Nemecek have Star Trek XI on their mind. Rossi, who has worked on Trek for 15 years including being a producer on Trek Remastered, laments on how even though he works on the Paramount lot he will be ‘on the outside looking in’ for Trek XI. But he looks on the bright side noting that he can again just be a fan. He also dismisses ‘franchise fatigue,’ noting Star Trek fans want to like Star Trek. If the stories are good, if the characters are compelling, if there’s balanced doses of action, humor, and drama, people will watch. Not surprising then that Paramount chose to go with Star Trek: The Original Series and moreover with Mr. Abrams.


This Week In Trek

TrekMovie looks at all the Trek news here and elsewhere for the last week Trek XI: All quiet on the Trek XI front, but this week marked the one year anniversary of the first report from Variety of a JJ Abrams Star Trek film. That was well before this site existed, but my first comment on the news can be seen at TrekBBS (under my alias ‘PowderedToastMan) There actually was some fake news, TheSpoof.com ‘reports’ that Vice President Dick Cheney has accepted a role in Trek XI. TrekMovie.com will have a Trek XI Update in the upcoming week







ART thou Shatner?

It has been called “funny and philosophical” by NPR’s Meredith Ochs. It has been utilized in the unique documentary William Shatner in Concert. College professors lecture regarding its lyrics and music to teach students about social issues. It was the focus of dance performed by the Milwaukee Ballet. Now, the William Shatner and Ben Folds musical collaboration of Has Been is the starting inspiration for an art exhibit featuring 76 talented illustrators and artists who represent the entire Shatner experience on canvas and other palettes. Has Been is now art in more than the musical variety.


Review of “All Our Yesterdays” Remastered

“Will the last one through the time machine please turn out the lights?” The sun of the planet Sarpeidon will explode in less than four hours, destroying everything for hundreds of millions of miles around.  Since long-range scans show no intelligent life on the planet in need of rescue, Captain Kirk thinks it would be a good idea to go there and nose around for a while just before the big bang. Who knows, maybe the Prime Directive has a special exemption in these cases for looting or something.



This Week In Trek

A new feature of TrekMovie.com, we take a look back on the news of the week reported here and elsewhere. Trek XI: The big news of the week was our report that JJ Abrams confirmed that Kirk will indeed ‘appear’ in Star Trek XI. This along with his ‘message to the fans‘ last weekend shows a bit of a growing openness on Abrams part. The only other movie news was a brief mention of Star Trek XI in Variety, where it was listed as one of the big movies that Paramount has high hopes for in the next year.




Berman To Write Book On Trek Experience

In the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, Trek’s longtime producer Rick Berman has a sort of ‘exit interview.’ The interview was conducted last December, shortly before he packed up to vacate his offices on the Paramount lot after 22 years with the studio. When asked if he is considering writing about about his experiences not only did he say he would, but he has already started… I have started writing a book because I realized that in 1986, when Gene Roddenberry asked me to get involved  in work with him on this thing, the number of stories that I have accumulated is amazing.




JJ Abrams Confirms Kirk In Star Trek XI

In the new issue of Star Trek Magazine, JJ Abrams finally breaks his silence….a tiny bit. Trek XI’s producer/director  tells the official Trek mag  "James T Kirk appears in the movie." Although this has been the rumor and essentially working assumption, it is actually the first time that anyone associated with the film has officially disclosed any plot detail about the film. Still no word on who will actually play Kirk in the film or any other official details from Paramount, but Abrams did offer this…


Meet Trek XI Composer Michael Giacchino

The latest Lost video podcast centers on composer Michael Giacchino, who also happens to be Abrams choice for Star Trek XI. He shows off his orchestra including Emil Richards, a percussionist and veteran of ST: TMP. Giacchino tells Richards that he will be working on Trek XI too (seems likely other musicians in the video are destined for Trek as well)


Review of And The Children Shall Lead Remastered

Ahh yes… "And The Children Shall Lead" is another often maligned episode from Trek’s infamous 3rd season. The episode is so unremarkable that doing a review of it was reduced to a chore that neither Anthony, myself nor any of our regular contributors really wanted to do. I got inspired to write it first so I win? Although Trek’s producers may have been better off taking W.C. Fields advice to "never work with children," the Remastering actually gives us a chance to take another look.