Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof was at Comic Con to promote Lost as well as participating a couple of other panels. TrekMovie caught up with the prolific writer/producer after he finished moderating the Always Sunny in Philadelphia panel and he gave us a breakdown on where things are with Trek and also talked about the film’s humor, the appeal to TNG era fans, Nero’s ear, and more.
In the second part of our exclusive interview with Leonard Nimoy, we talk to the veteran actor and photographer about his history (and possible future) with Star Trek. We also discuss Eddie Murphy’s almost-role in Star Trek IV, Mr.Nimoy’s books, photography and his relationship with William Shatner.
Possibly more than anything else, the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy has given Trek fans a sense of security for this new Star Trek film from JJ Abrams. In his second interview with TrekMovie.com, the once and future Spock talked about what it was like to return to the role he made famous, and also provided his thoughts on the new film (including some interesting new tidbits).
Robert Picardo spent seven years as the holographic Doctor on Star Trek Voyager. The part, which grew to be a breakout role on the show, is just one of many memorable roles for the veteran actor who will soon be seen as a regular on Stargate Atlantis which premieres its 5th season this week. In an exclusive interview with TrekMovie, Picardo talks about his roles on Voyager, Atlantis and more.
In the third and final part of our retrospective interview with Ron Moore, the veteran writer talks about the two Trek feature films he co-wrote with Brannon Braga. We also discuss JJ Abrams new Star Trek feature, including Moore’s visit to the set. Lastly Moore talks about his new non-Trek movie projects. [AUDIO + Transcript below]
In the second part of the exclusive TrekMovie.com interview with Ronald D. Moore [see part 1], we talk about how on TNG he railed against the Trek clichés, how on DS9 he and the team were given more latitude, how he wished it went differently with Voyager and how his time with Trek influenced his new show, Battlestar Galactica. [AUDIO + Transcript below]
This morning in Dallas, Texas, shortly after the start of the second day of the first ever FedCon USA, the show was cancelled. At 11:14 AM (Central Time), after the first Saturday guest (John Billingsley) finished his appearance, the show MC came out on stage announced that the convention was closed due to poor attendance.
Long before co-creating of the critical success Battlestar Galactica Ronald D. Moore cut his chops as writer on Star Trek. Starting with a spec script for Next Generation in 1989, Moore racked up 61 Trek writing credits (2nd only to Brannon Braga), spanning three series and two feature films. In this first part of an extensive exclusive interview with TrekMovie.com, Moore talks about pushing the Trek envelope 90s and suggests how Trek can push it again today. [AUDIO + Transcript below]
Late last night George Takei (Star Trek’s original Sulu) announced that he and his long-time partner Brad Altman were engaged to be married. The announcement comes just one day after the California Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriages are now legal in California, overturning a previous ban as unconstitutional. Takei talked to TrekMovie about the wedding and more.
Dream On Spiner Fans — Brent Spiner’s newest CD, Dreamland, was released on March 11th, to much deserved acclaimed. There are many words that could describe Dreamland, yet, like dreams, the most appropriate is pastiche. Trekmovie.com talks with Spiner about the CD and provides a look at this unique musical journey of the imagination.
Brent Spiner, Star Trek The Next Generations’ Data, took the stage Saturday at Creation’s Sci-Fi Grand Slam and entertained the large crowd with jokes and stories from his career in and out of Trek. He talked a lot about his new CD Dreamland, and also covered typecasting and gave his assessment of the TNG era films. See below for pics, quotes and also an exclusive video interview.
In part one of our interview with Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof we learned about his Trek fandom, favorites and connections to his other job, Lost. In part two we get down to details and discuss why the film release date was changed and how the change affects the production, budget and promotion. Lindelof also discusses how the film will appeal to both Trek fans and the wider film going audience.
The core team behind the new Star Trek has been described as a "Supreme Court" comprised of co-writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman, along with director JJ Abrams, executive producer Bryan Burk and producer Damon Lindelof. Lindelof (also the Emmy-winning show runner for Lost) is said to be one of the bigger Trek fans on the team and so TrekMovie.com decided it was time to have a chat. In part one (below) of our interview, Lindelof describes his Trek favorites, Lost/Trek connections and what he sees as essential in the new Trek.
Last September TrekMovie.com first broke the news that Stargate Atlantis actor Paul McGillion auditioned for the role of Scotty in the new Star Trek. After Simon Pegg got the job we were happy to report that Paul still landed a different (albeit smaller) role in the film. This week Paul talked to TrekMovie.com about his audition and his time on the new Star Trek as well as his impending return to Stargate.
EXCLUSIVE: A couple of weeks ago TrekMovie.com talked to the producers of the Star Trek Remastered project about the "The Ultimate Computer," their big episode for February sweeps. We now continue the conversation with the trio, talking about the project as a whole, fan reaction, surprises and what they would do differently if they had the chance. We also have some preview images for this weekend’s episode "Operation — Annihilate!".
It was announced today that Carolyn Porco, the leader of the Imaging Science team on NASA’S Cassini mission at Saturn, has accepted an invitation from Star Trek director/producer, J.J. Abrams, to join the Star Trek production crew as a consultant on planetary science and imagery. Porco spoke exclusively with TrekMovie.com about her role bringing science to the Star Trek film (and the fans).
EXCLUSIVE: This weekend on the digitally remastered Star Trek airing in syndication we will be treated to a brand new version of "The Ultimate Computer." This effects-heavy episode features the USS Enterprise facing off against four Federation Starships in a wargame that turns deadly. The TOS-R producers talked exclusively with TrekMovie.com about the episode and also shared some new preview images.
EXCLUSIVE: Last February we ran our first article about Chris Doohan (son of the original Scotty, James Doohan) about his somewhat tongue-in-cheek quest to land the role first played by his father. Doohan later publicly endorsed the selection of Simon Pegg for the role, but that wasn’t the end of the story. In November we reported that Doohan auditioned and we can now report he will appear in the film. Doohan speaks to TrekMovie.com about his upcoming Star Trek role.
EXCLUSIVE: As the creator of the independent fan production Star Trek New Voyages, James Cawley has sought to recreate an exact replica of Star Trek The Original Series, right down to the braid on Kirk’s sleeve and the color of the bridge railing. So it is not surprising that he has been on the skeptical side with regards to JJ Abrams’ Star Trek ‘re-invigoration.’ But a chance encounter on the Paramount lot has turned the purist Calwey around…so much so that he is now literally ‘on board.’ In an exclusive video interview (below) Cawley tells TrekMovie.com all about his new Trek adventure and what he now thinks of Abrams and his new Enterprise.
EXCLUSIVE: The teaser trailer for the new Star Trek starts off with the face of a rugged welder…and as it turns out he wasn’t just acting! TrekMovie.com spoke to the ‘welder’ actor and got the lowdown on what it was like to shoot the new Trek teaser.
EXCLUSIVE: The first teaser trailer for Star Trek (showing now with Clovefield) may be the biggest thing to hit Trek in years and has sparked quite a bit of interest and even some controversy. TrekMovie.com has conducted a ‘post game interview’ with Star Trek co-writer and executive producer Roberto Orci to help sort it all out. Orci talks about JFK, Nimoy, Earth vs. space construction, the new Trek ‘Supreme Court,’ and more….read below.
“Star Trek The Tour” kicked off Thursday with a press conference and gala party…and TrekMovie.com was there.
EXCLUSIVE: It has been almost seven years since Star Trek Voyager returned home and went off the air, but just recently Tim Russ (Tuvok) is having a bit of a Trek renaissance. He directed (and appears in) the new independent mini-series Of Gods and Men. Plus he has a starring role as Tuvok in the centerpiece multimedia experience for Star Trek The Tour. Russ talked to TrekMovie.com about his latest Trek work as well as some other projects going on for the busy actor/director.
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens first started writing Star Trek books back in 1988 with "Memory Prime" and after that went on to write the two epics "Prime Directive" and "Federation." In 1995 they collaborated with William Shatner on his first Trek novel "The Ashes of Eden" and the trio went on to complete three trilogies – creating the so called "Shatnerverse" of Trek fiction. This month their latest opus, "Star Trek: The Academy–Collision Course" hits books stores. The novel chronicles the lives of young Kirk and Spock as they head to Starfleet Academy. In a new exclusive interview the Reeves-Stevens talk to TrekMovie.com about their Trek writing career and their latest collaboration with the original Captain Kirk.
In the first part of the TrekMovie.com exclusive interview with Star Trek co-writer and executive producer Roberto Orci we learned the scribe is a true Trek fan right down to his USS Enterprise phone and phaser collection. In the second part presented below Orci talks in more detail about the 2008 feature film including a status report on casting, more detail on their approach to canon, discussing what characters we may see in this film (and the next), how the film will appeal Trekkies and non Trekkies….oh and a little bit on that Shatner guy too.
Regular visitors to this site know that Star Trek co-writer and executive producer Roberto Orci isn’t just another A-List Hollywood writer, but is also a geeky sci-fi fan like rest of us. To find out just how big a geek he is Bob was kind enough to take some time out and talk Trek in an exclusive interview with TrekMovie.com. In the first part (of two) of our interview the screenwriter talks about his history as a Trek fan, his views of all the Trek series as well as his favorite books and episodes. He also discusses his insights into what has made the franchise endure and how that is influencing the approach to re-invigorating the franchise.
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens have been writing science fiction books and TV for decades. They have written a number of Trek novels on their own and in collaboration with William Shatner (including "Star Trek: The Academy–Collision Course" coming out next month). They were also brought in for Star Trek Enterprise’s final (and most consider best) season. But the couple are also aficionados of science fact (see picture of pair on an actual Space Shuttle). They have written a number of non fiction books including one about real missions to Mars. Their most recent television project (the Race to Mars mini-series airing on the Discovery Channel in Canada this Sunday) brings fact and fiction together. Judy and Gar spoke to TrekMovie.com about their Mars project and also about their time on board Enterprise.
D.C. Fontana gives us her thoughts on canon, M’Ress, Ira Steven Behr, and so much more.
Billy Blackburn spent three years as a background player on Star Trek, playing Lt. Hadley (pictured right) along with a number of other characters. Blackburn appeared in 61 episodes of the series and while he was there he shot some 8mm and Super 8 home movies. Blackburn ended up with a little over an hour of behind the scenes footage which has kept in a box for forty years. Some clips were used in a BBC documentary a few years back and it was the YouTube version of those that got the Trek Remastered producers interested. It turns out that Ryan Adams who works on the Trek Remastered project is Billy Blackburn’s neighbor. After watching the clips on YouTube he went to over to Billy’s house and asked if they could take a look at the stash…and now they are on the new HD-DVDs. I had a chance to chat with Mr. Blackburn at Comic Con.
In the second part of the TrekMovie.com exclusive interview with Leonard Nimoy, the actor talks about his thoughts on the new Spock (Zachary Quinto), William Shatner not being in the film (as of now) and J.J. Abrams abilities as a director…and ‘technobabble.’ full interview below