Trek Franchise

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Fandom, Shatner | January 12, 2007 | By: Anthony Pascale 21 comments so far

Star Wars-themed ‘Fanboys’ Features Battle With Trekkies and Shatner Cameo

Fanboys is a film about a group of hardcore Star Wars fans who travel across the country to steal a pre-release copy of Episode I: The Phantom Menace so their terminally ill friend can see it before he dies. Although the film is about Star Wars fans, Star Trek makes an appearance in the form of original Captain Kirk himself William Shatner. Actor Jay Baruchel describes the Shatner cameo to MTV Movie News: Captain Kirk? Chalk that one up to the great ‘Star Trek’ wars…there’s a big-ass battle between all the Trekkies and all the fanboys. We fight with lirpa, which is the Vulcan weapon with the sickle on the top and mound on the bottom.

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Abrams, Feature Films (TMP-NEM), Trek Franchise | December 22, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 18 comments so far

Trek And Abrams Making The Lists

IGN Filmforce have been counting down the top 25 film franchises and Star Trek ended up as #5.  Eric Moro, IGN Editor in Chief sums Trek up thusly: Ever since The Original Series debuted on NBC back in 1966, there’s been a steady stream of Trek within the pop culture zeitgeist. Sure, I can spew off franchise facts like six TV series, 10 feature films (with an 11th currently in development from J.J. Abrams), tons of videogames, action figures, novels, comic books and two Las Vegas themed attractions. But perhaps more impressive is the impact the property has made on fandom itself—I’m talking the fan fiction, the fan films (most found on the Internet) and the yearly conventions. Even more impressive still is the impact these fans have made on the mainstream. One of many examples: After a massive letter writing campaign, NASA names the first space shuttle the Enterprise. Now that’s a powerhouse franchise!

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Trek Franchise | December 20, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 110 comments so far

Berman: I Do Not Hate TOS

In the latest issue of the official Star Trek Magazine, Trek’s long-time producer Rick Berman talks about the end of his era. SciFi Pulse has excepts from the article where Berman defends his tenure and discusses why the last Trek TV show (Enterprise) failed. Berman says that the rumors of his hating The Original Series (TOS) are not true, but that doesn’t mean he has seen all of it: There was a feeling that Enterprise was going to be a show that was a precursor to The Original Series, and although I’ve read a lot of depictions of both Brannon and myself ‘hating’ the original series, that could not be farther from the truth. We were not obsessed by the original series. I can openly admit that I did not see all 79 episodes of the original series, or 80 if you include the various versions of the pilot, but it was something we respected and did our best to lead up to. But I think that was something that was unsettling for the fans. Not to jump on the ‘bash Bermaga bandwagon’, but it is not unreasonable to expect the creators and producers of a TOS prequel to have at least seen all of TOS.

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Trek Franchise, Uncategorized | December 17, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 49 comments so far

Longest Period Without A Trek Film Since 1979

Since the relase of Star Trek: The Motion Picture on  December 7th, 1979 there had been a steady stream of Star Trek films. Over the next 23 years Paramount released new Trek films every 2-3 years. The longest gap of 4 years and 2 days was between Star Trek Insurrection and the last film Star Trek: Nemesis, which was released on December 13, 2002. As of this weekend that record has been broken and every day between now and the release of Star Trek XI will be a Trek franchise record. So if you were wondering why you were especially jonesing it isn’t just that this weekend is a Trek Remastered repeat. In honor of the occasion, TrekMovie.com decided to take a quantitative look back on the Trek franchise…see chart below 

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Memorabilia, Trek Franchise | December 15, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 19 comments so far

New Star Trek Sale Starts Today

If you are kicking yourself for not picking up a piece of Trek history during the Christies auction then today is your lucky day. CBS and Paramount are unloading thousands of more items from the Trek attic. The sales is being conducted by It’s A Wrap Hollywood, a memorabilia seller is handling the sale of items from all 5 series and all 10 films. The available pieces include props, wardrobe, set pieces and even a few models (but of course all the major ones were sold by Christies). "Its amazing how much cool stuff there is, stuff that they didn’t even know was there, we are finding new things all the time," Its A Wrap owner Tiara Nappi tells TrekMovie.com. Nappi says there will even be items from the Original Series (actually from the 60s and not just replicas made by ENT or DS9). Due to the enormous volume of items, the sale will be conducted over the next 6 months with new items regularly becoming available. details below

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Shatner, Trek Franchise | December 8, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 39 comments so far

3 Trek Catchphrases On TV Land’s Top 100

TV Land, the nursing home of reruns, has searched far and wide to come up with its list of the best 100 catchphrases of all time…and of course Star Trek makes an appearance (or 3). The full list, which runs the gamut from "You look mahvelous!" to "Here’s Johnny" will be presented in a  5-night special series called ‘Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases’. The three Trek catchphrases (and their rankings) to be covered are: 93  "Resistance is futile." (TNG) 22  "Live long and prosper." (TOS)14  "Space, the final frontier …" (TOS)

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Rumor, Star Trek (2009 film), Trek Franchise | December 1, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 37 comments so far

Is There An Agreement For No Trek On TV Until After Trek XI?

Many have wondered when (or if) Star Trek will return the the small screen after an 18-year run ended with the cancellation of ‘Star Trek Enterprise’ in 2005. According to TrekMovie.com sources it certainly will not be until after 2008 and the release of Star Trek XI. Sources tell TrekMovie that there is some kind of deal between CBS and Paramount Pictures where no new TV projects will be developed now that Paramount is developing a feature film. Apparently this deal was part of the convoluted license sharing deal struck when Viacom split-up and separated the TV and film elements of Trek between the two companies. Although there is no indication that there was a new TV series in development, TrekMovie has learned that there may have been one or more smaller scale projects being considered. It appears that after Trek XI was announced any Trek on TV work at CBS was ‘frozen’. "It is in a holding pattern now" said a source inside CBS regarding Trek TV projects. Obviously this agreement does not effect the remastered Star Trek series project because it is not actually ‘new’ but a  restoration of the original series. None of this is really a big surprise, as another insider put it "it makes sense, Paramount is about to pump a lot of money into the brand so CBS is better off waiting for that." When asked about the deal CBS’s official spokesperson only replied ‘no comment’ so for now file this under rumor, but TrekMovie will continue to look into it.  

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Abrams, Feature Films (TMP-NEM), Shatner, Trek Franchise | November 6, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 58 comments so far

Shatner, Abrams, TV Land, ST:V & More In A Slow News Day Roundup

In ‘Shatner is Kirk’ news: UPI reports that William Shatner told the crowd at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival that ‘there is a part of me in him…and Kirk in me’. The original Kirk also told the Massachusetts Republican that he is not going to retire anytime soon, saying "ss I shakily take my last breath, maybe that’s when I will whisper, ‘I quit.’"…did he just paraphrase Khan’s last words? Want to see classic Trek without all that Remastering and CGI?…well TV Land has got you covered.The home of retro TV starts airing the classic show later this month and have already started offering full episodes on their new Star Trek website (for one week only). The site offers a number of other Trek related video features and will host a live chat with Original Series stars Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols and George Takei on Nov. 19th.  Oh My.

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Abrams, Trek Franchise | October 27, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 20 comments so far

Picardo Says Abrams Has ‘Golden Touch’, Questions Prequel

Robert Picardo, Star Trek Voyager’s lovable Holodoctor, seems to have a nuanced view of Star Trek under the command of JJ Abrams. According to an interview from Trek Magazine (via SciFi Pulse) the actor seems to be supportive of Abrams helming the franchise, but isn’t too sure he likes that rumored prequel idea.  Look they’ve re-launched the Batman franchise and that worked out. I’ve heard that they may re – launch the franchise with a story about Kirk and Spock as younger guys, back in the day, but I don’t know whether that’s the way to go because it seems to remove some of the jeopardy to know what happens in the future. On the other hand, they did kill off Spock four times and bring him back to life. I lost count!

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Abrams, Trek Franchise | October 27, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 9 comments so far

Bryan Fuller Says Trek Needs JJ Abrams

Bryan Fuller is certainly one of the more successful Star Trek almuni in Hollywood. Since his time as a writer on Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager, Bryan Fuller has been very busy with shows like ‘Wonderfalls’, ‘Dead Like Me’, and this year’s breakout hit ‘Heroes’. Comic Book Resources interviewed the writer/producer on his various projects, but spend quite a lot of time on Trek. Fuller said he got into the business because of Star Trek and he could talk about it all day. He certainly seems to be optimistic on Trek’s future under JJ Abrams, saying: I think the status right now is very encouraging, and I’m referring to the J.J. Abrams-helmed reinvention of the franchise, which it’s desperate for.

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Trek Franchise | October 24, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 8 comments so far

Memories of Roddenberry and Wyatt

15 years ago today Gene Roddenberry, creator of ‘Star Trek’, passed away. StarTrek.com marks the date with an excellent article and retrospective. On the subject of what Roddenberry would think of Trek going strong in the hands of a new generation of professionals (including JJ Abrams) and even the fans themselves (in the form of fan films), it says: "it’s probably a safe bet that he would say something to the effect of, Star Trek no longer belongs to him, it belongs to the world."  Well said. It is a true testament to Roddenberry’s vision that 40 years after he started the franchise  and 15 years after his passing, Trek still inspires generation after generation. To mark the 40th anniversary of Trek, Roddenberry.com is selling a DVD of one of the last interviews Gene Roddenberry ever gave. More info at RodenberryInterview.com

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Trek Franchise | October 13, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 39 comments so far

Berman: ‘I have produced my last Star Trek’

According to an interview in the new Star Trek magazine, longtime Trek producer Rick Berman has read the writing on the wall. Berman on being involved in Trek’s future:  Without sounding clichéd I’m not going to say never, but I assume that I have produced my last Star Trek, especially with the interest that Paramount has gotten from J.J. Abrams to do another movie, which if successful, could lead to other television shows

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CBS/Paramount, Memorabilia, TNG, Trek Franchise | October 7, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 24 comments so far

Christies Trek Sale Brings in $7.1 Million – Enterprise D Sells For $576k [updated]

Article Updated: The Christies Trek auction is over and according to their release it brought in $7,107,040 (more than double their expectations). The highest priced item was the model for the ST:TNG Enterprise D for $576k, a new world record for Trek memorabilia. Other items that far exceeded expectations were McCoy’s TOS spacesuit for $144k and Picard’s flute from ‘Inner Light’ for $48k. Christies touts it as a truly ‘global event’ with bidders coming in from all over the world, however all but two of the top 10 items went to Americans. could have been yours for half a $mil

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CBS/Paramount, Memorabilia, Trek Franchise | October 5, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 27 comments so far

Trek Auction Begins With Some Big Money [updated]

The auctioning of Trek’s history has begun and boy did Christies underestimate their prices. Not a single item has gone for anything close to their original estimates. For example: two empty Chateau Picard wine bottles (from Nemesis) were estimated to go for $700, in the end they went for $5500…for two empty wine bottles!. Christies and CBS Paramount had made around $250,000 off just the first 50 lots (out of 1000) which was at least double what they were estimating.Other highlights from the first 50 lots (note auction started with TNG films) Enterprise E Captains Chair: $52,000 (est. $9k)Enterprise E Blueprints: $2,400 (est. $600)Picards Sextent:  $5,500 (est. $300)Ent-E Dedication Plate: $7,000 (est. $600)Ent-E Engineering Table: $13,000 (est. $1200)Borg Alcove: $8,000 (est. $700)Borg Mannequin: $12,000 (est. $800)  Watch the auction live at History.com Click ‘more’ to see end of day update   

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Conventions/Events/Attractions, Fan Productions, Fandom, TNG | September 29, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 5 comments so far

Trekkies III: The Search For Fan Films?

Spotted this tidbit about Denise Crosby in the most recent Vegas con report on StarTrek.com After producing and hosting the first two "Trekkies" documentaries, Crosby said she is toying with ideas for a third one. "We’ll see — I’vegot it in mind to do. I’d like to do three; I just think three seems more complete — I’m looking at the boxed set down the line, y’know?" She said the theme of the next project would likely involve what she called "fan filmdom." It would be an interesting move for Paramount to put out another ‘Trekkies’ movie around the same time they are trying to expand the audience for Star Trek with Star Trek XI. If it does happen one would hope that Crosby and the other producers strived to be a bit more balanced then the previuos two films. Many Trek fans have felt that Trekkies I and II reinforced many of the negative stereotypes of Star Trek fans, some of which are now being dispelled by Trek Sociologist John Tenuto. The choice of the so called ‘fan films’ is also interesting, it could be seen as one step closer to legitimacy for these independent Trek films.  

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Fandom, Uncategorized | September 24, 2006 | By: John Tenuto 38 comments so far

The Myth of the Star Trek Fan

Sociologist John Tenuto shares some preliminary findings from his study of scifi fandom… The concept of the Star Trek fan is a myth.Those attending Star Trek conventions see a variety of people that questions the simplistic view that all Trekkers are the same. Star Trek fans are multifarious in political views, occupation, demographics, and shape. Yet, the myth persists that all Star Trek fans are similar. Similarly geeky. Similarly minded. Similarly shaped. Similarly bereft of social relationships. This is not true. Never has been. Probably never will be.

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Trek Franchise | September 18, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 3 comments so far

Ron Moore: Star Trek Changed My Life

In today’s New York Times, Battlestar Galactica co-creator and longtime Trek writer/producer Ron Moore offers his thoughts on Star Trek’s 40th Anniversary. In his editorial Moore details now Trek ‘literally changed’ his life. Moore elaborates on how the actions of Kirk and his crew served as a reference for him as a young man. “Star Trek” painted a noble, heroic vision of the future, and that vision became my lodestar.

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Abrams, CBS/Paramount, Conventions/Events/Attractions, Fandom, Uncategorized | August 21, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 1 comments so far

CNBC: Trek Worth $4B…Paramount, Frakes, Spiner & Brooks talk Trek Bling

CNBC’s ‘On the Money‘ show took a trip to the Vegas Con to see just how much money there was in Star Trek. Their conclusion…A LOT. They estimate that the franchise has been worth $4 Billion for Paramount. A recent unnamed source from Paramount has caused a bit of a stir with his not too favorable comments to IESB about the Trek Franchise, but CBS Paramount VP John Wentworth goes on the record with CNBC: Star Trek is certainly more than a show, more than a movie. It is more than an auction, it’s more than a theme park, collectively it is just the most successful franchise I’ve ever seen in entertainment

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Fandom, Rumor, STXI Plot, Uncategorized | August 2, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 0 comments so far

Trek XI Poster Inspiring Speculation, Imitation, Parody…and even a Hoax

It has been 10 days since Paramount announced the first teaser poster for Star Trek XI. This was big news and has been picked up all over the world in both the geekerazzi and the mainstream media, even Christianity Today. Most of the news analysis came to the same conclusion as the Trek Movie Report, that the poster is an indication the new film will be ‘old school Trek’ from the TOS era. Now Playing Magazine puts it succinctly: “The Trek poster would seem to indicate that the new film will return to the era of the original Kirk and Spock adventures” obviously picking up on the two major clues, the insignia (only used on the Original Series) and the colors (matching Kirk and Spock’s uniforms). But of course being about Star Trek…the speculation doesn’t end there.

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Abrams, Fandom, Rumor, Shatner, Uncategorized | July 17, 2006 | By: Anthony Pascale 3 comments so far

Shatner Reacts (and Reacts) to Damon as Kirk Rumors

Much has been made about the recent rumor reported by the Insider that JJ Abrams wants Matt Damon to be the next Captain Kirk. The original report specifically said that JJ Abrams sought and recieved Shatner’s blessing. Since then USA Today reported Shatner as OKing Damon as young Kirk, quoting him “”I think it’s great. The tragedy is that when somebody else is playing you younger, you’re really old.” Now StarTrek.com is getting into the mix saying sources ‘close to Shatner’ claim Abrams seeking his advice is ‘news to him’ going on to say he hasn’t heard anything from Abrams or the producers of Star Trek XI. So there you have it…clear as mud.