Direct-to-DVD Trek movies?

[Mirror Sulu]

I've been reading comments on the forums and other sites from fans saying 'they should do a VOY movie' or 'they should do an ENT movie', basically the same statement for all the series.

Personally as a fan, I would love to see this but I can understand why Paramount wouldn't want to commit to a movie based on the lesser known Trek series, because it would mainly be us fans rather than the wider movie going public that would go to see it.

But what about direct-to-DVD? Paramount haven't yet went this route with Trek. Direct-to-DVD movies are generally made on a comparatively low budget, aimed at a comparatively smaller audience, they often turn a profit and as a result I could see, say a DS9 direct-to DVD-movie doing well. Do you think this is something we might see in the future and do you believe it would be worth Paramount's while?

[BillJ]

It won't happen until CBS is trying to wring the last dollars out of Trek's dying carcass.

[C.E. Evans]

Direct-to-DVD movies would be a sign that Trek is truly on its last legs and is no longer commercially viable to be either on TV or in theatres anymore.

[FreddyE]

Instead of Direct-to-DVD movies, I would prefer they would license New Voyages and give them a "small"-TV budget.

[DalekJim]

C.E. Evans wrote:

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Direct-to-DVD movies would be a sign that Trek is truly on its last legs and is no longer commercially viable to be either on TV or in theatres anymore.

Well, it would be a good move. The JJ Abrams remake series is aimed at non-fans and these movies would be aimed at fans. I think there'd be a fair audience for them.

[BillJ]

DalekJim wrote:

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The JJ Abrams remake series is aimed at non-fans...

Doesn't this ever get old? Do you realize how many nods there are to prior series and even the novels in Star Trek 2009?

I hate when people spread false information because they don't like something.

[C.E. Evans]

DalekJim wrote:

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Well, it would be a good move.

No, not really. It would be Trek going out with a whimper with a couple of low-budget productions.

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

The direct-to-DVD market died a few years ago, leading to the cancellation of the Stargate SG-1 finale Stargate Revolution and Atlantis swan song Extinction.

But CBS sees Trek as a tentpole franchise. We're getting movies with insane budgets (Into Darkness = $185,000,000) which are making huge money back. They're not going to make noticably inferior productions with the Trek name attached while they're making a fortune at the cinema. Animation is a maybe, however, and an animated series is a possibility if Into Darkness is as big a success as Paramount and CBS are hoping.

You may be interested in the forthcoming unlicenced Trek web movie, Star Trek: Renegades, which features several members of the Voyager cast, as well as Walter Koenig and a few others. It's the closest you're gonna get to a live-action Berman-era Trek reunion.

www.startrekrenegades.com

[anh165]

Trek 'fans' really getting desperate now aren't they?

Any garbage will do, just as long as it is familiar garbage.

[Ketrick]

King Daniel wrote:

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Animation is a maybe, however, and an animated series is a possibility if Into Darkness is as big a success as Paramount and CBS are hoping.

I think animated dtvs are definite possibilities. The DC line of animated dtvs is still running relatively strong so a Star Trek line could be successful if they're done right. It would be cool for some of the comics and novels to be adapted like Countdown, Nero, The Ashes of Eden, The Return, Avenger, and Avatar Parts 1 and 2.

[Greg Cox]

DalekJim wrote:

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Well, it would be a good move. The JJ Abrams remake series is aimed at non-fans and these movies would be aimed at fans. I think there'd be a fair audience for them.

More accurately: the new movies are aimed at hardcore fans, casual fans, and general audiences.

It's not an either/or thing.

[Therin of Andor]

DalekJim wrote:

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The JJ Abrams remake series is aimed at non-fans and these movies would be aimed at fans.

All ten previous ST movies were similarly aimed at the general populace. Diehard ST fans, who buy all the movie-tie ins such as original novels and comics, are less than 2% of the cinema audience. Paramount knows that from sales of such merchandise.

Harder to estimate is what percentage of Star Trek regular viewers make up a typical cinema audience.

[RandyS]

C.E. Evans wrote:

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Direct-to-DVD movies would be a sign that Trek is truly on its last legs and is no longer commercially viable to be either on TV or in theatres anymore.

Considering that going to the movies is fast becoming an unecessary chore, and I haven't watched broadcast TV in almost ten years, I'd welcome direct to DVD Star Trek movies. That's how I watch EVERYTHING now anyway.

[ChristopherPike]

Making new adventures for online streaming and a Netflix premiere, seems to be "the in-thing" these days. A television broadcast might be secondary before too long. Simply there to add to one of the series' syndication packages, when the first screening has finished taking revenue directly from the intended audience.

Two more hours spent on a proper finale, to build up Enterprise to a round figure 100 shows would have been nice. But obviously that ship sailed when the NX-01 sets in storage were bulldozed on November 20th, 2006. So sad...

[heavy lids]

I always thought a mini-series centered around the end of the occupation of Bajor would be interesting. As far as direct to dvd, I think a web series or a Netflix show would be more likely.