#BringinRiker

Wondering if you think Jonathan Frakes is going to get to Direct? or someone else will get the job

 

I really doubt that. He's day-before-yesterday's news Hollywood wise, and never directed a BIG picture. They'll look for someone who's A-list now, experienced or not.

 

He's got about as much of a chance as I do.

 

Even with him saying this?

"Bring in Riker! I'm all over it! I already contacted J.J. [Abrams]; I've got my agent trying to stir the pot at Paramount. I would love that job!

Unabashedly, I would be great at that job, and I'd love to do it. We'll see. I'm trying to keep a lid on how excited I am about the possibility, knowing it's such a long shot...

...but there's nothing I'd like better."

 

So who do you think will get the Center Chair as it is?

 

But he's just the person to bring some of that Clockstoppers magic to the Star Trek franchise!

 

Jonathan Frakes' excitement at this perceived opportunity to direct STAR TREK 3, to me, seems more like wanting redemption and partly entitlement. I feel it's time that he take on more personal films instead, rather than just working as a solid, reliable, Company Man for the television industry. If he wants recognition and respect as a serious director in today's movie arena, then he's got to start directing Low Budget, Independent Movies - and by that I am not referring to Fan Films! I'm talking about movies like Paranormal Activity. He's a talented director, who's got potential to be an Oscar-winner. I truly believe that. He's also very good, working with actors. But he has to get out of this "working man" mentality. He has to go out and find his movie ... one he's actually passionate about. For too long now, his passion and his directing haven't been equating.

 

Is it too late to dig up Ed Wood?

 

Stuart Baird was arguably an "A-Lister" when he did Nemesis, backed by ostensible A-List writer John Logan, fresh off of Gladiator. Many consider Ridley Scott to be an A-Lister as well, and after Prometheus, many more now spit out his name as if he was Uwe Boll. Such a title doesn't always imply a successful execution.

I think Frakes could do a reasonably good job, despite Insurrection's lackluster showing, the blame for which, BTW, could also be laid squarely at the feet of Berman and Piller for delivering equally lackluster source material on which to build a feature film.

And since this neo-Starfleet seems to be more heavily militarized anyway despite the cries of many a fanboy/girl over his/her sacred non-military cow, such an environment could also easily lend itself to Nick Meyer's brand of storytelling as well.

Hell, for that matter, bring back James Horner to do the music, or bring in Bear McReary! I'm tired of generic, barely-themed, frenetic action music that hardly has any feature-spanning internal continuity. Sure, the last 2 films had a couple of repeating measures throughout, but nothing as iconic and nautical as was seen in TWOK or TSFS, or as haunting and alien as NuBSG, IMO.

 

I think that the majority of fans, myself included, don't understand the way the movie business works.

 

Frakes is Star Trek up to his eyeballs. He knows what good Trek is. He starred in enough of it during TNG, and made a cracking film with First Contact. Yes, Insurrection was a bit crap, but the limp story and script wern't his fault.

The film will likely have $200m budget max. It's not going to do much over $460m worldwide at the box office, if that.

Now, what recognised "big" action/sci-fi director

a) Is going to want Star Trek on their CV, with the baggage that entails

b) Is going to want what the industry will see as a massively under performing film on their CV

c) Knows enough about Star Trek and directing to be able to do a better job than Frakes, especially since he seems more than happy to direct for little more than scale and the cost of a nice lunch every day of shooting.

If Frakes gets the job, the film will already have a head start with the fans, which after the sour taste Into Darkness left with many of them, it desperately needs.

And for the record, I'll watch Insurrection all day long over Into Darkness, a film I've only managed to watch once.

I'd like Meyer if Abrams Trek is going to go down the more militaristic route. But would he be interested? I don't think he'd want to direct anything written by the Orci/Kurtzman Early Learning Centre, and I wouldn't blame him.

 

Didn't Meyer say at one time he did not like working with Paramount on Star Trek projects? I think he would turn it down flat and Paramount has a habit of holding grudges for many, many years. Remember Tom Cruise's couch hopping incident? They disowned him after that and I don't think they ever changed their mind.
I loved Insurrection - especially the music.

 

Frakes blew his feature film directing career with Thunderbirds. I actually think he could make a decent picture with $200 million, but it will never happen. He's doing fine directing television and that's probably where his career will stay.

 

Well, in TMP...

KIRK: I'm taking over the center seat, Will.

 

It means you get the job, and someone like Frakes doesn't. End of story.

Baird was never an "A-list director."

 

great points, also theres the fact that other directors that will be in the running like Edgar Wright (who hasn't had a big hit movie - at least Frakes has with FC), aren't really known outside fandom anyway (i.e. unlike the A list ones like Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Cameron, Nolan etc) so really if the directors name isn't going to add anything to the general movie going audience (whod only care if it were Spielberg, Nolan etc - and maybe not even then as the fact its 'Star Trek' kind of overrides who the director is anyway) why not just go with Frakes? at least he's had a lot of experience with Trek.

we don't really need so and sos new 'vision' of Star Trek (like the MIs or Alien movies did) we just need a great Star Trek movie - one that is in keeping with the 2 that's come before (and hopefully adding a little something of what came before them)

 

At least Frakes is enthusiastic about the film and is actively campaigning for it. That alone counts for much.

Somebody who treats a film like this as just another job to be done and then forgotten about, is probably not going to put in as much effort as someone who really loves and cares about the Trekverse and is actively trying to get involved.

And yes, I am intrigued by how Frakes would handle a TOS-era film. Besides, he's not exactly a neophyte at directing, is he? IIRC, they even used to call him "Two Takes Frakes" (on the ST:FC set) because of the efficiency of his style.