If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...?
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Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
Look at where their careers were at the time. Dead Poets Society and Say Anything, and I can almost see it.
In answer to the question about the director, Bennett intended to direct this one himself.
(I should note that I heard these from Bennett himself at Farpoint in 2006. It was his first convention in twenty years, and he was asked about it during one of his talks.)
It was going to be Ethan Hawke as Kirk and John Cusack as Spock.
Look at where their careers were at the time. Dead Poets Society and Say Anything, and I can almost see it.
In answer to the question about the director, Bennett intended to direct this one himself.
(I should note that I heard these from Bennett himself at Farpoint in 2006. It was his first convention in twenty years, and he was asked about it during one of his talks.)
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
Cool, so I wasn't misremembering:
Cool, so I wasn't misremembering:
Re: If this was 1991... And Harve Bennett did his "Academy Movie"...?
Two points: This is not really an "Academy Movie". Most of it takes place away from the Academy.
Second: On a $30 million budget (like STVI), an academy movie would probably look like a TV movie. This new movie is in a totally different league.
RAMA
Two points: This is not really an "Academy Movie". Most of it takes place away from the Academy.
Second: On a $30 million budget (like STVI), an academy movie would probably look like a TV movie. This new movie is in a totally different league.
RAMA
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
Yeah, i stated that in the opening thread. The origin story we see now is a bi-product of Nero-ism. Im glad it takes place away from the academy. Students thrown into the thick of it, ala 'Khan'.
Its interesting though, to see how Bennetts academy douldve drastically changed the franchise as we know it. If he did his movie, Star Trek would be dead and burried.
Is there an online source for the full details, i dont have my dvds at hand for a while.
Yeah, i stated that in the opening thread. The origin story we see now is a bi-product of Nero-ism. Im glad it takes place away from the academy. Students thrown into the thick of it, ala 'Khan'.
Its interesting though, to see how Bennetts academy douldve drastically changed the franchise as we know it. If he did his movie, Star Trek would be dead and burried.
Is there an online source for the full details, i dont have my dvds at hand for a while.
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
TNG was still going, and it was at the height of its popularity. Sure, something like "Unification" might not have happened, or if it did it might've been quite different.
If Starfleet Academy did well, either we would see another movie with that cast in 1993 or 1994, or we'd get another Bennett-produced original cast movie (which appears to be his intention) at that time, or we'd still get a TNG movie in 1994.
If Starfleet Academy fared poorly at the box office, we'd still probably get a TNG movie in 1994, for precisely the reason that we got Generations -- the show had gone off the air, Voyager was starting up, and the TNG cast could be transitioned to make a series of cheap movies to salvage the film franchise.
Deep Space Nine wouldn't be greatly affected; its development began while Roddenberry was still alive and somewhat cogent, and we'd probably see that debut in January 1993 just like it did. Voyager or something like it would probably have come into being in January 1995 to launch UPN.
Starfleet Academy wouldn't have killed the franchise at all. In fact, I doubt that it would have altered it that much. We'd have lost Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and "Unification" for certain. But the shape of the franchise as a whole would still be recognizable to us.
I don't think that's true at all. Bennett's Starfleet Academy wouldn't have been as detrimental to the franchise as Phase II would have been.
TNG was still going, and it was at the height of its popularity. Sure, something like "Unification" might not have happened, or if it did it might've been quite different.
If Starfleet Academy did well, either we would see another movie with that cast in 1993 or 1994, or we'd get another Bennett-produced original cast movie (which appears to be his intention) at that time, or we'd still get a TNG movie in 1994.
If Starfleet Academy fared poorly at the box office, we'd still probably get a TNG movie in 1994, for precisely the reason that we got Generations -- the show had gone off the air, Voyager was starting up, and the TNG cast could be transitioned to make a series of cheap movies to salvage the film franchise.
Deep Space Nine wouldn't be greatly affected; its development began while Roddenberry was still alive and somewhat cogent, and we'd probably see that debut in January 1993 just like it did. Voyager or something like it would probably have come into being in January 1995 to launch UPN.
Starfleet Academy wouldn't have killed the franchise at all. In fact, I doubt that it would have altered it that much. We'd have lost Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and "Unification" for certain. But the shape of the franchise as a whole would still be recognizable to us.
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
^Good assessment. I suspect you're right regarding Bennett's Academy movie and its effect.
I notice you cite Phase II as being potentially detrimental to the franchise. Do you suggest this because it would have prevented the movies from being successful and allowing TNG to come to the air, and itself would not have been as successful or memorable as TNG?
^Good assessment. I suspect you're right regarding Bennett's Academy movie and its effect.
I notice you cite Phase II as being potentially detrimental to the franchise. Do you suggest this because it would have prevented the movies from being successful and allowing TNG to come to the air, and itself would not have been as successful or memorable as TNG?
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
The lack of a film franchise is certainly the biggest effect from Phase II. And it was the success of the films that led to Paramount starting development on The Next Generation. First it was offered to Bennett and Nimoy (who passed), then Greg Strangis (who didn't), and finally Gene Roddenberry came aboard.
I tend to think that Phase II would have cemented the idea that Star Trek was only the 23rd century, because now there would have been three series using those characters. And it would probably have increased Roddenberry's influence on the franchise and its direction, which had been on the wane in the 70s (and would be again post-TMP).
Basically, the reinvention and reinvigoration that was Star Trek II wouldn't have happened, and absent that, I don't see Star Trek being that successful into the 1980s.
Thanks.
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens devote a few pages in their book about Phase II to the possible effects of a Phase II series, and their analysis is, frankly, grim.
The lack of a film franchise is certainly the biggest effect from Phase II. And it was the success of the films that led to Paramount starting development on The Next Generation. First it was offered to Bennett and Nimoy (who passed), then Greg Strangis (who didn't), and finally Gene Roddenberry came aboard.
I tend to think that Phase II would have cemented the idea that Star Trek was only the 23rd century, because now there would have been three series using those characters. And it would probably have increased Roddenberry's influence on the franchise and its direction, which had been on the wane in the 70s (and would be again post-TMP).
Basically, the reinvention and reinvigoration that was Star Trek II wouldn't have happened, and absent that, I don't see Star Trek being that successful into the 1980s.
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
1991:
- only two years since the last TOS movie
- all the original cast members are still active and able/willing to do another movie
- prequels and/or reboots aren't a common concept
2009:
- 18 years since the last TOS movie
- some of the original cast members have passed away, the remaining ones are really old by now
- the character of James T. Kirk has died on screen, the other characters have retired from Starfleet
- we've got the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Batman Begins, and Casino Royale etc.
- conclusion: if you want to do another TOS movie, it has to be some sort of "prequel" with younger actors
An "academy movie" is more justifiable now than it was in 1991. And I guess J.J. Abrams will show us that an "academy movie" doesn't have to be bad/lame/boring (although I assume that Bennett's "Star Trek: The First Adventure" concept didn't envision cadets Kirk and Spock sitting in a class room for two hours either).
1991:
- only two years since the last TOS movie
- all the original cast members are still active and able/willing to do another movie
- prequels and/or reboots aren't a common concept
2009:
- 18 years since the last TOS movie
- some of the original cast members have passed away, the remaining ones are really old by now
- the character of James T. Kirk has died on screen, the other characters have retired from Starfleet
- we've got the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Batman Begins, and Casino Royale etc.
- conclusion: if you want to do another TOS movie, it has to be some sort of "prequel" with younger actors
An "academy movie" is more justifiable now than it was in 1991. And I guess J.J. Abrams will show us that an "academy movie" doesn't have to be bad/lame/boring (although I assume that Bennett's "Star Trek: The First Adventure" concept didn't envision cadets Kirk and Spock sitting in a class room for two hours either).
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
I think it was in reading The Making of the Trek Movies or one of those that had the summary of the draft Bennett had. While it did honor a lot of TOS past stories of when they were young, it did tend to use coincidence of a huge threat to serve as the meeting point for all the TOS characters.
And, I believe the bookends dealt with Kirk giving a graduation speech at the Academy, with the end being Spock beaming down to notify him that the Enterprise has been given an assignment.
I think it was in reading The Making of the Trek Movies or one of those that had the summary of the draft Bennett had. While it did honor a lot of TOS past stories of when they were young, it did tend to use coincidence of a huge threat to serve as the meeting point for all the TOS characters.
And, I believe the bookends dealt with Kirk giving a graduation speech at the Academy, with the end being Spock beaming down to notify him that the Enterprise has been given an assignment.
Re: If this was 1991... And Bennett/Meyer did Their "Academy Movie"...
Thats a fair assesment. Its interesting, the age old butterfly effect.
Imagine NO Star Trek II. Hell, i wasnt even born until '84 and to imagine that the Trek i knew when i was younger would have never have happened is an odd thought indeed.
Obviously, i along with possibly ever trek fan has pondered the "What if?" of Phase II. how it wouldve turned out? how it wouldve prevented certain Trek productions or produced more? Would it have been a success (doubtful)?
Thanks.
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens devote a few pages in their book about Phase II to the possible effects of a Phase II series, and their analysis is, frankly, grim.
The lack of a film franchise is certainly the biggest effect from Phase II. And it was the success of the films that led to Paramount starting development on The Next Generation. First it was offered to Bennett and Nimoy (who passed), then Greg Strangis (who didn't), and finally Gene Roddenberry came aboard.
I tend to think that Phase II would have cemented the idea that Star Trek was only the 23rd century, because now there would have been three series using those characters. And it would probably have increased Roddenberry's influence on the franchise and its direction, which had been on the wane in the 70s (and would be again post-TMP).
Basically, the reinvention and reinvigoration that was Star Trek II wouldn't have happened, and absent that, I don't see Star Trek being that successful into the 1980s.
Thats a fair assesment. Its interesting, the age old butterfly effect.
Imagine NO Star Trek II. Hell, i wasnt even born until '84 and to imagine that the Trek i knew when i was younger would have never have happened is an odd thought indeed.
Obviously, i along with possibly ever trek fan has pondered the "What if?" of Phase II. how it wouldve turned out? how it wouldve prevented certain Trek productions or produced more? Would it have been a success (doubtful)?
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