"Menagerie" Screenings Connected to Trek XI

[Frontier]

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Original Series episode "The Menagerie" - the only TOS two-parter, and that which made 'The Cage' canon by showing us Pike, Spock, Number One, and the Talosians back in 2254 - will be screened in selected theaters in the US and Canada. Later, we found out Europe will be getting it as well. Now we've recently found out that (apparently) Trek XI is to be something about the final mission of Pike as Enterprise Captain, seeing Kirk come in and take command at the end.

So it just occured to me...

1 + 1 = 2

The screenings of "The Menagerie" are too much of a coincedence when you consider Trek XI and it's apparent focus (initially) on Spock, Pike, and such. Has anyone else realized this? I mean, I'm sure others have just... curious.

 

[Dale]

It's a nice bit of synchronicity, but I hardly think it's intentional. The screenings are a publicity event for the dvd release of TOS remastered. It's taking place more than a year before the new film releases, and it's not likely to serve as "audience orientation" into the era of Pike and Spock since it's only a two-day event likely to attract no one but existing Trekkies who are already well aware of the canon issues involved.

 

[Supervisor 194]

Yeah, I think this is more likely intended to drum up business for the new HD-DVDs.

 

[Kegek]

I personally think they chose it because it's the only TOS two-parter and thus the only thing of feature length. Any Kirk-Spock-Pike connections are just lucky bonuses.

 

[Matt]

I've got a feeling that we'll get some sort of EARLY teaser for Trek XI at the screening.

I expect "Star Trek" will have many trailers and teasers like most blockbusters do, and no place to better start the buzz than at this event.

 

[Green Shirt]

The "Menagerie" poster is in my favorite theater (which is not showing it, BTW ). Its obviously recognizable to fans, but it could serve as an intro to non-fans, since Pike and the "different" looking Spock are the focus (who dey?). So the release could serve both purposes, even if the timing is a little early for Trek XI.

 

[steve_1987]

Matt said:
I've got a feeling that we'll get some sort of EARLY teaser for Trek XI at the screening.

I expect "Star Trek" will have many trailers and teasers like most blockbusters do, and no place to better start the buzz than at this event.

I doubt it, it hasn't even started filming yet, if there is a teaser it will be a bit of music and effects, hardly worth the price to produce and distribute it

 

[shatastrophic]

^I think you are all correct.

 

[OmarB]

It's a nice theory you've come up with but the timeing being so far away from the movie's release I think it's just a nice coincidence. Now if a month or two before the release of the movie they show another episode or two on the big screen then maybe I'll buy it.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

steve_1987 said:

Matt said:
I've got a feeling that we'll get some sort of EARLY teaser for Trek XI at the screening.

I expect "Star Trek" will have many trailers and teasers like most blockbusters do, and no place to better start the buzz than at this event.

I doubt it, it hasn't even started filming yet, if there is a teaser it will be a bit of music and effects, hardly worth the price to produce and distribute it

Oh, c'mon now... you saw the "teaser" trailer for Transformers, didn't you? It was utterly unrelated to anything we saw in the film (though they tossed in an offhand reference to it just to avoid totally invalidating the teaser trailer). It DID have the effect of getting people talking, however.

They WILL have SOMETHING there. Whether or not it has anything other than a starfield shot, some funky space sound-effects, and a voiceover (possibly by one of the new actors?) remains to be seen. I'd love to see a shot of the TOS Enterprise in full CGI glory zip past on the screen (wouldn't be hard, using the original CBS model). If they did that, they'd be confirming that it's THE ENTERPRISE (not some new, funky-wing-flapping-chicken-Enterprise) that's going to be seen.

 

[Kegek]

^
Only they've already pretty much said it's going to be a Eaves redesign.

Anyway, a pertinent Trek example would be the teaser for First Contact, which has lots of stuff not from the movie like the Enterprise-D (!) and Voyager (!!). I can certainly see the marketing feasibility of a teaser trailer, but they haven't even started shooting the movie yet... I think it's too early, personally.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Oh, well... how about this... imagine, Leonard Nimoy reading the Classic opening sequence talkie... and having that blend into SPylOrCK (okay, I'm working too hard to make Sylar and Spock into one name, so shoot me!). A Morph from Nimoy's current face into the new dude's face...

Oh, and there's NOTHING to indicate that it's a John Eaves redesign, only that Eaves is on the team in one fashion or another. What he's doing is NOT established. Eaves is going to design something... maybe it'll be only the 24th (25th?) century stuff?

NO movie is ever a "one man show" ya know...

 

[Kegek]

^
Well, he did say it'll look different but will have the basic outline. Maybe he's not the sole designor, but evidently he's involved.

 

[T'Cal]

This is too much of a coincidence and I don't believe in coincidences. I think this is a tie in and that we'll see a teaser.

Since the filming will begin very soon (if it hasn't started already), most of the sets are probably built. In addition, there's no reason why they couldn't use footage from the TOS-R episodes. How long does it take to write a line or two and then record it? I think we'll see some remastered footage (the CGI 1701 zooming past the screen or similar) with Nimoy doing a voice-over. If I am right, they are geniuses in my book. If not, that doesn't make them idiots, but they will have missed a great opportunity.

 

[Kokomo]

Ryan Church is the one "designing" the movie Enterprise.

 

[Kegek]

Here's a thought to chew on:

Aren't the TV rights to Star Trek and the movie rights owned by different companies since the CBS-Paramount split? One half is doing TOS-R, the other, Abrams' movie. Why would the two collaborate with a teaser trailer for Abrams' movie on a TOS-R product?

 

[number6]

Connected to Trek XI??? I think you're all reaching a bit if you believe that this is related in anyway to the new film. It is intended to be a promotion for the TOS HD set coming out around the time of this special screening.

 

[Dale]

Number666 said:
Connected to Trek XI??? I think you're all reaching a bit if you believe that this is related in anyway to the new film. It is intended to be a promotion for the TOS HD set coming out around the time of this special screening.

Thank you! Anything else is wishful thinking on the part of teaser-hungry Trekkies (I freely admit to being one, BTW, I just don't think this is "it".)

 

[number6]

Hey.. if there is some kind of teaser for XI, that's super, but it's not a deal breaker for me. The Menagerie event will have loads of behind the scenes stuff and it will be a great time for any Trek fan, or at least those who aren't horrified that they went in and remastered all of this and added CG fx and stuff.

I am looking forward to this!!

 

[T'Cal]

I know that this is meant to hype the new HD-DVDs, but I also see an opportunity here that they would be foolish to pass up. A teaser would certainly create some early interest in the movie, and it's likely that creating such a teaser would not be so involved that they couldn't finish it in time. Berman might not have done such a move. Will JJA? I'm hoping he's that smart.