PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nemesis

[Khan 2.0]

When discussing the final days of Picard, Stewart was quick to point out that Star Trek: Nemesis was not a financial failure. "It didn't lose money. It simply didn't make as much as all the others." He also said that Nemesis writer John Logan told him that "somewhere out there" there's an outline for a script with "all of the Star Trek cast members in it" that we'll never see. No, he didn't elaborate to say if that meant Sisko and Janeway and Archer, too. You'll just have to imagine and argue what in the heck that could possibly mean.
http://trekweb.com/stories.php?threadView=1&aid=527ddfca67423

what we already knew:

An eleventh Star Trek movie was initially planned during production on the tenth film, Star Trek Nemesis. Nemesis co-writers John Logan and Brent Spiner intended to follow that film with a "crossover" sequel. After Nemesis failed financially, however, this plan was abandoned.
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Undeveloped_Star_Trek_projects

my guess is it wouldve been like an Avengers movie of all the Berman spin offs and had members of the TNG/DS9/VOY casts along with the ENT cast (as it may have been a time travel film) and maybe even some of the original cast (Sulu? Chekov? Spock cameo?)

maybe something along the lines of IDWs Last Generation or the Bring Back Kirk trailer but without Kirk

 

[Melakon]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

. . .He also said that Nemesis writer John Logan told him that "somewhere out there" there's an outline for a script with "all of the Star Trek cast members in it" that we'll never see. . .

In Star Trek Movie Memories, Shatner indicates this was an idea being kicked around when Generations was being put together. The original idea was Kirk's crew and Picard's crew, with some big climax where the two ships are fighting each other. The problem the writers had was no matter how they tried to plot it, one side always came out looking like the bad guys.

The other problem with the concept was to bring back all the major characters and pay the actors their heavy salaries would exhaust the budget before a single frame of film was shot.

 

[Lance]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

^ Yeah, I don't think it would be a possibility as an "all the crews in one explosive feature!" movie. If it were skimmed down to maybe just one or two essential cast members from each of the series then they'd maybe have been able to afford it, otherwise it would never be an viable proposition.

I do remember that the Marvel Trek comics dabbled with it in the late 90s though.

 

[SiddFinch1]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Crossovers are really hard to pull off

 

[Maurice]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Sorry, but an outline or treatment is NOT a script, so the thread title is disingenuous.

 

[ALF]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

So... what's the reasoning behind the exact same idea being not used in the JJtrek universe? It's not exactly the most original idea. Heck, if the rumored JJ:TNG reboot is around the corner, this is exactly how it would be created.

 

[Khan 2.0]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Sorry, but an outline or treatment is NOT a script, so the thread title is disingenuous.

sorry couldnt fit anything else in thread title

 

[Maurice]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

How about "Stewart confirms there was a Trek "'Avengers' type pitch"?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis had made it known that they missed TNG and were keen to do more (hence their appearance in the ENT finale). Alexander Siddig and Aron Eisenberg said similar, that they would jump back into Trek at very little prompting. Ditto Nicole de Boer, who had had only one season developing Ezri Dax and was keen to do more.

But would Riker, Troi, Bashir, Nog, Dax, Admiral Janeway and the B-4 be able to carry a motion picture feature?

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

But would Riker, Troi, Bashir, Nog, Dax, Admiral Janeway and the B-4 be able to carry a motion picture feature?

There are others who've said they'd be willing to do more Star Trek and may have been in the picture. IIRC, Nana Visitor has said that she greatly enjoyed working on DS9 and would've been interested in a movie. Michael Dorn was wanting to move on after Nemesis but has recently said he'd be up for a TV series (hence the Captain Worf discussions that have popped up here). Stephen Collins has also said he'd be interested if there were a way to incorporate some of the TOS cast into a film. I won't talk about George Takei, who likely still believes a Captain Sulu TV series is a good idea.

Given how significantly most of these people have aged, I wonder if an animated film or TV series would be a better idea if someone decided to pursue this project. I've no interest in seeing Frakes strut around with his huge beer-gut, but I'd be okay with him voicing an animated Riker.

In any case, I think a large group could carry a film if there were at least one big-name star (like Stewart) to round out the cast, plus a guest-star who's also a big name. Ian McKellen's always been a great foil for Stewart as Magneto. I wonder if he'd do Star Trek if asked. I think he'd be a great Romulan, Vulcan, or Cardassian character.

--Sran

 

[Lance]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Given how significantly most of these people have aged, I wonder if an animated film or TV series would be a better idea if someone decided to pursue this project. I've no interest in seeing Frakes strut around with his huge beer-gut, but I'd be okay with him voicing an animated Riker.

^ This.

In theory they could do anything with the help of animation. It could even be set pre-Nemesis and actually incorporate Data in the cast too, because Spiner's concerns about being 'too old' to play an ageless android would be very easy to fix in animation. He would just have to sound young.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

In theory they could do anything with the help of animation. It could even be set pre-Nemesis and actually incorporate Data in the cast too, because Spiner's concerns about being 'too old' to play an ageless android would be very easy to fix in animation. He would just have to sound young.

And they could modify the voices easily enough, so that's really not a big deal either. I think an animated series would do well. As long as the plots were serious enough, adult fans would watch it, and younger fans who've seen the Abrams films might buy in, too. Because it would theoretically involve only prime universe characters, some sort of explanation would have to be offered to fans who may be confused by seeing much older versions of the TOS characters (if any of them were to appear).

Having a huge crossover event would be much easier via the animated route. If the movie/TV pilot did well, it could easily lay the groundwork for another series down the line. Otherwise, the only way I could see a new TV series getting off the ground would be to feature an entirely new cast and group of characters. I don't know how well such a series would do outside of hardcore fans, however.

--Sran

 

[JarodRussell]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Given how significantly most of these people have aged, I wonder if an animated film or TV series would be a better idea if someone decided to pursue this project. I've no interest in seeing Frakes strut around with his huge beer-gut, but I'd be okay with him voicing an animated Riker.

^ This.

In theory they could do anything with the help of animation. It could even be set pre-Nemesis and actually incorporate Data in the cast too, because Spiner's concerns about being 'too old' to play an ageless android would be very easy to fix in animation. He would just have to sound young.

What cruel statements these are, dudes. How dare anyone showing his old rotting body in my entertainment?

Spiner's concerns were that Data (the specific character) is ageless, but he himself isn't. And that is a valid one. But he would be quick to tell you to fuck off if you called him too old and ugly and bloated and whatever the hell people regularly call old actors.

 

[Melakon]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

. . .Alexander Siddig and Aron Eisenberg said similar, that they would jump back into Trek at very little prompting. . .

Was this recently? Because Sid's Wikipedia article says

In August 2010, he expressed his doubts about resurrecting his character, Dr. Julian Bashir, from Deep Space Nine, stating that he has "other ambitions".

Though I guess that could be subject to change if they were waving enough money at him.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Spiner's concerns were that Data (the specific character) is ageless, but he himself isn't.

Yes, I believe Lance said exactly the same thing in his post.

But he would be quick to tell you to fuck off if you called him too old and ugly and bloated and whatever the hell people regularly call old actors.

It seems to me that Spiner regularly talks to people that way, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear him berating anyone who makes a crack about his weight. In any case, my earlier comments were about Frakes rather than Spiner. Either could easily reprise his role in an animated Star Trek feature, and any such production would allow for the incorporation of new characters who hadn't been in previous series.

--Sran

 

[ALF]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

It would be pretty easy to whip up a CGI Data circa TNG anyseason or whenever.
I wouldn't want to look at one, but... I can't imagine it would be impossible as other posters have stated above.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Heck, if the rumored JJ:TNG reboot is around the corner, this is exactly how it would be created.

Such a rumor is likely only by fans.

As far as a Trek movie featuring everyone, though, I'm more inclined that it wouldn't, but could feature a character or two from each Trek series even if some appear only as little more than as a cameo.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Thank God John Logan never touched Trek again.

 

[BillJ]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

In any case, I think a large group could carry a film if there were at least one big-name star (like Stewart) to round out the cast, plus a guest-star who's also a big name. Ian McKellen's always been a great foil for Stewart as Magneto. I wonder if he'd do Star Trek if asked. I think he'd be a great Romulan, Vulcan, or Cardassian character.

But then you're back to all those characters being in the background while the star and guest star got the majority of the story and lines. You're back to the Shatner/Nimoy and Stewart/Spiner dynamic. A "big two" and scraps for the rest. I think the best thing that could happen to Star Trek would be to develop a dedicated movie crew with characters who could be moved in and out as the story dictated.

I always thought the "Justice League of Trek" concept being kicked around was a horrible idea for a feature film.

Thank God John Logan never touched Trek again.

I don't know. I blame the last two TNG films on Stewart and Spiner far more than anyone else.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Re: PStewart confirms there was a Star Trek 'Avengers' script post Nem

Trek movies already have a rough time fitting all the characters in and giving them meaningful things to do. Spam a movie with all the crews they can afford? It'll be the Picard/Janeway movie with a little Archer and Riker thrown in, and a shedload of uniformed background people squeezing in a catchphrase or two.

Hey, if X-Men: Days of Future's Past turns out to be the biggest thing EVAH, someone at Paramount might want Trek to do something similar with the surviving TOS crew and their young incarnations... but I seriously doubt it.