Star Trek XII...?

[DFScott]

Now that the principal cast has been pretty much set in stone, has it occurred to anyone that none of its members are, shall we say, "A-list" actors?

And that perhaps because of that fact, it might be easier for Paramount - assuming the movie is successful enough, of course - rather than produce a sequel movie, to instead transfer the entire principal cast to a new television series? And perhaps, say, continue where we left off in 1969 or thereabouts?

One reason I ask is because it struck me that ST XI has been presumed set in the period just prior to the launch of the five-year mission, and the fact that everybody's young enough lends credence to that fact...and yet they still cast a Chekov. Wouldn't Chekov have been too young to have joined the service at the time the Enterprise was, say, dropping off Gary Mitchell at his last stop?

In other words, assuming we adhere to continuity (which we haven't done for the last decade, but assuming we start now), we shouldn't even be seeing Chekov until a period of time roughly equivalent to the start of Season II. Which is quite a few stardates ahead.

So perhaps this movie hops around in time rather than stays in one place. And the only reason I would guess it needs to do that is to set the stage for, if you will, a successful television series. And all the revenue from subsequent DVD sales that would generate.

-DF "Or Maybe This is the Mirror Universe, Chris Pine Gets Killed Off, and Chekov and Everyone Else Moves Up in Rank" Scott

(a.k.a. Scott M. Fulton, III)

 

[Woulfe]

XII, XIII are only in contacts ATM, there is no plans beyond that as far as I know.

- W -
* No Problem *

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I've been wondering about plans to return Trek to TV as well. But if the movies really take off, will key cast members consider themselves movie stars now? Maybe the movies should re-establish the 23rd C Trek timeframe and a TV spinoff series could involve a whole new cast, with some of the actors from the movies making appearances for sweeps.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

It's my opinion that this takes place at the begining of the Five-year Mission, not before it (it may even take place after WNMHGB, thus no need for Gary Mitchell). If that is the case, then Chekov could be there as an Academy Cadet/Trainee temporarily assigned to the Enterprise -- or even as a commissioned Ensign -- depending on the time frame.

I'm thinking that any sequels (ST:XII, ST:XIII) may be taking place around this same timeframe as this film, and that's why young-ish and young looking actors were cast. If they got actors who were the same age as the original cast was in 1966, they would be too old told in 6 years to make ST:XIII.

Example:
Chris Pine = 27...In this film he will play a 32 year old Kirk (that isn't a stretch). In ST:XII, Pine may be 30, and will play a 32 year-old Kirk again. In ST:XIII Chris Pine may be 32, and will play a 33 year-old Kirk.
If they hired a 34 year-old actor as Kirk, he may have been pushing 40 by the time ST:XIII was made, and that may be too old.

 

[The Doctor]

It's way premature to even worry about such things.

We're getting a movie, we outta be happy with that.

 

[Dart]

Amen. I dont have any more to say, except that 14 months is a long way off.

 

[scottydog]

I hope we're lucky enough to get a Star Trek XII. I think that's one reason Pine turned down that other movie role -- he may see a possible future, rich with sequels and/or a possible TV series.

 

[LoneStranger]

If ST XI is successful, I have a feeling that CBS/Paramount would rather have a TV series than ST XII. Though a series might cost more to make in the long run, it does generate more money via ad revenue. Plus, they could move the movie props (real and computer generated) over to the series and save some cash.

Then, once the series is done, they come back for ST XII.

What would be in the series? Oh, I dunno. I rememeber reading some idea awhile back about a partial reboot. Most of the episodes would be new but some would be reimaginings or remakes of TOS episodes. I think it might have been Berman?

I'm not saying that it would be easy to mesh it into the existing canon, but if CBS/Paramount wanted to make a series, someone would figure out how.

 

[Therin of Andor]

LoneStranger said:
Then, once the series is done, they come back for ST XII.

And yet recent ST films have indicated that, when there's been plenty of free new ST on TV, people are less likely to rush out to pay to see a movie.

The new cast's motion picture contracts probably specify two sequels, but signing a TV contract that takes you off to a sealed-off television soundstage for five+ years is daunting, possibly career-path altering, and opening up the possibility of typecasting - thus a very different decision for an up-and-coming actor to make than merely signing up for one movie (and two fairly-distant sequels if the first one is successful).

It's a very different set of negotiations, not to mention that CBS has never aired a new ST series before. TOS was made for its old rival, NBC, TNG and DS9 were syndicated, and VOY and ENT were made for UPN. The new movie is being made by Paramount.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I thought the movies and TV Trek franchises were currently controled by seperate divisions of Viacom. If so it seams unlikely that they'd use the movie cast in a TV show.

 

[CoveTom]

Therin of Andor said:
And yet recent ST films have indicated that, when there's been plenty of free new ST on TV, people are less likely to rush out to pay to see a movie.

Harve Bennett tried the same argument to explain why TFF didn't fare well at the box office. TUC came along and disproved that argument. FC seemed to as well. I think what recent Trek films have indicated is that if you produce low-quality Trek films, people are less likely to rush out and see them.

 

[LoneStranger]

Therin of Andor said:
And yet recent ST films have indicated that, when there's been plenty of free new ST on TV, people are less likely to rush out to pay to see a movie.

The new cast's motion picture contracts probably specify two sequels, but signing a TV contract that takes you off to a sealed-off television soundstage for five+ years is daunting, possibly career-path altering, and opening up the possibility of typecasting - thus a very different decision for an up-and-coming actor to make than merely signing up for one movie (and two fairly-distant sequels if the first one is successful).

It's a very different set of negotiations, not to mention that CBS has never aired a new ST series before. TOS was made for its old rival, NBC, TNG and DS9 were syndicated, and VOY and ENT were made for UPN. The new movie is being made by Paramount.

Good points. I still think that a series is likely if the movie were to make, say, $150m domestic and that same total in the rest of the world. Networks are always looking to catch lightning in a bottle. If the movie proves that Star Trek can be revived this early, then I think they'll look into a series.

Then again, perhaps a series is too much of an investment and they'll just want to try to churn out two more movies within the next four years.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Nerys Myk said:
I thought the movies and TV Trek franchises were currently controled by seperate divisions of Viacom. If so it seams unlikely that they'd use the movie cast in a TV show.

You're correct on that. If the movie is successful CBS may decide to capitalize on it and make a tv series again. Besides I don't see Urban and Pegg signing up to do a movie, 2 possible sequels and a television series. They've got relatively successful movie careers going at the moment with no signs of it ending soon.

 

[Photoman15]

Jack Bauer said:

Nerys Myk said:
I thought the movies and TV Trek franchises were currently controled by seperate divisions of Viacom. If so it seams unlikely that they'd use the movie cast in a TV show.

You're correct on that. If the movie is successful CBS may decide to capitalize on it and make a tv series again. Besides I don't see Urban and Pegg signing up to do a movie, 2 possible sequels and a television series. They've got relatively successful movie careers going at the moment with no signs of it ending soon.

Yeah, but if they do a TREK series soon, in 40 years they can be the stars of Boston Legal: The Next Generation.

 

[Wowbagger]

LoneStranger said:What would be in the series? Oh, I dunno. I rememeber reading some idea awhile back about a partial reboot. Most of the episodes would be new but some would be reimaginings or remakes of TOS episodes. I think it might have been Berman?

Even Berman and Braga had enough sense on their heads to know that that would be a terrible idea--true creative bankruptcy.

The "partial reboot" idea you describe was the brainchild of J. Michael Straczynski, the same warped mind that gave us Babylon 5 and, more recently, One Day More in the Spider-Man universe.

I apologize to any B5 or JMS fans I may have just offended.

 

[David cgc]

No, it's okay, we know he has a warped mind. It's part of the reason we like him. Though he can get married to his bad ideas just as much as to his good ones (sockpuppet Babylon 5 is not funny).