What Took So Long...why we're only getting a new movie now...

[F. King Daniel]

(Speaking in terms of hypotheticals).

Wonder how the JJ-verse ST continuity will be treated, once Abrams/Kurtzman/Orci stop making Star Trek movies. (In principle something like this could happen, such as if the next ST film doesn't do very well financially for Paramount).

For example:

Will it be treated like a "Shatner-verse", in regard to novels and comics?

For that matter, will Simon & Schuster and/or IDW drop it altogether? (This could be the case, if the JJ-verse continuity novels and comics aren't selling very well).

Considering the novelization of Star Trek was Trek's first New York Times bestseller in a decade, I seriously doubt those books will sell poorly if they're ever released. Remember that Nemesis flopped yet a decade later we're still getting new Next Generation novels as well as Titan, which directly continues on from that film.

Abrams' movies are an in-universe alternate reality, not an out-of-universe separate continuity like the Shatnerverse. Minor references have already cropped up in recent prime-universe lit, like an Enterprise-E security officer mentioning having spent six months assigned to the icy Delta Vega in Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony.

I hope that when JJ and co are finished with Trek, Pocket will be allowed to continue the adventures of nuKirk and nuSpock in the same way they've continued TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT beyond their TV/film finales.

 

[jayceee]

Considering the novelization of Star Trek was Trek's first New York Times bestseller in a decade, I seriously doubt those books will sell poorly if they're ever released. Remember that Nemesis flopped yet a decade later we're still getting new Next Generation novels as well as Titan, which directly continues on from that film.

Besides being an NYT bestseller, are there any official (or semi-official) quotes on how many copies the 2009 ST movie novelization sold? Or for that matter, how many copies of the JJ-verse Starfleet Academy novels were sold?

In regard to comics, the ongoing Star Trek series in the JJ-verse continuity, is currently moving around 10,000 copies per issue (through Diamond's quasi-monopoly comic distribution system). The first issue moved around 16,000 copies.

For details of comic book sales of IDW's Star Trek ongoing series, look up the months September 2011 to the present, in the following link:

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales.html

(This web page archives comic book sales statistics over many years).

In comparison, comic titles like X-Men, Avengers, Batman, etc ... are typically moving around 100,000 copies (or more) per issue every month (through Diamond).

 

[F. King Daniel]

Unfortunately, Pocket books keep their sales figures a closely guarded secret.

 

[Greg Cox]

The movie looks like its gonna be really good and I'm excited about it, but I do think it sucks that they all favored other projects for so long before going back to Trek..

Again, working on STAR TREK isn't like being married. You're allowed to see other people.

 

[Ian Keldon]

Not particularly. They produced some good entertainment for a few weeks but it was, as a rather notorious friend remarked, nothing more than a reach-around for the hard core fans who'd stuck with Enterprise into its fourth season. Nothing special, nothing really any more memorable than the rest of the series (or Voyager, or...) and certainly nothing to give Star Trek much-needed new energy and a direction into the future.

No, they just turned in the single best season of Trek since the end of DS9 and one of the best seasons of Trek frankly EVER. They were rebuilding momentum and buzz and were actively developing S5 material when the Moonives (well known sci-fi hater) and the CBS bean-counters shut them down, then proceeded to destroy the entire Trek office and infrastructure.

I find your "friend's" analysis of S4 frankly disgusting. Referring to respect and enthusiasm for the root source of all Trek (TOS) as a "reach around" is just patently offensive.

 

[Ian Keldon]

Consider how they hauled ENT out of the mire for the final season (bar TATV).

Which was Berman and Braga at work again. Coto and the R-S don't deserve to be dunned for the Killer Bs' BS.

 

[beamMe]

Not particularly. They produced some good entertainment for a few weeks but it was, as a rather notorious friend remarked, nothing more than a reach-around for the hard core fans who'd stuck with Enterprise into its fourth season. Nothing special, nothing really any more memorable than the rest of the series (or Voyager, or...) and certainly nothing to give Star Trek much-needed new energy and a direction into the future.

No, they just turned in the single best season of Trek since the end of DS9 and one of the best seasons of Trek frankly EVER. They were rebuilding momentum and buzz and were actively developing S5 material when the Moonives (well known sci-fi hater) and the CBS bean-counters shut them down, then proceeded to destroy the entire Trek office and infrastructure.

I find your "friend's" analysis of S4 frankly disgusting. Referring to respect and enthusiasm for the root source of all Trek (TOS) as a "reach around" is just patently offensive.

Only to you.

Enterprise was a failure. It didn't attract enough viewers to justify the cost of producing it.
I liked the show. I thought season 4 was good, too - but that's because it was just fan-wank. Good fan-wank, but still just that.

Those same "CBS bean-counters", btw, are now shelling out money to restore TNG for the HD-future.

 

[lurok]

Poor Enterprise I wonder if it has more fans now than it did at time? (I'm probably one of them)

 

[Hythlodeus]

The movie looks like its gonna be really good and I'm excited about it, but I do think it sucks that they all favored other projects for so long before going back to Trek..

Again, working on STAR TREK isn't like being married. You're allowed to see other people.

You just have to marry the right person and you're allowed to see other people while being married too

 

[tranya]

No.

Let me add to that: Hell no.

 

[Greg Cox]

Star Trek knows it was my first.

I honestly can't remember my first, but I'm pretty sure I cheated on it with Dark Shadows . . . .

 

[F. King Daniel]

Poor Enterprise I wonder if it has more fans now than it did at time? (I'm probably one of them)

I like to think fans have softened to it a bit now the dust has settled. I was totally indifferent to it until the third season, which I loved to bits. The fourth was enjoyable, but it was a bit too fanwanky even for me. And, as a fan of the novels, I have a high threshold for that sort of thing!

They're releasing season 1 on Bluray to coincide with the theatrical release of Into Darkness, so it's not going away any time soon.

 

[M'Sharak]

Not particularly. They produced some good entertainment for a few weeks but it was, as a rather notorious friend remarked, nothing more than a reach-around for the hard core fans who'd stuck with Enterprise into its fourth season. Nothing special, nothing really any more memorable than the rest of the series (or Voyager, or...) and certainly nothing to give Star Trek much-needed new energy and a direction into the future.

No, they just turned in the single best season of Trek since the end of DS9 and one of the best seasons of Trek frankly EVER. They were rebuilding momentum and buzz and were actively developing S5 material when the Moonives (well known sci-fi hater) and the CBS bean-counters shut them down, then proceeded to destroy the entire Trek office and infrastructure.

A few observations:

* No matter how good you or any other person (fan or not) thinks Season 4 was, it did not translate into an increase in ratings.

* Season 5 was never going to happen. Even Season 3 wasn't always a certain thing, and that Season 4 happened at all was a gift; to pretend otherwise is to be unrealistic.

* Moonves. His name is spelled "Moonves". See?

* Whether or not S5 material was being developed is of little relevance - Season 5 wasn't going to happen. Ever.

* As far as "then proceeded to destroy the entire Trek office and infrastructure" goes, that writing was on the wall as early as the end of Season 2. A lot of studio personnel changeover took place prior to the start of Season 3.​

Look, I liked Enterprise and would love to have seen it do better, but I have to say that I think you're operating under some seriously unrealistic assumptions about the way things work in the film and television industry. Sometimes things just fail, and not because they fall victim to the evil scheming of anyone in particular. They just don't succeed.

 

[Squiggy]

A long wait? For Guns N' Roses fans this is nothing

or Duke Nukem fans

or fans of Tron...

None of these are the best examples in terms of quality.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm not getting the non-love for Coto & the Reed Stevenses. Consider how they hauled ENT out of the mire for the final season (bar TATV). As a producer Coto lifted the game a lot, and the Reed Stevenses know their Trek, and aren't afraid to tell a bold story.

I don;t think anyone here actually hates Coto or the Reeves-Stevens. Coto gave us the best season of Enterprise and the Reeves-Stevens have written some really cool Trek books over the years.

But they are masters of fanwank and the wrong choice for a big budget movie franchise that will have to appeal to non-fans.

No one from Paramount/CBS seems to guide Pocket in regards to how the Prime Trek novels should develop.

His name is John Van Citters, he heads a small team at CBS, he has been thanked in numerous IDW comics, in fact, and was Paula Block's offsider at CBS Consumer Products, the previous guide as to how Prime Trek novels, comics and all ST media tie-ins develop and how they can meet approval standards.

It's a good thing I don't know his name, it means he isn't as obsessive and demanding as the Bad Robot gang. And being thanked in a comic is different than having a credit among the writers and artists, giving the impression you're actually involved in the creative process.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Poor Enterprise I wonder if it has more fans now than it did at time? (I'm probably one of them)

I like to think fans have softened to it a bit now the dust has settled. I was totally indifferent to it until the third season, which I loved to bits. The fourth was enjoyable, but it was a bit too fanwanky even for me. And, as a fan of the novels, I have a high threshold for that sort of thing!

They're releasing season 1 on Bluray to coincide with the theatrical release of Into Darkness, so it's not going away any time soon.

I think Season 4 of Enterprise is the best Trek has to offer. I agree with your fanwanky criticism but I still think it's an incredible season.

 

[Yminale]

Enterprise was awful PERIOD.

That being said I like to know the internal politics behind STITD. They didn't delay things because of quality issues, the movie was delayed because the people in charge were off doing other things. I'm surprised that Paramount didn't play more hardball with a key tent pole franchise. A winter 2012 release would have been less risky. If you factor in all the delays plus higher cost due to increased marketing plus the fact its competing against Iron Man 3 well STITD is facing an uphill battle. It seem to imply that J.J. Abrams is more important to them then Star Trek.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Enterprise was awful PERIOD.

No it wasn't. It wasn't any more awful than lots of TNG and lots of VOY.

 

[Yminale]

Enterprise was awful PERIOD.

No it wasn't. It wasn't any more awful than lots of TNG and lots of VOY.

Probably but with all that practice you think they learn from their mistakes.

 

[M'Sharak]

Enterprise was awful PERIOD.

That being said I like to know the internal politics behind STITD. They didn't delay things because of quality issues, the movie was delayed because the people in charge were off doing other things. I'm surprised that Paramount didn't play more hardball with a key tent pole franchise. A winter 2012 release would have been less risky. If you factor in all the delays plus higher cost due to increased marketing plus the fact its competing against Iron Man 3 well STITD is facing an uphill battle. It seem to imply that J.J. Abrams is more important to them then Star Trek.

Weren't at least some of those other things "the people in charge were off doing" also generating revenue for Paramount? Transformers movies, Hawaii Five-O, M:I:4, things like that?