Would the book 'Federation' made a better 'pass the torch' movie than Generations?

[BillJ]

Hmm. It's been quite a while since I read it; I think much of the material set in the era prior to Kirk's would have to go, but not all of it. Some of that 'history' could have been related verbally in a conference or as part of a holodeck experience in the TNG era, bringing the audience up to speed on the salient points. As the 'first' TNG movie, this would have supplanted Generations and taken place some time after the events of 'All Good Things', when Picard was forced by Q to revisit the horrors of the post-apocalyptic court of an earlier age. Perhaps as a way of exploring that era with his friends, we could get some of the background info necessary to the remainder of the plotline.

Another problem is that much of this story doesn't make sense to audiences not familiar with the TOS episode introducing Zephram Cochrane and Nancy Hereford. At some point that story needs to be rehashed too so people are up to speed on what's going on. (Perhaps when an angry starfleet contacts Kirk about Hereford, who isn't quite dead as the log reflects...)

The indispensable parts of the story involve the tie-ins between the two eras- the pursuit of Cochrane's shuttle into the black hole by the Enterprise, and the way Adrik Thorsen possesses Data in the TNG era and flies into the same black hole as well. It's behind the event horizon (which a warp driven ship can escape, given enough power) that the two crews intersect and interact, and solve the problem of the prisoner's paradox or whatever is was called. Both ships eventually escape back to their respective eras, and then there is a return by both to Christopher's Landing on Earth where, in the TNG era, Picard reads the letter written to him by Kirk in the 23rd (without knowing who he's writing to, other than that it is the captain of a future Enterprise).

It would take a careful treatment to turn this novel into a filmable movie script, but the Reeves-Stevens wrote for S4 of Enterprise and if it was my movie to make I'd hire them to adapt their own work. It would definitely be a movie for Trek fans more than general audiences, and would require probably at least a 2.5 hour run time to do right. That aside, I still maintain that this story would have been a far better 'bridge' movie between the two eras than Generations was. Just MHO.

For anyone who's been interested in this thread but hasn't read the book- I can't recommend it highly enough. It's basically part and parcel of my 'head canon' since I consider the 21st Century Earth in First Contact as a splinter timeline that led to the events seen in Enterprise. First Contact contradicts a great deal of the material in Federation; if they'd adapted the novel as a movie rather than making Generations, First Contact would have been a totally different product.

Just because of cost, I would imagine either the majority of either the TOS or TNG stories would have to go.

 

[Tenacity]

It would definitely be a movie for Trek fans more than general audiences, and would require probably at least a 2.5 hour

Gods and Generals (2003) was about four hours long , and if it's a movie for primarily for trekkies go ahead and make it ten hours long.

Because we'll be there.

 

[wayoung]

Meh, you're better off making a 6 hour miniseries than a four hour movie. That's been one theory of how the new series will go - basically a new miniseries every year.

Honestly, I'm surprised at the lack of modern miniseries. They seemed to make a small comeback in the late 90's/early 2000's but have mostly fallen by the wayside again. I guess it's not worth investing in the sets for a short run on TV, and the miniseries ' they do make (like syfy's Ascension, trying to copy the early 2000's successes of Dune, Children of Dune, and BSG) are aimed more as "pilot" series toward full television productions, leaving unsatisfactory endings than complete stories in and of themselves.

 

[publiusr]

I would have liked to see the Enterprise A crew meet the Next-Gen crew as part of a storyline.
The novel Federation was a fav of mine.

 

[The Wormhole]

if it's a movie for primarily for trekkies go ahead and make it ten hours long.

Because we'll be there.

A ten hour movie made "primarily for Trekkies" would never get the green light. Yes, we'll all be there, but only we will be there, and there aren't enough of us to sustain something like that at the box office.

 

[Warped9]

Unless you recast the TOS crew to be young again it would have to have been a TOS movie era and TNG era crossover.

That said it would be interesting if a group like STC could adapt this story as a fan production.

 

[Nyotarules]

I just bought the book on kindle to add to my Trek library.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I just bought the book on kindle to add to my Trek library.

Very good call, my young padawan!

 

[cardinal biggles]

That said it would be interesting if a group like STC could adapt this story as a fan production.

Not anymore, not with the new rules CBS/Paramount laid down regarding fan films. I think it would have been a big no-no anyway... Pocket still holds the rights to Federation, and it's still in print (albeit only as an eBook right now), that's not the same as unproduced or rejected scripts like "Kitumba" and "Blood & Fire."

 

[Warped9]

Not anymore, not with the new rules CBS/Paramount laid down regarding fan films. I think it would have been a big no-no anyway... Pocket still holds the rights to Federation, and it's still in print (albeit only as an eBook right now), that's not the same as unproduced or rejected scripts like "Kitumba" and "Blood & Fire."

You did notice the words "would be" and "if" didn't you?

 

[cardinal biggles]

Yes, but I interpreted them in the sense of "it would be awesome if this were their next project" rather than how I now realize you intended it.

 

[Warped9]

Adapting a book can be tricky given the impressions those can have who have already read the book.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Federation was a favorite of mine. I think I read it back in (possibly) 99 and was enthralled. Adrik Thorsen was a favorite villain of mine, with the confrontation in the stadium standing out to me and his final form aboard the Enterprise-D. While it would have been badass to see this story on the big screen, it probably wouldn't have worked unless they set the 23rd century portions aboard the Enterprise-A. However... it could be done today with Chris Pine and co. and Patrick Stewart and James Cromwell could still do it... Unless they were to introduce the JJverse Picard and crew...

Dammit. Now I have an urge to reread Federation

 

[Jedi Marso]

Dammit. Now I have an urge to reread Federation

Me too. All my favorite Trek books live on the shelf. May have to pull that one down again!