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Tag: star-trek-discovery

  • ‘Star Trek Discovery’ Showrunner Has Found a New Spock

    ‘Star Trek Discovery’ Showrunner Has Found a New Spock

    CBS/Paramount

    “Star Trek” fans? Get ready for a new Spock.

    During a recent interview at Comic-Con 2018 with TrekMovie, showrunner and executive producer Alex Kurtzman confirmed what fans have known: everyone’s favorite Vulcan will be back for Season 2. But what fans didn’t know is how far along in the casting process the show is.

    “We are casting a new Spock,” Kurtzman revealed. “It’s not just a possibility, it’s been done.”

    The top-secret casting was not easy, according to Kurtzman.

    “Everybody assumes that because Spock is all about logic, that there is no emotion in there and that is entirely untrue. So, finding an actor to convey what we know to be very Vulcan, but also reveal so much emotion in the eyes and in the small gestures, so you understand there is just a tornado of things just happening under the surface is critical. So, you need an actor who can do both of those things at the same time, which is very challenging.”

    Kurtzman co-wrote “Star Trek” 2009, which brought Zachary Quinto‘s take on the iconic sci-fi character. Quinto appeared opposite Spock Prime, Leonard Nimoy, in both “Star Trek” and in 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

    When Season 2 of “Discovery” kicks off, we’ll meet a Spock roughly a decade before the start of “The Original Series’” first season — but while serving aboard the Enterprise captained by Christopher Pike, who commanded the starship before Kirk in “Trek’s” first pilot, “The Cage.” Season 2 presumably takes place after the events of “The Cage.”

    We’ll find out who scored the highly-coveted role when “Discovery”  launches its second season on CBS All Access in early 2019. The season will be preceded by mini-episodes, “Short Treks,” toward the end of 2018.

     

  • ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2 Bringing Back Major Fan Favorites

    ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2 Bringing Back Major Fan Favorites

    CBS All Access

    Big news: Spock himself will be joining “Star Trek: Discovery” for Season 2, along with more characters from the original ’60s series.

    We don’t know exactly when the highly logical Vulcan will show up (or who will play him),  but executive producer and series co-creator Alex Kurtzman confirmed the news today at San Diego Comic-Con.

    In the first-look trailer at the show’s second season, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) drops some hints about “my foster brother, Mr. Spock.” He’s linked to some mysterious signals and, as Michael says, “He needs help.”

    We don’t see Spock, but we get a look at Anson Mount in uniform as Captain Christopher Pike, whose first line is, “Well, this is awkward… but I’m here to take command of the Discovery.”

    Other “Discovery” news coming out of Comic-Con:

    • • Wilson Cruz, who plays Dr. Hugh Culber, revealed that he will return to the show, even though his character was killed off last season. 
    • • “X-Men” and “The Librarians” star Rebecca Romijn is joining “Star Trek: Discovery.” And she’s playing a pretty iconic character: Nurse Christine Chapel, first played by Majel Barrett, who was married to “Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry.
    • • We’ll also get a series of “Short Treks,” episodes of 10-15 minutes that will feature characters such as Harvey Mudd (Rainn Wilson.)
    • • The show returns to CBS All Access in January.

    [Via CBSNews]

  • Why ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Just Changed Showrunners a Third Time

    Who do they think they are, “The Walking Dead”?

    “Star Trek: Discovery,” which streams on CBS All Access, just changed showrunners for the third time. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman is now at the helm for the rest of taping for Season 2. He replaces showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who replaced original showrunner Bryan Fuller.

    CBS Television Studios gave a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:

    “We’ve made some producer changes at ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’ The series continues under the creative vision and leadership of executive producer and co-creator Alex Kurtzman. ‘Discovery’ remains on course for season two in 2019 with new and continuing stories that build on its successful premiere season.”

    Kurtzman is expected to take over for Season 2, Episode 6 and beyond.

    Why are Berg and Harbets out? THR‘s sources said it was for “leadership and operational issues,” including a ballooning budget, and — seemingly the main issue — complaints that they became “increasingly abusive to the ‘Discovery’ writers staff.”

    Harberts allegedly leaned across the writers’ room table and shouted an expletive at a member of the show’s staff. THR reports that “Multiple writers are said to have been uncomfortable working on the series and had threatened to file a complaint with human resources or quit the series altogether before informing Kurtzman of the issues surrounding Berg and Harberts. After hearing rumors of HR complaints, Harberts is said to have threatened the staff to keep concerns with the production an internal matter.”

    (Sidenote: These complaints only mention Aaron Harberts, so did Gretchen Berg do the same?)

    On top of that, executive producer Akiva Goldsman — who directed the Season 1 finale and was Kurtzman’s “right-hand man” in Season 1 — did not return to the show for Season 2 because he was said to have “a management style and personality that clashed with the writing staff.”

    Sounds like a very powerful writing staff. Props to them for speaking up and being heard.

    The good news is that no one seems to have complaints with the scripts and edits they’ve seen from Season 2, so this isn’t a creative change, it’s hoped to be creating a better work environment.

    “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 2 will have 13 episodes, and it’s expected to premiere in 2019.

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  • Anson Mount Joins ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ as Captain Pike

    Anson Mount“Hell on Wheels” star Star Trek: Discovery” as a well-known Enterprise captain: Christopher Pike.

    Season 1 ended with the Discovery received an emergency distress call from a nearby Federation ship. The ship turns out to be the USS Enterprise under Pike’s command, according to Variety.

    But despite having the original, iconic “Star Trek” ship appear, the focus will remain on the Discovery, says executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

    “The show is called ‘Discovery.’ It’s not ‘Enterprise,’” Kurtzman told Variety. “So yes, the Enterprise will play a part of Season 2 but it will absolutely not overshadow Discovery. And I think with Enterprise’s arrival in the finale we recognize that the audience has a lot of questions about our synchronicity with the original series, which really means our synchronicity with canon.”

    Jeffrey Hunter played Captain Pike in the original, unused “Star Trek” series: The footage was later used in the two-part episode “The Menagerie,” in which Sean Kenney played the older, wheelchair-bound Pike. Bruce Greenwood played Pike in 2009 “Star Trek” reboot and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

    Mount currently stars in “Marvel’s Inhumans,” as Black Bolt. It hasn’t officially been canceled yet by ABC, but this casting seems to confirm the show’s demise.

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Will Return in January 2018

    “Star Trek: Discovery” is taking a break over the holidays, but Season 1 will resume on January 7, 2018, CBS announced today.

    Episode 10, “Despite Yourself,” in which the crew is “forced to get creative in their next efforts to survive opposing and unprecedented forces and return home,” will be available on CBS All Access beginning on Jan. 7, 2018 after 8:30 PM, ET.

    The first eight episodes of the series are currently available to stream on CBS All Access and episode nine will be available beginning Sunday, Nov. 12 after 8:30 PM, ET.

    The show’s season finale will drop on February 11, 2018, CBS announced. The show, which stars Jason Isaacs, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, and Anthony Rapp, has already been renewed for a second season.

    [Via CBS]

  • ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Viewers Mostly Liked Premiere, But Don’t Want to Pay for More

    Pictured (l-r): Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou; Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham. STAR TREK: DISCOVERY coming to CBS All Access. Photo Cr: Dalia Naber. © 2017 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.“Star Trek: Discovery” made its big debut last night on CBS, with Episode 1 ending on a tantalizing cliffhanger. How many of those viewers will now sign up for the streaming service CBS All Access and pay for more?

    That’s the big question, and complaint.

    “Discovery” had a two-part series opener but the second part is still behind a pay wall. It’s out there, though, so spoilers are out there too, revealing what happened next to First Officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin Green) and Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh).

    “Star Trek” fans are … well, let’s call it “discerning.” If all “Star Trek” series were ripped apart by Twitter after one episode they would not have made it as far as they did. Some “Discovery” viewers were annoyed with the lens flare, dark tone, or look of the Klingons. Others called out inconsistencies in the plot. Others felt compelled to compare it to the other new show, “The Orville.” But many other fans were hooked on the premiere, loving the characters already — including appearances from Sarek — and intrigued by the Klingon War plot.

    Overall, Twitter seemed to embrace the show, but maybe not enough to pay $5.99 a month with limited commercials or $9.99 a month for commercial free streaming.

    That last one seems to be the goal. It’s frustrating to many viewers that CBS has new shows like “Young Sheldon” and “Me, Myself & I” coming to the network, but you have to pay for more “Discovery,” and more of “The Good Wife” spinoff, “The Good Fight.” Maybe if one of the new shows doesn’t work out, it can be replaced with “Discovery.”

    Here are more details on CBS All Access.

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  • ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Executive Producer on Series Challenge: ‘It Had to Be Huge’

    The wait for “Star Trek: Discovery” should be worth it in the end.

    Executive producer Alex Kurtzman opened up about the show’s journey to screen on Tuesday during the TCA press tour, and he was candid about some of the challenges that arose. Specifically, he pointed to the scale of the project and how the team realized they needed more time.

    “In order to justify being on a premium service, it had to be huge,” he said, according to Variety.

    He and former “Discovery” showrunner Bryan Fuller, who remains one of the series’ executive producers, discussed pushing its premiere with CBS CEO Leslie Moonves once they realized that their timeline wasn’t doable. According to Kurtzman, he was “100 percent supportive.”

    “He totally got it,” he said. “So we set about building this massive show.”

    Their decision did lead to substantial delays — nine months in total; originally, Trekkies were promised a January “Discovery” premiere, only to have it pushed first to May, and then to September. The show is on track now, though, and it sounds like it might be even bigger than we dared hope.

    “Star Trek: Discovery” premieres Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, and then will be available on CBS All Access.

    [via: Variety]

  • New ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Trailer Is as Philosophical as It Is Action-Heavy

    The more “Star Trek: Discovery” footage we see, the more we like it.

    With San Diego Comic-Con in full swing on Saturday, CBS debuted a new trailer, and it teases what appears to be a compelling and complex story. Right from the start, the words of Lt. Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) will get you thinking.

    “All life is born from chaos,” she says. “The world doesn’t always adhere to logic. Sometimes down is up, and sometimes when you’re lost, you’re found.”

    Those ideas come into play, especially toward the end when we get Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) is talking to her. He says that though she chose to do “the right thing,” she “helped start a war.” We can’t wait to see how that comes about.

    Are you intrigued yet?

    “Star Trek: Discovery” premieres Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS as well as the network’s streaming service, CBS All Access.

  • 21 Things You Have to See at Comic-Con 2017

    Comic-Con International: San Diego is the ultimate pilgrimage for geeks of all stripes. This is the place where hundreds of thousands of people descend to see the latest sneak peaks of upcoming movies, TV, games, and comics. Where they can bump elbows with celebrities and score all the exclusive swag they can carry.

    Comic-Con is exciting, but it’s also an exhausting experience for everyone involved. We’re going to try to make things a little easier. Here are the biggest panels and events at this year’s SDCC that are worth battling the crowds to see.

    WEDNESDAY, JULY 19:

    1. Warner Bros: Special Sneak Peek Screenings (6:00-10:00pm Ballroom 20)As usual, Wednesday is “Preview Night” at SDCC, and it’s mostly geared towards collectors lining up to buy exclusive collectibles. But DC fans may want to make room for this event, as WB will be screening a new episode of “Teen Titans Go” and offering an early look at The CW’s “Black Lightning” and Syfy’s “Krypton.”

    THURSDAY, JULY 20:

    2. Anything Goes with John Barrowman (11:00-11:50am Hilton Bayfront – Indigo Ballroom)Anyone who’s ever attended a panel with “Arrow” and “Torchwood” star John Barrowman knows that he puts on a hell of a show.

    We don’t know if the actor will reveal anything about his potential involvement in “Arrow: Season 6” at this panel, but it is safe to expect plenty of singing, dancing, and improv as Barrowman entertains his audience. It’s worth venturing outside the confines of the convention center for this one.

    3. 20th Century Fox (11:30am-12:30pm Hall H)This is the first big movie panel of the convention. We’re not sure what properties Fox will be focusing on, but expect new details on upcoming X-Men-related projects like “Dark Phoenix,” “Deadpool 2,” and “New Mutants.” Also, we will see footage from the “Kingsman” sequel.

    4. ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Reunion (2:30-3:30pm Ballroom 20)Last year’s SDCC offered a long-awaited reunion for the cast of 1986’s “Battlestar Galactica” reboot to get back together. If you’re a fan of this series, this is basically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    5. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’: Remastered and Ready (4:15-5:15pm Room 6A)“Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” is one of the greatest Batman movies ever made, and it’s finally hitting Blu-ray this month. This panel will feature key players like Bruce Timm, Kevin Conroy, and Alan Burnett as they reminisce about the film and preview some of the remastered footage.

    6. Marvel Television: ‘Marvel’s Inhumans’ (6:15-7:15pm Ballroom 20)The MCU is expanding even further into the TV realm this fall as the Inhumans make their long-awaited debut. Executive Producer Jeph Loeb will moderate this panel as various guest stars stop by to tease what’s to come in the new ABC series.

    FRIDAY, JULY 21:

    7. ‘Young Justice’ Q&A (10:00-11:00am Room 6BCF)“Young Justice” fans finally got their wish earlier this year when it was announced that the animated series will be making its return via DC’s new streaming service.

    Creators Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti will be among those attending this panel, as they shed more light on what to expect from the third season and (hopefully) when it’ll be making its debut.

    8. ‘Fear the Walking Dead’/’The Walking Dead’ (11:15am-1:15pm Hall H)Once again, AMC will be taking over the coveted Hall H for a two-hour block as cast and crew members from both “Walking Dead” shows stop by to tease what to expect from upcoming storylines. The first hour will be dedicated to “Fear the Walking Dead,” with the second moving to “The Walking Dead.”

    9. ‘Game of Thrones’ (1:30-2:30pm Hall H)If you can score a seat for the “Walking Dead” panel, you might as well stick around for the next panel. HBO will be shedding more light on the just-premiered seventh season of “Game of Thrones,” with plenty of mystery actors showing up to tease what’s coming as the show moves towards its big finale.

    10. FOX’s ‘The Gifted’ (3:45-4:45pm Ballroom 20)We’re hoping to learn plenty about Fox’s upcoming X-Men movies at Thursday’s 20th Century Fox panel, but if you want to know more about the TV spinoff “The Gifted,” you’ll want to make room for this panel.

    11. ‘Marvel’s The Defenders’ (5:15-6:15pm Hall H)Marvel will follow up Thursday’s Inhumans panel with another TV-centric panel, this time focused on Netflix’s highly anticipated superhero team-up.

    Jeph Loeb will again be in attendance, and we’re hoping he’ll be joined by Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, and Finn Jones. Is it too much to hope Sigourney Weaver might pop by, also?

    12. ‘Batman and Harley Quinn’ Premiere (Ballroom 20)DC’s next direct-to-DVD animated movie also happens to be a continuation of the much-beloved “Batman: The Animated Series,” one that forces Batman to join forces with Harley Quinn to defeat Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man.

    And if you can’t wait for the movie’s August release date, you’ll get a chance to see it early at DC’s Friday night screening.

    SATURDAY, JULY 22:

    13. Warner Bros. Pictures (11:30am-1:30pm Hall H)JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017) (L-r)†EZRA MILLER as The Flash,†BEN AFFLECK as Batman and GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/ ô & © DC ComicsExpect this to be one of the more in-demand panels at SDCC this year. The focus will be on upcoming movies like “Justice League.” and “Blade Runner 2049,” as well as next year’s “Ready Player One.” Hopefully we’ll learn more about the next film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series as well. Look for director Steven Spielberg, actor Harrison Ford, and the entire cast of “Justice League” to headline this panel.

    14. ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (2:30-3:15pm Ballroom 20)CBS’ highly anticipated new “Star Trek” series is getting its own panel. We don’t know which cast and crew members will be in attendance, but no doubt there will be new footage to show and more details about how this series will fit into the larger Trek universe.

    15. Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 (3:00-4:00pm Hall H)The second season of “Stranger Things” just got an October release date, and the series will be making its SDCC debut this year.

    Expect various cast and crew to stop by to preview new footage and answer various fan questions.

    16. The CW Arrowverse Panels (3:30-6:30pm Ballroom 20)If you love The CW’s superhero shows and have three hours to kill, you’ll probably want to sit in on this mega-block of panels. All five series — “Supergirl,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash,” “Arrow.” and the upcoming “Black Lightning” — will have 40-minute panels dedicated to teasing what’s to come in the fall season. We will also get a look at the new villains that will be threatening the Arrowverse this time.

    17. Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane in Conversation (3:30-4:30pm Room 6DE)As much as TV and film announcements have come to dominate SDCC in recent years, this is still a show geared towards comic book fanatics.

    If you make a point of attending any comic-focused panel this year, it should probably be this one, where “Invincible”/”The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman and “Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane have a one-on-one chat about the industry and reminisce about their respective careers.

    18. ‘Westworld’ Panel and Q&A (4:15-5:15pm Hall H)Help fill the wait until “Westworld” finally returns to HBO by attending this star-studded panel that features pretty much every major cast member not named “Sir Anthony Hopkins.” They’ll even be answering fan questions, though we imagine that will only do so much to address the show’s many lingering mysteries.

    19. Marvel Studios (5:30-7:00pm Hall H)Fans who attended the D23 convention this past weekend already got a good look at upcoming MCU projects like “Avengers: Infinity War.” That said, we expect Marvel’s Kevin Feige will have plenty more to reveal at this panel, which promises to be one of the busiest — and biggest — of the show. (Expect to see all or most of the Avengers cast on stage.)

    SUNDAY, JULY 23:

    20. ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ Animated Series World Premiere (10:15-11:15am Room 6A)Spider-Man is getting a brand new animated series to capitalize on his new movie, and SDCC will be your first opportunity to see how “Marvel’s Spider-Man” stacks up to shows like “The Spectacular Spider-Man” and “Ultimate Spider-Man.” Marvel will be screening the two-part series premiere at this panel.

    21. Doctor Who (2:00-3:00pm Hall H)The BBC pretty much broke the Internet with the announcement that the next incarnation of Doctor Who will be a woman. Expect that announcement to be a big topic of discussion at this panel, which will also basically serve as the final bow for current star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat.

  • ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Boldly Breaks Prime Franchise Directive

    Doug Jones as Lieutenant Saru; Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham; Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou. STAR TREK: DISCOVERY coming to CBS All Access. Photo Cr: Jan Thijs. © 2017 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.As all “Star Trek” fans know, franchise creator Gene Roddenberry had a strict — if often frustrating — rule that Starfleet crew members could never be in any significant conflict with each other. The only way around it: To have someone possessed by an alien force or to catch some strain of “space madness.”

    Now Star Trek: Discovery” will break that long-held rule. In other words: Battle stations! Look for some intriguing new conflicts on the series, which debuts September 24.

    “We’re trying to do stories that are complicated, with characters with strong points of view and strong passions,” co-showrunner Aaron Harbert told EW. “People have to make mistakes — mistakes are still going to be made in the future. We’re still going to argue in the future.”

    “The rules of Starfleet remain the same,” says the show’s other showrunner, Gretchen J. Berg. “But while we’re human or alien in various ways, none of us are perfect.”

    But they’re not completely throwing out Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future. “The thing we’re taking from Roddenberry is how we solve those conflicts,” Harberts said. “So we do have our characters in conflict, we do have them struggling with each other, but it’s about how they find a solution and work through their problems.”

    Another big change from previous series: It will be “more heavily serialized,” meaning less stand-alone, self-contained eps and more big story arcs.

    The first episode of “Star Trek: Discovery” will debut Sunday, Sept. 24 on CBS, then will move to the CBS.

    The show stars Jason Isaacs as Gabriel Lorca, Captain of the Discovery; Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou of the USS Shenzhou; Sonequa Martin-Green as her First Officer, Michael Burnham; James Frain as Vulcan Sarek (father to Spock); and Rainn Wilson as charismatic con-man Harry Mudd.