(L to R) Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. in ‘Enemy Mine’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Preview:
‘Star Trek: Picard’ showrunner Terry Matalas will write an ‘Enemy Mine’ remake.
It’ll adapt the 1985 cult sci-fi movie.
No director is attached yet.
Such was the impact of his work on ‘Star Trek: Picard’ (where he joined as a writer in Season 2 and then took Season 3, the last hurrah for the show, to new heights as showrunner) that Terry Matalas is a man very much in demand.
And that’s not all. Now, via The Hollywood Reporter, we know that he’ll also be working for another arm of Disney –– 20th Century Studios, which has put a remake of ‘Enemy Mine’ into development, with Matalas on script duty.
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What’s the story of ‘Enemy Mine’?
(L to R) Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. in ‘Enemy Mine’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
With mankind locked in desperate combat against a reptilian alien species, ‘Enemy Mine’ sees Dennis Quaid’s human pilot Davidge and Louis Gossett Jr.’s opposite number Drac crash landing on a desolate planet.
Both have deep-seated hatred for one another but are forced to overcome their prejudices to survive. Things are taken up a notch when the human pilot must take care of the alien’s baby when the reptilian is no longer able.
The original movie was based on a novella by the sci-fi author Barry B. Longyear. The novella was originally published in Isaac Asimov’s ‘Science Fiction’ magazine in 1979, winning the Nebula Award that year for best novella. It was followed by two sequels and eventually published as a trilogy titled ‘The Enemy Papers’.
So if the new take on ‘Enemy Mine’ does well, you can expect Disney, never a company to let a franchise opportunity to go unexplored, to order at least one sequel.
(L to R) Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. in ‘Enemy Mine’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Working from a script by Ed Khmara, German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen made his English-language debut with the movie, taking it over after 20th Century Fox fired original director Richard Loncraine during production.
The clash, which necessitated reshooting the film, ballooned the budget, with more woe coming when the movie crash landed at the box office.
Since then, however, it has been re-evaluated as a cult movie, which goes some way to explain why it has been targeted for a remake. With any luck, the new film will have less of a chaotic production process.
So far, Matalas is the only person on the creative side hired to work on the movie, no director or producer is so far attached. 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell is overseeing development.
Since it is at a very early stage in the process, the new ‘Enemy Mine’ does not yet have a release date.
(L to R) Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. in ‘Enemy Mine’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
‘Andor’ director Toby Haynes is aboard a new ‘Star Trek’ movie.
Seth Grahame-Smith will write the script for the new film.
It’s just one of the ‘Trek’ movies in development.
Since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiered in 2016, things have been awfully quiet on the big screen Trek front. While the TV side of things has gone from strength to strength with the likes of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, ‘Star Trek: Picard’, ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ and other series expanding the universe to success on streaming, it has felt like Paramount didn’t really have a solid direction for the movies.
Different ideas have been mooted, but nothing has come to fruition. So we’re understandably skeptical –– albeit enthused –– at news of another.
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What’s the latest ‘Star Trek’ movie in development?
1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
As reported by Deadline, the new movie will be set years before Captain Kirk (Chris Pine, at least assuming its set within the “Kelvin” alternate timeline established in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 ‘Star Trek’.
Toby Haynes, who did excellent work as one of the main directors on recent ‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’, will be overseeing this one, while Seth Grahame-Smith (no stranger to genre himself after writing the likes of ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ and producing the ‘It’ movies and many more, will be on script duty. Abrams is on board to produce.
Does this replace the mooted fourth main ‘Star Trek’ movie?
(L to R) Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
As of right now, it appears the studio is still going full (warp) speed ahead on the next ‘Trek’ movie featuring Pine and the rest. Or at least is still developing it. Little is known about the movie, which at different times has had Matt Shakman –– who has since departed to focus on Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ –– and previously, SJ Clarkson attached to direct.
It would seem that Paramount’s film arm is looking to take a page out of its TV side and have multiple projects in play.
Which brings us to…
What about Quentin Tarantino’s Trek movie?
Quentin Tarantino accepts the Oscar® for original screenplay for “Django Unchained” during the live ABC Telecast of The Oscars® from the Dolby® Theatre, in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 24, 2013.
There was, for a while, much excitement about the idea that Quentin Tarantino would direct a ‘Star Trek’ movie.
There was a concept pitched –– a spin on a gangster-filled planet inspired by a classic ‘Trek’ episode called ‘A Piece of the Action’ –– and a script written by ‘The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith. The plan was to deliver something that would be very different from the usual ‘Trek’ style (though ‘Discovery’ and co. have long since introduced swearing into the universe), with a hard R-rating.
But with Tarantino having long since said he was planning to retire after another one more movie, it seems he didn’t want that film to be a ‘Star Trek’ outing.
“Quentin and I went back and forth, he was gonna do some stuff on it, and then he started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films. I remember we were talking, and he goes, ‘If I can just wrap my head around the idea that ‘Star Trek’ could be my last movie, the last thing I ever do. Is this how I want to end it?’ And I think that was the bump he could never get across, so the script is still sitting there on his desk.”
Less “to boldly go” than “to boldly hang around”, then. Here’s hoping the Haynes film has more luck.
1979’s ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
While fan reaction to Season 2 of ‘Star Trek: Picard’ was somewhat mixed––some enjoyed the time-travel adventures, others found the storyline meandering and unfocused––Season 3 promises to deliver more nostalgic thrills for those who spent their years watching ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’.
Star Trek: Picard’, which features Patrick Stewart as the venerable former Captain (now Admiral) Picard as he deals with new adventures and threats past, present and future, has not been shy in keeping connective tissue with the 1980s and 1990s series, even as it charts its own course.
Former ‘TNG’ stars Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis guest-starred in Season 1 as Will Riker and Deanna Troi, while Brent Spiner’s Data (and other characters brought to life by the actor) formed a key part of the storyline for that season.
Last year, though, we learned that more of that show’s cast will be back to see their old commander.
Frakes, Sirtis and Spiner will all return, joined this time by LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge (former Chief Engineer of Picard’s Enterprise), Gates McFadden’s Dr. Beverly Crusher (who had an established connection to Picard before serving on the ship) and Michael Dorn’s Worf (a Klingon raised by humans who was Chief of Security on board for years).
And it’s not just the ‘Next Generation’ crew who will be showing up: we can also expect a return from sentient holographic character Moriarty (the Sherlock Holmes villain who matched wits with Picard and a Holmes-curious Data on the series), played by Daniel Davis.
Outside of the returning actors, the new trailer also confirms the casting of Ed Speleers, who plays someone traveling with Crusher, who has a key role in the new season when they’re targeted by a new alien menace.
(Center) Amanda Plummer as Vadic on the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Photo: Trae Patton/Paramount+.
The biggest threat this time comes from Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer), who appears to also have a personal grudge against Picard. And when the venerable Admiral answers a distress call from Beverly, he ends up on the USS Titan, formerly Will Riker’s ship. It’s currently under the command of a Captain played by Todd Stashwick, with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as his First Officer.
Returning from the regular ‘Picard’ cast is Michelle Hurd’s Raffi Musiker, who has her own mission and a mystery to ponder. Who wants to bet it might tie-in with the other characters’ story?
From the looks of this new trailer, the season promises to close out the show with a bang––more than one, in fact, teasing plenty of starship action, peril and a warm reunion (mostly) for the old crew.
‘Star Trek: Picard’s third season starts on February 16th on Paramount+
Filming for that third season kicked off almost immediately after the second wrapped, but despite that, there wasn’t a lot of footage on display aside from the general sizzle reel that kicked off the panel.
Stewart appeared worryingly confused by some of the questions – to kick off, he didn’t realize he was being asked one and he couldn’t recall how Season 3 starts. Producer Alex Kurtzman was quick to intercede, commenting that it was Stewart who enforced the mandate that ‘Picard’ not be a cameo-heavy ‘Next Generation’ retread and that it had to “earn” the cast’s return.
With the various characters scattered across the galaxy, the initial chunk of the new season will play like a heist film as Jean-Luc rounds them up. Stewart was clear that they didn’t want to rehash old dynamics, but instead play the drama of the characters as they are now.
This season will feature a female villain that Kurtzman likened to Khan from classic ‘Trek’ movie sequel ‘Star Trek II’ in terms of head games and admitted that the storyline gave him “goosebumps’.
Oh, and while this was a strictly TV panel, Stewart did admit that he would be interested in returning to play the character in more ‘Trek’ movies, but there are no specific plans for that just yet.
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It was the turn of the ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ team next, as executive producer Mike McMahan was joined by voice cast members Jack Quaid, Noelle Wells, Tawny Newsome and Dawnn Lewis.
As expected, it was a much more raucous affair, the actors getting into their “Trek beef” but revealing how close they’ve become as collaborators and how frustrating it was not to record together during the pandemic.
Dawnn Lewis put things on a more emotional track, sharing how she’d met and been mentored by ‘Trek’ icon Nichelle Nichols in her younger days.
A new trailer for Season 3 screened (you can watch it above), featuring plenty for eagle-eyed fans to obsess over. And, as the final sequence suggests, one whole episode will be set at Deep Space Nine. Justice for ‘DS9’!
Season 2’s cliffhanger – which saw Captain Carol Freeman (Lewis) arrested after being accused of setting off a bomb on an alien planet – will be resolved relatively quickly, according to the gang.
“It’s rough, but we start season three full tilt looking for her,” Newsome says. “Trying to fix it, trying to set it right. I love the scrappiness, I love episode one of season three because our Lower Deckers are just like, ‘We gotta save the captain!’ This feels like an epic adventure. It feels like a movie!”
With ‘Lower Decks’ time on stage complete, it was the turn of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ the latest addition to the TV ‘Trek’ family.
(L TO R) Ethan Peck as Spock, Anson Mount as Pike, and Dan Jeannotte as Samuel Kirk of the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.’ Photo: Marni Grossman/Paramount+.
The spin-off ‘Discovery’ starring Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike commanding the USS Enterprise in the days before Kirk has been a success for Paramount+ so far.
But before things could get going properly, ‘Lower Decks’ voice duo Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome stormed the panel to reveal that ‘Strange New Worlds’ and ‘Lower Decks’ will have a crossover!
In this special crossover episode, featuring both live-action and animation, fans can expect to see Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Newsome, and Ensign Brad Boimler, (Quaid), joining the Enterprise in season two of ‘Strange New Worlds’. The episode will be directed by ‘Trek’ veteran Jonathan Frakes. How it’ll work is anyone’s guess at this point, but it sounds like it could be ‘Roger Rabbit’ meets ‘Star Trek’…
Paul Wesley in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.’ Courtesy of Marni Grossman/Paramount+
And it sounds like ‘Strange New Worlds’ will be pushing to do more high concept episodes in Season 2 than just that crossover. It’s not a show that has been afraid of playing with form and story, so that makes sense.
We can also expect to see more of the nasty reptilian aliens the Gorn, who were the unofficial Big Bad of Season 1.
Wesley – who was celebrating his birthday and was sung a rousing ‘Happy Birthday’ by the crowd talked up the James T. Kirk we met in the finale. “We only saw Kirk for a handful of scenes in that episode. I’m excited for people to see this younger version of Kirk,” he said. “There’s more levity, and it’s exciting to see that. He’s growing into the character we know, not an alternate reality captain like we saw in season 1.”
But don’t worry if you’re a fan of Anson Mount’s luxurious hair – neither he nor it are going anywhere just yet as the show has a few years to go before catching up to Kirk’s era in command.
Finally, Kurtzman was asked whether ‘Deep Space Nine’ would get the revitalization treatment following the ‘Next Generation’ (in ‘Picard’) and Classic ‘Trek’ eras (in ‘Strange New Worlds’). He told the crowd not yet, since the producers didn’t want to just pull on threads of the past for novelty’s sake.
‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ is due to return to Paramount+ on August 25th, with ‘Star Trek Picard’s final season and ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 due next year.
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.Jonathan Frakes as William Riker in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.Michael Dorn as Worf in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine in ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Season 3 is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2023.
Debuting On Demand and digital May 3rd is the new drama ‘All My Puny Sorrows,’ which is based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews.
Directed by Canadian filmmaker Michael McGowan (‘Saint Ralph’), the movie tells the story of two sisters, Yoli (Alison Pill) and Elf (Sarah Gadon), whose father (Donal Logue) committed suicide when they were young. Now adults, Elf is a concert pianist obsessed with ending her life, and Yoli is a writer, wrestling with her sister’s decision. Along with their religious mother (Mare Winningham), they make profound discoveries about their own lives.
Actress Alison Pill began her career at just the age of 10 and has since appeared in countless television and film projects. On TV she has appeared in such popular programs as ‘In Treatment,’ ‘The Newsroom,’ ‘American Horror Story: Cult,’ and ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ where she currently plays Dr. Agnes Jurati. While her film work includes ‘Milk,’ ‘Midnight in Paris,’ ‘Miss Sloane,’ ‘Vice,’ and ‘Hail, Caesar!’ But she is probably best known for playing Kimberly “Kim” Pine in director Edgar Wright’s modern classic, ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alison Pill about her work on ‘All My Puny Sorrows.’ The actress discussed her new film, her complex character, the movie’s unique humor, filming in Canada, and working with Sarah Gadon and Mare Winningham, as well as the upcoming third and final season of ‘Star Trek: Picard.’
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You can read our full interview with Alison Pill about ‘All My Puny Sorrows’ below or watch our interviews with Pill, Sarah Gadon and director Michael McGowan by clicking on the video player above.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how you got involved with the project, and did you read the novel the movie is based on before shooting the film?
Alison Pill: I had read the novel around the time it was released. I was familiar with Miriam Toews and her work. She’s just one of the most incredible writers working today. I was already familiar with it when the script came along, and I was honestly a bit surprised that it was being turned into a movie just because it felt like it’s an impossible adaptation.
When I started reading the script, I was like, “How are they going to make this a movie?” I was really delightfully surprised by Mike’s adaptation of the book. I think he found the through line and the importance of the relationships while also maintaining so much of Miriam’s humor and using so much of her language.
It’s this semi-autobiographical novel about Miriam and her family. This family who has Philip Larkin poems off the tops of their heads, this very literary family who loves words, books and maintaining that without getting too heavy handed. I thought Mike did a beautiful job. I was in as soon as I read the script, despite the fact that it meant navigating COVID and the Canadian border and all of the things. But it was so very worth it to deal with all of that.
MF: The movie deals with very serious subject matter, but at the same time is very funny in moments. Can you talk about the challenges of balancing those two different tones?
AP: I think the beauty of Miriam’s book speaks to the comedy inherent in so much tragedy. I think a lot of people lead their lives in the midst of both the comic and the tragic. I think you have a bad day, but hopefully if it’s bad enough, you can start to laugh at it. When the bird poops on your head, you’re like, “Okay, all right, this is the day I’m going back to bed. That’s it. It’s over.”
I think that feeling is what allows people to get through. Life isn’t one note, it is so many things. It is so many feelings and emotions and even in the midst of the despair that is sort of wound through this whole story and this family, there’s also such beautiful love. That is the real heart. So, when you have that woven together, inevitably you can find the humor because things are never one thing.
(L to R) Sarah Gadon and Alison Pill in ‘All My Puny Sorrows.’
MF: Can you talk about the trauma that Yoli and Elf went through as children, how that affected their adulthood, and creating that sisterly bond with Sarah Gadon?
AP: Sarah and I have known each other since we were like 10 and 11 respectively, and we had made a movie together when we were teenagers. We had just been in and out of each other’s lives throughout our childhood. Creating the sisterhood was actually incredibly easy and so special. When Sarah and I finally got into the same room, it was just like, “Oh, I know you.” Also, it was like, look at who you’ve become. There were all these things that I didn’t know, and there’s all this mystery. There’s something really special about discovering that.
In terms of delving into the shared trauma of their past and the shared family trauma that goes back generations, I think what Yoli is searching for throughout this movie is the reason why some people can survive and move on. Why are there all these differences? She asks her aunt about the buoyancy that she sees in her and her mother. She says, “What is that thing that keeps you afloat when you feel like the world is dragging you down?” I think that is this really existential question of, “How can we keep ourselves afloat?” Both of them are trying that in various ways, and sometimes failing.
MF: Can you also talk about Yoli’s relationship to her mother and creating that with Mare Winningham?
AP: I don’t think anybody can speak about Mare without a giant smile on their face. She’s as good as you think she is, if not better. I mean, she’s just like this magical creature with so much talent, heart, warmth and wisdom, and is such a special human. I can’t imagine any other energy being in that role of this very strong, spiritual and grounded mother figure who has been through so much yet maintains this beautiful solidity. I think Mare brought so much just by being her. She’s just the best human.
(L to R) Mare Winningham and Alison Pill in ‘All My Puny Sorrows.’
MF: As a Canadian born actress, what was it like for you to return to shoot this movie with Canadian filmmaker Michael McGowan?
AP: It was in some ways like the perfect most magical thing because we were shooting in North Bay, which is a couple hours north of Toronto. It had pretty low COVID case numbers, which felt like a reprieve from a lot of other places in the world at the time. My daughter came and got some serious snow. Sarah and I got to go semi-frozen lake canoeing with her, have hot chocolate and all of those things.
There were real Canadian vibes around and Mike McGowan, I think did a wonderful job of adapting Miriam’s book. None of it would’ve happened without his vision for seeing the possibilities of this story being cinematic. I think he did a beautiful job of finding the ways to make this story work on film.
MF: Finally, it was recently announced that ‘Star Trek: Picard’ will end after the upcoming third season. Now that it is almost over, what has the experience of working on that series been like for you?
AP: Well, they’ve already wrapped season three. I finished my pieces at the end of the summer, and it was sad to say goodbye. I love our cast so very much. I love P. Stew (Patrick Stewart). I think the group that was brought together by this was such just a magical group of wonderful humans and it was such a joy to bring Dr. Agnes Jurati to life. I’m so grateful but I also understand it is tiring to make a TV show with this much action and this much effects work. I completely understand. I’m just grateful that I got to be a part of it.
In what constitutes a good news/bad news situation for fans of Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Picard’, the streaming service has announced that more of Patrick Stewart’s former ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ castmates will appear in the third season of the sci-fi series. The bad news aspect? That will also serve to wrap up the show.
‘Star Trek: Picard’, which features Stewart as the venerable former Captain (now Admiral) Picard as he deals with new adventures and threats past, present and future, has not been shy in keeping connective tissue with the 1980s and 1990s series, even as it charts its own course.
Former ‘TNG’ stars Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis guest-starred in Season 1 as Will Riker and Deanna Troi, while Brent Spiner’s Data (and other characters brought to life by the actor) formed a key part of the storyline for that season.
Now, though, Paramount+ has used “First Contact Day” (aka April 5, the day in 2063 in which humans encountered the Vulcans, as seen in 1996 movie that featured the ‘Next Generation’ characters battling a threat from the Borg), to announce that more of that show’s cast will be back to see their old commander.
Frakes, Sirtis and Spiner will all return, joined this time by LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge (former Chief Engineer of Picard’s Enterprise), Gates McFadden’s Dr. Beverly Crusher (who had an established connection to Picard before serving on the ship) and Michael Dorn’s Worf (a Klingon raised by humans who was Chief of Security on board for years).
How exactly they will fit into the plot for Season 3 is unknown at this point, but there are subtle clues about legacy in the teaser video put out by the streaming service to mark the announcement. And it looks like Riker in particular will be back in action in a big way.
“I remember watching the premiere of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ almost 34 years ago with my father like it was yesterday. It was the spark that ignited my love for science fiction,” says Terry Matalas, Season 3 showrunner and executive producer. “So, it’s most fitting that the story of Jean-Luc Picard ends honoring the beginning, with his dearest and most loyal friends from the U.S.S. Enterprise. It would be an understatement to say that giving these characters a proper send-off is an honor. The entire ‘Picard’ team and I can’t wait for fans to experience this final, high-stakes, starship-bound adventure in Season 3!”
‘Picard’ Season 3 wrapped filming last month, having kicked off production shortly after Season 2 shot its final scenes. That season is still midway through airing, and brings back another ‘Next Generation’ favorite, as John De Lancie’s troublesome alien Q is part of the storyline.
Seeing the crew of the Enterprise-D properly back together will certainly help us deal with the disappointment of learning that ‘Picard’ is coming to an end. The announcement made no mention of when the season might start, but for now you can find ‘Star Trek: Picard’ releasing new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+, with the season finale due May 5th.
Patrick Stewart in Paramount+’s ‘Star Trek: Picard’
‘Star Trek: Picard’ might be about the future of Patrick Stewart’s iconic ‘Star Trek’ captain, but the new trailer for the series is very much about the past.
For this latest footage from the show brings us the first look at Whoopi Goldberg’s long-lived alien Guinan, along with John de Lancie’s troublesome Q, who has appeared in previous teasers.
This season of ‘Picard’ finds Jean-Luc plunged into an alternative timeline by Q, the omnipotent alien being who has been a thorn in his side since the very first episode of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ way back in 1987.
Originally, Q showed up during the first mission of Picard’s USS Enterprise to put humanity on trial for what he saw as their crimes. The crew survived that encounter at Farpoint (or else there might not have been a show), yet Q kept showing up from time to time, usually causing trouble for Picard.
As for Guinan, Goldberg was a recurring part of the show from the second season as the mysterious, friendly barkeeper of the Ten Forward lounge on the Enterprise. Across the remaining seasons, we learn more about her powers, her incredibly long-lived species and the fact that she’s no friend of Q. It makes little surprise then that Picard would seek out his old friend for help.
That mirrors how Goldberg came to appear on the show – Patrick Stewart appeared on talk show ‘The View’ on which she is one of the co-hosts and invited her to return to the ‘Star Trek’ universe in an emotional moment.
Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan on ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’
With Q testing Picard yet again by meddling with reality and switching Earth and the Federation to a totalitarian regime, it’s up to our hero to round up some old friends and new to sort it out.
That’ll include a trip to 2024 Earth, encounters with various alien species and perhaps the biggest conundrum of all… driving cars. And the references to classic ‘Next Generation’ just keep coming – to facilitate traveling in time, Picard must utilize one of his other great rivals, the Borg Queen.
Though we didn’t meet the Queen until 1996’s ‘Star Trek: First Contact’, (there played by Alice Krige), her cybernetic species were introduced (coincidentally thanks to Q’s meddling) in the episode ‘Q Who.’ The characters hit their peak in the Season 3 finale/Season 4 opener ‘The Best Of Both Worlds’. Yet like Q, the Borg would go on to appear in several more episodes of both ‘The Next Generation’ and other ‘Star Trek’ series.
Here, the Queen is played by Annie Wersching, who might be best known for her roles on ‘24‘ and ‘Bosch.’ Given Picard’s history with the Borg (he was turned into one for a while), the reunion is sure to provoke some strong reactions.
A new full-length trailer for “Star Trek: Picard” debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and it was full of surprises. The series, which follows Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in retirement, will feature two characters from past series. Jean-Luc Picard’s “dead” crew member Data (Brent Spiner) as well as “Star Trek: Voyager’s” Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) appear.
The latter shows up to Picard’s vineyard, where the venerated Enterprise captain has retired from Starfleet. “What the hell are you doing out here, Picard?” she asks. “Saving the galaxy?”
Isn’t that what he does? The trailer lays out more of the story we can expect from the season. Picard meets a young woman with special powers who comes to him for help. So he does what he’s good at: assembles a new crew (including Michelle Hurt and Santiago Cabrera) and returns to space.
As for Data, we see his disassembled body. But at the very end of the trailer, we see Picard playing chess with … Data.
“I don’t want the game to end,” Picard says.
“I can see that, Captain,” Data replies.
During the panel, showrunner Michael Cabon revealed more familiar faces will be popping up — including Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker and Mirina Sirtis as Deanna Troi.
“Star Trek: Picard” is set to premiere on CBS All-Access in 2020.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author is taking on a Star Trek mission.
CBS All Access announced Thursday that Michael Chabon has boarded “Star Trek: Picard.” He’ll serve as the showrunner for the upcoming series and work closely with other key players in the franchise. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who has been leading the expansion of the universe for CBS studios, and writer and executive producer Akiva Goldsman are closely involved in the day-to-day-production of the show.
Chabon comes to the project with many years of writing success behind him. He’s a celebrated novelist and essayist, not to mention a longtime Star Trek fan. Among the screenplays and teleplays he’s written are some “Star Trek: Short Treks” episodes.
“I come to work every day in a state of joy and awe at having been entrusted with the character and the world of Jean-Luc Picard, with this vibrant strand of the rich, intricate and complex tapestry that is ‘Trek,’” he said in a statement.
“Picard” comes from CBS Television Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Chabon will executive produce alongside Goldsman, Kurtzman, Stewart, Heather Kadin, James Duff, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth. Aaron Baiers is a co-executive producer, and Kirsten Beyer serves as supervising producer.
No premiere date for “Star Trek: Picard” has been revealed yet, but it will air exclusivey on CBS All Access when it arrives.
That chilling question lingers over the first teaser trailer for “Star Trek: Picard,” the upcoming CBS All-Access series that brings back Patrick Stewart as the venerated leader who once captained the Enterprise on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
The teaser is comprised of sun-dappled footage from Picard’s winery, where he has retired after his space-exploring career. But in voiceover, a woman wonders what an “unimaginable” tragedy cost Picard. “Your faith in us? Your faith in yourself?”
Showrunner Alex Kurtzman has described the series as a contemplative character study. “What happens when circumstances have conspired to not give him the happiest of endings?” he told the L.A. Times. “Hopefully, it’s a reinforcement of [“Star Trek” creator Gene] Roddenberry’s vision of optimism. He’s going to have to go through deep valleys to get back to the light.”
“Star Trek: Picard” does not yet have a premiere date.
