Jump to content

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the TV series. For the fiction anthology, see Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (short story collection).
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Genre
Created by
Based onStar Trek
by Gene Roddenberry
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsMississauga, Ontario
Production companies
Original release
NetworkParamount+
Related

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an upcoming American television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for the streaming service Paramount+. It will launch as part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe. A spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery and a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, it follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck respectively star as Pike, Number One, and Spock, reprising their roles from Discovery. These characters were introduced in the original Star Trek series, and these actors were cast in the roles for the second season of Discovery to help align that series with the wider Star Trek franchise. After a positive fan response, Kurtzman expressed interest in bringing the actors back in their own spin-off series. Development had begun by March 2020, and it was officially ordered in May. The lead cast, title, and creative team were confirmed then, including Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers as showrunners. Filming began at CBS Stages Canada in Mississauga, Ontario, in February 2021 and is set to end in July.

Premise

The series follows Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprise during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.[1]

Episodes

The series' first episode was written by Akiva Goldsman from a story he wrote with Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet.[1] Jonathan Frakes will direct for the series.[2]

Cast and characters

Production

Background

The first season finale of the series Star Trek: Discovery set-up the second season by introducing the USS Enterprise, the starship from Star Trek: The Original Series.[3] Then co-showrunner Aaron Harberts wanted to explore Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike, feeling that he had not been seen much in Star Trek previously. Harberts was less interested in exploring another Enterprise crew member, Spock, given his many appearances throughout previous iterations of the franchise,[4] and was reluctant to have an actor other than Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto portray the character.[5] However, Spock was confirmed to be included in the season in April 2018.[6] That month, Anson Mount was cast as Pike,[7] and he revealed in July that Rebecca Romijn would portray original series character Number One.[8] Mount and Romijn both signed one year deals for the series as part of an attempt by the producers to closer align Discovery with the wider Star Trek continuity.[9] In August, Ethan Peck was announced as portraying Spock in the season.[10]

Development

The series stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Spock, reprising their roles from Star Trek: Discovery

In June 2018, after becoming sole showrunner of Star Trek: Discovery, Alex Kurtzman signed a five-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the Star Trek franchise beyond Discovery to several new series, miniseries, and animated series.[11] After Mount was revealed to be leaving Discovery with the second season finale, fans of that series began calling—including through online petitions—for him to reprise the role of Pike in a spin-off series set on the Enterprise, alongside Romijn as Number One and Peck as Spock. Mount and Peck both responded positively to the idea,[12][13] though Mount said his return would involve "a lot of creative conversations".[14] Kurtzman also expressed interest in the idea, saying, "The fans have been heard. Anything is possible in the world of Trek. I would love to bring back that crew more than anything."[15]

At the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Kurtzman announced that the second season of companion series Star Trek: Short Treks would include three shorts starring the Enterprise actors. He said this was a way to bring those characters and actors back after Discovery jumped into the future for its third season, but this would not preclude a spin-off series featuring the Enterprise cast from being made.[16] In January 2020, Kurtzman said active discussions regarding a spin-off series featuring the actors had begun, and he had been "tossing ideas back and forth" with Akiva Goldsman who already served as an executive producer on other Star Trek series. Kurtzman said he would prefer for a potential spin-off starring the Enterprise cast to be an ongoing series rather than a miniseries, and said it could explore the seven years between Discovery's second season and the accident that seriously injures Pike in The Original Series.[17] Kurtzman soon stated that two unannounced Star Trek series were in development for CBS All Access,[18] and the spin-off was reported to be one of them in March.[19][20]

CBS All Access officially ordered Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to series in May 2020, with Mount, Romijn, and Peck confirmed to be reprising their roles. Kurtzman and Goldsman were confirmed to be executive producing alongside their fellow Star Trek producer Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin of Kurtzman's production company Secret Hideout, and Rod Roddenberry (the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry) and Trevor Roth of Roddenberry Entertainment. Aaron Baiers, Akela Cooper, and Davy Perez were set as co-executive producers. Goldsman wrote the script for the series' first episode based on a story he wrote with Kurtzman and Lumet, and was set as showrunner alongside Myers. Goldsman would also remain an executive producer on Star Trek: Picard.[1] Myers joked that "The Cage" (1965), the first pilot episode of The Original Series which stars the same main characters, could be considered the pilot for Strange New Worlds as well, making the series "the longest pilot-to-series pickup in the history of television".[21] In September 2020, ViacomCBS announced that CBS All Access would be expanded and rebranded as Paramount+ in March 2021.[22]

Writing

"We are going to do stand-alone episodes. There will be emotional serialization. There will be two-parters. There will be larger plot arcs. But it really is back to the model of alien-of-the-week, planet-of-the-week, challenge-on-the-ship-of-the-week."

—Executive producer Alex Kurtzman on the old-fashioned storytelling approach to Strange New Words[23]

Goldsman had written the first episode by the time of the series' official announcement in May 2020,[1] and said the series would be more optimistic and episodic than Discovery and Picard, a style closer to the original series. He did note that the series would continue to take advantage of serialized storytelling to develop character arcs.[24]

A writers room for the series was underway by July, with stories for 10 episodes already broken by the end of that month.[25] In August, Kurtzman said "we have actually been able to get quite ahead in scripts" for the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the start of production.[26] He felt what audiences had responded to when watching the characters on Discovery was their "relentless optimism", and said the spin-off would explore how Pike remains an optimistic leader despite learning about his tragic future during the second season of Discovery.[23] Myers elaborated on the series' approach to episodic storytelling, explaining that the writers wanted to "bring a modern character sensibility" to "Star Trek in the way Star Trek stories were always told. It’s a ship and it’s traveling to strange new worlds and we are going to tell big ideas science fiction adventures in an episodic mode. So we have room to meet new aliens, see new ships, visit new cultures."[27]

Casting

Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck reprise their respective roles from Star Trek: Discovery in the spin-off.[19][1] Their characters were first introduced in "The Cage", which starred Jeffrey Hunter as Pike, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and Majel Barrett as Number One.[7][24] Peck said the characters will evolve in Strange New Worlds from their portrayals in Discovery to be closer to their original incarnations, which he described as a "whole new challenge".[24] Perez described Pike and Number One as the "parental figures" of the Enterprise, particularly to Spock since he is "not the wise, old Spock from The Original Series, [he is] still finding himself".[27]

Design

Design work for the series had begun by August 2020, and Myers said the production had been looking for ways to keep continuity with past Star Trek series. He elaborated that they wanted to "keep some of the amazing design elements from the 60s that were incorporated in [The Original Series while] updating it for a modern audience."[27]

Filming

With the series' announcement in May 2020, Goldsman said he was unsure when production would begin on the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[24] but Kurtzman stated on August 12 that filming for the series would take place in 2021.[26] Pre-production for the series began on August 24, 2020,[28][29] and filming began on February 18, 2021,[30][31] at CBS Stages Canada in Mississauga, Ontario, under the working title Lily and Isaac.[30]

Kurtzman said in October 2020 that filming on the series would be a "systematised, militarised operation" due to the pandemic, which the crew would have already experienced due to the same approach being used for Discovery first. He elaborated that filming would function in "pods" to minimize the potential spread of the virus, and added that, due to the pandemic delays, the series would begin filming with more completed scripts than is usual for Star Trek.[32] CBS constructed a video wall to allow for virtual production on the series, which they also did for the fourth season of Discovery, based on technology developed for the series The Mandalorian.[33] Filming is set to end in late July.[30]

Music

By December 2020, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard composer Jeff Russo had discussed Strange New Worlds with Kurtzman, including how it "should be treated musically", but whether Russo would be involved in the spin-off's score had yet to be determined at that point.[34]

Marketing

Kurtzman promoted the series during a virtual "Star Trek Universe" panel for the Comic-Con@Home convention in July 2020.[25] The panel also included a table read of the first act of Discovery's second season finale, which Mount, Romijn, and Peck participated in.[35] After the table read, the actors teased details about Strange New Worlds.[25] On September 8, 2020, CBS All Access streamed a 24-hour event for free to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the day The Original Series premiered. The event included a marathon of episodes from across the Star Trek franchise, with a break during the day for a series of panels about different Star Trek series. These included the first official Strange New Worlds panel, with Mount, Romijn, Peck, Goldsman, Myers, Cooper, and Perez discussing the series and their approach to developing it.[36][27] In February 2021, Mount and Peck appeared in a marketing campaign for Super Bowl LV advertising the rebranded streaming service Paramount+.[37]

Release

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to be released on the streaming service Paramount+ in the United States.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Goldberg, Lesley (May 15, 2020). "'Star Trek' Pike and Spock Series Set at CBS All Access". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  2. ^ Spry, Jeff (June 8, 2020). "Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes Wishes He Had Been on the Manned SpaceX Launch". SyFy Wire. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  3. ^ "Recasting Spock, Pike's Command Style And More Season 2 Details From 'Star Trek: Discovery' Crew". TrekMovie.com. July 22, 2018. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  4. ^ Britt, Ryan (February 11, 2018). "Showrunners Talk Captain Pike and Spock in 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 2". Inverse. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  5. ^ Hayner, Chris E. (February 11, 2018). "What That Enterprising Finale Twist Means for 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 2". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  6. ^ "Jonathan Frakes Reveals Details On Second Episode Of 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 2". TrekMovie.com. April 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Ramos, Dino-Ray (April 9, 2018). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Adds Anson Mount In Key Role For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  8. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (July 20, 2018). "'Star Trek: Short Treks' Set On CBS All Access, 'Discovery' Season 2 Trailer Unveiled, Rebecca Romijn Joining The Cast – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Patten, Dominic (March 18, 2019). "'Star Trek: Discovery': Two Major New Characters To Exit At End Of Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Nemetz, Dave (August 14, 2018). "Star Trek: Discovery Finds Its Spock (!), Casts Ethan Peck to Play Iconic Role". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  11. ^ Otterson, Joe (June 19, 2018). "Alex Kurtzman Sets Five-Year CBS TV Studios Pact, Will Oversee Expanded 'Star Trek' Universe". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  12. ^ Pascale, Anthony (April 15, 2019). "Anson Mount Responds To Fan Petition Calling For Star Trek Pike Series". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 16, 2019 suggested (help)
  13. ^ Pascale, Anthony (March 25, 2019). "Interview: Ethan Peck On Where Spock Is Headed In 'Star Trek: Discovery' ... And Maybe Beyond". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  14. ^ "Anson Mount Open To Pike Show, But Returning To Star Trek Would Require "Creative Conversations"". TrekMovie.com. April 17, 2019. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  15. ^ Bloom, Mike (April 18, 2019). "How the 'Star Trek: Discovery' Finale Pulled Off the Franchise's Boldest Leap Yet". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  16. ^ Pascale, Anthony (July 21, 2019). "SDCC19: 'Short Treks' Season Two Detailed, Possible Pike/Spock Enterprise Series Teased". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  17. ^ Owen, Rob (January 16, 2020). "Tuned In: Author Michael Chabon treks to 'Star Trek: Picard'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  18. ^ Reilly, Ken (January 12, 2020). "Star Trek's TV Universe Still Expanding; Kurtzman Reveals Two More Live-Action Series in the Works". TrekCore.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Bone, Christian (March 11, 2020). "Captain Pike Star Trek Spinoff Series Reportedly In Development". We Got This Covered. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  20. ^ Kaya, Emre (March 16, 2020). "Exclusive: Captain Pike 'Star Trek: Discovery' Spin-Off Series in the Works". Geeks WorldWide. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  21. ^ Comtois, James (September 8, 2020). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, 'The Longest Piot-to-Series Pickup' Ever, Returns to TOS' Episodic Roots". SyFy Wire. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 14, 2020 suggested (help)
  22. ^ Graham, Megan (September 15, 2020). "CBS All Access streaming service is getting a new name: Paramount+". CNBC. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  23. ^ a b "Entire Second Season Of 'Star Trek: Short Treks' Now Streaming For Free As Part Of Emmy Campaign". TrekMovie.com. August 17, 2020. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  24. ^ a b c d Holloway, Daniel (May 15, 2020). "New 'Star Trek' Series Featuring Spock and Pike Will Be 'Optimistic and More Episodic,' Creators Say". Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  25. ^ a b c Pascale, Anthony (July 23, 2020). "Updated: 'Star Trek: Strange New Words' Season 1 Stories Developed, Mount And Peck Talk Pike And Spock". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 4 Writing Already Underway, 'Strange New Worlds' To Shoot In 2021". TrekMovie.com. August 12, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  27. ^ a b c d "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Will Reveal Number One's "Mind-Blowing" Backstory". TrekMovie.com. September 8, 2020. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 11, 2020 suggested (help)
  28. ^ "DGC Ontario Production List" (PDF). Director's Guild of Canada. October 7, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  29. ^ "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' will shoot in Ontario in 2021". Pop Goes the News. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  30. ^ a b c Pitt, Alison (February 15, 2021). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds due to start filming at CBS Studios Canada this week". Daily Star Trek News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  31. ^ Vary, Adam B.; Vary, Adam B. (February 24, 2021). "Inside the 'Star Trek' Universe of New Shows and Kids' Fare on Paramount Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  32. ^ Garbutt, Emily; Scott, Darren (October 7, 2020). "Star Trek showrunner Alex Kurtzman reveals current status of all Trek shows". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  33. ^ Snowden, Scott (November 20, 2020). "'Star Trek: Discovery' borrows from 'The Running Man' in season 3, episode 6 'Scavengers'". Space.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  34. ^ Britt, Ryan (December 16, 2020). "Star Trek Composer Teases Picard Season 2, Discovery Season 4, and More". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  35. ^ Patten, Dominic (July 9, 2020). "Comic-Con@Home: 'Star Trek' Returns To Now Virtual Confab With 'Picard', 'Discovery,' 'Strange New Worlds' Cast & 'Lower Decks'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  36. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (September 3, 2020). "CBS All Access Sets Virtual Star Trek Day To Celebrate Iconic Franchise's 54th Anniversary". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  37. ^ a b Schwartz, Ryan; Schwartz, Ryan (February 4, 2021). "Patrick Stewart and Stephen Colbert Greet Paramount+'s New 'Residents' in Super Bowl Ad — Watch It Here". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Trek:_Strange_New_Worlds&oldid=1009994191"