Star Trek Buzz Blog

Simon Pegg Is Scotty

2007-10-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is now set to play the new Scotty in Star Trek XI. Read more at TrekMovie.

John Cho Is Sulu

2007-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

John Cho (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle) has been cast as Star Trek's new Hikaru Sulu. Read more at TrekMovie.

Eric Bana Cast As Villian

2007-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys. It's been busy for me lately and so I'm extremely behind on this page. It's definitely catch-up time. There is a whole lot of casting news to report, but here's the first piece of news. Eric Bana has been cast as the villian 'Nero' in Star Trek XI. Read all about it at TrekMovie.

'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' This Weekend

2007-10-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend in syndication, Star Trek Remastered presents 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?'. Watch the preview here at STARTREK.COM.

'The Man Trap' This Weekend

2007-09-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend's episode of Star Trek Remastered is 'The Man Trap'. Go here to view the episode preview and see a comparison of the new shot to the left vs. the original shot.

'The Conscience of the King' Airs This Weekend

2007-09-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Star Trek Remastered airs 'The Conscience fo the King' this weekend in syndication. Watch the preview here at STARTREK.COM.

Zoe Saldana Is Uhura

2007-09-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are both reporting that Zoe Saldana has now been cast as Uhura. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Saldana is in "final negotiatians", while Variety is reporting that she has "signed on".

Read more at TrekMovie, The Hollwood Reporter and Variety.

Yelchin Plans To Watch Plenty Of Past Trek

2007-09-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

ReelzChannel has an interview up with Anton Yelchon (Pavel Chekov). Here are some highlights:

"I guess they’re withholding that until they get casting done or whatever. I plan on… becoming as much of a Trekkie as a I can in the couple weeks before we start shooting — just renting all the box sets, not going outside, not seeing the sun rise, just having the shades drawn."

"I look at all these movies like Spider-Man and stuff, and then I think of myself walking out of Spider-Man, saying, ‘Oh well, like, in the cartoon… when I was seven…’ Everyone’s got their own thing, and some people get very upset and take it personally. But the cool thing about it is if you just think about the fact that people have taken something so personally, it means so much to them. It’s kind of a great thing to think about — that Star Trek and Spider-Man, or X-Men could mean so much to someone that they’d actually really take it seriously enough to criticize the hell out of someone because they don’t fit their image. If I think about it that way, I’ll take it less seriously."

Thanks to TrekMovie. Check out the full article at ReelzChannel.

Quinto Looking To Nimoy More Than Episodes

2007-09-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yahoo AP News has an interview up with Zachary Quinto. Here's a hilight:

AP: I heard you and Leonard Nimoy have become friends since you met at the Comic-Con convention in July, that you even had dinner together at his home.

Quinto: It’s really important for me and vital for me to get to know him as a person. People are always asking me like, ‘Well, are you going to watch the old ‘Star Trek's, are you going to immerse yourself in that whole situation?’ I feel like knowing him as a man and knowing the impact that this experience had on his life and his journey as an artist - and I truly consider him just a really formidable artist. He’s really redefined himself and found other outlets for his creativity over the years and that’s really inspiring to me. So, just sort of exposing me to that and really getting to know him and learning where he came from with his character is probably going to be more invaluable than anything else.

Read more at TrekMovie and in the original at Yahoo AP News.

'The Galileo Seven' This Weekend

2007-09-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

The preview for 'The Galileo Seven' is now up here at STARTREK.COM. Also, be sure to check out the new times and affliate stations page here as there are some changes from last season.

And last but not least, CBS has provided some exclusive images from 'The Galileo Seven' for TrekMovie.

Abrams Meets With Lucas

2007-09-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie has these two interesting shots up on their website. The first picture was taken during a private dinner in August between Star Wars honcho George Lucas and (new) Star Trek honcho JJ Abrams. The rare picture on the bottom featuring George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry was sent in to TrekMovie by Dan Madsen and is from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Star Wars in 1987.

'The Galileo Seven' Remastered

2007-09-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here are four great new images from the remastered version of 'The Galileo Seven', the first episode of the second season of Star Trek Remastered. Go to STARTREK.COM to view the original/remastered comparisons.

Jennifer Garner Willing To Do Trek XI

2007-09-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Garner recently spoke with Rotten Tomatoes and said, in regards to Star Trek, "Anything J.J. asked me to do ever, that’s a clear ‘Don’t even worry, the answer’s yes.’ I owe him." This follows up on an older rumor about her possibly playing Spocks' love interest.

Read more at TrekMovie and Rotten Tomatoes.

Family Guy - Star Trek TNG

2007-09-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

LOL. This is a deleted scene from Family Guy. The alternate scene they wound up using isn't nearly as good.

Scotty Casting Bits

2007-09-08T15:02:00.001-07:00

The casting of Star Trek's new Scotty is said to be heavily centered in London with the lastest name rumored to be 24-year-old Scottish actor Martin Compston (right). According to the UK's Daily Record, Compston says he has had callbacks, but has a lot of competition and may also look too young for the part.

Earlier last week, the Daily Record reported that friends of 38-year-old Scottish comedic actor Greg Hemphill (left) revealed that he had auditioned for the role.

Scottish actor James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia) has also been long rumored for the part.

Thanks to TrekMovie.

Free "Phaser Remote" With HD Purchases

2007-09-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Toshiba and CBS announced a special promotion the other day, in which consumers will be given a free "phaser remote" for purchasing a Toshiba HD-DVD player and Star Trek Remastered Season One on HD-DVD.

Toshiba is really trying to push HD-DVD ahead of blu-ray in this format war. There is already a mail-in rebate for five free HD-DVD movies with a purchase of a Toshiba player. On top of that, they were the ones that convinced Paramount to go HD-DVD exclusive for the next 18 months.

Read more at TrekMovie.

New Star Trek Online And Conquest Shots

2007-09-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a beautiful new shot of a Vulcan villiage from the upcoming MMORPG Star Trek Online. Check out the startrekonline.com's second DevLog entry here.

Below is a shot from the PS2 version of Star Trek: Conquest. Go to Gamershell.com for more images. The game will also be available for the Nintendo Wii and is availbe for pre-order now at Amazon.com.

Three More Quinto Interviews

2007-09-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

National Post

The London Free Press

Video interview at Sci-Fi Wire.

From the Sci-Fi Wire interview: "I am going to go about it in my own way, which I am starting to do now. And that is really exciting. I am learning a lot about Vulcans and a lot about Romulans and a lot about really interesting stuff so I am looking forward to more of it."

Thanks to TrekMovie, as usual, for the links.

Star Trek Remastered HD-DVD Preview

2007-08-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

Go here to check out the STARTREK.COM preview.

Quinto - Heroes Tour Lands In New York

2007-08-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

Heroes co-star Dania Ramirez has gots some mad Star Trek skillz whereas Zachary Quinto, after gesturing with his left hand, admits he is still having trouble doing the Vulcan salute with his right.

Read the full article at TrekMovie, where contributor William Herz even grills Heroes' Jason Kyson Lee about the possiblity of him playing Sulu.

Star Trek Plot Rumors

2007-08-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Moriarty at AICN has revealed some (possible) plot elements for Star Trek XI. In the article he describes the film involving a group of Romulans going back in time to kill James T. Kirk and change history. It's then up to older Spock to set things right.

Read the full scoop here.

Zoe Saldana My Be Uhura

2007-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

The scoop is that 29-year-old Zoe Saldana has been offered the part of Uhura. The deal is not final, however, as she will still be doing location shooting on James Cameron's Avatar in October while Star Trek Begins filming in November.

Besides the upcoming Avatar, Zoe Saldana's other film roles include Haven, Guess Who, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Steven Speilberg's The Terminal, in which she played a Trekkie custom's officer. To top it all off she has an Abram's connection from starring in two recent episodes of Six Degrees, which is produced Star Trek producers Abrams and Bryan Burke.

Thanks to TrekMovie for the scoop.

Anton Yelchin Speaks

2007-08-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Anton Yelchin, Pavel Chekov in the upcoming Star Trek film, spoke a bit on the subject to Collider.com, while out promoting Fierce People. Yelchin guessed that his age and background may have something to do with his being cast, joking “I can do a Russian, [I am] familiar with Russian people. Very, very familiar.”

Thanks to TrekMovie. Read the full interview at Collider.com.

Star Trek Remastered HD-DVD/DVD Up For Pre-Order - $139.25

2007-08-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Set to be released November 20, the first season of Star Trek Remastered on HD-DVD/DVD combo is finally up for pre-order with a fantastic Amzazon price tag of $139.25. Even the new list price for the item is $199.98, which is down from the original $217.99. That's more like it. Feel free to pre-order the set from the Amazon link below.

Quinto Already Practicing Spock

2007-08-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Lord of the Interview, Star Trek's own Zachary Quinto has another up and this time it's with National Ledger. In it he speaks about getting to know Nimoy and already practicing his Spock in between takes on Heroes.

Check out TrekMovie or the original article for the interview.

Producers And Writers On The Two Spocks

2007-08-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Star Trek Magazine spoke with producer Damon Lindelof and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci during their Comic-Con coverage. Lindelof noted that the excitement at Comic-Con is what they want for this film and said "The pure magic of seeing Zach Quinto and Leonard Nimoy in a room together for the first time is exactly the magic we’re trying to put on the screen. Mr Spock is a character that transcends sci-fi, he’s almost mythic."

And the writers talk about the importance of Nimoy's endorsement, saying "We knew the odds that our script would actually lure Nimoy were about a million to one, but it was a gamble we had to take, even knowing that if he said no, the whole thing was for nothing. To have him sign on and then manage to also get Zachary Quinto, who everyone can see is going to be an inspired heir to this legacy, is like winning the lotto twice in a row. For a couple of Trek fans, this is a dream we hope we don’t wake up from."

Thanks to TrekMovie.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry On New Movie And More

2007-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

The new issue of Star Trek Magazine has an interview with Majel Barrett Roddenberry, in which she seems very enthusiastic about the new movie, saying "They’re going back to the beginning. And I would love to do the computer voice." But she also noted that she is happy in retirement, saying "I’m ready to step back. I have no feelings of, ‘Oh, I must have another part.’ Nothing like that ever goes through my head."

Read more at TrekMovie.

More Nimoy & Quinto At Griffith

2007-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some good outtakes from the USA Today Celeb Watch video interview posted a few days ago. Of note, Zachary Quinto believes his Spock will be more emotional in the new Star Trek film.

New Shatner Videos

2007-08-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Below, Willam Shatner speaks with Creation TV at the recent Vegas con and speaks on his dissapointment at not being involved with Star Trek XI among other things.

And here is a bonus video in which Shatner speaks on his writing and about his latest novel.

Thanks to TrekMovie.

Quinto On Spock's Origins And Possible Sequels

2007-08-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon.net has a new interview up with Zachary Quinto. Here are some highlights:

"The interesting thing is that you meet this character before you ever knew him on the television series and the other movies, so sort of what you know about him and then also an exploration of how he got to that point. All of the characters, not just Spock."

And regarding Nimoy: "The time I’m most interested in … is really just getting to know him and learning about his life, not just about this character and his perspective on the character … But just knowing him as a man [and] as an artist. I have a profound respect for the journey that he’s taken and for the way he’s redefined his creative expression over the years. So I look forward to being a part of that and being exposed to that. I think it will be a really gratifying part of this experience."

Quito also added this, indicated possible Star Trek sequels. “It is a multiple picture deal,” he says. “If there end up being sequels, that remains to be seen. There’s more than one movie attached to this one.”

Read the full article at Coming Soon.net. And thanks also to TrekMovie.

Quinto Not Daunted By Spock

2007-08-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

Head on over to Ain't It Cool News to read their new interview with Zachary Quinto, Star Trek's new Spock.

Thanks to TrekMovie.

Crowe Again Asked About Trek

2007-08-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Russell Crowe was once again asked about his possible participation in JJ Abrams' Star Trek, this time by Extra. In the video he simply states that he hasn't read anything and can't make a decision until he does.

Inside The Star Trek Remastered HD-DVD Package + Paramount Drops Blu-ray

2007-08-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

TV Shows On DVD has posted this new image of the inside packaging of the forthcoming HD-DVD/DVD combo release of Star Trek Remastered's first season.

It looks like each disc is encased in it's own flipper slip. Keep in mind the artwork is still subject to change. Change or not, I'm sure it'll still be like digging for burried treasure to get to a disc.

The set is still not available for pre-order on Amazon, but I'll post a link as soon as it does become available.

In other news, Paramount/Dreamworks are going HD-DVD exclusive for the next 18 months. That, of course, means that the expected Blu-ray release of Trek Remastered Season One won't be happening anytime soon. We had expected it be released a few months after the HD-DVD release. To read more on the Paramount HD-DVD/Blu-ray situation, head on over to The Digital Bits.

Star Trek Remastered Season 2 Schedule

2007-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

The schedule for the last 40 episodes of Star Trek Remastered is up here at STARTREK.COM.

The new season begins with 'The Galileo Seven' on 9/15 and ends (appropriately) with 'Turnabout Intruder' on 8/2/08. The first five new episodes to air are last episodes needed to be done for Season 1 since they need to be ready for DVD in November.

And yes, 'The Cage' will air on 4/26. Awesome.

IGN Asks Crowe About Star Trek

2007-08-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Go on over to TrekMovie and check out the video featuring IGN asking Russel Crowe about the Star Trek rumors. Crowe mentions that he simply hasn't heard anything, but co-star Christian Bale has some fun with it.

Quinto Sees Parallel Between 'Heroes' and 'Star Trek'

2007-08-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

Check out the new Zachary Quinto interview at Rope of Scilicon. Here is a quote highlight:

"I think the message of "Star Trek" and the message of "Heroes" is the overwhelmingly optimistic message about humanity and its capacity to evolve and survive and to hold itself accountable considering the state of things. We live in a world where that is imminently necessary. It is nice to be a part of those things."

Thanks to TrekMovie.

RedShirt Treatment

2007-08-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Haha! These guys have never watched Star Trek. Thanks to TrekMovie.

Nimoy & Quinto At Griffith Observatory

2007-08-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

USA Today visited the pair at the Griffith Park Observatory. Visit TrekMovie and the original article for the full details and a video. Here are some highlights.

Quinto: "I really identify with Spock’s struggle. We’re going back to a time before anything (Nimoy did in the original series) was established. These characters are in a completely different stage of their lives."

Quinto let Nimoy in on news that the Chekov role had been cast with Alpha Dog actor Anton Yelchin. Though the two hadn’t heard any whispers that Tom Cruise might be joining the cast as a villain, they spoke in hushed tones about secret plot points while the video cameras weren’t rolling. These Spocks seem to be forging a very un-Vulcan friendship.

Family Guy - Wrath of Kahn

2007-08-19T15:36:00.001-07:00

LOL! Great Star Trek II parody.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Deleted Scenes

2007-08-18T18:53:00.001-07:00

D.C. Fontana Interview Up At TrekMovie

2007-08-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

From TrekMovie:

Dorothy Fontana (also known as D.C. Fontana) began writing Trek stories in 1966 and hasn’t stopped since (writing for TOS, TAS, TNG, DS9, a novel, games and even a fan series). The writer sat down with TrekMovie.com at last weekend’s Las Vegas Star Trek Convention and talked about her thoughts on her favorite series, canon, the new film, if Gene would have liked DS9 as well as her plans for writing more Trek stories

Go here to read the interview.

Cruise As Pike Mock-Up

2007-08-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

LOL I thought this picture from TrekMovie was pretty funny. They have an article up with details on British tabloids running with the Cruise as Pike rumors even though Cruise's rep already denied any involvement with the new Star Trek. They also speak more on Russel Crowe. Read the article here.

1966 Interview With Leonard Nimoy

2007-08-15T14:35:00.001-07:00

Here's the Leonard Nimoy portion that goes with the retro Star Trek segment I posted a few days ago with Shatner.

News On Upcoming Games

2007-08-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Some new details have emerged about upcoming Star Trek games. Here's a rundown.

Star Trek: Conquest (Wii, PS2)

The Story: It is a time of unrest, all the major races are at war. Age-old alliances are forgotten, diplomacy is dead. Powerful fleets prowl the galaxy establishing outposts and vanquishing indigenous and enemy fleets alike in the pursuit of the ultimate prize - the capture of all home worlds and galactic domination. (So it's NOT a Dominion War game afterall.)

Playable Races: There are SIX PLAYABLE races to choose from: Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion and Breen. The player will also encounter the Ferengi, Borg, Orion and Xindi fleets as they explore the galaxy.

Read more info in this Bethblog interview with game designer Frank Arnot.

Star Trek: Online (PC)

During the CBS presentation at the Official Star Trek Convention in Vegas, it was revealed that the new target date is for an early 2009 release, after the Christmas 2008 release of the new Star Trek film.

Star Trek XI: The Game

The good news here is that in an interview with Wired a couple of months back, J.J. Abrams stated that he thought most licensed games sucked and that he would want to get involved with the development of this tie-in game.

Thanks to TrekMovie.

Nimoy At VegasCon

2007-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Head over to TrekMovie to read about what Nimoy's time on stage at VegasCon. He did some pretty amusing stuff up there including reading aloud posted comments from TrekMovie. lol

New Poster Given To Fans At VegasCon

2007-08-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

This new 'Star Trek' teaser poster to the left was given out to fans in attendance at VegasCon 07 just a few short days ago. Looks spiffy.

1966 Interview With William Shatner

2007-08-12T09:29:00.001-07:00

This is a 1966 interview taken on the set during the filming of 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' during Star Trek's first season. The interviewer is Harry Martin, who was with KCRA Channel 3 in Sacramento, CA.

CBS Planning 'Exciting' Star Trek Film Tie-Ins

2007-08-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie is reporting that CBS (during a CBS Products' presentation at the Las Vegas Creation Star Trek Convention) revealed it's plans for the inevitable movie-ties scheduled for late next year. Other than stating that there is sure to be some kind of computer/video game tie in, one product was revealed:

'Star Trek 101' or 'Star Trek For Dummies' as they call it, is being written by Deep Space Nine Companion authors Paula Block and Terry Erdmann. There will be synopsis' for each movie and every episode from each series (TOS, TAS, TNG, DS9, VOY & ENT) will have their own individual episode guide. It will also feature descriptions of every single ship, planet alien species, and character from Star Trek.

Sounds incredibly comprehensive. No geek should leave home without it. Read more at TrekMovie.

Production Could Be Headed To Iceland

2007-08-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie is reporting that the new Star Trek movie could (in part) be going to Iceland. Pegasus & Saga Film are currently battling over the film and Paramount scouts apparently visited the small island nation back in June to find locations. Now J.J. Abrams is headed there himself.

Read the full articled at TrekMovie.

Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show - Part 5

2007-08-10T07:41:00.001-07:00

Casting Bits

2007-08-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing to report on actual casting decisions, but these bits are interesting. By the way, I didn't even get a chance to post the Tom Cruise as Pike rumor since it was debunked so quickly.

So during Comic-Con's Grindhouse DVD panel, Sydney Tamiia Poitier (daughter of Sydney Poitier) revealed that she had auditioned for the new Star Trek. Simultaneously during Paramount's Star Trek panel, she was quoted saying "Did they announce the cast of Star Trek? I auditioned for it and I’m curious who got what roles in there."

She most likely auditioned for Uhura. And how appropriate would it be for Sydney Poitier's daughter to portray Uhura? That and she's a babe.

In related news, TrekMovie is reporting that their sources tell them Paramount is looking for a balance between new faces for the main cast and big names for other roles such as the "Federation Captain" (they most likely mean "Fleet Captain" aka Pike) and the film's villian. In fact, IGN reported that Paramount was interested in Russell Crowe for the role of the villian. However, this was simply interest from Paramount. But it shows us the caliber of star that they are looking for in casting these parts.

Quite frankly, I don't to hear the term "villian" in conjuction with this movie. Why do we need a bad guy? What I'd like to see in something akin to Star Trek: The Motion Picture or The Voyage Home. Just give us a great sci-fi concept and maybe have some Klingons in the background trying to stir up trouble (like ST V), but that's all.

Shooting To Begin Nov. 5

2007-08-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

Variety reports in an article about another JJ Abrams project, that shooting for the new Star Trek will begin on November 5, which is in line with what we've previously heard.

Anton Yelchin May Be Chekov

2007-08-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 18-year old Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) is in negotiations to play Pavel Chekov in JJ Abram's Star Trek. Yelchin is Russian-born, but grew up in American and as such does not have an authentic Russian accent. He is quite the up-and-comer and has two starring roles later this year in Charlie Bartlett and Fierce Creatures. He will also be seen next year in Finding t.A.T.u.

The HR article goes to read "Casting is under way in New York and London for Kirk, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, the film's villain and the Federation captain. Abrams, who will helm the untitled film, is expected to sign bigger-name actors for the latter two parts."

Thanks to TrekMovie.

After there was no "Chekov" listed on the SAG casting sheet, we all assumed it was because Walter Koenig joined Star Trek during it's second season and there would be no room for him in a prequel. Now we know the real reason and I like it. So what if Chekov wasn't seen for the first 29 episodes? It doesn't mean he wasn't there. None of the crew, other than Kirk and Spock, were seen in all 79 episodes. Not even Bones. I have no problem believing that Chekov was simply not seen for the first 29 episodes. I mean, how many times was someone sitting at the helm instead of Sulu? Not to mention the whole "Kahn" thing.

As for the so-called "Federation Captain" that is yet to be cast, we can only assume this is actually "Fleet Captain" Christopher Pike.

Interacting With Robert Beltran

2007-08-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

So here's a little backstory. Star Trek: Voyager star Robert Beltran is from my hometown. Okay, that's it for the backstory.

Now, I used to work in a grocery store. One day, around Christmas time, I see him in there just leaving. Pretty cool. Maybe a year later, again around the holidays I think, he's coming through the checkstand. I promptly tell him to leave the store as we do not service Maquis terrorists. Hah. Only joking. I ask him paper or plastic. His response is he doesn't care just as long as it doesn't break. He smiles. I then ask him if he'd like me to beam his groceries to his shuttlecraft for him. He gives me a dirty look and tells me to get a life. Hah. Joking again. But man, that would have been funny question to ask him. I'd love to see his reaction to that.

Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show - Part 4

2007-08-06T02:03:00.001-07:00

Leaked Star Trek XI SAG Character Casting Sheet

2007-08-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

AICN has apparently gotten hold of a leaked SAG character casting sheet for JJ Abram's Star Trek. This is how it reads:

[JAMES KIRK] 23-29 Handsome,cocky self assured and earnest. Great physical condition. 6 ft or less

[LEONARD (BONES) MCCOY] -28-32 Medic on the Enterprise. Smart, clever and a bit danger-loving. Dark hair, blue eyes.

[UHURA] 25ish -African American. Brilliant, beautiful, heroic and FUN!, Uhura is almost tom-boyish - as if she grew up in a house full of brothers.

[SULU] 25-32 -Asian American male (preferably Japanese). Helmsman on the Enterprise. Extremely fit, capable and dedicated. A bit of a wildcat.

[MONTGOMERY(SCOTTY) SCOTT] -28-32 a brilliant ship’s engineer. Must be able to do a flawless Scottish accent!

Fascinating. We've heard rumors of other charcter's being recast, but this looks to confirm that the film will be set primarily onboard the Enterprise at the beginning of the 5-Year mission. Uhura a tomboy. Sulu a wildcat. Interesting stuff.

Read the original posting at AICN and check TrekMovie for more info.

Tom Snyder's Tommorow Show - Part 3

2007-08-04T20:45:00.001-07:00

Star Trek: Conquest For Wii and PS2

2007-08-03T17:39:00.001-07:00

Bethseda Softworks has officially announced Star Trek: Conquest for the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS2. Here is the game's description from their website:

STAR TREK: CONQUEST is a single-player game of galactic conquest featuring a blend of strategy and action set in The Next Generation era. Players take control of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, and Breen forces and lead them in a campaign to control the galaxy, one planet at a time. Players must build and manage their growing empires in turn-based strategy, and then engage in all out starship combat in real-time action.

Strategically, players must effectively manage their limited resources to expand their empire. Players can decide how to best achieve objectives by managing fleets, admirals, building support structures, researching technology and engaging enemies in combat. Once battle is initiated, the game switches to a ship level tactical view allowing players to take direct command of their ships and engage in real-time combat.

We knew this coming for the Wii, but the PS2? That really makes this game sound like it's going to be cheaply made. And the price tags of $29.99 (Wii) and $19.99 (PS2) pretty much seals the deal. Star Trek: Encounters for the PS2 went for $20 bucks and it was okay game, but it basically was just Star Trek: Legacy made cheaper for PS2. Here's hoping for a great Star Trek XI game.

Find out more about the game at Bethseda's Star Trek Site and TrekMovie.

Entertainment Weekly - The Spock's Speak!

2007-08-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

EW has an arcticle up featuring JJ Abrams, Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto. Read the article here. Here are some highlights from Abram's:

EW on why he wanted to include Nimoy in the film.

"The story needed his participation for a number of reasons. One, the plot. In many ways, the story revolves around the character of Spock. Two, I think it’s critical if we’re going to look at reintroducing these characters — I didn’t want to disrespect what had come before, for those who care about that. But we’re making this movie for people who don’t care about Star Trek too. This isn’t about pleasing the fans, this is about making a great film. And to do that, you have to both please the fans and please the people who’ve never seen Star Trek. So having Leonard in the film shows that this film exists in a continuum of Trek history, as opposed to an absolute, page 1 reinvention."

EW then asked Abrams if was ready to take on a big franchise.

"I’d like to think so. But again, I’m not looking at it that way. If you’re going to climb a mountain, looking at the whole mountain is probably pretty intimidating. I’m just looking at the story and the characters — I’m looking forward to realizing that. The specter of this massive fan base and their expectations… Look, there’s no way you can please everyone. But we’re going to do our best to make a great movie, and I hope fans of the series will appreciate the respect and awareness that we have of the thing they love. One of our writers [Roberto Orci] is a Trekker, so it’s great to have someone who can speak for that world. I feel like this is a world I want to enter, almost despite that kind of level expectation and fandom. But I couldn’t be more excited."

TrekMovie's Interview With Leonard Nimoy - Part 2

2007-08-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

The second part of TrekMovie's interview with Leonard Nimoy is up. Check it out here.

Probably the most entertaining Trek XI interview yet.

TrekMovie's Interview With Leonard Nimoy - Part 1

2007-08-02T02:45:00.001-07:00

That son of a bitch Anthony Pascale at TrekMovie just keeps pulling more rabbits out of his hat. And this one is the motherload. Read part one of his Comic-Con interview with Leonard Nimoy here.

It's a great read and I can't wait for part 2. I remember TrekMovie just getting started... now they're interviewing Nimoy. Way to go.

Roberto Orci Talks Briefly With TrekMovie

2007-08-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie's Anthony Pascale spoke very casually with Star Trek XI co-writer/executive producer Roberto Orci at Comic-Con. Read the article here.

Orci is qouted in a messge to the fans as saying "We are ready to engage any fans…lovingly…over the plot of Star Trek."

Star Trek Remastered Goes 16x9 in Japan

2007-08-02T01:58:00.000-07:00

On July 21st, Star Trek Remastered debuted in Japan, and for the first time, in widescreen format. The Original Series, of course, was shot in a 4x3 frame, so the live-action footage has been cropped to accomodate the 16x9 widescreen format. However, CBS created the new all-CGI effects shots in widescreen just for this possibility. So it's give and take. Here are the comparison shots.

And just to avoid any possible confusion, the upcoming DVD release is entirely in 4x3 full screen format. Which is a shame. Personally, I don't want to see an entirely full screen OR widescreen presentation. I much prefer the Xbox Live Video Marketplace downloads which feature 4x3 live-action combined with 16x9 visual effects shots. Unfortunately, CBS revealed that this was a mistake. Wonderful.

Thanks to TrekMovie for the scoop.

Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show - Part 2

2007-08-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

G4 Talks Star Trek

2007-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

G4 - Attack of the Show's Kevin asks Devin Faraci and Adam B. Vary the question "Can JJ Abrams save Star Trek?" Check out the video here.

And yes, that one guy is an ass who wouldn't have a job in media if it weren't for the internet.

New Quinto Interviews From Comic-Con

2007-08-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more outlets that Star Trek XI's Zachary Quinto gave a few short interviews with at Comic-Con, in addition to the one he gave TrekMovie.com. The last two are video interviews.

SCI FI Wire

IESB

KNSB

Tom Snyder's Tommarow Show - Part 1

2007-07-31T00:24:00.001-07:00

I just found that Tom Snyder has died. I've been meaning to start posting these 5-part videos from Tom Snyder's Tommarow and I figure this is as good a time as ever since it will serve as a memorial of sorts.

Over the years, Harlan Ellison was more than likely his guest more times than anyone and he also had many Star Trek segments featuring the cast and even Gene Roddenberry. The videos I'm posting feature DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig and Harlan Ellsion as his guests. Enjoy and rest in peace, Tom Snyder.

'Where No Man Has Gone Before' Deleted Scenes

2007-07-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

I just watched 'Where No Man Has Gone before', the second Star Trek pilot, and thought I'd share this deleted footage. This is the version Gene Roddenberry submitted to NBC. NBC then made some changes to the version that was broadcast.

Zachary Quinto Interview At TrekMovie.com

2007-07-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie.com promised that they had a very special interview coming up and low and behold, it turns out to be noneother than the new Spock himself, Zachary Quinto. Check out the Comic-Con interview here.

Also, if you're a subscriber to STARTREK.COM's iTunes podcast feed, they have a much better Comi-Con video up than the one posted on TrekMovie.com, though edited.

Star Trek: TNG Remastered?

2007-07-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

TrekMovie.com spoke with the CBS team at Comic-Con is reporting on the possibility of them moving on to remastering Star Trek: The Next Generation once their work on the original Star Trek is complete. This is a much bigger undertaking than the TOS project considering the fact that if they are not able to 'uprez' the effects (which were done on video) to HD, they would need to go back to the original film elements and re-edit each episode in order to create new effects shots. The completely live-action elements were also transfered to video, so I'm not sure if that would be a problem also.

They REALLY need to remaster TNG, in my opinion. Upgrading the muggy video quality to HD film WITH new CGI effects really needs to be done, especially for the first season.

'This Side of Paradise' This Weekend

2007-07-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

The final new episode this season of Star Trek Remastered airs this weekend in syndication. So be sure to get your fix of that 'overgrown jack rabbit with a hyper-active thyroid'. Check out the preview for 'This Side of Paradise' here.

Oh and since it wasn't up by the time I posted the reminder last week, here's the preview for 'The Squire of Gothos'.

I'm still thinking about that $200 plus DVD price tag for the first season of Star Trek Remastered. It's not good for Trek, in my opinion. They're trying to cater to Star Strek fans that are willing to pay anything (which isn't true) when they should be pricing for a mainstream audience. Star Trek XI is on the right track and could really be a rebirth of Star Trek for mainstream audiences. Affordable Star Trek Remastered DVD's to accompany the new movie would do well for the "franchise", in my opinion.

Quinto & Nimoy CONFIRMED + New Teaser Poster

2007-07-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today at Comic-Con, Zachary Quinto (Sylar on NBC's Heroes) and Leonard Nimoy were both in attendance alongside producer/director JJ Abrams, exec. producers/writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and more for the official announcment on their being cast as the younger and elder Spocks in the upcoming Star Trek film to be released on Christmast Day 2008. See, I don't post rumors! ;)

The actor who will portray the younger Captain Kirk, however, remains still uncast. Of huge importance to note, however, is that JJ Abrams said he still intends to write William Shatner, as the older Captain Kirk, into the script.

And last but not least, here is a link to the new teaser poster that was revealed to day at Comic-Con.

Visit STARTREK.COM for more information (that's still going to be updated as of this writing) as well as various downloadble versions of the new poster. And, of course, don't forget trekmovie.com. They were in attendance and are also still in the process of updating as of this writing. They've been having trouble with the site, however, due to massive hits.

Star Trek Remastered HD-DVD's Revealed

2007-07-26T11:13:00.001-07:00

Star Trek Remastered - Season One is coming to HD-DVD (HD-DVD/DVD combo format to be specific) on November 20th, 2007 with a whopping suggested $217.99 retail tag. The 10-Disc set features the entire first season's episodes (sans 'The Cage') remastered in High-Definition with all-new visual effects. Read the full story here at STARTREK.COM.

The price tag doesn't surprise me for an HD-DVD/DVD combo set, but I know most people want these just on standard DVD and $217.99 is quite a lot for one television season on DVD. And even the HD-DVD sets of Smallville have a suggested retail tag of $79.98 and go for $55.95 on Amazon.

The good news is that, while it doesn't offer the original versions, it offers the bonus features from the previous set as well as newer features. The somewhat troubling news, for me anyway, is that there's mention on whether or not the revamped effects shots on the HD side of the discs will be presented in widescreen (with the live-action in full screen) as they are on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. I'd still count on it, however.

'Wrath of Khan' Writer Jack B. Sowards Dies

2007-07-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

The writer of 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' and the TNG episode 'Where Silence Has Lease' has died at the age of 78. Sowards passed away back on July 8th of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and lung disease. He was living in the Valley Village community of Los Angeles.

Jack B. Sowards has the sole screenplay credit for 'The Wrath of Khan' since Nicholas Meyer went uncredited for his contribution to the script. He also shares a story credit on the film with producer Harve Bennet.

Read more about Sowards in the STARTREK.COM article.

New Star Trek Games On The Horizon

2007-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

First up, if you haven't already heard about it, is Star Trek Online, a Star Trek MMORPG for PC that is set after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. The game is scheduled for release late in 2008, which will put its release right alongside JJ Abram's Star Trek movie. You can check to game's official site by going here. Take a look at these incredible screenshots. Beautiful. Can't hardly wait.

Next is some news about Star Trek: Conquest, a game for the Nintendo Wii that has seemingly come out of nowhere. All that is known about the game is what has been put up at Gamefly. The game would appear to be a Dominion War game, as the emblems on the left and right relate to the two sides in the war.

I'm interested it this as well, though I don't own a Wii. But then I actually liked Star Trek: Lecacy! ;)

Quinto Nearly Confirmed For Spock Role (UPDATES)

2007-07-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

NEW "STAR TREK" BEAMING UP ZACHARY QUINTO AS SPOCK

Los Angeles, July 23, 2007 – E! Online's "Watch With Kristin" columnist Korbi Ghosh got the exclusive scoop on the upcoming "Star Trek" movie. According to studio insiders, Zachary Quinto, a.k.a. Sylar from the NBC drama "Heroes," is about to be named to play the new Spock in the upcoming "Star Trek" movie. A source confirmed that the contract is with the business affairs team at Paramount, which is generally considered the last stop on the deal-negotiation train. The deal only awaits sign-off from outside counsel.

Source: Press release sent to media/bloggers

Wa-hoo! We're getting down to it now. Hurry up, Comic-Con! Read the official article here.

UPDATE I: TV Guide.com has further confirmed the story. Heroes creator Tim Kring even tells TV Guide.com that he would be "thrilled" to see Quinto get his Vulcan on.

UPDATE II: The Pittsburg Post Gazzette now has an interview article up with Zachary Quinto, in which he continues to stay coy about Star Trek XI. Excerpt:

"Everybody else seems to have more to say about it than I do," Quinto said from the set of NBC's "Heroes," the Emmy-nominated series for which he plays the villain Sylar.

"I would love for it to be true. We'll see what happens. We can only talk about 'Heroes' today. I'm under a strict directive from NBC. When I have something to say about 'Star Trek,' I will."

Nimoy & Shatner "Discuss" Star Trek XI At Con

2007-07-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty interesting read from a con a few days ago. But instead of posting the details myself, I think it's best if I just link over to The Trek Movie Report.

Comic-Con is this Thursday. Get ready for some big news!

'Star Trek: The Manga' Reviewed

2007-07-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

I finished reading the final chapter of Star Trek: The Manga last night so here's my take...

I was pretty impressed overall. I'm a huge manga fan to begin with as well as (obviously) a Trekker(ie). The two seem to mesh pretty well. The stories very much fall within the Star Trek concepts and tradition. It's quite easy to picture these stories as episodes of The Animated Series and maybe even one or two as part of The Original Series itself.

The artwork differs for each of the five chapters since each story has a different artist as well as author. The first story 'Side Effects' has probably the most authentic looking manga art in the book (this is not an actual Japanese publication), but I was also pleasently surprised with the artwork in the second story 'Anything But Alone' as it's very reminisent of Osamu Tezuka, the father of Japanese comics and animation. I personally like the different styles of artwork from story to story. Each author and artist gets to give their own personal take on Star Trek.

To sum it all up, Star Trek: The Manga manages to capture the feel of Star Trek while successfully integrating some traditional manga elements into it. So do yourselves a favor and pick this up. Also, keep a look our for Star Trek: The Manga Vol. 2 on September 11th.

New Star Trek: TNG DVD's

2007-07-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

On October 2nd, a new Star Trek: The Next Generation complete series DVD box set will be released (Region 1) to celebrate TNG's 20th anniversary. The set will include a new bonus disc with new special features.

Wasn't I just talking about cow milking the other day? Ah, well. Seeing as I don't own the previous DVD's, I might pick this up instead IF it includes the previous bonus features as well as the new.

'The Squire of Gothos' This Weekend

2007-07-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that 'The Squire of Gothos' airs this weekend in syndication. I would post a link to the new Remastered preview at STARTREK.COM... but there isn't one! Instead here's a classic preview.

Next week 'This Side of Paradise' airs and that will be a wrap for the new episodes this season of Star Trek Remastered. This fall the second and final batch of episodes will begin.

I seriously hope they begin updating the Xbox Live Video Marketplace and iTunes soon with the rest of the Star Trek Remastered episodes...

Zachary Quinto on Spock Rumors

2007-07-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

IGN has posted an interview with Heroes star Zachary Quinto regarding the rumors that he's currently in discussions to play (the younger) Spock in JJ Abram's Star Trek XI. Naturally, Quinto does not actually reveal whether or not he's really in talks to play the role, though he claims he is loving the rumors. Read the article here.

As you well know, William Shatner recently revealed that Leonard Nimoy will return as (the older) Spock in Star Trek XI, but he himself will not be returning.

Early Star Trek Screenplay Drafts

2007-07-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty neat site I came across through The TrekBBS. Check it out here. It features early drafts of the original Star Trek scripts including some that were never produced with analysis by Dave Eversole. Of note are Shatner's 'The Web of Death' outline in which the Enterprise is spun in a web by a giant space-spider (haha... Kingdom of the Spiders) and Larry Niven's 'The Pastel Terror'.

On an unrelated but always Trek-related note, I saw Transformers on Friday night. I think Star Trek XI is in good hands with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. =) On a second note, I just recieved my copy of Star Trek: The Manga in the mail. A review will be up soon.

Star Trek Fan Collective - Captain's Log

2007-07-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

The next Star Trek Fan Collective DVD set entitled 'Captain's Log' will hit stores on July 24th. The set features one episode from each series chosen respectively by William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula. Two more episodes from each series are included as Fan Picks. The episodes also feature introductions by the actors themselves and the set is loaded with special bonus features. Check out the full details here.

These Fan Collective sets have always seemed a little too much like cow milking to me, but with the amount of all-new introductions and bonus features as well as the amount of episodes included, this set might be well worth the purchase.

New Star Trek: The Motion Picture DE Commentary

2007-07-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Available now on STARTREK.COM is a fantastic new commentary for Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Directors Edition. The Director's Edition production team members David C. Fein, Michael Matessino and Daren R. Dochterman provide the commentary and it's a truly great listen. There's a lot of information on this commentary that we didn't get on the DVD disc commentary and I was surprised by how much relevant information they had to give about Robert Wise and the original production. It's a very informative and entertaining commentary so do yourself a favor and check it out. Now, if only STARTREK.COM can get Frakes in to do that missing Insurrection track...

Check out the commentary here.

Star Trek: Legacy

2007-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Star Trek: Legacy has recieved a lot of mixed reviews. A lot of folk seem to think it's utter garbage, but it has quite a few loyal followers who claim the game gets too bad of a rap. Count me as one of those. The game is quite glitchy and feels pretty incomplete (I've heard it was rushed out early in time for this last holiday season), but to me it's still really enjoyable.

The game's storyline connects all three eras and all five Captains (voiced by their repspective actors) and was co-written by D.C. Fontana. Can't beat that. The story could have been followed better throughout the game though. And a large chunck of the story material is given in the "Extras" category in the main menu, which is somewhat odd. Those extras a great fun to watch, however.

The game is space-combat oriented and the controls are definitely diffult to master at first, but you'll eventually get the hang of it for sure and begin having a lot of fun. Throughout the game you get the chance to play as virtually every Starfleet/Federation sharpship ever depicted onscreen. Villians include, of course, the Romulans, Klingons and Borg.

In short, I highly recommend this game if you're a Star Trek fan. It's availble for both the Xbox 360 and PC (I've heard the PC version is glitchier, however). There's also a free demo availbe on Xbox Live so check that out. Speaking of Xbox Live, if you're ever on and have the game handy, my Gamertag is Andrew 360X.

CRY HAVOC! AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!!!

'Charlie X' This Weekend

2007-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to check out 'Charlie X', this weekend's epsisode of Star Trek Remastered. At the bottom is a comparison between a beautiful new shot of the Enterprise alongside the previously unseen USS Antares from the episode and a shot of the two "robot grain ships" from The Animated Series episode 'More Tribbles, More Troubles'.

Notice the added front section that includes a bridge, naturally since the Antares has a crew and is not a robot ship. Interesting decision.

Check out the preview for 'Charlie X' on STARTREK.COM here.

Star Trek XI & HD-DVD Details To Be Revealed At Comic-Con

2007-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

On July 26th, the first day of Comic-Con 2007, new details concerning Star Trek XI (Or rather Star Trek) will be unvieled during a Paramount Pictures presentation. Star Trek XI director/producer JJ Abrahms will be in attendance. One thing to note is that, in a recent interview with The Latino Review, Star Trek XI co-writer Roberto Orci metioned that he expected there to be casting announcements at this year's Comic-Con. What a relief it will be to put all of the casting rumors and speculation to rest...

On the home video front, CBS DVD will give fans their first look at the HD-DVD release of Star Trek Remastered (or Star Trek, The Original Series: As You've Never Seen It as they're calling it). Extras are said to include never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes 8mm footage. Hmm... It already sounds like CBS is putting more effort into their Star Trek DVD's than Paramount ever did...

Check out the full Thursday, July 26 Comic-Con Program here.