this is just beating a dead horse.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/040325d.php

Ok so the once mighty "Star Trek: franchise which I was proud to be a fan of in the 90's has since evolved sadly into a joke of what it once was. Now, it seems that sleeping dogs haven't been allowed to lie. As if another season of the limp-wristed
"Enterprise" wasn't enough, now AICN reports on a potential new development:

"First, the good news. No Berman. No Braga. Instead, Jordan Kerner (SNOW DOGS, INSPECTOR GADGET, THE MIGHTY DUCKS and D2 and D3) is being brought in to produce. Right now, he's in the early stages of developing a prequel trilogy. First question, obviously, is "a prequel to what?" After all, the various TV shows have played all sorts of tricks with the timeline. When I hear "prequel trilogy," it sounds to me like we're going to see young Kirk and young Spock and young McCoy. It sounds to me like we're talking about Starfleet Academy.

Instead, we're looking at films that sound like they're all about big intergalactic events, but which don't appear to be about any characters, which is what Gene Roddenberry's original vision was ALWAYS about. Characters. Don't just try to tell some big budget spectacle story. I hear the first film's about a civil war, the second film's devoted largely to the galactic switch-over from a fission standard to fusion, and then there's a third film where we'll finally see an Ensign Kirk show up for all of about the last 20 minutes. Just Kirk. Nobody else. And no ENTERPRISE.

And that notion they're discussing in hushed and excited tones about putting William Shatner's head on a younger actor's body? Easily the goofiest bad idea I've heard since Lex Luthor, flying Kryptonian. It almost makes me want to see them do it, just for the laugh value."

Although this sounds like typical AICN bullshit, I fear it may be true. It is UNBELIEVABLE how clueless Paramount is about this franchise.

Now that sounds like a _damn_ exciting film.

What no Voyager movie?

Wish they'd stick to things that worked. Sure Voyager and DS9 had their faults, but they're way better than Enterprise. They should be making movies for those series. Seems like they're taking a further step back.

Not so fast - I welcome a new vision in the Star Trek Universe - although I'm not sure the producer of "Snow Dogs" is the way to take it. But I've long supported Harve Bennett's "Starfleet Academy" movie in which Shatner and Nimoy would bookend the film, but younger actors would play their characters from when they were in the Academy.

Let's face it, the last two Star Trek movies SUCKED. No one is going to go see a Voyager or DS9 movie, and the orginal crew is just too old to be believable or marketable anymore (and I LOVE those guys, but it's sadly true...they're all in their 60s and 70s now).

While I personally think Paramount should sit on the franchise until its 50th anniversary (2016) and re-introduce it, frankly the news that Paramount is ditching Berman and trying something new is the best news I've heard in a long time. Star Trek needs some fresh ideas.

[And if you're listening Paramount, my phone line is always open for calls! ]

I always thought they shoul make a prequel showing younger kirk and the gang going through the acadamy.

I'll admit this sounds like a good idea, but the cynic in me already knows that it will turn out something like "Starfleet Academy 90210".

Please, don't take away what little dignity the franchise has left.

THought the last two Trek movies were fine myself. Nemesis got an unfairly bad rap.

The only really bad movie was Star Trek 9 - Insurrection.

paramount really sucks, they should come out with a few more next gen movies!!

I'm willing to give anything not involving Berman or Braga a chance. But, I fear somebody who hasn't been involved with Trek in any way and doesn't really "get it" (such as the writer and director of the last movie) would drive it further into the ground.

While I also applaud any effort to get Berman and Braga as far from the concept of "Star Trek" as is humanly possible, it is vital to remember one simple truth. "New" and "different" do not always equate to "better." In fact, they rarely do.

There is no question that change is necessary in this case, but is this the right change? It doesn't sound like it to me. Star Fleet Academy would sound right to me (featuring a young Kirk and company). But this isn't Star Fleet Academy. This is... incalculably bad.

That's not possible. First of all, the crew come from various branches of Starfleet (Scottie in engineering, Bones in medical, Kirk in command) so there wouldn't be any interaction between them. But another major problem is that they're all different ages and attended Starfleet Academy at different times. Chekov and Sulu probably entered the academy a decade after Kirk had graduated (because Kirk was famous by then). Bones would probably be interning somewhere in Starfleet. Spock would have already graduated from the academy and would be stationed on a ship.

I'm just speculating, of course, from the book "The Kobayashi Maru", where they talk about their various experiences with the Kobayashi Maru scenario at the academy.

Well perhaps just kirk.

Star Trek: The Young Captain Kirk Chronicals !

i would rather see the real way the federation met the other races like klingons and romulans.

I think the way they showed it on enterprise wasn't the way roddenbary envisioned it.

ARGH! I've got Pamount's concept right here: The Adventures of Captain Sulu.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - a knock down, drag out adventure series would kick so much ass, it's not even funny. Pay Nick Meyer ANYTHING it takes to get him aboard for a several movie deal and the movie writes itself.

Simple. Hell - I should work at paramount.

I don't know why people are hating on enterprise... all of these shows are basically the same... ds9, voyager, enterprise, tng, and even the original... cheese. I mean, I've got my preferences and I like some over the other, but I'm not under some illusion that one is better than the other.

That was the original script for Star Trek VI, right? One of the documentaries on the Star Trek VI DVD details something similar as the original approach they had for the sixth film. I really liked this idea and I hope it gets made.

But what they're apparently considering.... borning. No other way to really describe it. Like a previous poster mentioned, Star Trek has always been about the characters and not exclusively about the science fiction. You can't exclude one and expect to still be Star Trek.

Ya know what I'd like to see? A gritty Star Trek movie that really feels like a military film, while maintaining Roddenberry's original "Wagon Train to the Stars" premise. Something like a Das Boot meets Return To Oz, by way of Mannequin. Starring Charles Durning, Gael Garcia Bernard, Ernie Hudson, and the fat bass player from Tesla.

I don't know, this doesn't actually sound terrible. A set up of the universe as we now know it could turn out to be pretty cool.

As for the new creative team "not getting it," I seem to remember on the Wrath of Khan DVD Bennett saying that he had never seen an episode of Star Trek when he got handed the franchise. The result? The best Star Trek film to date.

I have no problem with it setting up the origins of the Star Trek universe as we know it. I just worry about how the new characters will turn up. As for the new creative team, the problem is not so much about "not getting it" rather it's about wether or not they'll be willing to immerse themselves into the universe to create something that can genuinely be a part of it while at the same time putting their own spin on things.

BTW, anywhere I might be able to get my hands on this Starfleet Academy script you guys mentioned? Anywhere have it available to download, at least?

What about a complete Borg or Klingon movie? Seems they could use some pretty awesome visuals in either.

Here's an idea... why don't they make a TV series based on the Borg perspective or universe or even through the Romulan or Klingon universe.

A DS9 movie would be great! Not sure where they'd pick up the plot, but I'm sure Sisko could come back from the wormhole for some action.