Star Trek

Written by Davy Perez

Directed by Jeff Byrd

J.J. Abrams rebooted the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, and since then, the three films in the new Kelvin timeline have been a smashing success. Altogether, the first "Trek" reboot, 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness," and 2016's "Star Trek Beyond" have grossed more than a billion dollars at the global box office. They've also done fairly well critically, so with all that love, it seems pretty obvious that Hollywood would want to get "Star Trek 4" to theater screens at warp speed.

However, the road to "Star Trek 4" has not been a smooth one. Instead, it's one filled with starts and stops, various creatives coming and going, and a release date that keeps getting beamed all over the place. So what do we actually know about the fourth installment of the "Star Trek" reboot series, and what will it look like when it finally makes first contact? Well, read on for everything we know so far about "Star Trek 4."

What is the release date for Star Trek 4? Paramount Pictures "Star Trek 4" has been in the works for a long time ... a really long time. In June 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) had signed up for "Star Trek 4." For context, Barack Obama was still president, the MCU's Phase 3 hadn't kicked off yet, and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was still months away from hitting theaters and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year.

All this time later and there's still no sign of "Star Trek 4." Pine and Chris Hemsworth (who was returning as Kirk's dad) allegedly left a potential fourth project over pay disputes in 2018 (via The Hollywood Reporter), and in 2019, it was announced that the film had been shelved (via Deadline). Eventually, the project started moving again and earned a release date of June 9, 2023, but that eventually got kicked back to December 22, 2023 ... before vanishing from the release slate completely.

In other words, we have no idea when "Star Trek 4" will be released. But we do have reason to believe it's still in the works. Speaking with Collider, former director Matt Shakman (who left the project to direct "Fantastic Four") said, "I think what they're still working on is a version of what I have been working on for the time that I was involved." With that, it seems that the Enterprise is still heading to theaters, although we have no clue when the ship will fly back onto the big screen.

What is the plot of Star Trek 4? Paramount Pictures At this point, no plot details for the upcoming fourth "Star Trek" movie have been revealed, but we'd assume it will take place after the events of 2016's "Star Trek Beyond," which was directed by Justin Lin ("The Fast and the Furious" franchise).

In "Star Trek Beyond," Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise see their beloved ship crashed on the planet Altamid, after an ambush by a pre-Federation human soldier, Idris Elba's Captain Balthazar Edison. When Kirk and the gang discovered Edison's plans to use an ancient bioweapon to destroy the Federation, they're forced to stop him, without the help of their ship. That film also saw the death of Leonard Nimoy's Ambassador Spock, as well as the end of the relationship between Spock and Uhuru.

One story we know "Star Trek 4" won't be exploring is a reunion between Captain Kirk and his father George involving time travel. Chris Hemsworth briefly played George Kirk in 2009's "Star Trek," but turned down a chance to reprise the role in a bigger story in 2018 (via ​​Digital Spy). "Star Trek 4" also won't tie into any of the current TV series about Star Trek, like "Star Trek Picard" or "Star Trek Below Decks," as those series take place in a universe separate from the Kelvin timeline.

Wilson Cruz will never forget the bullying he endured while in high school in southern California.

“I don’t even know what it was like not to be bullied,” the “Star Trek: Discovery” star says. “I was called f—– every day. It got to the point where I didn’t even hear it anymore.”

Cruz turned to fellow LGBTQ students and teachers for support. “I went to high school in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s before there were gay-straight alliances,” he says. “The only way I got through school was with my best friends –- the other four gays kids I knew at school. I know because I had them in my life that I had a sounding board and that there was someone who could reflect back my own experience and make me feel like I was not not normal. They saved my life. We saved each other’s lives.”

It’s that experience that has fueled Cruz’s involvement with GLSEN, the 33-year-old nationwide organization that works to make schools safe for LGBTQ students and educators. He has been active with the group for more than a decade. Cruz shared with Variety that he has been named chair of GLSEN’S board.

“Every student should have the ability to have the best experience in school where they can learn the most and feel the most supported,” Cruz says. “They shouldn’t have to feel like they have to get out of there as soon as they can and by the skin of their teeth. If you believe that our schools are the place that our students need to feel the safest, this is the organization you need to be supporting.”

A 2021 survey by GLSEN concluded that 82 percent of students feel unsafe at school. “That’s unacceptable,” Cruz says. “That is a flashing red light.”

He fears the number is even higher in the two years since the findings because of the political climate in the U.S., including more than 600 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in statehouses across the county. “I know our community,” Cruz says. “We fall down but we get right back up.”

In addition to Cruz being named board chair, TransLash Media creator and award-winning journalist Imara Jones is the new vice chair.

“Wilson Cruz and Imara Jones are incredible leaders and activists who have done amazing, impactful work to transform GLSEN over the last few years,” GLSEN executive director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers said in a statement. “We’re honored to have both of them in this fight with us as GLSEN moves forward into a new chapter, and we’re proud to have a leadership team that reflects the values, power, and beautiful diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. Together, we’re going to rise up for LGBTQ+ youth across the country and fight back against those who seek to erase them.”

With crews as large as Star Trek has, you know they couldn’t get along all the time. According to Star Trek icon Jonathan Frakes, the cast of one of the Star Trek series was particularly bad at one point.

In an interview with Variety, Frakes reflected on directing Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ‘The Offspring’. “Our cast, as you probably know, is notoriously rambunctious,” he says. “I was, for better or for worse, one of the leaders of that kind of behavior on the set. Some directors really didn’t like coming to work with us because we were that bad. We would be yakking right up until action.”

While in the hot seat himself, Frakes realized the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast were harder to handle that he thought. “It happened to be a Data episode, which are always great, because Brent is a genius,” he says. “The sound department gave me a bullhorn. I had a lot of support, including from my acting company. But I realized what these other directors had gone through and what assholes we were. And I had not a leg to stand on in terms of asking them to behave.”

Oh dear. Thankfully, the episode didn’t suffer one iota, and Frakes became a regular director within the Star Trek franchise. He states that there was still a level of professionalism because of Patrick Stewart, who was a true Star Trek captain.

“Part of it was because we were so well prepared because Patrick had set his high bar from the moment he showed up, that when you come into the morning, you have done your homework, and you’re in good shape,” Frakes adds. “The smart ADs actually built time into days that were all on the Enterprise bridge, knowing that we’d all have to catch up because we hadn’t seen each other.”

Really, all of this just contributed to Star Trek: The Next Generation being not just one of the best sci-fi series ever, but one of the best TV series. The clear chemistry across the main actors across every season and all their Star Trek movies elevated what was already strong material (mostly) to even higher standards.

(trying with a direct gif link instead of gifv - my other posts always seem to have a broken preview)

As a kid i loved watching the next generation and deep space 9 with my dad. Ive always liked sci fi, more of a (stargate fan) and wanted to get back into star trek, but Im just so lost on timelines and whats going on. There are like 6 kirks and I have no idea how/where to get started with watching this again.

Jonathan Frakes on Directing Next Generation, Lower Decks

This interview goes assorted places, but it has a small interesting bit about next year's Discovery finale.

“I directed the first half of the finale of Season 5, which turned out to be the real finale... And then [‘Discovery’ executive producer and director] Olatunde Osunsanmi had to go back up and do two or three days of new stuff to actually make the finale the finale." https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/jonathan-frakes-star-trek-director-strange-new-worlds-lower-decks-crossover-1235680140/

@startrek #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery

Star Trek: Prodigy Is One Of The Most In-Demand TV Shows In The US, Data Shows

I mean, not *that* surprising under the circumstances.

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-prodigy-most-demanded-tv-show/

@startrek
#StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #SaveStarTrekProdigy

• The episode title, “Lost in Translation” is a reference to the end of the episode when Kirk whispers something in Uhura’s ear before leaving the USS Enterprise and we, the audience, aren’t privy to what he says.

• We start with Uhura’s communications officer’s log, in which we learn it is stardate 2394.8.

• Bannon’s nebula is named for Brian Bannon, Melissa Navia’s partner who passed away in 2021 a few days after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

• We’ve previously seen stellar nurseries in “Fight or Flight”, “Cold Front”, and “The Good Shepherd”.

• Pike’s wearing a new fleet captain’s badge, which is based on the flag officer’s badge of this era that we’ve previously seen in this show and DIS.

     • Pike’s badge has only has one gold laurel on each side beneath the delta. We’ve previously seen admirals with four, five, and the full six laurels on each side.

     • Spock sounds surprised to learn that Pike has been given the rank of fleet captain, despite the fact that he was wearing the badge on the bridge.

• ”Have chief Kyle stand by to initiate transport.” André Dae Kim has confirmed on social media that he will not be appearing in the role of chief Kyle in season two as he was filming “Vampire Academy” at the time of shooting, and was not available.

• In addition to the Enterprise, Pike has been given command of the USS Farragut, which was first mentioned in “Obsession”.

• To aid in her performing a diagnostic on the communications equipment, Uhura watches a video she made with deceased chief engineer Hemmer [Bruce Horak]. Hemmer choose to die rather than allow the parasitic Gorn infants gestating inside him loose to threaten his crewmates in “All Those Who Wander”.

     • In “Who Mourns for Adonis” Spock praised Uhura, saying, “I can think of no one better equipped to handle it,” regarding repairs of the communications station, despite her claim that she hadn’t done anything like that in years.

• We learn that Hemmer studied under Pelia at Starfleet Academy, and was merely a ”just okay” student.

• Throughout the episode Uhura is plagued by horrific visions, which we will eventually learn are the result of alien beings living in the nebula attempting to communicate with her.

     • In “Night Terrors”, telepathic communication from an alien species caused the crew of the USS Enterprise D to be unable to access REM sleep, resulting in their having waking hallucinations.

     • In “The Fight”, beings that live in chaotic space are able to communicate with Chakotay by altering his senses, causing him to hallucinate.

• Uhura’s visions are:

     • Hemmer as a zombie.

     • Smoke rising above a treeline.

     • A number of dead Enterprise crew people, and her doppelganger attacking her.

         • Characters have had to fight their doppelgangers in: Kirk in “The Enemy Within”; Kirk in “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”; Kirk in “Whom Gods Destroy”; Kirk in “Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country”

     • An enemy attack that triggers the bridge evacuation hatch, spilling the crew out into space.

     • A corridor closing in on her.

     • The same smoke as previous, but this time we see it is emanating from the shuttle crash that killed Uhura’s family.

     • Hemmer, whole and healthy.

• Uhura has her own room. When she was a cadet, we saw that she bunked with at least two other crew people in “Ghosts of Illyria”.

• The Scotch Whisky label on the bottle is very similar, if not identical, to the one Scotty used to get an eldritch horror from another galaxy plastered in “By Any Other Name”.

• We learn that Jim Kirk is set to become the youngest first officer in Starfleet history in a few months. He should be 26 at this time. In the alternate reality of the Kelvin universe, Kirk becomes first officer of the Kelvinverse USS Enterprise at 25, and then captain a few days later.

     • Apparently George Kirk Sr. held the record before Kirk.

• George Kirk Sr. is still alive. In 2009’s “Star Trek” he was killed by Nero and the Narada the day Jim Kirk was born.

• Three-dimensional chess was introduced in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” but would have been seen first in “Charlie X” which aired the week before despite the order in which the episodes were produced.

     • The specific set that Spock and Chapel are playing appears to use the pieces and boards produced by The Noble Collection in 2021, but with a custom stand.

• Saurian brandy goes back to the very first aired episode of TOS, “The Man Trap”, and originated in the fourth episode produced, “The Enemy Within”.

     • According to “Star Trek Beyond”, Saurian brandy is outlawed in the Federation of the Kelvin timeline.

• Just as in 2009’s “Star Trek” prime universe Uhura and Jim Kirk first meet in a bar.

     • Just as in 2009’s “Star Trek”, shortly after their first meeting, prime universe Jim Kirk ends up with a broken nose.

• Jim Kirk and Pike meet for the first time. It was established in “The Menagerie, Part I” that Pike and Kirk met, ”When he was promoted to fleet captain.”

     • Pike’s rank in “The Menagerie, Part I” is established as still being fleet captain, but in this episode we’re told it’s only a temporary promotion.

• La’an and Jim Kirk met briefly in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” when she called him under false pretenses because she missed the alternate version of him that was killed by a Romulan agent in the early 21st century.

• ”You’re like…a space hippie.” Number One is being a Herbert.

• You’ve been in Starfleet since before I was born, but I outrank you.” Number One is a lieutenant commander, and Pelia has only ever been referred to as a commander. It is common for lieutenant commanders in Starfleet to have their rank shortened to just commander, but that would still put both officers at the same rank, though as first officer, Number One would still obviously be first in the chain of command.

• We learned that Uhura’s family died in a shuttle crash in “Children of the Comet”.

• ”There are similarities in the ways different species process thoughts, ideas. That’s how the universal translator works: by recognizing those similarities.” In “Metamorphosis” Kirk explained to Zefram Cochrane that ”There are certain universal ideas and concepts common to all intelligent life. This device instantaneously compares the frequency of brainwave patterns, selects those ideas and concepts it recognises, and then provides the necessary grammar.”

• Uhura and the Kirks reason out that the deuterium in the nebula is part of extra-dimensional beings who’ve integrated themselves into the atomic structure of the gases. I would list all the times a nebula turned out to be alive, but the Lemmy posts do have a character limit.

• During the evacuation procedure, we see there are number of ships with saucer sections and underslung nacelles docked at or orbiting the deuterium refinery station. It is difficult to be certain of their relative size, but the may be small tugs, and if so this might be the Ptolemy-class shown on bridge displays in “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan” and “Star Trek: The Search for Spock”.

• There are also a number of shuttles with vertical wings which we have not seen before.

• We learn that Number One was also a student of Pelia’s at the Academy, and that she only rated a C in starship maintenance.

• I was informed by the admin that I need to include the fact that the cymbals the drummer is playing are ”translucent space cymbals” like the ones in *Star Trek Nemesis” at the Riker-Troi wedding. Of course, those ones were green and transparent, where as these are perforated, but I’ll allow it.

• Spock cleans up Sam Kirk’s discarded glass, just as we saw him picking up after Sam in the previous episode, “Charades”.

• It is the first meeting between Jim Kirk and Spock. Personally I was not expecting them to immediately start making out, but I suppose Spock is exploring his more emotional side. Just surprised the show runners actually went there, but good for them.

     • For more sexual tension between Kirk and Spock, see all of TOS.

The greatest episode since Star Trek's return to the small screen. Listen to The TrekCulture Podcast - Tuesdays on;Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1wr...

My biggest complaint with Live Action Trek vs the two Animation shows is that they seem obsessed with giving us a black ship on a black background. It’s nice to be given a reprieve, even if for only one episode.

Greetings, fellow space explorers! As we continue our journey through the vast expanse of the cosmos, let us take a moment to reflect on the various governments depicted in the Star Trek franchise. From the classic monarchy system of TOS, to the anarchist government of TAS, these series serve as powerful metaphors for the diverse systems of government that exist across the galaxy. However, it is also worth noting that these metaphors are not without their limitations, as they often present a highly idealized view of how these systems function in reality. Nonetheless, they remain a valuable tool for stimulating critical thinking and discussion on the complex issues surrounding governance and political organization. Join us as we delve deeper into this fascinating topic, and discover the many insights that these iconic series have to offer. With that said, let's boldly go forth into the final frontier and explore the intricacies of intergalactic politics and societal structures!

1. "Star Trek: The Original Series" (TOS) - This is like a classic monarchy system with a king or queen at the helm, making decisions for their people based on their wisdom and experience.

2. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (TNG) - This is like a democratic republic, where the crew works together to make decisions for the greater good of the ship and its mission.

3. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (DS9) - This is like a communist state, where resources are shared among the crew and everyone works towards a common goal.

4. "Star Trek: Voyager" (VOY) - This is like a capitalistic society, where individuals are encouraged to pursue their own goals and ambitions while working together towards a shared objective.

5. "Star Trek: Enterprise" (ENT) - This is like a military dictatorship, where the crew follows strict rules and protocols under the leadership of a commanding officer.

6. "Star Trek: Discovery" (DIS) - This is like a dystopian society, where authority figures have absolute power over the citizens and rules are enforced through fear and intimidation.

7. "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (TAS) - This is like an anarchist government, where there is no centralized authority or hierarchy, and decisions are made through consensus and mutual agreement between members of the crew.

review of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2.7

https://paullevinson.blogspot.com/2023/07/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-27-pike.html

@startrek #strangenewworlds #lowerdecks

Written by Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff

Directed by Jonathan Frakes

The linked video is part four, where Jim gets into the first scene of the game. Thought anyone else who's anticipating this solo expansion for STA might find it interesting.

I'm pretty confident the game must be a bit quicker to get into if you're not trying to explain everything step by step while recording yourself.

Previous videos:
• Character creation
• Starship creation
• Mission building