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Rick Berman Asserts STAR TREK Needs Re-Invention, TREK XI Scribe Announced

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By TRexx / 16:56, 22 February 2005 / Enterprise

For the past 19 years Paramount has launched STAR TREK films and series amid continued syndication and massive video sales. "Each time we started something else, we were competing against the previous shows, so as the number started to accumulate, we started to see franchise fatigue," glums Rick Berman. "You could see it with the performance of the last film, which was a wonderful movie. You can only squeeze so many eggs out of a golden goose." Downbeat results for STAR TREK: NEMESIS have curbed the studio's appetite to move quickly on more features. Dismal ratings prompted UPN to pull the plug on ENTERPRISE.

Berman tells Variety that the whole TREK concept has been so exposed that it needs to be re-invented. Another series would be at least three years away; and if a film goes forward, it will be the first that won't be based on already established TV characters.

Roger Nygard, who put together the TREKKIES and TREKKIES 2 documentaries, believes that taking a break is the sensible course. "It's a little like after you've eaten Thanksgiving dinner, you really don't want any more turkey," he notes. "There's been so much, for so long, that the feeling is that it's OK to take a pause."

"I think we're unique in Hollywood in people working here for 12, 15 even the full 18 years, so that's the sad part -- the family we've had here splitting up," frets Berman, who has teamed with Jordan Kerner and Kerry McCluggage to create an 11th feature now at the early stages of development; Erik Jendresen has signed on as writer.

"I don't think it's going away," attests Paramount Network Television president David Stapf. "We look at this as a hiatus."

Nygard's not worried. "We asked the question in TREKKIES 2 whether STAR TREK would be around in another 50 years and it was unanimous that it would be, in some incarnation. It's worth noting that STAR TREK didn't really begin to flourish until it had been off the air for awhile the first time."

Walter Koenig, a.k.a. "Chekov" in the original series, also believes it will be back eventually. "I really don't think that the series cancellation is its ultimate demise, although that may be just a reflex on my part," he says. "At some point, everything loses a little bit of its glow but STAR TREK has shown an uncanny ability to survive."

You can read the complete article at Variety.

UPDATE: Via Paramount Studios, Variety confirmed TrekWeb staff speculation that Erik Jendresen, not "Eric Genderson," is the scribe for TREK XI (story). Variety has now changed the name on their web site.



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By: Psihunter (Odo's file, contact) @ 20:54:32 on Feb 24, 2005

I'm inclined to agree with you, which was why I suggested that they bring in a big name actor to the movie. It's a risky maneuver because it's going to increase the production budget to level seen in Nemesis, with Insurrection type special effects. Which is fine, but from a business stand-point, its a gamble. If it fails, you lose big, if it succeeds, it wins big. It's a rough position, but if they get rid of the small screen entirely then your left with nothing else. Paramount is desperate now, because they have no franchise they can really milk now outside of Mission Impossible. They're in the mood to gamble on films, but not on TV????? That's the stupid thing that I don't get. "Let's risk 60 million on production for a new trek film, plus 35 million on marketing the film, but 35 million to produce and heavily market a series . . . oh, no, that's just wayyy too much money" In my opinion they've really dropped the ball here. But it wouldn't be the first misstep by the powers that be in paramount studios management.

They're dead set to make a movie, I just hope that don't do it half-cocked. Do it all the way, bring in a big-name (just not John Travolta, not after his disaster in the sci-fi space), keep the budget at an appropriate level, and keep the fans happy by throwing in familiar characters.

But yeah, I totally agree with your miniseries idea. I think that's the way to go, I just don't agree with your time-frame. You let it rest, you let it die. ST coming back from death was a miracle, to say "oh, it'll happen again no problem" is alittle niave.

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