STAR TREK: The science fiction legend reborn
Author: Andrew Hawnt


It looks as though the unthinkable has been achieved- a new
Star Trek movie that will bring the franchise back from the
edge of extinction. After Star Trek: Insurrection and Star
Trek: Nemesis failed to set the box office alight, Star
trek: Voyager coming under fire from fans and the prequel
TV show Enterprise being canned after just four seasons, it
looked as though the Star Trek franchise was about ready to
fade away at last. After being one of the most respected
and long running genre franchises in history (only outdone
by Doctor Who), it was losing fans, ratings and attention
in huge quantities. With the cast if the Next generation
movies now out of their contracts and the studio seemingly
out of ideas for the series, the only way to go was to
start over again.

Rumours of a prequel started to circulate as soon as
Enterprise left the air, and the main idea was a Starfleet
Academy film featuring the early years of Kirk and Spock
and the other original Star trek characters. This rumour
proved to be closer to the mark than fans could imagine. JJ
Abrams, of Alias, LOST and Cloverfield fame (amongst
everything else he's been involved with), was chosen to
bring back Star Trek for the modern era. The original
series was to become a brand new feature film from
paramount, with an all new cast playing those iconic 1960s
roles. This sent something of a stir through the fan
communities. How could these roles be played by anyone
other than their original stars? The characters of Kirk,
Spock, McCoy and everyone else in the original crew have
become such cultural mainstays that this was seen as
nothing short of sacrilege.

But as news filtered through of casting for the new film
(simply titled Star Trek, and not Star Trek XI or
otherwise) and spy photos showed glimpses of design work,
many fans started to wonder if this could actually be
something rather special. With the casting of Heroes star
Zachary Quinto as Spock, it became clear that the makers of
this new vision of Gene Roddenberry's legendary science
fiction show were taking it seriously. This wasn't just a
cynical attempt at one last hurrah for the franchise- it
was to be a bold reinvention for a new generation. With
further casting came further surprises, Chris Opine as
captain Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as McCoy,
and so on. The faces and talents fit perfectly, and with
the first teaser trailer, fans had something real to prove
that this was actually happening. Star trek was coming
back, and doing so in style.

Story-wise, it is a time travel tale, which Star Trek has
been known for since the start. The coup for this
production came with the news that the original Spock,
Leonard Nimoy, was to reprise his famous role and interact
with his younger self, to help combat the effects of what
the film's villain, Nero (played by Eric Bana) has put into
play. As pictures and story details filtered through into
the public domain, anticipation grew steadily, and here we
are at a point where fans are still sceptical to a certain
extent, but are extremely excited to see their beloved
franchise reborn.

Star Trek, the gargantuan legend of TV, film, merchandise,
comics, books and more, is being dealt yet another chance,
and this time it looks as though it will be much more
effective than the last few attempts. The legend is coming
back, with a powerful new cast, a string new story, and a
production that surpasses all that has gone before. As long
as fans can keep an open mind when watching the film, then
this may well be the start of a real 'next generation' for
the legend that is Star trek. The mythos is in safe hands
that are treating Roddenberry's vision with respect while
creating something new, vital and most wonderfully
uplifting. Welcome back, Star Trek. We've missed you.


About the Author:

Andrew Hawnt is an expert on pop culture, collectibles,
movies, TV, comics and more. He writes for the famous
Starstore blogs and the popular movie collectibles site
http://www.starstore.com as well as being a renowned music
journalist and science fiction author. For the latest news,
free newsletters, podcasts and more, check out ===>
http://www.starstoreblog.com