Star Trek XI is a future eleventh entry in the film series based upon the Star Trek fictional universe (originally conceived by Gene Roddenberry), receiving extensive coverage in the entertainment press during 2005. In 2006, it was announced that the movie will be directed and produced by J. J. Abrams and co-produced by Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, who worked with Abrams on Lost. The expected release date is anticipated to be in 2008.
Rumors related to Star Trek XI began circulating in earnest in 2003 and continued to do so as of April, 2006. The only official statement to date arrived on April 21, 2006, when StarTrek.com ran an Associated Press story confirming Star Trek XI and its director/producer.
Rick Berman, executive producer of the Star Trek franchise, revealed in 2003 that preliminary work had begun on an eleventh Star Trek feature film, despite the box office underperformance of the tenth film, Star Trek: Nemesis. Rumors circulated that this film would be a prequel, perhaps titled Starfleet Academy or Starfleet Command, involving Spock, Captain James T. Kirk, and Dr. Leonard McCoy played by new actors. The "Starfleet Academy" concept was a familiar rumor, as the idea has been circulating at Paramount for over twenty years, originally conceived by Harve Bennett for an early draft of Star Trek VI entitled, "Star Trek: The First Adventure". (Though it appears Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, may have had the idea as early as 1968, there is no indication that any action was taken on it until The First Adventure.) Other rumors suggested the film might be based on the spin-offs Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, or even Star Trek: Enterprise.
Still other rumors suggested the film would take place between the events of Star Trek: Enterprise (then still in production) and TOS, perhaps involving the Earth-Romulan War and featuring a new cast. However, rumors of such a prequel have circulated several times throughout the history of the franchise: shortly after TOS's original cancellation, and again in the 1990s, both without results.
Late in the year, Paramount indicated that no plans were in place for a new film, and it was reported that the studio had rejected Berman's idea of a film featuring a new cast and crew, indicating that it preferred a film featuring familiar faces, (a sentiment also frequently expressed by Star Trek fandom). This announcement came as Enterprise was struggling in the television ratings, and the future of the Trek franchise appeared in doubt.
Berman told Variety in early February that pre-production of an eleventh Star Trek film was indeed underway and that screenwriter Erik Jendresen, producer Jordan Kerner, and former Paramount Television president Kerry McCluggage were attached to the project. Berman said the film would focus on new characters, rather than any from previous series, and would take place in a time period before the original Star Trek (as Enterprise did before it). Jendresen has since confirmed such reports.
However, it was still uncertain whether Jendresen's script will be approved by Paramount executives; a month earlier several websites reported that the studio had rejected a similar proposal, though Berman denied this.
In a May interview for the UK Star Trek Magazine, published in the wake of Enterprise's cancellation, Berman stated that he did not expect Trek XI, if it were actually produced, to be released for several years . Some sources such as the user-edited Internet Movie Database have given the film the working title Star Trek: The Beginning, and were suggesting a 2007 release; however, Paramount had yet to announce any official title, or if it would actually produce an 11th Star Trek film. In a September follow-up interview Berman stated that planning for the film was still "in its infant stages".
The announcement of Paramount Pictures's new DVD Premiere division, devoted to direct-to-DVD original productions and franchise spin-offs, has led to speculation as to whether a future Star Trek film might also be produced in this format.
On December 1, Patrick Stewart stated that discussions had been held regarding a possible new film featuring the TNG crew, although the actor indicated that his stage commitments would prevent him from participating in such a production until sometime in 2007. Stewart did not indicate whether this was being considered as an alternative to the prequel proposal or a separate production entirely.
Moreover, on the same day in an interview at The Triangle premiere, director Bryan Singer expressed his serious interest in helming the next Star Trek feature films, saying that, if he had the opportunity, the story would be "...big. It would be very big". This comment may have been a Star Trek in-joke, an allusion to Harlan Ellison's frequently told anecdote of a Paramount executive who repeatedly rejected ideas for a Star Trek film with the comment, "that idea's not big enough, I thought I told you to think BIG!"
On December 13, the website Ain't It Cool News reported a rumor that plans were under way for Trek XI to feature William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and Scott Bakula in a Mirror Universe storyline.
On January 19, Patrick Stewart told ITV's This Morning show, "Apparently there's interest in bringing The Next Generation cast together with actors from different Star Trek series." He did not rule out the possibility of James T. Kirk being among them, but he could be referring to characters from TNG contemporaries Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
On February 25, SciFi Pulse reported that Doug Mirabello, a personal assistant to Berman, made a post on Something Awful's forums in which he not only denied all recent rumors about the next Star Trek movie, but also claimed that Star Trek was dead for the time being. Mirabello said outright that Jendresen's script had been trashed. He also believed that Star Trek would not return anytime soon. With the recent CBS/Viacom split, the Star Trek franchise was now owned by CBS Corporation. Mirabello concluded by saying:
"The TV side is now technically in control of the franchise’s future, and Les Moonves hates all things Sci–Fi. However, I think this is actually for the best – the public needs to want to see Star Trek again. The best way to achieve this is to take it away for a few years and then bring it back and do it right. The franchise needs a totally new creative team, some time off, and a cool new approach."
Erik Jendresen, the Hollywood scribe who had been commissioned to write the prequel script, told SyFy Portal on April 12 that the project was in a holding pattern and probably dead. He blamed the project's halt on a regime change at Paramount Pictures that included the removal of co-president David DeLine, but he claims that there remains a chance Paramount could move forward with his project. His plan, entitled Star Trek: The Beginning, was proposed as a trilogy focusing on the character of Tiberius Chase, whom Jendresen claims is the progenitor of Capt. James T. Kirk. It would take place during the Earth-Romulan War following the events of Star Trek: Enterprise and before the events of the Star Trek, the original series (TOS). Jendresen also said that his movie would answer old questions, such as why the United Federation of Planets was formed and why Earth and Romulus went to war.
On April 20, 2006 it was announced by the Associated Press that a new Star Trek movie will be produced and directed by J. J. Abrams. Paramount also confirmed that the movie will be written and produced by Abrams teammates Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. They are aiming for a 2008 release date. The movie was said to feature a young Kirk and Spock in Starfleet Academy and their first mission.
However, Abrams reported a few days later that the initial report was premature: he would like to be producer and he was offered to also direct, but he has not confirmed that he would direct as well. Abrams said that he would like to make a movie featuring Original Series cast members like Leonard Nimoy, and the report that the movie would be a "Starfleet Academy" treatment was premature.
There has been both support and opposition among the fan base for the movie being a prequel. A large portion of the concern stems from the fact that other actors would be protraying the roles of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. A widely expressed sentiment has been gratitude for the fact that Star Trek is again in production. In an interview with The Irish Times, Abrams was asked whether he had seen the online reaction to the official announcement. According to interviewer Donald Clarke, he replied, "'I have been on the road since the news came out...' suddenly looking somewhat fearful. "Is the reaction bad?" He was relieved--and happy--to hear that it was not. "Being involved with a series that has a passionate and vocal following makes me incredibly sympathetic. They have put up with so many incarnations along the way. These fans, they are a smart bunch. They are an intelligent group. We are very respectful and we have no intention of subverting the material." These comments have been viewed not only as a great reassurance to fans fearful of being ignored by the new leader of Star Trek, but also as debunking widespread rumors of a Battlestar Galactica-style reboot.
Meanwhile, Trek fans were pleased to find Mr. Abrams listed among TIME Magazine's TIME 100 in the April 30, 2006 edition, earning the distinction by being one of "100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world." The Abrams article, written by Mission: Impossible III star Tom Cruise, was entitled "The Double-Threat Storyteller" and contained such praises as "It's hard to convey with brevity the extraordinary experience of knowing and working with J.J. Abrams," and, "He's a creative juggernaut and someone who recognizes the joy of creating."
On April 21, 2006, the same day as it ran the initial Abrams story, IGN Filmforce reported that Philip Seymour Hoffman, best-known for his Oscar-winning performance as Truman Capote in the 2005 film, Capote, had already expressed interest in playing a supporting role in XI, possibly as a ship's doctor, but not as U.S.S. Enterprise doctor Leonard McCoy. Paramount denied the rumor.
On May 2, Cinescape ran a story suggesting that Ben Affleck may be in discussions with J. J. Abrams about playing a lead role in Star Trek XI, possibly playing a young Captain James T. Kirk. The editorial was marked strictly as speculation based on an unconfirmed rumor.
On May 5, Mr. Abrams' old friend Greg Grunberg, speaking to IESB.net, indicated that the announcements concerning the Kirk-Spock prequel concept were substantially true. Asked whether he objected to recasting Kirk and Spock, Grunberg replied, "Well, they have to. We're going back in time." He also expressed significant enthusiasm for his old friend and co-worker's (Alias, Mission: Impossible III) new project, saying that, "...all the Star Trek fans are going to see it. Half of them are going to hate the fact of bringing it back and half are going to love it, but JJ is just going to bring in a whole new audience to it."
Also on May 5, SCI FI Wire interviewed Jon Favreau, a director working at Paramount, who said that his next movie (John Carter of Mars) had been delayed by studio executives. He cited the fact that, "they've committed to doing the Star Trek franchise, to start that up again, with J.J." He implied that some plans were being put on hold until after Trek XI, so that more studio power could be put into its production.
On May 17, Moviehole.net's rumor columnist responded to a question about the Ben Affleck rumor by citing an unnamed Paramount source. "Ben Affleck will not be in Star Trek XI. Neither will Tom Cruise, neither will Jennifer Garner. Expect fresh-faces, and maybe a more recognizable actor playing the villain (I’ve heard Philip Seymour Hoffman may be in talks to play a small role, but it’s not the villain, unfortunately). Not even J. J. Abrams would let Ben Affleck near Trek – and he’s best buddies with his wife. Ha."
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In an interview with The Baltimore Sun about his starring role in Shenandoah onstage in Washington, DC, Scott Bakula said, "I heard there are already plans for a new series in the works...when the dust settles, someone is going to say, 'Do we really want to let this, and all the money that comes with it, go?'"[10]
There is some desire among fans to bring back the character of Captain Kirk, as played by William Shatner, to give him a more dignified end than that shown in Star Trek: Generations. [11] Recently, Shatner has made public on various talk shows his proposal for a Starfleet Academy series featuring a young James T. Kirk. He plans to pitch his idea to Paramount Pictures in 2006.
George Takei and fans have made frequent attempts to convince the studio to create a series based on Captain Sulu's voyages on the Excelsior, but, despite support from fans, it has enjoyed little success. Sulu and the Excelsior originally appeared in the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as well as in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager ("Flashback") but this did not lead to a new series. Sulu later appeared in the video games Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (unrelated to the proposal laid out by William Shatner) and Star Trek: Shattered Universe, the latter of which is set in the Mirror Universe.