The production for Star Trek: Renegades is nearing its completion. On February 10th, director Tim Russ and crew will have a nearly completed film ready to show CBS. The television studio is considering turning this indie film into a weekly TV show making it the first new Star Trek presence back on the small screen since Star Trek: Enterprise ended its four year run in 2005.
In its current form it will likely first be released as a big budget feature-length film, boasting a large ensemble cast that includes 61 actors and 26 different locations.
If picked up by CBS/Paramount Television the film will serve as the Renegades pilot and will bring back Star Trek to its original episodic format and continue the mission begun by Gene Roddenberry nearly a half century ago.
Star Trek: Renegades stars Trek icons Walter Koenig as Admiral Pavel Chekov and Tim Russ not only directing but also reprising his role of the Vulcan Tuvok. Joining them are an array of former Trek stars that encompasses the five decades of the television franchise including Robert Picardo, Gary Graham, Richard Herd, Manu Intiraymi. With them and new to Star Trek are veteran actors Sean Young (Blade Runner), Herbert Jefferson Jr.(Battlestar Galactica), Corin Nemec (Stargate SG1), Edward Furlong (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Bruce A. Young (The Sentinel), as well as indie Trek actors Vic Mignogna and Grant Imahara. Rumor has it William Shatner makes a cameo as Captain Kirk in an old recorded document.
The newest addition to the bridge will be actress Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena: Warrior Princess) as Captain Lexxa Singh, a direct descendent of Kirk’s greatest nemesis Khan Noonien Singh and the female protagonist for the film.
Some of the aliens presented will of course be Klingons and Vulcans, as well as Betazoids, Bajorans, Cardassians, the Breen, Orions, Andorians and several new species not yet encountered in the Trek-verse.
If Star Trek: Renegades isn’t picked up by CBS, Russ plans on releasing the film independently online and DVD/Blu-ray sometime in early 2015.
JSintheStates says
This is the best Star Trek news I’ve heard in a long while. I’ll give Tim Russ his shot and wish him success! Kaplah!
Nick L says
Even if this one doesn’t make it, it’s only a matter of time before we see another good Star Trek series on television.
Jeremey says
I don’t understand… Why does this say “The television studio is considering turning this indie film into a weekly TV show making it the first new Star Trek presence back on the small screen since Star Trek: Enterprise ended its four year run in 2005.”
CBS has point-blank said they will not consider this as a pilot — won’t even view it. So where is this information coming from? Is it sheer speculation, or did CBS change their position? If so, where and when?
Samuel K. Sloan says
To answer Jeremey’s inquiry: http://startrekrenegades.com/home/renegades-2015-update/
Andrew says
As a long time casual fan, I’m confused. How does this fit into the revamped ST universe… does this just walk around the movies and say that the new timeline didn’t happen? I would imagine that this would be a stumbling block for CBS and the Roddenberry estate handling the property as ST is fairly good about keeping its continuity intact from one show to the other to the movies. I liked the movies (more or less) but one every three years isn’t much to give the franchise much long term life esp if principal actors do their three movies and then want to move on… so a weekly show in the vein of “Next Gen” would be welcome, especially one incorporating as many characters from all the incarnations as possible (i.e. still alive). Also wondering how Chekov could still be alive in Tuvok’s time.
Sam Sloan says
There is no problem with this. The new timeline has in no way altered the original. In the original timeline older Spock would have disappeared into the event horizon as portrayed in the new timeline film “Star Trek” but the original timeline with all the original players (minus Spock) would continue on their own trajectory. Also any events in the original timeline that occurred before Spock entered the event horizon would have still played out as usual since his disappearance happens years after those events and what occurs in Renegades falls within that BSEH (Before Spock Event Horizon) time period. In other words, the two timelines originate simultaneously in a time-shift dimensional existence.
A somewhat similar occurrence (although caused by a different reason) took place after Picard entered the Nexus in the 7th film Generations. Picard’s timeline continued within the Nexus with all the events in the later half of that film and all films following all taking place within the framework in Picard’s created reality within the Nexus while the rest of the Federation and Starfleet went on in their timeline with the experience and viewpoint that all aboard the Enterprise-D, including Picard, died when that entire solar system was destroyed by the exploding star.
Understanding time, alternate timelines and infinite realities can be a bitch.