Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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Nutso
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Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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https://deadline.com/2020/08/star-trek- ... 203007658/
EXCLUSIVE: Looks like Paramount’s plan to next make the Star Trek movie that Noah Hawley wrote and plans to direct has been put on pause for a moment. New film chief Emma Watts, who managed many a franchise at Fox, is in the process of figuring out which way to go.

The pause on the Hawley project, which had been in soft prep, prompted rumors this week that the filmmaker might exit, but that has not happened yet, sources said. Deadline revealed in 2019 that Hawley made a deal on Trek — the Fargo and Legion EP was driven by his love for the original series, just like JJ Abrams when he directed the first installment. The other two possibilities are the one that The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith wrote for Quentin Tarantino to direct (Deadline broke that one late 2017), and another that was going to bring back the original cast — at one time with talk that Chris Hemsworth would return and play Chris Pine’s father in a time travel narrative. S. J. Clarkson was attached to direct but exited for Game of Thrones.

What we’re hearing is that both the Hawley pic — which calls for a new cast and might be about a deadly virus which might feel awkward given current circumstance — and the Smith version — Tarantino dropped out as director, but the project is still viable based on an episode of the classic Star Trek series that takes place largely earthbound in a 30s gangster setting — might serve the franchise best as Logan-like spinoffs when the core franchise has been revitalized. The other one But that the other one might have the cleanest path toward a relaunch, with an emphasis on boosting overseas gross numbers which have never been the franchise’s strong suit. These decisions will take place over the next few weeks.
And a companion piece, How Paramount Failed To Turn ‘Star Trek’ Into A Blockbuster Franchise
It has been just over four years since Star Trek Beyond bombed in global theatrical release, earning solid reviews and decent buzz but just $158 million domestic and $338 million worldwide on a $185 million budget. Since then, we’ve seen stops and starts, false alarms, and related developments concerning where the franchise might go next. But, as we find out that new Paramount PGRE +1.9% film chief Emma Watts (who left Fox after the Disney DIS +0.1% sale) is attempting to figure out where to go from here, it’s time to admit that, in the broad scheme of things, Paramount’s attempts to make Star Trek into a blockbuster movie franchise was a failure. What was feared in 2008 and was confirmed in 2013 remains even truer in 2020 and beyond. Star Trek is never going to be a top-tier global box office powerhouse.
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Re: Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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The big problem with the first two Star Trek films is basically the way Abrams directs and something that alot of people now are noticing after Star Wars. He is flashy, makes for great special effects laden films but his stories have never been smart. The second film was a mess.

I have compared him to Michael Bay.

Yeah Star Trek really never was that type of franchise that could pull in slot of money like Marvel or Star Wars. Maybe there was a possibility to create a trilogy or a stand alone if it was written. In a way that everyone liked, perhaps.

Trek is at a difficult point now. The general audience still associates Star Trek with nuTrek and old Trek as something that happened a long time ago. That's if they are just generally confused on what is going on.
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Re: Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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Imagine if they did a reboot of Bakula's Enterprise. Exploration, pre-set maps telling where the ship will be going, using TOS stories as ideas for ENT2 stories, meeting races, filling in the Federation, dealing with rogue Klingon raiders, setting up, and eventually having the Romulan War.

Do it like Babylon 5 or part of nuBSG, where the series is mapped out, but have room for actors to enter and leave. Be willing to kill off a main character (but the actor gets re-used as a faceless alien in the future). Make series bible that tells how each character has their personality, and keep the writers on-track for it.

Make the sets far more industrial and cramped, similar to a submarine. The ship itself will be a solid structure (similar to B5 Earth Alliance Warships or DS9's Defiant), rather than a graceful structure (like TOS or TNG Enterprise)


But if they want to test themselves in the meantime, remake Space: 1999 as Space: 2099. Make it a semi-realistic Moonbase, where you have hydroponics, aquaculture, and similar to provide food for the base. Underground structures protect vs micrometeorites and radiation, and fake city skyline (like from original Resident Evil movie) give a simulation of being outdoors.
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Re: Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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Coalition wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2020 12:43 am Imagine if they did a reboot of Bakula's Enterprise. Exploration, pre-set maps telling where the ship will be going, using TOS stories as ideas for ENT2 stories, meeting races, filling in the Federation, dealing with rogue Klingon raiders, setting up, and eventually having the Romulan War.

Do it like Babylon 5 or part of nuBSG, where the series is mapped out, but have room for actors to enter and leave. Be willing to kill off a main character (but the actor gets re-used as a faceless alien in the future). Make series bible that tells how each character has their personality, and keep the writers on-track for it.

Make the sets far more industrial and cramped, similar to a submarine. The ship itself will be a solid structure (similar to B5 Earth Alliance Warships or DS9's Defiant), rather than a graceful structure (like TOS or TNG Enterprise)


But if they want to test themselves in the meantime, remake Space: 1999 as Space: 2099. Make it a semi-realistic Moonbase, where you have hydroponics, aquaculture, and similar to provide food for the base. Underground structures protect vs micrometeorites and radiation, and fake city skyline (like from original Resident Evil movie) give a simulation of being outdoors.
I am not sure about this. It woukd have worked in 2001 when ENT actually aired. Maybe not so much now. The reason is that right now they are trying to get the old fans to come back and I think something similar to the original run (1966-2005) would fit better.

In fact, Strange New Worlds works if this is a real thing they are really planning on. Pre-TOS with Pike. In fact they should do that and have it more episodic than Picard or Discovery. Maybe have a grand arc but we know the end the result through TOS and Discovery of how Pike will end up. But we have other characters like Number One and Spock. Include characters from The Cage too. I think it could work if they are trying to bring confidence back to Trek.

Movie wise? I am just not sure about it.
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Re: Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

Post by AlexMcpherson79 »

Prequels. Nope. Nope nope.

Then again the one thing they're doing that's not prequel OR sequel is getting slated...

They should just sell the franchise to someone who'll do something good with it.
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Re: Emma Watts’ Top Priority At Paramount: Figure Out ‘Star Trek’ Reboot

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Moving on with Pike could work well for them, with the big swell of interest in the character when Anson Mount took it over.

From a one and done season on Discovery, to his own series....somebody has faith in it!
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