STAR TREK Veteran Jonathan Frakes Confirms He'll Direct 2-Episodes of The New PICARD Series
Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation are very excited about this new Jean-Luc Picard series that is currently in development and we’ve got some more cool news to share with you regarding it!
Star Trek Veteran Jonathan Frakes, who played William Riker in TNG and directed a few Star Trek movies and TV shows, will be be returning to the directors chair for Patrick Stewart’s upcoming Picard series. He may not return to reprise his role in the show, but at least he will still be involved with it!
During a recent interview with Trek Movie, Frakes confirmed that he would be directing episodes 3 and 4. He went on to express his excitement about the show, saying:
“I think the fans are going to be thrilled and excited and surprised. I have had the privilege of reading the first couple of episodes and I have spent some time with Patrick who is so engaged [laughs] Sorry. It’s wonderful. It’s smart. I’m excited about it. He is obviously more excited. His announcing of it at Las Vegas—which I believe was his idea—was very smart. You know he is 78, and he is going to be carrying the show on his shoulders, his considerable shoulders.
“I’m excited for him and personally, I feel so blessed to back. It’s so ironic that I spent so many years trying to expand where I was working and I was lucky enough to get onto other types of shows. The directing has been a mitzvah for me—to learn another craft. And now I am deeply ensconced in the world I was in 31 years ago—and I’ve got to say—incredibly grateful for it, between The Orville, and Discovery and Picard. And hopefully the Empress Georgiou show.”
The the new show will be a continuation of Picard’s story. The story will be set 19-20 years after the events of the The Next Generation finale, and according to reports, that ten episode story “will be playing into Picard’s interest in archaeology, and his main mission will revolve around some sort of artifact that’s been discovered.” It’s also been said that Picard will be affected by their destruction due to his close involvement with building a bond between the Romulan Empire and the Federation. Stewart also said that it would “explore new dimensions within [the character].”
As of right now the series also stars Alison Pill, Harry Treadaway, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, and Evan Evagora.
Are you excited to learn that Frakes will be directing a couple episodes of the show?