The First STAR TREK Movie Was Originally Developed as a TV Series Titled STAR TREK: PHASE II
When the original Star Trek series was canceled after just three seasons, fans were devastated. But little did they know, this was just the beginning of a long and storied journey for the franchise.
Thanks to the success of the show in syndication, creator Gene Roddenberry got a second shot at his spacefaring creation with a follow-up series titled Star Trek: Phase II. The show featured the return of most of the original cast and was set to take the series in a bigger new direction with better special effects, sets, and creature designs. It was also going to have a more diverse cast.
However, the cost of production was too high, and the show was scrapped before it even got off the ground. Paramount wasn’t willing to spend the big bucks on another Star Trek show even though 13 scripts were already written and the bulk of the pre-production completed. You can watch some rare footage from the series in the video below.
But, all that work wasn't for nothing, as Paramount decided to rework the script and transform it into Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The gamble paid off, and the film was a box office success, paving the way for the franchise to become a global phenomenon.
I re-watched the original Star Trek film recently. It had been a very long time since I watched it. I was probably a teenager when I last saw the movie. I always tend to jump right into Wrath of Khan, but that first movie was incredible! I loved the story that it told and it was like watching the film for the first time because I remembered very little.
In the film, “The Federation calls on Adm. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise to contain an immense nimbused object that's on a crash course with Earth. After investigating, the crew discovers that the alien cloud harbors artificial intelligence with an ominous primary directive. Crisis strikes when a probe dispatched by the energy cloud attacks the crew, abducting navigator Lt. Ilia. An android look-alike containing her memories shows up soon after.”
This success of the franchise led to the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that led to several other shows and movies that we are still seeing produced today!
All of this is thanks to the enduring legacy of the original Star Trek series and the dedicated fans who kept it alive. The show was truly ahead of its time, featuring character archetypes and morality plays not often seen on TV at the time.
The imaginative vision of Roddenberry established a universe where humanity had moved beyond scarcity and war, and showed us what we might do next. It's that hopeful message that has kept fans hooked on the franchise all of these years.
Via: CBR, RedShirtsAlwaysDie