'Variety': Berman, Braga, Others Working On Trek Film

Longtime producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga are reportedly working on a concept long rumoured to be in the Star Trek pipeline - a Trek set at Starfleet Academy. But this time, an industry trade has reported, the concept is being developed as a feature film, and is set before all five Star Trek television shows.

Variety (via Yahoo!) stated that Berman and Braga have teamed up with their onetime colleague at Paramount Television, Kerry McCluggage, as well as television producer Jordan Kerner to develop a Starfleet Academy film.

"The 'Trek' pics were a reliable staple for better than two decades, with a domestic cume of $760 million and foreign at just over $300 million," noted Variety writer Dave McNary. "The fourth pic topped $100 million domestically in 1986...the studio was taken aback in 2002 when Nemesis saw domestic grosses of [only] $43 million."

Paramount, he claimed, wants a reimagining of the Star Trek franchise, "meaning there won't be any of the characters that peopled the TV shows and movies." No writer has yet been hired, and Variety predicted that it could be a long wait before a film comes to the screen.

Berman has said previously that he was working on a concept with two other producers, and Braga has suggested the next Trek may involve the Romulan Wars, which are known to have taken place before the era of the original series.

The original item is at Yahoo and has been reprinted from Variety in several other online publications. Until the reports are confirmed by Paramount, however, they should be taken as rumour.

Another trade publication, The Hollywood Reporter, has confirmed (also via Yahoo!) that Star Trek: The Next Generation star Brent Spiner will appear on Star Trek: Enterprise in a three-episode arc. Spiner will reportedly play the great-great-grandfather of Dr. Noonien Soong, the creator of Data - both characters Spiner portrayed on Next Gen.

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