Paramount Pictures, STAR TREK BEYOND, and Omaze announced a new contest today aiming to raise funds for nine charities through a crowdsourcing donation program — and with this, offering one lucky fan a walk-on role in the next Trek film.
The full press release follows:
STAR TREK BEYOND CAST UNITES TO BRING AUDIENCES THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE: A CHANCE TO APPEAR IN THE UPCOMING FILM
Cast Members Announce “STAR TREK: TO BOLDLY GO” Campaign Benefiting the Cast’s Choice of Nine Global Causes
Today, Fans Can Visit Omaze.com/StarTrek to Enter for a Chance to Win!
HOLLYWOOD, CA, JULY 14, 2015 – In an unprecedented event, the cast of the Star Trek film franchise has created a unique philanthropic initiative in partnership with Omaze. The Star Trek: To Boldly Go campaign will support the cast’s personal selection of nine global causes, which will each receive equal portions of the funds raised when fans enter for a chance to win a walk-on role in director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the blockbuster franchise, released on July 8, 2016. The campaign runs from 12:01 a.m. PST on July 14thuntil 11:59 p.m. PST September 1st.
To coincide with the campaign’s launch, cast members John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba recorded a special video message on the iconic Starship Enterprise bridge set. The video, released today, kicked off production and features the cast inviting fans to make franchise history as the first fans to ever win a walk-on role in a Star Trek movie. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Grand Prize winner and a guest will:
- Fly to Vancouver and stay in a 4-star hotel
- Go behind the scenes of Star Trek Beyond, hang with the cast, and experience the filming of the movie
- Be transformed by hair, makeup and costume teams into a Star Trek character and filmed for a scene in Star Trek Beyond
In addition to the Grand Prize Winner, six additional winners will be randomly selected throughout the campaign to form the honorary “Star Trek: To Boldly Go” crew. Star Trek: To Boldly Go is the first Omaze campaign to have winners every week.
The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Crew will:
- Visit the closed set and meet the cast of Star Trek Beyond
- Be among the first to see scenes from the latest film
- Travel to Vancouver
“Omaze is excited to bring this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience to Star Trek fans around the world,” said Ryan Cummins, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “We are proud to give fans the chance to live out their dream experience while simultaneously helping nine great causes. By allowing anyone to enter for just $10, we are seeing the power our community has in making an impact around the world.”
By donating directly to Omaze.com/StarTrek, fans will be supporting these nine global causes:
- Brave Beginnings, an organization dedicated to ensuring that ventilators and life-saving neonatal equipment are always available to newborns in critical need. Nominated by Zoë Saldana.
- Camp Sunshine, a place where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families can regroup, reenergize, and restore hope for the future. Nominated by Anton Yelchin.
- Direct Relief International, one of the premiere disaster relief organizations that operates worldwide. Nominated by Zachary Quinto.
- Heaven Homes, an organization helping establish children’s homes and centers, while providing secure, safe and loving environments where children can be nurtured to realize their full potential. Nominated by Idris Elba.
- KidsCan, an organization that provides food, clothing and healthcare to disadvantaged youth in New Zealand. Nominated by Karl Urban.
- Koreatown Youth & Community Center, an organization serving the evolving needs of the Korean American population in the greater Los Angeles area as well as the multiethnic Koreatown community. Nominated by John Cho.
- Make-A-Wish, whose remarkable work is making wishes come true every day for children suffering from lifethreatening illnesses. Nominated by Chris Pine.
- Time is Precious, an organization helping to create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children, which in return helps assist with their treatment and recovery. Nominated by Simon Pegg.
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that is leading the way in advancing cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Nominated by Susan Nimoy in honor of Leonard Nimoy.
In addition, fans who donate set amounts larger than $10 can receive special limited edition Star Trek rewards including t-shirts, posters, a cast-autographed red shirt, an advanced private screening of Star Trek Beyond,and a replica Captain’s chair.
Visit Omaze.com/StarTrek to learn more about this new initiative.
Aside from donation benefit gifts detailed at the Omaze page, this new launch video gives us the first look at the BEYOND cast (along with guest Idris Elba) — aboard the rebuilt Enterprise sets in Vancouver.
As Elba only arrived in Vancouver on Sunday, this promo was likely filmed just yesterday.
We’ll take a closer look at the new Enterprise sets in a follow-up article, seeing what changes the ship has seen since we last saw the Constitution-class starship in Star Trek Into Darkness.