We’ve got a roundup of different Star Trek: Discovery news bits today, from CBS’s corporate leadership to new statements from one of the show’s freshman cast members.

Now that the feared WGA Writers’ Strike has been averted, CBS appears to be feeling more comfortable again targeting a Fall 2017 premiere window for Star Trek: Discovery.

CBS President Les Moonves restated the corporation’s plans to launch Discovery on CBS All Access later this year at yesterday’s Milken Institute Global Conference. Reader Michael Wong was in attendance and shared this quote from Moonves:

In addition, Moonves reiterated previously-stated comments that the series’ funding was largely supported by Netflix licensing for global distribution, and that CBS All Access was chosen as the show’s home in the USA based on previous streaming performances of the other Trek television properties on Netflix.

CBS also held its 2017 Q1 corporate earnings call this afternoon, but did not discuss Star Trek: Discovery during the hour-long presentation.

Meanwhile, former showrunner and Discovery developer Bryan Fuller spoke about his goals to cast a highly-diverse cast for the series in an interview with CBR.com this week.

“We were very adamant early on about that cast, not just in terms of race but also in terms of gender. Janeway (of ‘Star Trek: Voyager’) carved a nice path as did Majel Barrett (Nurse Christine Chapel in the original ‘Star Trek’ series) in 1966, in the original pilot. So it was important for ethnic inclusivity and gender inclusivity (to be upheld in casting).

I was very excited to cast Michelle Yeoh before I left. I was pushing very hard for Sonequa Martin-Green to be cast before I left. So I feel like there’s a lot of wonderful diversity represented in the show, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

Fuller left his position at Star Trek: Discovery in late October after the required commitment to the series interfered with his position leading Starz’ television adaptation of American Gods, which debuted last weekend in the United States.

Actress Clare McConnell, who joined the Klingon cast of Discovery last week, spoke to Toronto’s Metro News about her new role, which she reveals has been in place since December.

“I’m very excited. I’ve known since December, so I’ve been hiding it from all my friends,” McConnell exclaimed.

McConnell got the role after just one audition, and although she wasn’t required to speak any Klingon for it, as soon as she got the role she was thrown into lessons with a dialect coach.

Virtually all information about the series is being kept under tight lock and key, but McConnell could say that sets for the ships looked incredible and her character has a very cool costume.
McConnell said there’s an atmosphere on set that everyone wants to get it right, because Star Trek is such a beloved series.

“Each series is such a classic thing, but also such an innovative thing,” she explained. “The actors have really been encouraged to make it their own. I’ve even been encouraged to make the Klingon language my own.”

For those of you dismayed about CBS supposedly “just now” casting new roles for the in-production series, this story should serve to dispel that myth: hiring and announcement timelines don’t appear to be so related.

Check back to TrekCore often for the latest Discovery news!