Worf’s half-brother Nikolai has a secret plan to save a primitive civilization from a worldwide catastrophe that will mean their extinction — but when he involves the Enterprise crew against their will, it’s up to Worf to keep the secrets of the 24th Century hidden from the low-tech natives!
In STAR TREK BEYOND, Idris Elba Hates the Federation
STAR TREK BEYOND guest actor Idris Elba has a new interview out today with Entertainment Weekly, where he dives a little bit more into the “groundbreaking” role he’s playing in this summer’s Trek adventure.
Per EW’s interview with the British actor:
He has a real beef with what the Enterprise stands for. Krall’s a character who’s deeply steeped in hatred — in my opinion, a well-earned hatred — for the Federation. It felt quite political. There’s a relatability to what’s happening in our world. Not everybody’s happy with what everybody calls the good guys.
There’s some history that we explore, to understand why he feels the frontier needs to “push back.” There’s definitely an opposing argument to the good that the Federation think they do. There are purists that believe in independence, and believe that we’re all made differently for a reason, and will fight tooth and nail to defend that.
Krall is predatory. He’s not one for big speeches. He is one for going to get what he wants. If that means having to do it himself, outside of his army, he is not afraid to do that.
Elba also talks about his heavy makeup requirements for the alien role, something we first covered back in November:
Typically, my day would start at 4:15 in the morning. I’d be in the chair until around 7:30, shoot about 8:30. Shot ‘til around 9 at night, maybe later. Get home, unwind, get to sleep, and then wake up in the morning and do the whole thing again. It was definitely an extensive process. I learned so much about working with prosthetics, and how that can influence the performance. I’m claustrophobic by the way; I don’t like rubber masks on my face.
STAR TREK BEYOND Fan Event Brings Trailer on May 20
As we told you the other day, the wait for the next STAR TREK BEYOND trailer will need to last a few more weeks, and now we know exactly when it’s coming: May 20.
Announced today by Paramount Pictures, director Justin Lin will be hosting a “first-ever fan event” on the Paramount lot, and will include special surprises along with a live-streamed Q&A session with the BEYOND cast and crew.
Here’s the news release:
HOLLYWOOD, CA (April 14, 2016) – “Star Trek Beyond” director Justin Lin announced today a first-ever fan event to take place on May 20 in celebration of the series’ milestone 50th Anniversary this year and the film’s release this summer.
The one-time only special event, taking place at the historic Paramount Pictures studio lot, will include the premiere of the newest “Star Trek Beyond” trailer, an exclusive first-look of never before seen footage from the upcoming film, a Q&A with Lin and the cast and crew, special guests appearances, and other surprises. The Q&A will be streamed via Facebook Live.
Said Justin Lin, “As a lifelong fan of Trek, we wanted to do something special for the fans and we couldn’t think of a better way to do that than creating an event dedicated to them in the year that we also come together to celebrate the series’ amazing 50th year.”
No word yet on how these lucky fans will make their way into this event, but those details are surely coming along soon.
Five more weeks, everyone. Hang in there.
STAR TREK ONLINE “New Dawn” Giveaway Contest!
For all of you Star Trek Online gamers, TrekCore is happy to host a new giveaway for one of five in-game prizes: a Vaadwaur Astika Heavy Battlecruiser to help your fleet, or to keep all for yourself!
This ship is focused on offensive force while also being capable of withstanding heavy incoming fire. Find out below how to enter to win one of these Heavy Battlecruisers!
Perfect World Entertainment Inc. and Cryptic Studios have just announced that Star Trek Online: Season 11.5 is now available. The mid-season update introduces a new featured episode called “Temporal Front,” along with system updates designed to improve the gaming experience for STO captains hailing from all different factions.
This includes a revamp of the current Skill System, secondary options for the Specialization System, plus new Visual Slots to customize the look and feel of ships.
The new featured episode, “Temporal Front,” brings players to the Romulus Embassy, where faction leaders are meeting to discuss an alliance after the Iconian War. All attempts to reach a peaceful resolution are destroyed when the Na’Kuhl crash the summit to attack the embassy.
This invasion sends players on a mission to the future to battle the Na’Kuhl before they travel through time to destroy the Federation.
The release of Season 11.5 provides players with access to several new gameplay updates, including a complete overhaul to the current Skill System. The update was designed to make the process of leveling up much more rewarding and easier to understand. Skills progression will now be presented in a streamlined interface that is easier to use and includes better descriptions and explanations for combat mechanics.
The mid-season update also introduces Visual Slots, allowing players greater control over the appearance of their ships by allowing Deflectors, Impulse Engines and Shields to display their distinct appearances without altering their ships’ performance.
A full list of gameplay updates include:
- New Featured Episode “Temporal Front” – Captains must travel through time to prevent the Na’Kuhl from destroying the present by invading our past.
- Skill System Revamp – Skills progression is now presented in a streamlined, easy-to-use interface that includes more detailed instructions.
- Visual Slots – Slot items to choose how your starship looks, without having to change how it performs.
- Strategist Secondary Specialization – Players can choose from a selection of space-based abilities, which can shift between offensive and defensive effects.
- Romulan Admiralty Campaign – Captains can earn rewards by completing a new set of Admiralty assignments designed to assist the Romulan Republic.
- Na’Kuhl Red Alerts – This alert system will sound off to lets players know when they can queue up in groups of five to fight off the Na’Kuhl.
This contest has ended.
Congratulations to the five winners in our STAR TREK ONLINE “New Dawn” Giveaway Contest:
Jim, Bjørn, Kelly, Kristopher, and Timeras! All have been notified by email.
Remastered WRATH OF KHAN Blu-ray Coming June 7
Ever since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer confirmed that the beloved second big-screen adventure of the Enterprise crew was being revisited with a new scan from the original film negative, we’ve been awaiting word from Paramount Home Entertainment about when this third high-definition release of TWOK would be available.. and now we know: June 7, 2016.
See Also: A list of differences between the two cuts of the film.
This will be, at least for now, strictly a standard Blu-ray edition, and not yet a 4K Ultra-HD special release, though we won’t be surprised if one of those comes along sooner rather than later. The new Blu-ray features cover art by Tyler Stout, originally featured as a poster through Mondo.
UPDATE: We’ve confirmed with Paramount Home Entertainment that yes, this presentation is sourced from a brand-new, 4K resolution scan. So fingers crossed for a 4K UHD release down the line!
Here’s Paramount’s full press release on the upcoming new edition:
Director’s Edition of Classic Star Trek Film
Arrives on Blu-ray™ for the First Time EverSTAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan
Debuting June 7, 2016, Blu-ray Includes Digitally Remastered Film, Plus a Brand New Documentary on the Making of the Fan-Favorite Movie
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise will boldly go where they have never gone before when STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN Director’s Edition arrives for the first time ever on Blu-ray June 7, 2016 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Star Trek franchise, this classic film has been digitally remastered in high definition with brilliant picture quality and will be presented in both Nicholas Meyer’s Director’s Edition and the original theatrical version.
The Blu-ray also includes a brand-new, nearly 30-minute documentary entitled “The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan,” which details the development and production of this fan-favorite film through archival footage, photos and new interviews.
In addition to the new documentary, the STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN Director’s Edition Blu-ray is bursting with more than two hours of previously released special features including multiple commentaries, original interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban and DeForest Kelley, explorations of the visual effects and musical score, a tribute to Ricardo Montalban, storyboards and much more.
Captain Kirk’s Starfleet career enters a new chapter as a result of his most vengeful nemesis: Khan Noonien Singh, the genetically enhanced conqueror from late 20th century Earth. Escaping his forgotten prison, Khan sets his sights on both capturing Project Genesis, a device of god-like power, and the utter destruction of Kirk.
STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN Director’s Edition Blu-ray
The disc includes the following:
- Director’s Edition in high definition
- Theatrical Version in high definition
- Commentary by director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Edition & Theatrical Version)
- Commentary by director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version)
- Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Edition)
- Library Computer (Theatrical Version)
- The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan — NEW!
- Production
- Captain’s Log
- Designing Khan
- Original interviews with DeForest Kelley, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Ricardo Montalban
- Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- James Horner: Composing Genesis
- The Star Trek Universe
- Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics
- A Novel Approach
- Starfleet Academy: The Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI
- Farewell
- A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban
- Storyboards
- Theatrical Trailer
The Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Thankfully, we’re not only getting the same theatrical cut of The Wrath of Khan that’s been issued so many times before, but this new edition also includes Nicholas Meyer’s extended cut only previously available on DVD (or in 720p on the iTunes store).
Unfortunately, this upcoming Blu-ray does not feature any of the other cut footage that has popped up in still images around the web and in print magazines for the last few decades, but perhaps some of that content may be included in the new documentary feature on this disc.
(And, in case you missed it last month: this is the only Trek film expected for remastering anytime soon.)
While we’re still waiting for preorders to go live in the United States, our Canadian friends can stake their claim to this new Blu-ray release using the preorder link below.
 Order theStar Trek: TMPDirector's Edition DVD!     |  Order theStar Trek: TWOKDirector's Cut! |  Order theStar Trek VISpecial Edition DVD! |
So, About Those New STAR TREK 2017 **Rumors**
There have been a lot of rumblings across the web today after Birth.Movies.Death published a collection of rumors about next year’s Star Trek series coming to the CBS All Access streaming service – with a lot of claims that are exactly in line with what many fans have been clamoring for over the last decade.
Here are the pertinent segments from the BMD report (which starts out with “It definitely isn’t in the JJ rebootverse.” and then becomes six paragraphs of rumors):
I have heard some intriguing rumors about the new Star Trek TV show that will be coming to CBS All Access next year under the stewardship of Bryan Fuller: it won’t be set in the JJ Abrams reboot universe. The new show will be set in the original, classic continuity.
I’ve also heard the show, which will be heavily serialized, will not be set on an Enterprise, although that feels like a no-brainer.
One last rumble I heard, which I could not get second sourced at this time, so consider this a wild rumor: …Fuller has a plan as to how he can still feature villainous Klingons, something we haven’t seen in decades!
A trusted source has chimed in and told me that it looks like the show will be a seasonal anthology, which means the first season will be set post-Undiscovered Country. After that the entire Star Trek universe is potentially open.
Let’s just take a moment to take this stuff with healthy dose of skepticism. While we know some entertainment sites have taken the BMD rumors as straight-up fact — and yes, they’re clearly called rumors in the original report, though the author is now claiming to have “four sources” backing him up — we still remember how many articles came out ahead of the Enterprise release in 2000 and 2001 that ended up being debunked by the time the series debuted.
(And we’re not trying to bash BMD editor Devin Faraci or his reporting, but there’s also this adamant, early story definitively stating that ‘inside sources’ verified Into Darkness would not feature Khan.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fNVI7DOwrw
The first Enterprise promo, airing four months before ‘Broken Bow’
The first Enterprise promo, airing four months before ‘Broken Bow’
Could this stuff end up being true? Possibly, but we’re obviously unable to verify anything so specific when it’s still so early in the creative process.
There are going to be a ton of reports like this coming over the next few months, so let’s all just take a deep breath, relax, and remember: nothing’s official until it’s announced by CBS.
2015 “Strange New Worlds” Contest Winners Named
After several months of waiting, Simon & Schuster and Archway Publishing have announced the winners of the revived Strange New Worlds writing contest.
The 10 Grand Prize winners, chosen from hundreds of submissions, will each receive a $1000 advance and will have their stories included in the all-new Star Trek™: Strange New Worlds 2016 Edition Anthology, to be published in digital first format this year.
The Grand Prize winners are:
Neil Bryant
Dilithium Is a Girl’s Best FriendGary Piserchio & Frank Tagader
A Christmas QarolKelli Fitzpatrick
The SunwalkersChris Chaplin
The Seen and UnseenMichael Turner
The Façade of FateNancy Debretsion
The Manhunt PoolDerek Tyler Attico
The Dreamer and the DreamRoger McCoy
The Last RefugeJohn Coffren
Life Among the Post-Industrial BarbariansKristen McQuinn
Upon the Brink of RemembranceThe two First Prize winners, Kerry F. Booth and James Corrigan, will each receive a free publishing package from Archway Publishing valued at approximately $5,000 to publish a book on a subject other than Star Trek™.
Congratulations to all the winners – and if you’re one of them, let us know below!
New Twitter Account for STAR TREK 2017 Writers Room
Following in the trend of such popular shows as Arrow, The Flash, The Good Wife, and others, the writers room for CBS All Access’ STAR TREK 2017 television series has launched an official, verified @StarTrekRoom Twitter account, which will likely feature a slight look inside the development process of the new series as it proceeds into production.
Not much new posted there yet, but it is surely something that Trek fans using the social media service will want to follow!
 | Order Star Trek: The TOS Motion Picture Collection! |  | Order Star Trek: The TNG Motion Picture Collection! |
|---|
Next STAR TREK BEYOND Trailer Coming in May
It’s all people seem to be talking about after December’s first look at STAR TREK BEYOND, especially after Monday night’s no-show at Paramount’s CinemaCon event: when is another trailer coming for this July’s film?
Well, Steve Weintraub over at Collider found out this evening: it looks like Paramount is prepping a major fan event next month in Los Angeles – time and place yet to be announced – and that’s where the launch of both the second BEYOND trailer, as well as the start of the main marketing push for July’s upcoming film.
So hang in there a bit longer… but at least now we know just how much longer we’ll need to wait.
CinemaCon: Paramount Quiet on STAR TREK BEYOND
Tonight’s Paramount Pictures presentation at the 2016 CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas had us hyped for what seemed to be the arrival of the long-awaited second trailer – or at least some additional footage – of July’s impending STAR TREK BEYOND.
Back in 2013, Paramount showed off eighteen minutes of that summer’s Star Trek Into Darkness, so those in attendance were ready to see some more Enterprise action – but to the surprise of the crowd present (and those of us watching from afar), however, Paramount’s two-hour event wrapped up without a single frame of Trek footage… not even December’s teaser trailer.
Even though Simon Pegg was on hand to present J.J. Abrams with an award from the National Association of Theatre Owners – the group who puts on CinemaCon every year – the realization that nothing would be coming from STAR TREK BEYOND slowly made its way through the surprised critics and entertainment writers in the audience. (UPDATE: As noted by USA TODAY this morning.)
Here comes Star Trek Beyond! Simon Pegg on stage introducing J.J. Abrams #CinemaCon
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) April 12, 2016
Abrams says Justin Lin creating most exciting Star Trek – Beyond – yet. #CinemaCon
— Gregory Ellwood (@TheGregoryE) April 12, 2016
So strange that JJ Abrams is at #cinemacon2016 but there is no Star Trek Beyond footage?
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 12, 2016
Wow, no Star Trek footage… Instead a tease of Baywatch is about to drop #CinemaCon
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) April 12, 2016
Somehow the Paramount presentation has zero STAR TREK BEYOND. WTF?
— devin faraci (@devincf) April 12, 2016
Paramount didn’t even show the old trailer of STAR TREK BEYOND. And they had Simon Pegg here!
— devin faraci (@devincf) April 12, 2016
Big surprise from Paramount #cinemacon presentation was no STAR TREK BEYOND footage. They didn’t even show the previously released footage
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 12, 2016
Wth? No #StarTrek footage? R u Kidding? #CinemaCon #Paramount #Movies
— Michelle Alexandria (@eclipsemagazine) April 12, 2016
No STAR TREK footage from Paramount, which just put on easily the worst #CinemaCon slate presentation I’ve seen in 6 years of coming here
— Josh Lincoln Dickey (@JLDlite) April 12, 2016
@jhoffman this is all everyone is talking about
— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) April 12, 2016
This was certainly a shock to those in the crowd, and of course to us as well – as patient as we’ve been, even our team was expecting more footage at this event now that the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice marketing juggernaut is out of the way, and that there is a few moments before the final push for Captain America: Civil War fills up the mainstream marketing landscape.
Surprisingly, even with no new BEYOND footage, the Paramount after-party featured acrobatic dancers dressed and made-up as Sofia Boutella’s Jaylah character:
Crazy shenanigans at the @dolby party #cinemacon2016 @TheWrap pic.twitter.com/ljBNLJwsOX
— Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman) April 12, 2016
We are now 100 days away from the July 22 release of STAR TREK BEYOND, with only one official photo from production, a few poster variants made up of screencaps from the December trailer, and nothing in the way of additional marketing since January’s Entertainment Tonight interviews, recorded during production in Vancouver – unless you count that photo op from last weekend’s Dubai Comic Con.
What is going on with STAR TREK BEYOND?
 | Order Star Trek on 4K Blu-ray!   |  | Order Star Trek IntoDarkness on 4K Blu-ray! |
|---|