Next Generation star Sir Patrick Stewart has given fans a little taste of what to expect from his brand new Star Trek series.
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Stewart, who starred as the iconic Captain Jean-Luc Picard over seven seasons, will reprise the role for the new CBS All Access series.
As it stands, all fans really know is that the series will be a follow-up to the events of Next Gen.
Now, we know a little more.
Chatting to Yahoo! Entertainment, Stewart revealed he was initially going to turn down the role.
“I agreed to a meeting with the people who were going to produce this new version of Star Trek only because I wanted to seriously and respectfully explain to them why I was turning the project down. I heard just enough to realize this was something very unusual, and I was intrigued. What I was afraid of was … this was going to be jokey, and I didn’t want to do that.’ I asked a lot of questions and the answers were all very satisfying.”
HMM.
The veteran actor went on to share how, unlike the original series, the new one will just be one long story over how many episodes.
“They are writing a 10-hour movie,” he explained which could very well mean ten episodes. “We’re hoping for more than one season,” Stewart added.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Alex Kurtzman shared one humongous clue about the upcoming series: “Picard’s life was radically altered by the dissolution of the Romulan Empire.”
HMM.
Filming of the new series is expected to kick off later this year.
Back in August, Stewart announced the exciting news on Instagram.
“I will always be very proud to have been a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but when we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course. It is, therefore, an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him. Seeking out new life for him, when I thought that life was over.
“During these past years, it has been humbling to hear stories about how The Next Generation brought people comfort, saw them through difficult periods in their lives or how the example of Jean-Luc inspired so many to follow in his footsteps, pursuing science, exploration and leadership. I feel I’m ready to return to him for the same reason – to research and experience what comforting and reforming light he might shine on these often very dark times. I look forward to working with our brilliant creative team as we endeavor to bring a fresh, unexpected and pertinent story to life once more.”
