Star Trek: Khan Prequel Series is Reportedly Being Developed
While Star Trek: Discovery‘s launch date is right around the corner, it seemingly isn’t the only Star Trek series being developed right now. Nicholas Meyer, the director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, is reportedly developing a series spotlighting Khan, arguably the greatest villain in the franchise’s history.
Meyer joined the world of Star Trek in 1982, after the critical and financial underperformance of the franchise’s first cinematic outing, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Meyer decided to craft a leaner, meaner sequel that would utilize one of the most memorable villains from the television series – the late 20th century revolutionary Khan Noonien Singh, who appeared in the series standout episode “Space Seed”. After attempting to overrun the Enterprise, Khan and his followers were left exiled on the planet Ceti Alpha V to start a new society. Shortly after their arrival, a neighboring planet exploded, making Ceti Alpha V a barren desert planet. Set 15 years after their arrival, The Wrath of Khan saw Khan seeking vengeance against Kirk and the Enterprise crew.
It seems we may be about to learn a lot more about what happened in those years of exile. According to a report by Geek Exchange, Meyer is developing a limited series that would fill in the gaps between “Space Seed” and The Wrath of Khan, as Khan and his followers try to survive on a ravaged planet. If accurate, this report means that the prequel series is the mystery Star Trek project that Meyers previously-mentioned he was working on.
Meyer has long been considered one of the great creative forces in Star Trek’s history. Not only did he direct The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country – generally considered the original cast’s two best films – he co-wrote the surprisingly funny time travel adventure Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which was directed by Leonard Nimoy. Bryan Fuller brought in Meyer to work on Star Trek: Discovery, though it’s unclear how much of Meyer’s contribution will have survived in light of that show’s behind the scenes drama.
While Meyer’s Star Trek bonafides are without question, a Khan inbetweenquel series is a curious notion. There’s essentially only one plot point to be played (the planet’s devastation), and the characters beyond Khan himself are largely anonymous. Also, Khan himself would obviously have to be recast, as Ricardo Montalban passed away in 2009, and it’s highly unlikely that Benedict Cumberbatch – the Khan of the Star Trek film reboot series – would fill those shoes.
CBS seems intent on mining Star Trek’s past for storytelling possibilities. Discovery itself takes place ten years before the adventures of Kirk and Spock, and has some rather convenient ties to those characters. The high points of the franchise – like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine – have always moved the story and its universe forward. The network seems to think familiarity and narrative gap filling are winning strategies, but there’s a lot of Star Trek history to contradict that notion. Though if anyone can pull it off, it’s probably Meyer.
Star Trek: Discovery premieres September 24th on CBS.
Source: Geek Exchange
