Patrick Stewart's successor?

[SoulReaver]

as capt. Picard of course

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0758760/

for those who don't know him, he's the one whose character in the Resident Evil movie got "cut off" the story, literally (cf. the laser room scene)

he's got the talent, the onscreen presence & authority plus the accent
and he's bald
in other words a prime candidate

there's an internet movie called "The Exam" (screener found online) where he plays a minor but memorable role

I'd say, make it so!

[Snowman37]

Why would Picard need to be recast? The destruction of the Kelvin (including the death of Kirk's father), a fleet of Klingon ships, Vulcan, and a fleet of Starfleet ships; could lead to an entirely 24th century. It's possible in this new timeline, Jean-Luc Picard may never exist. The further away from the point of divergence, the more the timeline will be different. If we did see a rebooted TNG in the new timeline, I'm not sure I like the idea of a black Picard. Now, if it were a total reboot, I think I'd be OK with that. However, how do you explain Picard going from a white Frenchman with a Brittish personality to becoming a black Brittish man as a result of timeline divergence? I have no problem with recasting, even with a different racial actor, but it becomes complicated when it's suppose to be the same "universe."

[SoulReaver]

Why would Picard need to be recast? The destruction of the Kelvin (including the death of Kirk's father), a fleet of Klingon ships, Vulcan, and a fleet of Starfleet ships; could lead to an entirely 24th century. It's possible in this new timeline, Jean-Luc Picard may never exist. The further away from the point of divergence, the more the timeline will be different. If we did see a rebooted TNG in the new timeline, I'm not sure I like the idea of a black Picard. Now, if it were a total reboot, I think I'd be OK with that.

um you do realize that movie was an alternate timeline right? mainstream ST-verse is intact

However, how do you explain Picard going from a white Frenchman with a Brittish personality to becoming a black Brittish man as a result of timeline divergence? I have no problem with recasting, even with a different racial actor, but it becomes complicated when it's suppose to be the same "universe."

yeah I thought of that, but I say that sort of "retconning" should pass muster with the fandom
and if push comes to shove they could always say Picard got himself tanned & the UV machine underwent a powersurge :|

what matters most is the image (figuratively :-)
both actors were often given authority roles which they played brilliantly, they have almost identical voices, both are british etc.

heck there is an important black population in France anyway (overseas territories & immigrants from former african colonies) so he could easily keep the name Picard



just saying, he would make a good choice. now there may be others, but keep in mind that Picard is the quintessential leader and Patrick Stewart set the bar veery high

[Snowman37]

um you do realize that movie was an alternate timeline right? mainstream ST-verse is intact

Yes, and all future movies will be taking place in the alternate timeline. The whole point of the movie was to reboot the franchise, freeing it from the extensive history and storylines so the franchise can be new again. The galaxy is the same, but the stories will be different. I don't believe we'll ever see Trek-prime again except through literature.

yeah I thought of that, but I say that sort of "retconning" should pass muster with the fandom

I don't mind retcons, but making Picard black is going too far. Will the recast Sisko be white? Will the recast Janeway be a man? Where does it end?

what matters most is the image (figuratively :-)
both actors were often given authority roles which they played brilliantly, they have almost identical voices, both are british etc.

Everyone's going to say, "Uh, that's not Picard..." for obvious reasons. Picard's French origins played by a very Brittish actor define the character. Making him black... so... he's a black Frenchman played by a Brittish actor? Wouldn't it be easier to have this actor you like play Sisko instead??? Alternatively, would he have to be Jean-Luc Picard? Can't he be a distant relative?

Ultimately, I think Paramount Pictures wants to focus on Chris Pine as Captain Kirk for as long as he's willing to play the role. As for ST on TV, not gonna happen so long as CBS holds the TV rights and so long as Leslie Moonves is President of CBS.

[SoulReaver]

Yes, and all future movies will be taking place in the alternate timeline.

source?

Will the recast Sisko be white?

don't mind don't care. didn't care that much for the character either. he should've been a number-one, not a captain

Will the recast Janeway be a man?

that's a no no. for starters she was a lousy captain, second they'd also have to retcon some of the Voy episodes

as far as I know none of the TnG apps involved Picard's skin tone

Everyone's going to say, "Uh, that's not Picard..." for obvious reasons.

at first. that's understandable & inevitable

if memory serves they said the same thing about Daniel Craig as James B(l)ond. all the bloke needed was to be given a chance

Picard's French origins played by a very Brittish actor define the character. Making him black... so... he's a black Frenchman played by a Brittish actor?

they already have a british actor playing a frenchman despite the accent (someone still has to explain this btw), from there on not much of a stretch to have another british actor playing a frenchman (from an overseas territory or w/e)

Wouldn't it be easier to have this actor you like play Sisko instead??? Alternatively, would he have to be Jean-Luc Picard? Can't he be a distant relative?

not Sisko or anyone else. his voice & demeanour is reminiscent Picard. Sisko didn't have that much of a leader's aura nor was he especially charismatic

(having a british sounding Sisko would be funny though. ditto for a british Kirk. lol)

Ultimately, I think Paramount Pictures wants to focus on Chris Pine as Captain Kirk for as long as he's willing to play the role. As for ST on TV, not gonna happen so long as CBS holds the TV rights and so long as Leslie Moonves is President of CBS.

the movie was good but - as with Phantom Menace with regards to SW - it just didn't feel like ST

that being said, what stops them from recasting the same actor as Kirk in the mainstream verse? I'm sure the public wouldn't mind a (real) prequel

[Snowman37]

source?

Common sense combined with the failures of Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Nemesis. The studio was done with the franchise, evidenced by the dismissal of Rick Berman's proposed prequel movie, Star Trek: The Beginning. Tell me this, why would Paramount Pictures make a business decision to return to TNG? Why would they expect to make a profit when Nemesis was a financial disaster? Further, why would CBS produce a Star Trek TV series when it's President, Leslie Moonves, was directly responsible for UPN cancelling Enterprise?

as far as I know none of the TnG apps involved Picard's skin tone

Perhaps not, but the audience will expect a recasted Picard to be played by a white, Brittish actor. Can you provide an example of a well known character being successfully recasted by an actor of a different race?

at first. that's understandable & inevitable

At first, exactly, meaning poor reception, poor profit, and bye-bye to the revival.

if memory serves they said the same thing about Daniel Craig as James B(l)ond. all the bloke needed was to be given a chance

All of the James Bond actors have been white, so I don't know what you're talking about.

they already have a british actor playing a frenchman despite the accent (someone still has to explain this btw), from there on not much of a stretch to have another british actor playing a frenchman (from an overseas territory or w/e)

No explanation needed, they went with Patrick Stewart, because he was such a good actor, they didn't care that he wasn't French. Besides, Patrick Stewart did play up Picard as a Frenchman in the first two seasons. Around the third season onward, the actor incorporated more and more British elements into Picard. This actor you propose is not just another British actor, but a black British actor. The audience is not going to accept this anymore than they'd accept a black Superman or a white Agent J (Will Smith's character in Men in Black).

not Sisko or anyone else. his voice & demeanour is reminiscent Picard. Sisko didn't have that much of a leader's aura nor was he especially charismatic

I'm guessing you didn't see much of the series.

(having a british sounding Sisko would be funny though.)

If he were to play Sisko, all he'd need to do is drop the accent. If Sisko had to be recast, he'd be a good choice.

the movie was good but as with Phantom Menace with regards to SW, it just didn't feel like ST

Maybe not, but The Phantom Menace generated sequels as will 2009's Star Trek.

that being said, what stops them from recasting the same actor as Kirk in the mainstream verse? I'm sure the public wouldn't mind a (real) prequel

Nothing. Chris Pine probably would have been young Kirk regardless of whether the '09 movie was a real prequel or a reboot. The reason why the movie was not a straight up prequel is because the writers believed the the prime characters had been fully explored. Everyone believed that the only way to go back to TOS characters was through a time-travel-induced reboot.

[SoulReaver]

Common sense combined with the failures of Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Nemesis.

the former didn't feel like ST
they killed off Data in the latter. tactical mistake, they paid the price

The studio was done with the franchise, evidenced by the dismissal of Rick Berman's proposed prequel movie, Star Trek: The Beginning. Tell me this, why would Paramount Pictures make a business decision to return to TNG? Why would they expect to make a profit when Nemesis was a financial disaster? Further, why would CBS produce a Star Trek TV series when it's President, Leslie Moonves, was directly responsible for UPN cancelling Enterprise?

yet the same common sense didn't prevail when they made the "reboot". opting for a slightly different universe doesn't exactly scream reboot (now a movie on the evil mirror universe, that's be another ballgame). they could've simply done a real prequel in the mainstream verse & it would've been just as popular if not more so

Perhaps not, but the audience will expect a recasted Picard to be played by a white, Brittish actor.

just like they expected Bond to be played by a dark-haired chap - at first. yet evidently the "lifting" was a success

Can you provide an example of a well known character being successfully recasted by an actor of a different race?

I was unaware that race was still that important nowadays. so much more so than hair colour, I mean
besides he's not that black

At first, exactly, meaning poor reception, poor profit, and bye-bye to the revival.
All of the James Bond actors have been white, so I don't know what you're talking about.

I'm talking about visual stereotypes, be hair colour or skin colour etc. you seem to ascribe inordinate importance to the latter, yet there was quite an uproar about the former as well in the Bond remake. I myself wasn't too keen on this
are you suggesting that a Black James Bond would've been a failure regardless of the actor's performance?

Besides, Patrick Stewart did play up Picard as a Frenchman in the first two seasons.

yup, the "french" accent was...memorable

Around the third season onward, the actor incorporated more and more British elements into Picard. This actor you propose is not just another British actor, but a black British actor.

big difference

The audience is not going to accept this anymore than they'd accept a black Superman

you can't exactly compare a TV-exclusive character from a relatively recent series to a 3/4 centuries' old world-renowned almost cultural icon whose image is deeply entrenched across several generations

white Agent J (Will Smith's character in Men in Black).

granted about Will Smith, but Will Smith's special, what makes his popularity is...Will Smith himself more than his roles. no other terran thus far has managed to emulate his coolness

I'm guessing you didn't see much of the series.

right up to the beginning of the war with those kamikaze aliens (gem hadar?) and their shapeshifting bosses, after that only snippets. did the chap somehow wisen up thereafter?
IMO he was way better than Janeway & he had his moments but that was it
I said this in comparison to Picard anyway

If he were to play Sisko, all he'd need to do is drop the accent. If Sisko had to be recast, he'd be a good choice.

possibly. I'd still rather see him as Picard

Maybe not, but The Phantom Menace generated sequels as will 2009's Star Trek.

and I'll watch them, all the same I'd still have preferred a real prequel. either that, or something completely different

Nothing. Chris Pine probably would have been young Kirk regardless of whether the '09 movie was a real prequel or a reboot. The reason why the movie was not a straight up prequel is because the writers believed the the prime characters had been fully explored. Everyone believed that the only way to go back to TOS characters was through a time-travel-induced reboot.

yet the SW prequels worked without leaving the mainstream universe

anyway this to say, I know that colour would most likely play a part. however there's always a first - what you see as a financially risky endeavour (and unfortunately we cannot ignore the financial aspect), I see as an interesting experiment

[Dixie_Vampiress]

NO. Captain Picard should never be recast, there should never be a TNG reboot. End of story.

[blueray]

NO. Captain Picard should never be recast, there should never be a TNG reboot. End of story.

amen

i think if they were to do something with the real timeline, they should just make a new show . probably one that takes place after voyager or even further into the future.

[Snowman37]

the former didn't feel like ST

That was the whole point: to do something different. Rick Berman wanted the first year of the show to be about the Enterprise being built on Earth, and he wanted it to be Starfleet's first starship rather than simply the fastest starship. There would have been no phasers, no hull plating, no transporters, and so on. UPN and the studio didn't have faith in such a radically different show, so they dictated that the show be in space from the first episode, and that certain staples also be part of the show from the beginning.

they killed off Data in the latter. tactical mistake, they paid the price

That had nothing to do with the movie's performance. Poor direction from a director who doesn't like science-fiction is what killed the movie. It also didn't help to go up against The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Paramount Pictures had a lot of faith in the movie as Berman's last three had a good track record. However, the movie going audience just didn't like it. Watch the trailers on YouTube for the first three TNG movies. They feel new and exciting! Watch the trailers for NEM. They make everyone look old and tired. That just doesn't appeal unless the movie acknowledges the crew aging and works that into the story.

yet the same common sense didn't prevail when they made the "reboot". opting for a slightly different universe doesn't exactly scream reboot (now a movie on the evil mirror universe, that's be another ballgame). they could've simply done a real prequel in the mainstream verse

Slightly different universe doesn't srcream reboot? Kirk's father died decades earlier than he should have, Kirk joins Starfleet because of Pike instead of because of his dad, Vulcan was destroyed, Pike gets paralyzed with no additional injuries a decade earlier effectively erasing his entire decade-long command, Kirk goes from ensign to Captain in one mission instead of working hard for over a decade, Spock and Uhura are in a relationship that simply never happened the first time around... I could go on and on, but this is very clearly a reboot. Slightly different? Watch an episode of the show, then watch the movie. Slightly different? Right... Everyone involved could have done a real prequel, except they didn't want to! They wanted to reboot the saga in favor of loosing the continuity baggage.

just like they expected Bond to be played by a dark-haired chap - at first.

No one cares what color James Bond's hair is.

I was unaware that race was still that important nowadays.

Race will always be important. I'm white, it's part of who I am. One of my friends is Philipino, it's part of who he is. Race matters, it's part of one's identity.

are you suggesting that a Black James Bond would've been a failure regardless of the actor's performance?

I am saying that it could have happened.

yup, the "french" accent was...memorable

I never mentioned a French accent. Go back and watch the show's first two seasons. The episodes are constantly referencing Picard as being French. "We'll Always Have Paris" is most notable. Let's not forget the Picard family vineyard in... France.

you can't exactly compare a TV-exclusive character from a relatively recent series to a 3/4 centuries' old world-renowned almost cultural icon whose image is deeply entrenched across several generations

Sure I can. Captain Picard is just as entrenched in popular culture.

granted about Will Smith, but Will Smith's special, what makes his popularity is...Will Smith himself more than his roles. no other terran thus far has managed to emulate his coolness

Point is, can you see a white actor playing it up the way Will Smith does in his movies? Would the audience accept Jim Carey as Agent J? Will Smith is a brilliant actor, and his African American heritage plays into that. Each race has a different flavor of humor if you pay close attention, and it's hard for a member of a different race to capture that distinct flavor. Again, race is part of our identity.

right up to the beginning of the war with those kamikaze aliens (gem hadar?) and their shapeshifting bosses, after that only snippets. did the chap somehow wisen up thereafter?

So you got through to the fifth season finale, yes?

yet the SW prequels worked without leaving the mainstream universe

That's because George Lucas wanted to do prequels. J.J. Abrams and the writers of 2009 Trek did not want to do a prequel, they wanted to do a reboot.

Ultimately, I looked up the actor. The guy from Alien vs. Predator? I've seen him in several movies. He can't act. You're comparing him to Patrick Stewart? He's bald and British, that's all they have in common.

[SoulReaver]

That was the whole point: to do something different. Rick Berman wanted the first year of the show to be about the Enterprise being built on Earth, and he wanted it to be Starfleet's first starship rather than simply the fastest starship. There would have been no phasers, no hull plating, no transporters, and so on. UPN and the studio didn't have faith in such a radically different show, so they dictated that the show be in space from the first episode, and that certain staples also be part of the show from the beginning.

but that was also the point of the "reboot", yes?

Slightly different universe doesn't srcream reboot? Kirk's father died decades earlier than he should have, Kirk joins Starfleet because of Pike instead of because of his dad, Vulcan was destroyed, Pike gets paralyzed with no additional injuries a decade earlier effectively erasing his entire decade-long command, Kirk goes from ensign to Captain in one mission instead of working hard for over a decade, Spock and Uhura are in a relationship that simply never happened the first time around... I could go on and on, but this is very clearly a reboot. Slightly different? Watch an episode of the show, then watch the movie. Slightly different? Right... Everyone involved could have done a real prequel, except they didn't want to! They wanted to reboot the saga in favor of loosing the continuity baggage.

details. in the "grand scheme" it's a minute deviation from the mainstream verse. the characters - on which you place so much importance - are the same, only some changes in plotline

No one cares what color James Bond's hair is.

...you mean you didn't notice all the uproar when they announced the news? eventually Daniel Craig himself pleaded with the public to "give him a chance"

Race will always be important. I'm white, it's part of who I am. One of my friends is Philipino, it's part of who he is. Race matters, it's part of one's identity.

but not of one's character. more on this below

I never mentioned a French accent. Go back and watch the show's first two seasons. The episodes are constantly referencing Picard as being French. "We'll Always Have Paris" is most notable. Let's not forget the Picard family vineyard in... France.

and as I was saying, he just wasn't credible as a frenchman & it didn't even play a meaningful part (unless the foxy Doctor calling him "Jean Luc" qualifies)
his "origins" were simply shoehorned into the storyline (maybe Roddenberry didn't like the british? hire a british actor, but avoid involving his origins in the plot, go figure)

Sure I can. Captain Picard is just as entrenched in popular culture.

seriously? I like the old man myself but he ain't anywhere near the popularity of the DC comics icon. the latter may have been heard of even in the godforsaken jungles of the amazon

Point is, can you see a white actor playing it up the way Will Smith does in his movies? Would the audience accept Jim Carey as Agent J? Will Smith is a brilliant actor, and his African American heritage plays into that. Each race has a different flavor of humor if you pay close attention, and it's hard for a member of a different race to capture that distinct flavor. Again, race is part of our identity.

no simply because Carey ain't cool, he's just funny. also you're mixing up completely different roles, on one hand an unusual comedy role where the "african heritage" plays a part no doubt, the other is simply that of a stern authority figure with a strong onscreen presence needed for the part - a highly coveted role but a generic one nevertheless, unlike the Agent J persona - so you'll have to demonstrate how an ethnic group somehow plays a part in this (or are you perchance saying that a non-white person could never exude authority?
that would be like saying that Morgan Freeman could never have played the US president, especially before the 2008 elections - oh wait...)

So you got through to the fifth season finale, yes?

no idea of the season. but if the series had 7 seasons then I couldn't have gone that far into it

That's because George Lucas wanted to do prequels. J.J. Abrams and the writers of 2009 Trek did not want to do a prequel, they wanted to do a reboot.

point is an ST prequel could just as well have worked. if the alternate reality worked is it really because of the plot itself, or simply because fans had been waiting for aeons for anything ST?

Ultimately, I looked up the actor. The guy from Alien vs. Predator? I've seen him in several movies. He can't act.

lol that's a helluva reference. that movie was an insult even to the AvP game I played
the best actors cant save a bad movie. they also dont get to decide the script

[Morbo]

this thread really only illicited one possible response from me:

[SoulReaver]

wrong answer. next!

[Bagpuss]

I didn't mind BSG being rebooted with the Boomer and Starbuck characters being re-imagined as female.

I've enjoyed Patrick Stewart's acting in so many things including as Jean-Luc in TNG,but realistically he mightn't be interested in any more Trek, and as studios reboot or re-imagine series and characters all the time,TNG might be viable soon.

The execs and producers will do as they like ,and if purist Trek fans hate the new casting ,that'll get reflected in the ratings and sales if the so called casual audience don't tune in their Neilsen boxes where possible, and refuse to order DVds, but I'm one person who'd certainly give a re-imagined TNG a whirl.

Colin Salmon's a good actor in my opinion.His colour should be irrelevant in this day and age.

The important issues for me anyway would be the scifi/Trek feel to a new TNG and if the stories were good or not.

How do you guys feel?

( And please ,no more Picard (Face/Palm) Manouevres. I'm only asking because I'm curious!

[SoulReaver]

(I liked Boomer)

Colin Salmon's a good actor in my opinion.His colour should be irrelevant in this day and age.

aye, irrelevant
the OP approves of this post

harken & behold, ye all! for one of the Great Ones hath spoken - and she concurs with the OP




Colin Salmon as the next Picard of the next next generation

Make It So!