'Star Trek: Discovery' showrunner Bryan Fuller says that the reboot series will be led by a woman who is potentially played by a diverse actress.
- Aug 11, 2016
AceShowbiz - New details of CBS' "Star Trek: Discovery" were revealed at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. On Wednesday, August 10, showrunner Bryan Fuller spoke in front of critics at the show's panel in Beverly Hills and answered questions about the small-screen reboot.
Fuller, who is also executive producing the new "Star Trek" series, said that the reboot would have a female lead as a lieutenant commander on a starship. Promising that the show would reflect diversity, he said, " 'Star Trek' started with a wonderful expression of diversity in its cast ... our lead of the show is going to be subject of that same level, of who's the best actor and also what can we say about diversity on the show. We haven't cast her yet, so we don't know what level of diversity she will be, but that's forefront in our minds."
He promised that there would be a gay character. "Absolutely," he said when asked if the show would represent LGBT community. Fuller additionally responded with an affirmative answer when asked if the show would have robots. Furthermore, he promised "new exciting aliens and also new imagining of existing aliens."
Fuller revealed that the new series would take place 10 years before Captain Kirk's (William Shatner) five-year mission with the Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" series. "Discovery" will be set in the "Prime universe" timeline, not that of the current movie series starring Chris Pine.
The show will have a very serialized storyline instead of an episodic one. Fuller then teased the storyline, "There's an incident and and event in Star Trek history, that's been talked about but never been explored. To do this series, we're telling a much more serialized story, to dig deep into a very tantalizing [storyline. And we have a character who's on a journey, and in order to understand something that is alien she first has to understand herself."
On including familiar characters from the original series, he explained, "There's so much about the history that once we get through this first season and establish our own Star Trek universe with the crew that going to be reimagining a lot of Star Trek elements, we'll be looking in the second season to open up to more familiar characters and how they can feed into the [show]." He went on sharing that he would like to explore Amanda Grayson, Spock's human mom.
Since "Discovery" will air on CBS All Access, Fuller said there would "probably be slightly more graphic content." He added, "We discuss language every day. Is it appropriate for somebody to see a bridge blow up and say 'Oh s**t.' I imagine we're going to shoot scenes a couple of ways and see what feels more authentic in the editing room."
"Star Trek: Discovery" will premiere January 2017 on CBS, before moving to CBS All Access.
