Jonathan Frakes Clarifies His Reason For Being " Really Surprised".
Based on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation he oversaw, Jonathan Frakes responded "surprised" to Star Trek: Discovery basing season 5. Frakes has always thought of Star Trek: Discovery as his "home" Star Trek on Paramount+ show since he joined as a director for season 2, but he did not anticipate Discovery season 5 would borrow its story from one of his TNG episodes.
Jonathan Frakes revealed in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant why he was "pretty surprised" that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 follows his Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "The Chase." Frakes also discussed how directing the current Star Trek series differs from Star Trek during Rick Berman's 1990s era. Review his quote below: "I was quite taken aback since I don't recall "The Chase" being that important in Next Gen's output. Then when Michelle clarified how it would be the kickoff and the show's concept... You know, I came upon "The Chase" just by chance. The cards turned out this way. On Next Gen, you get episodes assigned to you by some random voting of straws; on Discovery, and also, much more importantly, on Strange New Worlds, they assign you an episode they thought you would be suitable for. Thus, it was only chance that "The Chase" turned out to be one I had intended.
Jonathan Frakes's Star Trek Future
Though Jonathan Frakes is in demand as a director (and he still occasionally performs, filling in the 2023 Hallmark Channel film A Biltmore Christmas), Star Trek will still gain from his behind-the- camera skill. Following on his huge hit comedy crossover between Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, Jonathan oversaw an episode of season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Frakes shared with Screen Rant his additional Star Trek directing intentions: "I'm going to keep going on Strange [New Worlds]. Although I was invited to visit Starfleet Academy, the [episode directing] slot ran against my son's wedding. I shall thus return, hopefully, for the second Academy season.
Greenlit by Paramount+ for a prospective Spring 2025 production start, Jonathan Frakes intends to resurface behind the camera for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4. Frakes also intends to oversee Star Trek: Starfleet Academy into season 2. Though there has been no more information regarding the project, Frakes was revealed as the director of the sci-fi series Deathlands in the interim. Regarding what else Star Trek has ahead, fortunately Jonathan Frakes has no intentions to leave the last frontier.
Jonathan Frakes's Star Trek Future:
Jonathan Frakes is sought after as a director; Star Trek will gain from his behind-the- camera experience (he still occasionally acts, filling in for the Hallmark Channel feature A Biltmore Christmas). Jonathan oversaw an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 after his successful comedy crossover between Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Frakes spoke on his future Star Trek directing for Screen Rant: "I'm going to keep going on Strange [New Worlds]" "I was invited to visit Starfleet Academy, but the [episode directing] window ran against my son's wedding. I shall thus return, hopefully, for the second Academy season.
Greenlit by Paramount+ for a prospective Spring 2025 production start, Jonathan Frakes is scheduled to return behind the camera for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4. Additionally hoping to supervise Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in season 2 is Frakes. Frakes was named as a director for the science fiction series Deathlands meanwhile, although no updates regarding that project have been published. As far as the future of Star Trek is concerned, Jonathan Frakes fortunately has no plans of leaving the last frontier.
Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Possibility of Star Trek: Legacy
Examining Star Trek's future with streaming movies and new TV shows, including the possibility of Star Trek: Picard's much-desired spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, Director Jonathan Frakes supports the "excellent form" Star Trek is in. Although Frakes portrayed Captain William Riker in Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks, he is also among the most prolific and popular Star Trek on Paramount+ streaming series directors. Frakes has oversaw multiple Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episodes.
Jonathan Frakes was questioned by IndieWire about his most recent directing success on Star Trek: Discovery season five, episode nine, "Lagrange Point". Turning to the future of Star Trek, Frakes presented his positive assessment on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Star Trek: Section 31, and the possibility of Star Trek: Legacy still under development. Please find his remarks below:
Star Trek is in good shape.
Star Trek is ending series like Discovery and Lower Decks but renewed Strange New Worlds while setting up new streaming and theatrical movies. "Star Trek is in a good place. The franchise has a terrific present and a great future.
With fresh shows like Starfleet Academy and Section 31, the presentations will be in fantastic form. This is the perfect moment for Star Trek enthusiast.
Jonathan Frakes clarifies variations of different eras of Star Trek as a director.
Jonathan Frakes then goes on to discuss how the new shows let directors latitude with dialogue that the Star Trek series created by Rick Berman did not allow, thus directing for Star Trek on Paramount+ series is quite different. Star Trek requires the actors be word-perfect and recite all speech as written, but the current programs are looser and let for experimentation. See Frakes' comment on his experience supervising the crossover between Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks below.
That's a fascinating point. That happened on "Those Old Scientists" with Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome visiting. Second City improv specialist Tawny fooled about a bit with the lines. On the scene with Kat Lyn and Bill Wolkoff as my writers, we all sort of locked eyes and I just murmured to them, asking, "What do you think? Should we let them go straight forward? Then they said, "Sure." And that released Anson, and Rebecca, and all of a sudden we performed the scenes as written, but then we played with the scenes, and that was such a delight to have. Given Next Gen's severe policies, as I'm sure you have heard. On our show, it was absolutely rigorous. It was rigorous on every show covering the conversation. It was therefore a quite liberating experience.
Star Trek's Next Chapter
"I most definitely have ideas and hopes. Corrections? I don't have, but I do know that the franchise is in great shape. I do know that this Starfleet Academy series is going to be an entirely different animal, and I think that the success of what I’m imagining, the success of Section 31, Michelle Yeoh’s movie, is only going to catapult us further into the future. And my hope, obviously, is that we’ll find a place then to continue the Legacy story.”
Terry Matalas, the showrunner for Star Trek: Picard season 3, was recently named as the new showrunner of Marvel Studios' Vision TV series on Disney+, which may further hinder Star Trek: Legacy's development in the near future.
Source: IndieWire
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