'Star Trek: Captain Pike' Fan Film to Boldly Go to Pre-Kirk Enterprise

Original Starship Enterprise Model at Air and Space Museum
This model of the starship Enterprise was used in the original "Star Trek" TV series, which aired from 1966 to 1969. (Image credit: National Air and Space Museum)

A group of dedicated "Star Trek" fans want to make a new movie, featuring a character from "The "Original Series" who was captain of the Enterprise before James T. Kirk. And they plan to have experienced "Star Trek" actors taking part.

Christopher Pike was featured in the first pilot episode of the original "Star Trek" TV show. That episode, called "The Cage," concerns a mission in the year 2254, when Captain Pike and his crew are leaving the planet Rigel VII, where several team members were killed.

"The incident filled Pike with so much guilt that he is considering resigning his commission. But that's all we know about Captain Pike, and we want to know so much more. Don't you?" the group's Kickstarter page reads.

"This is the story of Captain Pike when he first takes command of the Enterprise and his first mission aboard her," it adds. "And with your help, it will lead into a 90-minute Captain Pike film or Web Series."

The group — which calls itself Rigel 7 Productions — aims to first make a 45-minute feature called "Star Trek: Captain Pike," then produce the 90-minute movie "Star Trek: Encounter at Rigel." 

So far Rigel 7 Productions' Kickstarter campaign has raised almost $24,000 of its $112,000 goal. The campaign will close on June 3.

Rigel 7 Productions says "Encounter at Rigel" wouldanswer three questions raised by "The Cage" pilot episode: What happened to Pike's first officer and science officer (Mr. Spock) on the first mission; if Pike ever went into battle; and what alien race he encountered.

Pike will be played by Todd Shawn Tei, the producer of the show. The cast also includes Robert Picardo, who played The Doctor on "Star Trek: Voyager."

Other headliners include Bruce Davison ("Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise"), Dwight Schultz ("Star Trek: TNG"), Linda Park ("Star Trek: Enterprise") and Chase Masterson ("Star Trek: Deep Space 9").

The funds will go toward payments for items such as set construction, filming, actors and make-up, with a small portion going to charity, project representatives said.

Paramount Pictures, which is working on a third film in the rebooted "Star Trek" series in Hollywood, allows "Star Trek" fan productions to go forward as long as those projects do not make a profit. Last year, another project called "Star Trek: Axanar" warped well past its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter.

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Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace