New ‘Star Trek’ Movie ‘Axanar’ Sets Release Date For 2016 Ahead Of ‘Star Trek 3’

Set in an alternative universe to Star Trek 3, a new Star Trek movie, called Axanar, is readying to start filming in January. The new Star Trek 3 release date is set for July of 2016, but indie filmmakers are treating Trekkies to a film which covers the events of the Battle of Axanar, a clash between the Federation and the Klingons which occurred 21 years before the events depicted in the original Star Trek TV series.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, another new Star Trek movie, called Star Trek: Captain Pike, hoped to raise money via Kickstarter. The goal was to explore the voyages of the Starship Enterprise before James T. Kirk took the captain’s chair.

Star Trek: Axanar will be the first full length Star Trek movie to be produced independently of CBS and Paramount, yet retain the full quality of a Hollywood movie like Star Trek 3. The people behind the project have produced special effects and makeup for movies like Star Wars: Rogue Leader, Iron Man 3, and multiple Star Trek TV series.

“What AXANAR represents is a turning point in the way science fiction films can be produced in the future,” says Executive Producer Alec Peters. “Setting up a production company to produce movies is no longer a rich man’s game, when you consider the technology that’s available and the ability of fans to lend their financial support to productions that matter to them.”

The Star Trek cast will also not be lacking in any regard. The new Star Trek movie features Hollywood actors like Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica), Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica), and Tony Todd (Candyman, Chuck, 24). The role of Vulcan Ambassador Soval will be played by Gary Graham (Star Trek: Enterprise) and J.G. Herzler (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager) is famous for playing as Klingon General Martok in the past.

“For actors, it’s a very significant development,” explains Hatch. “This new production model opens up possibilities to continue developing characters we’ve come to love as well as exploring new ideas and new stories and new worlds that otherwise might never get approved by higher ups at a network or a studio.”

Star Trek: Axanar will recount the story of Captain Klevar Garth of Izar, the legendary Starfleet captain featured in the Star Trek episode “Whom Gods Destroy.” The Battle of Axanar marked the conclusion of the Four Years War with the Klingon Empire, and Captain Kirk considered the man to be a hero before an accident maimed Garth’s mind and body.

The Star Trek: Axanar release date is currently promised on the premise of raising funding via IndieGoGo. They blew past the original goal of $250,000, so they are hoping to reach $1.3 million in order to meet the full goals of production. They are currently scheduled to start shooting in Los Angeles in January, and the final release date is tentatively scheduled for the spring or summer of 2016.

[Image via Star Trek: Axanar]