"We've lived longer than we ever expected and prospered in many unexpected ways," enthused George Takei at the Thursday's preem of "World Enough and Time," the latest episode in the fan-produced "Star Trek: New Voyages" skein. The all-volunteer production unspooled for a packed house at the Fine Arts in BevHills as cast, crew, well-wishers and Trekkers rubbed elbows with Trek legends Takei, Walter "Chekov" Koenig and writers David Gerrold, D.C. Fontana and George Clayton Johnson.
"World Enough and Time", shot in high-def in upstate New York, combined the talents of fans and neophytes with vets writer-director Marc Zicree and Takei, whose "Mr. Sulu" character gets the spotlight in the show. Zicree, who visited the set of the original "Star Trek" as a boy, adapted a story originally conceived for Takei in the 1970s, when there were plans to revive "Trek" for TV. "I'd wanted to to work with George for many years," said Zicree.
Koenig said that after the sixth "Trek" movie, he and Takei were disappointed because the fates of his character and others were unaddressed. He did an earlier "New Voyages" episode and called it "a very satisfying experience." After 40 years of obsessive fans, conventions, movies, novels, personal appearances and vidgames, is there anything left that could surprise him? "Star Trek" The Wagnerian Opera" he said. (D. Cohen)
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