Brent Spiner says planned post-Nemesis Star Trek crossover film was a "pipe dream"
At the New York premiere of The Sixty-Year Mission, Brent Spiner told TrekMovie that a crossover sequel to Star Trek: Nemesis, which he and writer John Logan pitched, would have been "fantastic" but was never made, largely because of cost.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Actor Brent Spiner has described a follow-up to 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis that he and screenwriter John Logan devised but that Paramount never made, calling it a "pipe dream" that would have been "fantastic". Screen RantN “Brent Spiner talks about the "fantastic" Star Trek: Nemesis follow up that he and screenwriter John Logan dubbed the "Justice League of Star Trek."” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “"It was a pipe dream on our parts".” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 2Spiner made the remarks to TrekMovie in New York, at the premiere of the documentary The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World. Screen RantN “TrekMovie's Laurie Ulster spoke to Brent Spiner at the New York premiere of The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “But speaking in New York ahead of the new Star Trek documentary, The Sixty-Year Mission” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 2The idea was a crossover bringing together characters from different eras of Star Trek, with a story involving time travel and the Mirror Universe and "everybody playing two roles". Screen RantN “Spiner also hinted about "everybody playing two roles," as his and Logan's plan reportedly involved time travel and the Mirror Universe.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “bringing together multiple characters from throughout every part of the franchise in a story around the Mirror Universe and time travel.” Read at Radio Times ↗
Centre · 2Spiner said the plan was unaffordable, "particularly not after my salary", and that an original script they wrote was rejected, though he said "It wasn't the script" but the story idea that was not to be. Screen RantN “Thing is, it was a pipe dream on our parts, because obviously, nobody could afford to do that. Particularly not after my salary, they weren’t going to be able to.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “We had an original script that we wrote that was rejected. It wasn’t the script.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 1He said he and Logan met Paramount executives, who answered "Nah, we don't want to do that." Screen RantN “Yeah, we had meetings, and they said, ‘Nah, we don’t want to do that.’ And so, that’s the way it goes.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant says Spiner described the same idea in 2023 to Star Trek Magazine as the "Justice League of Star Trek", which Paramount judged too expensive, and earlier to Dreamwatch. Screen RantN “It was the Justice League of Star Trek, but Paramount decided it was too expensive a movie to make.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 1In the Dreamwatch account, Star Trek villains from Khan to Shinzon would unite and Picard would travel through time to recruit Kirk, Spock and Scott Bakula's Archer; Spiner said cost was the main problem. Screen RantN “The problem with that more than anything is cost – how do you pay for that?”“Something would bring all the great Star Trek villains together, from Khan to Shinzon, and Picard is the only person who could stop them” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Nemesis performed poorly critically and at the box office, ending the Next Generation film series; Radio Times says executives declined because of that poor box office, while Screen Rant stresses expense and the franchise's weak standing. Screen RantN “Star Trek: Nemesis bombed critically and at the box office, putting an end to the Star Trek: The Next Generation movie franchise.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “executives decided they "didn’t want to do it" due to the poor box office of Nemesis, ending its potential.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 2Afterwards, J.J. Abrams rebooted the films with a new cast, led by Chris Pine, in a 2009 film that became a trilogy; Screen Rant says Paramount ended Rick Berman's 18-year tenure in 2005 and that Abrams' run also ended after two sequels. Radio TimesN “Chris Pine led the new all-star cast as Captain James T Kirk” Read at Radio Times ↗ Screen RantN “In 2005, the studio put an end to Star Trek, concluding Rick Berman's 18-year tenure overseeing the franchise.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 2On the franchise's current state, Screen Rant says Skydance is prioritising new films, the first known project by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein having no legacy characters, so a crossover looks as remote as ever; Radio Times notes Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will end after a second season arriving on Paramount+ in March 2027. Screen RantN “Skydance's priority is to launch new Star Trek movies, with the first known project by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein containing no legacy characters.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Radio TimesN “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 will arrive on Paramount+ in March 2027.” Read at Radio Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat it as nostalgic franchise trivia from a Spiner interview: Screen Rant as a deeper look at the "Justice League of Star Trek" idea and its history, Radio Times as a Star Trek legend revealing why a sequel was scrapped.
- Emphasis
- Screen Rant stresses cost, Spiner's earlier descriptions of the plot and Paramount's weak position in the 2000s and today's Skydance plans. Radio Times stresses Spiner's career, the later reboot and recent TV series.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Radio Times does not use the 'Justice League of Star Trek' label, the villain-and-time-travel details or the Paramount meetings, and attributes the rejection to box office rather than cost. Screen Rant does not mention Starfleet Academy.
- Charged language
- “Star Trek legend”“pipe dream”“Justice League of Star Trek”
- For example
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“Post-2002, Star Trek was a failing franchise in Paramount's eyes.” — Screen Rant
“Star Trek legend Brent Spiner has opened up on a spin-off series that sadly never made the light of day.” — Radio Times
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Spiner spoke to TrekMovie at a New York event for The Sixty-Year Mission documentary.
- The unmade sequel to Star Trek: Nemesis would have been a crossover involving the Mirror Universe, time travel and actors playing two roles.
- Spiner called it a "pipe dream" and said nobody could afford it, particularly after his salary.
- The plan was rejected and the J.J. Abrams reboot followed.
Where accounts differ
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Why the film was not made
- Centre
- Screen Rant, citing Spiner, gives cost as the reason (Paramount thought it too expensive) and notes Nemesis's failure. Radio Times says executives declined "due to the poor box office of Nemesis", a reason not shown in Spiner's quoted words.
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Nature of the project
- Centre
- Screen Rant calls it a crossover film. Radio Times describes it as a Nemesis sequel but also calls it a "spin-off series" in its introduction.
Brent Spiner person
Spiner says the crossover would have been "fantastic" but was unrealistic because of cost, including his own salary, and that Paramount executives turned it down at meetings.
“Yeah, we had meetings, and they said, ‘Nah, we don’t want to do that.’ And so, that’s the way it goes.” — Screen Rant
“going to be fantastic” — Radio Times
North America1 outlet
Screen Rant gives the fullest account of the 'Justice League of Star Trek' idea, with Spiner's earlier quotes and studio context.
“Spiner revisited the "pipe dream" of his "Justice League of Star Trek" idea” — Screen Rant
Screen Rant
UK and Ireland1 outlet
Radio Times presents it as a career-and-franchise overview aimed at general viewers, ending with streaming news.
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which focuses on up-and-coming cadets training to join Starfleet, launched earlier this year.” — Radio Times
Radio Times
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Neutral Explanatory piece that gathers Spiner's quotes from several interviews and sets them against Paramount's history and Skydance's current plans.
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Star Trek legend reveals why "fantastic" sequel to 24-year-old film was scrapped
Neutral Light entertainment-news item that presents Spiner's remarks as a reveal, with franchise background and Starfleet Academy news.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 13 Oct 01:19 First Screen RantN “Justice League Of Star Trek” Movie That Never Happened Would Have Been “Fantastic,” Says Brent Spiner
- 13 Oct 12:15 +10h 56m Radio TimesN Star Trek legend reveals why "fantastic" sequel to 24-year-old film was scrapped
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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