Jonathan Frakes Reached Out To J.J. Abrams About Directing STAR TREK 3

Jonathan Frakes Reached Out To J.J. Abrams About Directing STAR TREK 3

When news hit that Roberto Orci would no longer direct Star Trek 3 fans began a campaigning to get former Star Trek actor/director Jonathan Frakes ('William T. Riker') the vacancy. Frakes liked the idea so much he made some calls to the powers that be.

By nailbiter111 - Dec 11, 2014 01:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Trek
Source: komonews

http://starland.com/sf-sc/sf11/images/110223Frakes02-5in.jpg
Yesterday, Charlie Harger from Komo News, spoke with Jonathan Frakes about the recent #BringInRiker campaign. It was created by hardcore Trekkies with the hop of landing Frakes the Star Trek 3 directing gig, which became available last week when first-time director to be Roberto Orci was removed from the position. During the conversation, Frakes revealed a fondness for the campaign and that it inspired him to reach out to the powers that be to express interest.

"Hashtag, BringInRiker!" he yells to me from his cell phone. "I'm all over it. I'm all over it."

Frakes says he's made first contact with Producer J.J. Abrams, and his agent has reached out to Paramount Pictures. "I would love that job," he says.

Typically, directors are coy about their ambitions. Not Frakes. "I say, unabashedly, I'd be great at it and would love to do it."


Frakes is excited about the possibility, but he admits he is a "long shot" to get it.

Frakes is best known for playing 'Commander William T. Riker' in Star Trek: The Next Generation television series and their spinoff films. He even made guest appearances as 'Riker' on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. But Frakes isn't just an actor, he has also directed feature films and television shows - man of them being Star Trek related.  He actually cut his teeth behind the camera with episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and then made his feature film directorial debut with Star Trek: First Contact (1996). That went so well Frakes brought back two years later to direct 1998's Star Trek: Insurrection. Since then he has directed four more non-Star Trek feature films and a ton of television shows like Falling Skies, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,and Switched at Birth.
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Star Trek VIII: First Contact - Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Next Generation crew engage in their most thrilling adventure yet. They call themselves the Borg - a half organic, half-machine collective with a sole purpose: to conquer and assimilate all races. Led by their seductive and sadistic queen (Alice Krige), the Borg are headed to Earth with a devious plan to alter history. Picard's last encounter with the Borg almost killed him. Now he wants vengeance.

Actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell.
Director: Jonathan Frakes * Screenwriters: Brannon Braga * Ronald D. Moore
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SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/11/2014, 1:14 AM
Well, at least he knows he's a "long shot."
SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/11/2014, 1:19 AM
TwiztidThorn
TwiztidThorn - 12/11/2014, 1:24 AM
In a just and perfect world he's get the gig.
Hellboy6666
Hellboy6666 - 12/11/2014, 1:24 AM
I like the idea. I always thought they should have spun off TNG and made Riker captain of his own ship.
WackyBantha
WackyBantha - 12/11/2014, 2:21 AM
Here are some suggestions:
1) The Wachowskis
2) Jonathan Frakes and Leonard Nimoy together
3) George Lucas
4) Steven Spielberg
5) Angelina Jolie
6) Spike Lee
7) Katheryn Bigelow
8) Gina Prince-Bythewood
9) George Miller
10) J.J. Abrams
Orehrepus
Orehrepus - 12/11/2014, 2:25 AM
@DIAMONDZ
Have you been sleeping like Rip Van Winkle or in cryostatic like Stallone in Demolition Man when Star Trek first aired, and just awaken now? LOL!

I missed the news about Orci getting the boot. Gotta let it out first.



Okay, on topic.
I agree with Nail on this one.
I like Frakes.
His films are exciting.
But yeah, not box office material.

I'd say give it to Jon Favreau.
Orehrepus
Orehrepus - 12/11/2014, 2:27 AM
Oh yeah, Brad Bird is not a bad choice either.
santoanderson
santoanderson - 12/11/2014, 2:38 AM
Am I the only one who saw the mediocre cheesefest called Thunderbirds? That was Frakes' last big directorial feature. It's no wonder he's only been able to get basic cable TV directing gigs ever since. I think First Contact was good, but Insurrection was terrible. It looked like an episode of the TV show; just flat, cheap and visually uninteresting. Also it took Picard, a typically even-headed, moral character and turned him into a murderous cliched, one-liner spouting action hero. You should really check out RedLetterMedia's Insurrection review. It points out every glaring flaw with that movie.
CuddlyCereal
CuddlyCereal - 12/11/2014, 2:58 AM
I just hope they never try to touch or remake TNG.
Spock0Clock
Spock0Clock - 12/11/2014, 3:12 AM
I have no ill will toward Frakes, but he's not the right guy. These new Star Treks are going to be action blockbusters, not quirky/solemn explorations of the human condition.

The TNG movies tried to be action films, but neither the cast nor the directors were suited to it. That's why the show was so much better than the movies. Give me a marathon of episodes like "The Inner Light" and "Darmok" over schlock like Nemesis and Insurrection any day.

Frakes seems like a good actor and a fine director, and I'd take him over plastic armchairs like Abrams or Orci any day, just on the hope that the movie ends up with some kind of soul, but he's not the ideal guy for these sorts of spectacles.
loki668
loki668 - 12/11/2014, 3:16 AM
@CuddlyCereal

This just in: They're rebooting TNG, starring Adam Sandler, Harvey Fierstein, with Kim Kardashian as "Planet Rump".
Spock0Clock
Spock0Clock - 12/11/2014, 3:16 AM
Oh, and also I would love to see a Frakes cameo in a Captain America movie. For anyone who didn't know, he worked as an actor for Marvel in the 1970's, doing live promotional stuff. (There's a great story about him having to play Spidey when the normal guy was unavailable, as well.)



You hear that, Joe and Anthony?! Respect the legacy!
Floke
Floke - 12/11/2014, 3:23 AM
I hope he woukd bring back Q
McGee
McGee - 12/11/2014, 3:24 AM
Only one director can bring us a truly magnificent Star Trek 3 The Search For Spock to the big screen.

Axel Braun.

I was gonna say Leonard Nimoy...but I fear he might die of natural causes while filming.
Baka
Baka - 12/11/2014, 3:28 AM
[frick]ing hate what Orci and Kurtzi have done to to star trek and i hate how Abraams didnt give any shit about working on star trek only using it as a way to get onto star wars.
Spock0Clock
Spock0Clock - 12/11/2014, 3:31 AM


Here's a question. Why hasn't Chris Evans met with the first family?!

Thanks, Obama!...
VictorHugo
VictorHugo - 12/11/2014, 3:57 AM
I think Riker could pull it off. He gets my vote.
Humperdink
Humperdink - 12/11/2014, 4:24 AM
Frakes is cool.

This will NEVER happen though.

If he wanted to direct a blockbuster franchise film he needed to start building his film directing resume a lot sooner.

Normally you don't just go from warp 1 to 10 when it comes to this sort of thing.
VictorHugo
VictorHugo - 12/11/2014, 4:31 AM
@Humperdink

I think the fact that a complete novice like Bob Orci could´ve directed it, encouraged him.
GenerationX
GenerationX - 12/11/2014, 4:31 AM
Did you even read what you wrote??? Proofread and try again
Humperdink
Humperdink - 12/11/2014, 4:34 AM
@VictorHugo

I think the fact that a complete novice like Bob Orci could´ve directed it, encouraged him.



ROFLMAO!

Yeah, I love Riker but I also thought Orci was wrong too. For writing and directing.

He's just more connected to the makers of the blockbusters and scripting super money-making films than Frakes is.

Still love Riker, though.

Humperdink
Humperdink - 12/11/2014, 4:49 AM
@GenerationX

What that directed at me?

I know Frakes did what I consider the best Star Trek film in the Next Generation franchise but that wasn't a Blockbuster hit, it was in 1996, and he followed it up was a disaster. He went on to do some cool TV stuff but again, it was almost 20 years ago when he did Contact and he screwed up the second film.

He doesn't have the resume to do a contemporary blockbuster film is what I meant.
Even he knows he's a long-shot.
VictorHugo
VictorHugo - 12/11/2014, 4:58 AM
@Humperdink

Me too, i have a Riker action figure in a shelf back home.

Even so, maybe Frakes would be better directing some TV series set in the prime timeline.
VictorHugo
VictorHugo - 12/11/2014, 5:02 AM
@GenerationX

Are you mocking my writing skills?
grif
grif - 12/11/2014, 5:02 AM
great director and actor. i am surprised he has not done more
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 12/11/2014, 5:21 AM
I'd be down for this. First Contact is my second favorite Trek film. Insurrection wasn't that terrible, but it felt like a mediocre tv episode. We'll see.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 12/11/2014, 5:25 AM
When ever i saw him on those old Star Trek Episodes he bored me along with the rest of the cast except for Xavier, he was cool.
krylonshadow
krylonshadow - 12/11/2014, 5:25 AM
Oh wow, did not know he directed First Contact. Get him on board! #BringInRiker
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 12/11/2014, 5:27 AM
@Spock0Clock

Yikes, that Goblin is freaky.

Still a better Goblin than what we got in TASM 2.
TankD
TankD - 12/11/2014, 5:38 AM
I swear to god Ive read this exact article before with these exact comments. talk about true deja vu.
BigDaddyJinx
BigDaddyJinx - 12/11/2014, 5:52 AM
Frakes' directorial debut with 'First Contact' was undone with 'Insurrection'. However, that makes him 1 for 2, or .500. I'd say give him a shot and see if he can redeem 'Insurrection' and get back on the good side of .500.

He'd have my vote.
GothamSon
GothamSon - 12/11/2014, 6:04 AM
Whatever happens in Trek 3, they need to fix the Klingons. These were some of the worst male up effects I've seen in a massive budget film:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
BackwardGalaxy
BackwardGalaxy - 12/11/2014, 6:20 AM
I like Frakes a lot, but he doesn't have Abrams' vision when it comes to making these films. Say what you want about JJ, he makes very pretty movies.
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