The midseason premiere of Star Trek: Prodigy arrives for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday, October 27th, 2022. However earlier than the USS Protostar returns, Comics Beat obtained the chance to talk with collection creators, writers, and govt producers Kevin and Dan Hageman.
The Beat caught up with Kevin and Dan over Zoom to ask in regards to the upcoming midseason premiere, inquire in regards to the New York Comedian Con 2022 Murf plushies, and discover out what it’s prefer to work with the following technology of Trek expertise!
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
AVERY KAPLAN: Why is Dal / Brett Grey excellent for the captain’s position on Prodigy?
DAN HAGEMAN: I feel it begins with him considering he’s excellent for the captain’s spot. After we went into the present, Star Trek’s at all times been about the very best of the very best. What about individuals who begin the worst of the worst?
So somebody who seeks the captain’s chair, in our opinion, is somebody who’s undeserving of the captain’s chair. However, to see that progress, that’s why we predict Dal / Brett Grey is the right individual for that position.
KAPLAN: With out spoilers, are you able to give our readers a tease of what your targets have been when writing the midseason premiere?
DAN: Talking of episode 11, a while has handed. What we wish to convey you is a superb massive journey sequence – I do know that was a purpose.
Kevin and I do a number of function writing, so once we have a look at episode 1 via 20, we’re considering of that as extra of a film construction than a tv construction.
KEVIN HAGEMAN: It’s nearly like a miniseries that we’re doing with these 20 episodes.
DAN: We’re excited about episode 10, we’re excited about episode 20, earlier than we even write episode 2.
KEVIN: In the midst of the film, the motion or the story begins to escalate, proper? And so, what’s going to be the best impediment – what’s the wedge that’s going to get in the best way of what our youngsters most need, which is to get to Starfleet? What if Starfleet is searching them down?
DAN: And Starfleet is in danger! The one factor you need is the one factor you’ll be able to’t have.
KEVIN: After which we thought, effectively, god, we’ll have two Kate Mulgrews. We’ll have two Janeways! That is going to be wonderful.
KAPLAN: Are you able to communicate to the concept of getting a Janeway on either side of the generational battle?
DAN: I feel all people would desire a Janeway on their facet, first off.
KEVIN: Yep.
DAN: So it seems like, you’re not fairly certain… I’m an enormous fan of The Wire. What I like about The Wire was there have been sensible folks on either side of the argument. And that’s what I like having in Star Trek: Prodigy. You perceive the child’s place, however you additionally perceive Admiral Janeway’s place. So subsequently, how’s it going to return to a conclusion?
KEVIN: You like either side, proper? Regardless that Admiral Janeway goes to be an antagonist, she’s not a villain. You’re not going to not like her.
Immediately, Dan and I stated, “That is kind of like The Fugitive.” That was a film that we liked seeing Harrison Ford versus Tommy Lee Jones. However you’re keen on Tommy Lee Jones, he’s not a foul man – he’s simply attempting to seek out this runaway.
KAPLAN: What’s it like working with the following technology of expertise, each by way of actors and behind the scenes (with the youngest employees author ever to work on a Trek collection)?
DAN: (Author) Keith Candy, he’s unbelievable. He began on our desk, and we have been going to maneuver him as much as author’s assistant. However then he wrote a script that simply knocked our footwear off. We have been like, “We’ve obtained to get him into the room.”
KEVIN: For season 2, sure.
DAN: For the author’s room, we’re very happy with our author’s room.
We needed individuals who knew Star Trek up and down and in addition individuals who didn’t know Star Trek up and down, and having nice conversations. As a result of we all know our viewers have been going to be on either side: individuals who knew Star Trek and individuals who didn’t know Star Trek.
KEVIN: And in addition, with the crew or writers that we’ve that like Star Trek, they like completely different exhibits. It’s very completely different, somebody who grew up on Star Trek: The Subsequent Era versus, I kind of grew up on Star Trek: The Authentic Collection.
KAPLAN: What went into the choice to convey again Jellico?
DAN: We needed to discover, “who might shut Admiral Janeway down?” After which we have been like, “It’s gotta be Jellico.”
KEVIN: All of us love Ronny Cox, you already know. That was truly very easy to return to that, as a result of we have been speaking about, “Who on this time interval could be an Admiral who could be above Janeway?”
DAN: I feel we truly went out and obtained an inventory of who have been the energetic admirals at the moment. The listing was like, there’s 3 characters… and once we noticed Jellico’s title, we have been like, “Oh, that’s simple.”
KEVIN: You realize what’s nice, once we document with Ronny, he’s similar to, the nicest man on this planet. And he’s identified for taking part in essentially the most hardass, powerful villain guys.
KAPLAN: Did you get a Murf plushie at NYCC?
At present’s the day! @NY_Comic_Con attendees, get your free Murf plush on the #StarTrekProdigy pop-up! Discover it on the inside roadway whereas provides final. #NYCC #StarTrekNYCC pic.twitter.com/VrYKmeSOkD
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) October 8, 2022
DAN: Sure, however – I obtained 3 of them, and so they’re already all gone. One in every of them went to our author’s assistant who simply obtained married, and I needed to give her one. And the opposite two went to my kids.
So I suppose technically I’ve two in my household possession, however I don’t know. I would like one other one.
KEVIN: However you’re not a foul sufficient dad who’s going to only, take it away from their mattress and put it in your workplace desk.
KAPLAN: How was the Prodigy author’s room pizza social gathering?
KEVIN: That was unbelievable! As a result of, with that author’s room, it had been a yr and a half to 2 years, so it was such a pleasure to have the ability to come again and eat pizza.
Pizza Occasion — test. Thanks everybody for popping out. Congrats @TrekProdigyRoom for reaching your first 10k followers. Vegas at 100k. #startrekprodigy pic.twitter.com/XaRlgrrNkL
— Dan & Kevin Hageman (@brothershageman) August 9, 2022
DAN: It was one of many first instances seeing a number of the folks within the season 2 author’s room, which was performed throughout COVID. So it was the primary time we had all of us coming collectively.
After which we had writers from season 1 coming in. It was unbelievable, it was nice. And we tried honey on pizza for the primary time, which is a brand new factor.
KEVIN: Present runners are completely different about it, however for me, to have writers in a room collectively is magical. And we didn’t have that for season 2, in any respect. So it was particular, coming collectively.
KAPLAN: Is there any likelihood of a crossover with one other Trek collection, and in that case, is there any you’d notably hope to crossover with?
DAN: I feel we wish it greater than all of the followers, wanting a crossover. The query is, who wouldn’t it be with? And, it doesn’t matter.
I do know Star Trek: Decrease Decks is near our timeline, however… I’m wondering the way you cope with that future facet. It’s nonetheless two years, I feel we’re nonetheless two years forward of them.
They’d have to return to us, as a result of our youngsters have been all on a slave planet. Except, they arrive to that slave planet and don’t save anybody. Which… is one thing they could do. “Prime Directive, later!”
KEVIN: Or Star Trek: Deep House 9’s “Trials and Tribble-lations.” I like stuff like that. So, that may be actually cool to by some means take our present, and for them to return throughout the TOS or TNG Enterprise could be wonderful.
DAN: And we hold pushing live-action Ella Purnell and Brett Grey.
KEVIN: Yeah! Brett appears similar to Dal. Ella with some make-up might completely pull off a live-action Gwyn. Yeah, we is perhaps pushing for that, some day.
[Editor’s Note: Purnell and Gray told The Beat and other outlets they would be willing to appear as their characters in live action during a NYCC ’22 roundtable.]
KEVIN: We’d should do away with Brett’s little ‘stache on his lip, although.
DAN: We’d should pay additional for that.
KEVIN: Yeah, I don’t know if he’s keen to half with that.
DAN: He’s not gonna wish to try this.
The midseason premiere of Star Trek: Prodigy shall be launched for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday, October 27th, 2022.
