Star Trek Axanar feature film on track to start filming October 2015 and for release in the first half of 2016

Axanar is the first fully-professional, independent Star Trek film. While some may call it a “fan film” as we are not licensed by CBS, Axanar has professionals working in front and behind the camera, with a fully-professional crew–many of whom have worked on Star Trek itself–who ensure Axanar will be the quality of Star Trek that all fans want to see.

Axanar is in pre-production now and will start filming in October 2015 with an anticipated release in the first half of 2016.

Alex Peters at Axanar Productions discussed the relationship that they have with CBS.

Alex Peters met with CBS while at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention. The meeting was with two of the top people in CBS and they were very frank about Axanar. The CBS people told them everyone at CBS and Paramount was aware of Axanar.

They told them that Axanar Productions was certainly doing more than any fan film before and that has some people concerned. CBS say what CAN or CANNOT be done for legal reasons. Axanar Productions is left to make assumptions and if we cross the line the lawyers will let them know.

Going into Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, the last thing CBS would want is any negative publicity related to Star Trek. As of August 30th, 1.5 million fans have watched Prelude to Axanar on Youtube, and other fan productions have large viewerships, as well. All of the fans watching these productions are Star Trek consumers. Alienating them by changing CBS’ relationship with fan films would not be good for business, particularly now, in the age of social media.

Will there be Aliens on the USS Ares?

Since Axanar takes place in the Primer universe, 20 years before TOS, we try to fit into what we see in TOS. So, the question is not only are there be aliens aboard the USS Ares, but are there aliens in Starfleet in the Prime Universe?

Well, let’s see what TOS had to say about those questions…
1. There are no aliens on the USS Enterprise in TOS. The only exception is Spock, who is half-Vulcan.
2. Spock is the only alien we see in Starfleet until TMP.
3. The Vulcans fully crew the USS Intrepid (destroyed in The Immunity Syndrome). Thus, this must be under Vulcan control, not Starfleet.
4. Kirk refers to UESPA, the United Earth Space Probe Agency, which we see in “Enterprise” as well and is referred to in both as “Starfleet Command”.

So it seems we don’t have integrated crews 100 years after the founding of the Federation. (Granted we see a few aliens in the crew of the Kelvin in the JJverse, but we assume they are exceptions). So from the above 4 facts, it appears that maybe each member of the Federation has its own fleet. And maybe they coordinate, but they certainly don’t integrate.

In Axanar you WILL see Vulcans in the Federation, and you WILL see an Andorian captain. And if we play it right, a whole ship crewed by Andorians.

SOURCE- Axanar Production, Youtube