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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
“Star Trek Nemesis” began principal
photography on November 26, 2001, in California’s Mojave
Desert, not far from Edwards Air Force Base, and wrapped on
March 7, 2002, in Los Angeles. By starting with the desert
scenes—Captain Picard driving an Argo, a 24th century
off-road vehicle—Stuart Baird established the rapid pace
of the action that was to come.
Weeks before the scenes were filmed, Stewart had practiced
driving the vehicle in a quarry. “It was extremely powerful,
and I got a lot of pleasure out of driving it,” says
the actor, who, when it came time to go in front of the cameras,
made full use of his training, and did more than 90 percent
of the driving required for the spectacular chase scene.
At the conclusion of the sequence, the production
returned to Los Angeles and Paramount Studios, where the entire
cast experienced an eerie sense of dejá vu. For Stewart,
the reunion “had a slightly unnerving feeling, in a kind
of Rip Van Winkle way.”
LeVar Burton, who returns as Geordi La Forge, agrees: “It
was spooky replaying my character, but in a good way. Every
time the cast comes back together, we pick it up as if we
all were doing this the previous day, as opposed to, in this
case, three years ago.”
“As we were filming in the corridors of the Enterprise,”
recalls Jonathan Frakes, “I looked over and saw Patrick,
Brent, Marina and LeVar. It was as if time had stopped and
the same kibitzing that we’ve all cherished over the
years was going on. I loved seeing my old friends again, and
it was nice to meet some new friends as well.”
Those new friends included actor Tom Hardy,
who was eager to join the ranks of Star Trek’s infamous
villains. “Shinzon is a dynamic, young, bitter, helpless
individual who comes to battle the man he was supposed to
be . . . the man he felt he deserved to be,” Hardy observes
of his character. “He’s torn between all he knows,
based on his past, and what he believes he has the potential
to be, in the form of Picard. As an actor, I found a human
soul within the character and that made him a very interesting
villain.”
Casting Shinzon proved to be a demanding
task for the filmmakers. Not only did the person portraying
him have to be a competent enough actor to hold his own opposite
Patrick Stewart, but he also had to look enough like Stewart
so that the audience would buy him as both a dead-ringer of
Picard and a younger version of him, too. “It’s
not easy to find an actor who can inhabit the technical demands
of such a role, while also having to look like someone else,”
says Stewart, who had nothing but praise for Hardy’s
performance. “Tom came through splendidly.” While
Hardy bore a resemblance to Stewart, some adjustments had
to be made to his appearance, and that’s when makeup
designer Michael Westmore worked his magic. “Since Tom
doesn’t have a cleft in his chin and because his nose
is quite different, I had to sculpt a latex nose and chin
for him,” says Westmore. “And, of course, I shaved
his head. When the two of them did profile shots, or when
they were in scenes together, there was definitely a feeling
of a relationship between them, but they weren’t identical.”
The process of turning Hardy into a Stewart
lookalike took a couple of hours each day before shooting,
but Hardy wasn’t alone during those long makeup sessions.
Veteran Star Trek cast members Brent Spiner and Michael Dorn,
who were daily transformed into their respective characters,
Data and Worf, spent hours having their makeup done just as
they had during their seven seasons on the television series
and the three previous feature films.
Also joining Hardy, Spiner and Dorn in the
makeup chair was Ron Perlman, who was no stranger to prosthetics,
having spent three seasons as the star of the popular television
series “Beauty and the Beast.” His transformation
into the Reman Viceroy took two-and-a-half hours. “My
character is the power behind the power, a little like Shakespeare’s
character Iago,” Perlman says. “The Reman Viceroy
is shrouded in mystery, so the particular challenge was to
portray him in a minimal, selective way, rooted in stillness.
That’s a cool thing for an actor to wrap his teeth around.”
Because Perlman’s character is an alien
species audiences have never seen before, the actor had the
luxury of taking risks with the role, and makeup designer
Michael Westmore had unlimited possibilities in creating the
look of the evil Reman Viceroy.
“Remans live on a planet that gets sunlight only a fraction
of the time,” Westmore notes, “so the filmmakers
wanted them to have an almost Nosferatu look about them without
making them into vampires.”
As for the Reman ship, the Scimitar, which is three times
as large as the Enterprise, production designer Herman Zimmerman
took his design cue from a breastplate that costume designer
Bob Ringwood fashioned for the Remans.
“I extrapolated that breastplate into
the cross bracing I used to build the ship,” explains
Zimmerman. “Then the same design motif carried itself
through everything until it eventually circled back to the
wardrobe department in the form of belt buckles for the Reman
uniforms.” Such rippling of ideas doesn’t surprise
producer Rick Berman. “Over the course of 15 years we’ve
put together a family of people, so we communicate in our
own kind of shorthand,” says Berman. “As a result,
we avoid that period when everyone has to adjust to one another’s
style of work.”
As the production wrapped, director Stuart Baird was satisfied
that the arduous journey he had undertaken was well worth
the trip. “Everyone involved with the film was very generous
in sharing his or her vast experience,” he says. “In
the end, I feel we produced a film that will be appreciated
by loyal Star Trek fans, and I also think we’ll give
those who have never experienced a Star Trek movie an exciting
introduction to a wonderful new universe.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
STUART BAIRD (Director) first made
his mark in the motion picture industry as one of the top
editors in the business with his first editing credit being
the rock opera “Tommy,” directed by Ken Russell.
He followed that with the first of many collaborations with
director Richard Donner, editing such films as “Lethal
Weapon,” “The Omen,” “Maverick” and
“Superman,” for which he garnered an Academy Award®
nomination. He later nomination for his editing work on “Gorillas
in the?received a second Oscar Mist,” directed by Michael
Apted. Baird’s other editing credits include “Valentino,”
“Outland,” “Superman II,” “Lethal
Weapon 2,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “Demolition
Man” and many others.
Baird made the transition from editing room to director’s
chair with the 1996 action thriller “Executive Decision,”
starring Kurt Russell and Steven Seagal. He followed that
with “U.S. Marshals,” starring Tommy Lee Jones and
Wesley Snipes.
RICK BERMAN (Producer/Story) has
been involved with the Star Trek franchise since he was tapped
by its creator Gene Roddenberry in 1986 to be a writer and
co-executive producer for “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
He later rose to the position of executive producer of the
popular series, which collected 55 Emmy nominations and 16
Emmys in its seven seasons. Berman went on to co-create and
executive produce the next two series, “Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” and to
produce the three “Next Generation” feature films,
“Generations,” “First Contact” and “Insurrection.”
In 2001, Berman launched the latest rocket
in the Star Trek sky, “Enterprise,” a show he executive
produces and for which he continues to write.
Berman joined Paramount in 1984 as Director of Current Programming,
and was responsible for overseeing such hit series as “Cheers,”
“Family Ties” and “Webster.” Soon thereafter,
he was named Executive Director of Dramatic Programming, overseeing
the epic miniseries “Space,” as well as “Wallenberg:
A Hero’s Story” and “MacGyver.” In 1986,
prior to his association with Roddenberry, Berman was promoted
to Vice President, Longform and Special Projects for Paramount
Network Television, overseeing the development of telefilms,
miniseries and specials. Today, he continues to be active
in every aspect of the “Star Trek” properties, and
even serves as a creative consultant for the Las Vegas Hilton’s
Star Trek: The Experience attraction.
JOHN LOGAN (Screenwriter) was nominated
for both the American and British Academy Awards® for
his screenplay of the Oscar®-winning drama, “Gladiator.”
He was nominated for an Emmy and won a Writers Guild Award
for his teleplay “RKO 281,” the HBO drama about
the making of “Citizen Kane.” A self-professed Star
Trek fanatic, Logan’s other screenplay work includes
“Any Given Sunday,” “The Time Machine”
and the new Tom Cruise movie “The Last Samurai.”
Logan is currently working on a pair of film biographies:
Abraham Lincoln for Steven Spielberg and Howard Hughes for
Martin Scorsese. He is also working with director Ridley Scott
on a sequel to “Gladiator.”
MARTY HORNSTEIN (Executive Producer)
worked as both executive producer and unit production manager
on “Star Trek: Insurrection” and “Star Trek:
First Contact.” He was also the co-producer and unit
production manager of “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered
Country.” In 2001, Hornstein executive-produced the thriller
“Along Came a Spider,” starring Morgan Freeman,
and before that he executive-produced “Permanent Record,”
produced “One on One,” “The Night Before”
and “The Women’s Club,” and line-produced “The
Perfect Weapon,” “Show of Force” and “Back
to the Beach.” His credits as a production manager include
“Beverly Hills Cop III,” “Drop Zone,”
“Future World,” “Ode to Billy Joe,” “Cornbread,
Earl and Me” and “Silent Running.”
Hornstein was senior vice president of production for Kings
Road Entertainment for two years, and served on the faculty
of the American Film Institute from 1976 to 1983.
JEFFREY L. KIMBALL (Director of Photography)
joins the world of Star Trek after having lensed such box
office hits as “Mission: Impossible 2,” “Wild
Things,” “The Specialist,” “True Romance,”
“Beverly Hills Cop II” and “Top Gun,”
among many others. Recently, Kimball reunited with “Mission:
Impossible 2” director John Woo for “Windtalkers,”
starring Nicholas Cage.
HERMAN ZIMMERMAN (Production Designer)
has been an invaluable part of the Star Trek productions since
1987, when he designed the television series “Star Trek:
The Next Generation.” He followed that with the series
“Deep Space Nine” and is currently involved with
“Enterprise.” He began working on the feature films
with “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” and has designed
each successive production.
Zimmerman’s other feature film credits include “Black
Rain,” “One Crazy Summer” and “Better
Off Dead.” His television work includes the series “Sons
and Daughters,” “Ferris Bueller,” “Cheers,”
“Webster” and “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,”
and the television movies “The Word,” “So Proudly
We Hail,” “The Burning Bed,” “Silence
of the Heart” and “A Rumor of War.”
Before coming to Los Angeles, Zimmerman served as associate
professor of drama at Northwestern University, where he was
scene designer and technical director of University Theater.
DALLAS PUETT (Editor) previously
worked with director Stuart Baird as the editor of Baird’s
directorial debut film “Executive Decision.” Puett’s
additional film credits include “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,”
“Lethal Weapon 4,” “Deep Blue Sea,” “Free
Willy 2,” “Radio Flyer” and “Bird on a
Wire.”
BOB RINGWOOD (Costume Designer) redefined
the look of the costumed hero with his innovative design for
“Batman.” Years later, he redesigned his famous
Bat suit for the film “Batman Forever.” His other
credits include “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence,”
“The Time Machine,” “Alien: Resurrection,”
“Demolition Man” and “Excalibur,” among
many others.
PETER LAURITSON (Co-Producer) served
as co-producer of “Star Trek: Generations,” “Star
Trek: First Contact” and “Star Trek: Insurrection,”
as well as producing the series “Star Trek: The Next
Generation,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,”
“Star Trek: Voyager” and currently, “Enterprise.”
On both the films and television series, Lauritson has overseen
special visual effects, continuously exploring the limits
while employing newer and newer technologies in this area,
including digital effects. Prior to joining “Star Trek:
The Next Generation,” Lauritson spent eight years overseeing
Paramount Television’s Post-Production Department.
MICHAEL WESTMORE (Makeup Designer/Supervisor)
received an Academy Award® for his work on the film “Mask”
and has also won nine Emmys. Two of those awards were for
his work on the series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,”
two more for “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and one
for “Star Trek: Voyager.” He is currently involved
in his fourth “Star Trek” series, “Enterprise.”
Continually being recognized for his makeup designs, Westmore
nominations for his work on “2010,” “The Clan
of the?has also received Oscar Cave Bear” and “Star
Trek: First Contact,” and he earned his additional Emmys
for “Amazing Stories,” “Why Me?” and “Eleanor
and Franklin.”
Westmore’s numerous film credits include the three “Star
Trek: The Next Generation” features, “Generations,”
“First Contact” and “Insurrection,” as
well as “Johnny Handsome,” “Iceman,” “Blade
Runner,” “Raging Bull,” “New York, New
York,” “The Andromeda Strain,” “The List
of Adrian Messenger” and four of the five “Rocky”
films.
Westmore is a graduate of the University of California at
Santa Barbara and the author of The Art of Theatrical Makeup
for Stage and Screen, and the co-author (with J. Nazarro)
of Star Trek: The Next Generation Makeup Effects Journal.
He has also written many articles for medical and professional
publications and is a featured lecturer worldwide, speaking
not only about Star Trek, but also about makeup techniques
for both corrective and medical applications.
TERRY FRAZEE (Special Effects Coordinator)
began his career in the 1960s under the tutelage of his father,
Academy Award®-winning special effects artist Logan Frazee,
on such television shows as “Gilligan’s Island”
and “The Wild, Wild West.” In his ten years in television,
the younger Frazee worked on shows such as “Hardcastle
and McCormick,” “Hunter,” “Riptide”
and “Stingray.” He also ran the Special Effects
department for Stephen J. Cannell Productions for five years.
Frazee later moved into feature film work, amassing credits
that include “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,”
“Star Trek: Generations,” “Star Trek: First
Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” “Air
Force One,” “The Postman,” “Blade Runner,”
“A Few Good Men,” “No Way Out,” “Judgment
Night,” “Eraser,” “Heat,” “Strange
Days,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Point Break”
and “Ghost.”
MARK FORKER (Visual Effects Supervisor)
has over twenty years of diverse experience in the field of
visual effects and post-production. Prior to working on “Star
Trek: Nemesis,” he supervised a signature visual effects
-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship?sequence
for the Academy Award of the Ring.” He was also involved
in creating photo-realistic environmental effects for “Stormrider,”
Disney Theme Park Productions’ most ambitious large-format
film attraction to date. Forker’s other credits include
digital - winning “Titanic” and he?effects supervisor
on James Cameron’s Academy Award -nominated “Apollo
13” as well?was lead compositor on Ron Howard’s
Academy Award as on “Kundun,” “Armageddon”
and “Waterworld.”
Prior to joining Digital Domain in 1994, Forker acted as co-visual
effects supervisor for Julie Taymor’s “Hop Frog,”
an Edgar Allan Poe feature film project. He also lent his
talent as FX compositor/director for REBO High Definition
Studios in New York. In addition to effects work on children’s
animated specials, commercials, music videos and film originated
featurettes, Forker directed various shorts for the Japanese
High Definition Television market.
JERRY GOLDSMITH (Composer), after
a half century composing music, has garnered 18 Academy Award®
nominations including an Oscar® win for his haunting score
in “The Omen,” three Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globe
nominations and four British Academy Award nominations.
One of cinema’s preeminent composers, Goldsmith has over
250 movies, television shows (including the theme from “The
Man from U.N.C.L.E.”) and radio plays to his credit.
He began his career at CBS Radio before being hired by the
legendary Alfred Newman for the film, “Lonely are the
Brave.”
Goldsmith’s body of work includes the scores for Disney’s
“Mulan,” which won him an Annie Award for Animated
Features, “L.A. Confidential,” “Basic Instinct,”
“Hoosiers,” “Under Fire,” “Poltergeist,”
the memorable theme from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,”
“The Boys from Brazil,” “The Wind and the Lion,”
“Chinatown,” “Papillon,” “Patton,”
“Planet of the Apes,” “The Sand Pebbles”
and “A Patch of Blue.”
Goldsmith also received an Achievement Award at the 1998 Palm
Springs International Film Festival, and three Saturn Award
nominations from the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror &
Fantasy.
Release Date: 3rd Jan 2003
Distributor: UIP
Cert: TBC
Running Time: TBC
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