vw star trek

• Volkswagen /

Volkswagen built a Star Trek captain’s chair that goes 12mph

More amenities than most cars, with 360-degree collision avoidance sensors, party lights, a guided backup cam, heated seat, touchscreen display, usb charger, and tow hitch..

By Sean Hollister , a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

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Are you proud of your office chair? Does it complete your gaming battlestation perhaps? Prepare to be filled with seething jealousy when you see what Volkswagen Norway has created.

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As a marketing exercise, the automaker claims to have built an office chair that not only looks worthy of a Star Trek captain but also can drive around the office on its own five wheels — at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour (roughly 12mph), blisteringly fast for a seat, much less one with several swiveling wheels.

The company says it can travel a distance of 12 kilometers (roughly 7.5 miles) on its swappable battery.

That’s not all: it’s got more amenities than my last car, with 360-degree collision avoidance sensors, a backup camera with full guidance, a heated embroidered seat, party lights, a touchscreen display, a USB charger, and a tow hitch. LED headlights, a seatbelt, and a horn come standard. There’s even a “trunk” (a pocket, anyhow) with 0.17 cubic feet of space for documents and / or a laptop.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes video on how it was created, including some footage of the final product. It looks like it started as a humble hoverboard bolted to an office chair and grew into something dreamy from there.

Assuming all of this is real, of course. Volkswagen has a recent history of lying to people . This time, the company seems to be fairly transparent that it’s a one-off marketing stunt, while also suggesting that “it will be available for test drives at various locations.” Hopefully that means citizens of Norway will soon be able to prove its capabilities.

Or, they could just send one to The Verge for a few days ... we’d be quite happy to take it for a spin.

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Published Oct 12, 2014

CHECK IT OUT: More Shatner-Nimoy Spots For Volkswagen Germany

Volkswagen Germany's multi-platform #vwfuture campaign linking Star Trek and VW's futuristic electric cars kicked off earlier this month with a memorable commercial involving a young Star Trek fan meeting William Shatner, with Shatner and the boy -- driving a Volkwagen e-Golf -- then crossing paths with Leonard Nimoy, who was behind the wheel of a concept car. Volkswagen Germany has just released several new spots with Shatner and Nimoy and StarTrek.com has gathered them altogether here.In one, called " Trek Check 1," they talk about beaming and jetlag.

In " Trek Check 2," they chat about the virtues of the new Volkswagen car and the relaxing nature of the Vulcan nerve pinch.

Another, shorter spot, features Shatner, selfie-style, extolling the virtues of the Volkswagen e-Golf electric car.

And in the fourth and most-charming spot, "Shatner Walkthrough," Shatner interacts with the young Trek fan in the main commercial, visiting the boy's Trek memorabilia-laden room and reminiscing about Tribbles and phasers.

Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional tidbits from the #vwfuture campaign.

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Watch VW Germany Star Trek TV Spot With Shatner & Nimoy + Web Promos & BTS Vids

| October 3, 2014 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 47 comments so far

Last week we reported on how Volkswagen Germany was teasing a Star Trek-themed promotional campaign featuring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Well today that campaign launched and you can watch the TV commercial, web promos and some behind the scenes videos as well. Check it all out below

Shatner and Nimoy Take VW Germany To The Future

On Friday VW German launched its ‘#vwfuture’ campaign promoting its electric cars. And the campaign features Star Trek actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. The TV commercial and other campaign videos also feature Star Trek music and other Trek imagery. Watch the videos below.

"Trek Check" web videos with Shatner and Nimoy

Web promos for the cars (with Shatner and Nimoy intros)

William Shatner tours kid’s room full of Star Trek memorabilia

Behind the scenes

VW Goes All Shatner and Nimoy

And if all that wasn’t enough, when you visit the main VW Deutschland website or Facebook page you are immediately presented with Shatner and Nimoy.

This is so cool… The boy reminds a bit of Jimmy Bennet’s young Kirk… I wish there were many boys at his age being into Star Trek that much. I’m afraid that is no longer the case. Even Trek 09 and STID couldn’t really make a difference. Trek is still an enigma to most kids of this generation, easily to be confused with Star Wars… But maybe there is hope…

Thats well done !!

Wonderfull to seem them together and its brilliant that big companies like VW want them to be the face of thier company. Also I had a geek attack last night when I saw the Thomson holiday advert with William Shatner singing on it. Will post a link

Nice ads.. man, I want that kids room! I have to agree with boborci, Shatner looks pretty good these days!

Just saw it a moment ago in german tv. :-) Very entertaining and great details! Well done! I have the desire to buy such a VW although I don’t have a drivers license ;-)

Das Starship

Trek-tastic!

Nice, have you noticed the “1701” on the garage? ;)

Like the jumpers: Gold for the Shat, Blue for Nimoy

Amazing that VW has confidence in two 83 year old actors as spokespeople. I can’t think of any others that have kind star power.

And seeing them in these ads makes you long to see them together in the next movie

Here in the UK, Shatner *sings* on an advert for Thomson.

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/travel-and-leisure/news/thomson-aims-for-stronger-branding-in-new-campaign/4011621.article

That’s an amazing collection! Was that assembled for the spot, or is it really all his? If so, I wanna be his neighbor XD

Well executed campaign. Classy adds and the cars look great. I may have to snag one. It’s is after all “future tech” right?

Is it my imagination, or are Nimoy and Shatner looking really well???

Nice to see Germany giving the boys some love.

oh yeah, and FYI, I love the gold sweater for Shatner and the blue on blue sweater and shirt for Nimoy. Fantastic. :)

bob, i say find a way to get bill and leonard into those blue and gold shirts for the movie. they look great! just maybe don’t shoot shatner from the side. that buddah belly! wow lol.

Great to see the both of them looking so well.

That is absolutely classic, and hilarious.

Get these guys on the big screen together one last time. Make it so.

Bob Orci, No pressure on you and your team … you must give these two global treasures the meaningful roles that they deserve!

WOW I’m breathless, it’s absolutely great!

Magic! If VW can do it so can you Mr Orci! Do it, do it, do it !!!

@13. focuspuller, “Is it my imagination, or are Nimoy and Shatner looking really well???”

Shatner looks pretty good in these. I’m left with one thought —

it would be a mistake to try and put him back into ANY uniform. He needs to be brought back in casual clothing. Anything else he will probably look like a parody of himself, since the uniforms were conceived for a fit-looking crew of younger actors. Many of the older admirals on TNG looked really odd in some of those asymmetric form fitting uniforms. There’s no uniform we’ve seen in Trek where Shatner won’t just look silly. He looks great in that sweater/jacket. That’s the kind of look they need to emulate. Or they need to design a custom uniform, much like Pikes in ST09, which will flatter Shatner, and not make him look like he’s been stuffed into an old uniform meant for someone else.

Why does Nimoy look younger than in ST11 and ST12 as Spock? Away with that stupid wig next time. Nimoy still has enough hair for an original Spock haircut!

I think Shatner would look great in a Klingon costume.

Leave it to the Germans to comes up with these fantasitc ads! It works very well as ads in Germany I would think. Sadly, there are some people here in the States that would be laughing these ads off as joke. I have to admit, these seem like great cars, but you always have to test drive one to be sure before you buy. Well done for Kirk & Spock, once again, back in action together.

I’m hard of hearing — what does Mr. Nimoy say at the end of the TV spot?

LOVE that kids collection! Wonder if it’s actually his though,lol! And great seeing Nimoy and Shatner in something fun again.

Used the “wrong” voices :( Shatner was done by the same guy who did Harry Kim. His regular voice-actor(s) are still avaiable.

And they seriously ask them these questions:

How does being beamed feel? Where would you like to beam yourself in your daily life? What works best against lightyear jetlag? Which advantages does a VW have compared to a starship? Does the Vulcan neck pinch also help against muscle tensions? Isn’t light speed a bit bone-deep (meaning tough, exhausting your bones)?

No wonder they are laughing that artificially! XD

@ 27. Corylea

Nimoy says: “faszinierend” pronunciation: fastsiˈniːrənd (fascinating)

Shatners says: “Bitte vorsichtig” (Please be careful) and in the car: “Genau wie in einem Raumschiff” (Exactly as in a spaceship)

@30. ncc-73515

No. They don’t ask them seriously. Obviously the questions are jokes.

@ 29. danielcw

No, they are not still alive. G.G. Hoffmann, Shatners german dubbing voice in “Star Trek”, died in 1997. Klaus Sonnenschein, ist 2nd voice, is still available. But obviously Shatner should sound like the young Kirk in the 1960s. That’s part of the joke.

Such a relief to see Mr. Nimoy looking and sounding so well! I got a little worried when it seemed like he wasn’t doing well a few months back.

Shatner looks good once you light him just right and slap some make-up on him!

Now, for the next movie……get him to lose 10 pounds, pull the excess skin back behind his neck, cgi the hell out of him, and you might just be able to get away with it!

22 Curious, the uniforms were conceived for a fit-looking crew of younger actors. Many of the older admirals on TNG looked really odd in some of those asymmetric form fitting uniforms. There’s no uniform we’ve seen in Trek where Shatner won’t just look silly.

I wince for many of the Trek actors [especially the guests, for whom costumes could not often be tailored]. They look paunchy and out of shape because of the materials used, often stretchy fabrics. And the older actors, my god, just, embarrassing, even in the uniforms — especially Seasons 1 and 2 of TNG! Ugh.

In Mr Shatner’s case, I agree, he definitely needs a custom look suitable for an “Admiral emeritus” [i.e., retired]; for some reason I envision a deep olive or pine green [even a burgundy or hazel brown color could look good], long tailored coat over dark trousers and mock turtleneck. Decorations or rank insignia could be worn on shoulder epaulets or at the upper ” breast.” As a retired Admiral, he need not be in uniform to direct a mission [supervising a captain] if so appointed by Starfleet.

He is looking more vital than usual lately, and he’s always been a pretty vital fellow. Perhaps in physical therapy after his recent equestrian accident he’s gotten some “youth-en-ing” benefits. ——————————————————— 35 Mr Ballz, you gotta be kidding, keeping in mind “the camera adds 15 pounds” Mr Shatner’s going to have to lose a lot more than that.

Although … they managed to “shrink” the very big buff Chris Evans for his bit as the skinny kid from Brooklyn in Captain America 1 [before little Steve becomes “Captain America,” so maybe they can do the same for Shatner. Who knows? ——————————————————— Any of our German kinfolk who could translate the commercials’ questions in order? Maybe those could be posted under each commercial? [Though I got the gist of them, thanks to ncc-73515!] Germans have quite a sly sense of humor ;-)

@31 Hermann — Thank you very much!

Vielen danke!

@23 Hermann, because Nimoy was playing a 156 year old Spock in both movies.

23 Hermann, I have a feeling that was actually Nimoy’s hair in the movies. Why not? He got rather a kick out of playing Spock again after 18 years.

Trek Check 1

1. Wie fühlt sich beamen an? (How does beaming feel?)

2. Wann würden Sie sich im Alltag am liebsten beamen? (When [on which occasion] would you like to beam yourself in your daily life?)

3. Das beste Mittel gegen Lichtjahre-Jetlag? (What works best against lightyear jetlag?)

Trek Check 2

1. Welche Vorteile hat ein Volkswagen gegenüber einem Raumschiff? (Which advantages does a VW have compared to a starship?)

2. Hilft der vulkanische Griff auch bei Verspannungen? (Does the Vulcan neck pinch also help against muscle tensions?)

3. Ging die Lichtgeschwindigkeit nicht auch ein wenig auf die Knochen? (Isn’t light speed a bit bone-deep (meaning tough, exhausting your bones)?

@ 38 Mike Stein + 39. Marja

Between the original timeline in Star Trek 11 and Star Trek 6 / TNG Unification only 18 years have passed. (Half-) Vulcans don’t age that fast. Spock Prime shouldn’t look as old as in Star Trek 11+12, because Nimoy doesn’t. And it’s true: he wore a wig. Why? He looked like the drummer of the Beatles or a romulan. And you couldn’t see his typical eyebrows. It was a very bad make up and Spock really didn’t look familiar.

thx for copy-pasting from my comment, bro :p

I sat watching these videos grinning from ear to ear with tears in my eyes. I completely missed the significance of the sweater colors until I started reading the comments. Guess that officially makes me an old fool!

Thanks for posting!

Is that really the boy’s own room or at least his own collection? It sounds like it in the behind the scenes video, but I still have my doubts. It would be great though, if they really used a kid for this commercial, who is such a big Star Trek fan.

Exactly what I was asking a few posts ago,is it really Owen’s room. lol

44. Lucky kid :-)

Hermann, thanks for the translations :-)

You’re welcome, Marja :p

you noticed the number of Shatners house in the spot, did you? ;-)

Greets from germany

Volkswagen Type 2

• View history

Robinson's Type 2

The Volkswagen Type 2 was a type of German van built by Volkswagen in the latter half of the 20th century . This van was imported into the United States and was powered by an internal combustion engine .

In 1967 , an example of this van was owned by a hippy couple who had decorated the exterior of their truck with brightly colored flowers. ( DS9 : " Past Tense, Part II ")

In 1996 , another example of this van was owned by Rain Robinson . This van was carjacked by Thomas Paris and Tuvok and was used for stopping Henry Starling 's plans. ( VOY : " Future's End ", " Future's End, Part II ")

External link [ ]

• Volkswagen Type 2 at Wikipedia

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WATCH: Shatner, Nimoy In New Volkswagen Commercial

Volkswagen launched its ‘#vwfuture’ campaign in Germany, starring none other than Star Trek’s William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. The commercials, which promote VW’s new electric cars, feature the iconic Star Trek theme and other nods to the franchise.

Check out the commercial, along with some behind-the-scenes footage below.

via Volkswagen

lee colleton

August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm

It’s sad that Volkswagen took these down.

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The Jewish stars of ‘Star Trek’ shill for VW

Last year Volkswagen donated more than a million dollars to an international youth center at Auschwitz .

In 2011 it donated $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League.

And in 2009 it was reported that the Beetle — that iconic VW creation — was actually designed by a Jew .

But the German automaker — which, like other industries in the Third Reich, cooperated with the Nazis and has been boycotted by many Jews as a result — may have finally figured out a strategy to put the stigma of its past behind it. It has recruited both the stars of the original “Star Trek” series to plug its new car, the e-Golf, in the United States.

According to Auto Evolution , William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy — both Jewish — will star in the marketing campaign for VW’s first electric car.

The two were apparently tapped because the “Vulcan salute and the Volkswagen logo have so much in common,” the auto industry publication reported.

That salute, as any Jewish Trekkie worth his salt will know, is similar to a Jewish blessing sign — two hands forming the Hebrew letter Shin — that frequently appears on Jewish gravestones.

Could the twin appearance of Spock and Kirk convince diehard boycotters of German cars (who, as journalist Jeffrey Goldberg noted in a recent Atlantic column, rarely boycott any other German products) to drop their grudge and buy the wagon of der Volk?

Bimah me up, Scottie!

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Jewish Stars of ‘Star Trek’ Shill for VW

Volkswagen tries to cleanse its Nazi-linked past.

The German automaker Volkswagen has recruited the two Jewish stars of the original “Star Trek” series to plug its new e-Golf electric car in the United States in another attempt to rid itself of its stigma of having helped the Hitler regime.

Many Jews boycott Volkswagen and other industries that cooperated with the Nazis.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy apparently were tapped because the “Vulcan salute and the Volkswagen logo have so much in common,” the auto industry publication Auto Evolution reported.

That salute, as any Jewish Trekkie worth his salt will know, is similar to a Jewish blessing sign – two hands forming the Hebrew letter Shin — that frequently appears on Jewish gravestones.

Volkswagen donated more than a million dollars to an international youth center at Auschwitz last year, and in 2011 gave $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League.

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Long-Lost First Model of the USS Enterprise From 'Star Trek' Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage

The first USS Enterprise has boldly gone back home, solving a decades-long mystery

Long-Lost First Model of the USS Enterprise From 'Star Trek' Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage

Josh David Jordan

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry's son decades after it went missing.

The model's disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model's return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he's thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves," Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

Heritage's executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they'd discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn't go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Photos You Should See - April 2024

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it," Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show's original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series' episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can't get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless," Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is," he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn't something he'd thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don't think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he'd thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years," he said with a laugh.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 276 User reviews
• 99 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 31 nominations total

Episodes 80

Photos 1999

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk …

• Mister Spock …

• Lieutenant Leslie …

• Nurse Chapel …

• Ensign Freeman …

• Yeoman Rand …

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• Beta 5 Computer …
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• Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
• Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

• Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
• Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Connections Edited into Ben 10: Secrets (2006)
• Soundtracks Star Trek Music by Alexander Courage

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• September 8, 1966 (United States)
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'Star Trek's' Paul Wesley Strongly Clarifies Recent 'Vampire Diaries' Comments, Explains Why He's Open To Many Years Of Playing Kirk

Posted: April 23, 2024 | Last updated: April 23, 2024

Actor Paul Wesley is crushing it as James T. Kirk in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," but even so, there's a community of fantasy fans out there still holding out hope to see him return to his former franchise. Those hopes were dashed recently when Wesley went viral explaining why he wouldn't return to "The Vampire Diaries," noting that eight years on a show was long. CinemaBlend wondered if that same mindset translated to playing Kirk in "Trek" and got a passionate response from the actor about the differences between the two. We had a chance to speak to Paul Wesley recently, and during our conversation, we brought up the fact that many "Trek" actors have reprised their roles throughout their lifetimes. As the heir apparent to playing James T. Kirk from this point on, we noted he could be called on to play him in other projects and questioned if he was up for that, given the comments he made about never returning to "The Vampire Diaries." Wesley enthusiastically set the record straight on his original comments, with a bit of key context that better explained his response.

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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Screen Rant

Star trek origin movie officially announced by paramount for 2025 release.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie at CinemaCon, which will arrive in movie theaters in 2025.

• Paramount Pictures announces new Star Trek movie for 2025, directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
• Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 remains in development, while the new film is an origin story set decades before Abrams' 2009 movie.
• Alongside the Star Trek origin movie, Paramount reveals a packed slate of exciting films for 2025-26 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025. As reported in January, the next Star Trek movie isn't the long-delayed, Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams, which remains in development at Paramount. Rather, the next Star Trek movie is an origin story directed by Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (A braham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ).

Screen Rant' s Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas where Paramount Pictures confirmed the next Star Trek movie , currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story , to be released in 2025. J.J. Abrams is also producing Untitled Star Trek Origin Story, which takes place decades before Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. See Rob Keyes' Tweet below:

Paramount also confirmed Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production later this year for theatrical release in 2025.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek's new movies in theaters and paramount plus explained, star trek is finally making movies again.

After nearly a decade, Star Trek i s back to making movies. Star Trek on Paramount+ has created a television renaissance for the franchise, but the theatrical side of Star Trek overseen by Paramount Pictures has languished in development hell since Star Trek Beyond bowed in the summer of 2016. Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is yet another prequel, but as it's said to be set decades before Star Trek 2009, it could very well be set after Star Trek: Enterprise 's mid-22nd century voyages but otherwise be an origin story for both Star Trek 's Prime and alternate Kelvin timelines .

Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 4 , which is the "final chapter" of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, has seen some movement with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ), tackling the long-delayed sequel. Pine and his fellow Star Trek actors, including Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Sofia Boutella, have all expressed their eagerness to return if Star Trek 4 can come together.

It's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 i s the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek 's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek: Picard spinoff dubbed Star Trek: Legacy may also become a streaming movie instead of a series. However all this shakes out, it's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Source: Rob Keyes Twitter