Roddenberry Entertainment COO On Star Trek: Discovery, Rob Zombie & Exploring The Human Condition [SXSW]

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery has finally arrived, premiering earlier this week. Ahead of its release, much of the show’s cast and crew made their way to South by Southwest festival last month, including Trevor Roth, the show’s executive producer. Though the story of the U.S.S. Discovery and its crew may be coming to a close, the legacy begun by the series will live on – since it began, Discovery has helped spawn several other shows in the Star Trek universe like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks.

Roth also serves as Chief Operating Officer of Roddenberry Entertainment, the company founded by Rod Roddenberry, son of original Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Through this position, Roth has a major role not just in Discovery but all current Star Trek properties, including some not yet released, like Section 31 and Starfleet Academy. Although there currently aren’t any new Star Trek films in the franchise currently announced, the universe continues to grow at a steady pace, with several series and podcasts currently in production.

Screen Rant interviewed Trevor Roth at South by Southwest to discuss the final season of Discovery, his many other projects, and the legacy of Star Trek.

Trevor Roth Talks All Things Star Trek

Screen Rant: You guys are killing it over there at Roddenberry. First of all, how busy are you? How are you even here? Are you juggling? You have multiple shows on air and in development. Is your daily routine like working on seven things at a time?

Trevor Roth: We are very busy and we are not actually a huge crew, but we do have wonderful partners in Secret Hideout and CBS and Paramount and all those kinds of things. And wonderful producers as well, that are tremendously both helpful and leading charges and all those kinds of things. So, we do our best to be the part of everything that takes that 20,000-foot view on it and really – in the case of Star Trek – remembers what Star Trek is and what it maybe needs to be and make sure that that voice is heard in the room, throughout everything that we’re doing.

And that goes for everything that we are doing outside of Star Trek as well. We really believe that Gene Roddenberry gave us a gift of this name and the promise of what that means in the world of entertainment, and so we’re doing our best to uphold it.

Is it hard not to play favorites? Are you like, “Oh, if only you could all be like Picard.” Is it hard not to play favorites with all the shows you got going on?

Trevor Roth: I’m a father of two and a producer of many. And I feel like, in certain circumstances, maybe one of your kids is annoying you and the other’s being really good. But I don’t know that you probably say you love one more than the other. It just depends on the day, which one’s annoying you or not, which one wants money –

You do have a few less shows on at this precise moment. Because I think there was a zenith you hit. I think it was around 2022, you had five shows.

Trevor Roth: Yeah. Right now let me just count real quick. So Picard is done, of course. So, Discovery season five, woo. And Prodigy’s on Netflix right now, its second season’s going to be coming out hopefully pretty soon. And Lower Decks is continuing to run and an awesome, awesome show.

Strange New Worlds, which wasn’t one of the originals, we’re working on that. And then we’ve got some stuff in development that is going to be coming soon, so we’re doing good. I feel good.

What’s Next For Star Trek & Roddenberry Entertainment

Yeah. Tease what you have in development right now?

Trevor Roth: Am I allowed? I’m not sure which I’m allowed to talk about.

J.J. Abrams, is he coming back? Is there going to be a Star Trek IV?

Trevor Roth: Oh, we’re on movies. Fair enough. Yeah, I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount’s heavy intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what’s going on there. There’s every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future. There’s a lot of secrecy around what’s going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place and we’re very excited to see it return to the big screen.

Okay. And maybe also a prequel?

Trevor Roth: I don’t know what you’re talking about. No. There’s some stuff out there that I can’t deny or confirm. But, I think that – look, there’ve been a lot of people talked about throughout the last year, since, what? ’16 was the last movie.

Do you recognize that you’re keeping us waiting?

Trevor Roth: I do, as a fan I do. And I will tell you that you want to do it the right way. You want to do it and yet practical things get in- people a lot of times are like, “Oh, why isn’t this happening or that happening?” And sometimes those questions are really good questions and other times there’s a lot you don’t know that is happening behind the scenes, that can make things more difficult than you would think.

So, all in all, we’re getting there to my understanding. And we’re excited and plans are being put in place. And I know that from the standpoint of the studio, there was no lack of recognition of wanting and needing a Star Trek film coming out.

Well, speaking of happening or not happening, the rumors were just running rampant at one point. Was a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek movie ever in the realm of possibility? Was it ever close?

Trevor Roth: That was not a rumor, I’ll say, I believe that was something that was being explored and discussed. It’s not completely like an urban legend, is what I’ll say. And by the way, my understanding is, although I’ve never met the man, that Tarantino is in fact a big Star Trek fan and loves Sitting On the Edge of Forever and some great old episodes. And so it’s awesome to think that he sees something in this that we see as well.

Yeah. But, not currently in production, or pre-production or anything. Not something you guys are having meetings?

Trevor Roth: I don’t think it’s going to be his 10th film, to my understanding.

10th and final film. Speaking of high-profile Star Trek fans, I had a conversation with the almighty actor Nic Cage.

Trevor Roth: Yes, I did see that. I was very excited about that actually.

I was asking him if he was going to do Star Wars, because his buddy Pedro Pascal wanted him in Star Wars. And he said – which never happens in interviews – “No. No, thank you. I am a Trekker.” He’s like, “I am a Star Trek fan,” and of course the internet went wild.

Trevor Roth: I was blown away. It’s so wonderful when someone comes out of the woodwork like that. And there are some people I don’t even know if they want me to name them. But to give you an example, like Rob Zombie is a Star Trek fan. When I found out [about] Rob Zombie, it was awesome. It was awesome to learn that he was a Star Trek fan and Nic Cage is the same. So, I am waiting for the day when I somehow run into him or have some kind of interaction with him, because it was awesome to find that out. I was really excited about it, actually.

And the internet really wants that to happen. There were people offering to put up money. I want to see a Rob Zombie Star Trek movie now.

Trevor Roth: I know. We’ve got to wonder what that guy would do with it, right? A thousand corpses in space.

Looking Back On The Legacy Of Star Trek: Discovery

I mentioned this prior to the interview, but we had the cast of Discovery in here to celebrate the fifth season, which is premiering here at South By. What a crew! And a lot of it was very emotional. There’s a lot of bittersweetness about that series coming to a close. What can you say about what drove that decision? Why was it the time?

Trevor Roth: Look, there’s probably a lot of things that I don’t even understand that drive the decision. I think that one, we look at Discovery as a huge success. Five seasons in a streaming world of today is actually a really strong showing. And this is the one that really began the new iterations of Star Trek. Discovery was the one who paved the way for this next generation, if you will, of stuff coming out there.

So, it is bittersweet, because it was the first in that sense and it was on its shoulders that so many of the others stood or stand. And the people involved in Discovery from Sonequa [Martin-Green] to Doug [Jones] to everyone, just such wonderful people that have truly become a family. It’s incredible to see how the dynamics have gotten them to be such a close-knit group, and how they truly care about each other on screen and off.

What can you tease about the fifth season? We’ve heard a little bit from the cast. Wilson [Cruz] has promised to end on a really high note.

Trevor Roth: Is that what he promised? Wilson’s putting his neck out there. Listen, I think that it’s very exciting. You know what I mean? I think that season five, as little as I’m allowed to say about it – because tonight is the premiere and we’re all going to get to see where it begins at least – season five is a roller coaster of a ride. I think you’re going to get a lot of thrills out of it. And, I think that at the same time it’s going to come to a nice resolution come the end that you’re going to feel that it’s closed. You’re going to feel that closure, I think.

And speaking of closure, one of the things fans are excited about seeing where it goes is the romantic aspects and what happens with Michael and Book. They’re like the Ross and Rachel of Discovery.

Trevor Roth: Yeah. It is interesting how the soap got in there really, and people really enjoy it. I think that when you look back at season one at Michael Burnham – and I mean this was a woman who was second in command and calling for mutiny and all these kinds of things, pretty crazy. To then look at her after season two eventually jumping to the future, and now beginning a whole new life or a new part of her life in a very different time and having very different challenges.

To me, it makes all the sense in the world. Then Book came along and was with her during that chapter, because I think it had to do with her growing emotionally in a lot of ways. And I think the two of them, I can’t say enough good things about them both as actors and as people.

So many great characters. Doug Jones just killing it as Saru always.

Trevor Roth: I don’t even call him Doug, by the way. I just call him Saru. [Laughs] He doesn’t always answer to me, but whatever.

Do you see a future for any of these characters beyond Discovery? Is there a hope that we might see them cross over anywhere else?

Trevor Roth: Look, never say never. And I will say they are wonderful characters. And a lot of them probably have stories that we don’t know yet, or have yet to occur. And so I think the wonderful thing about Star Trek, because I believe it will be around forever, is that there’s always a chance to tell those stories, and that those stories normally are very meaningful and interesting and dynamic.

Yeah. Discovery is so interesting because it’s so groundbreaking in so many different ways. But, when it came about in 2017, I think there were aspects to it that were controversial. Do you think that’s one of these series like a DS9 that won’t be fully appreciated until people look back on everything that it did?

Trevor Roth: Yeah. It’s a good question. I hope it’s appreciated today. I think that a lot of people, like two Star Trek fans who take issue with this or that along the way, The Next Generation they took issue with at first, if you remember?

But, I think that as you fall into the annals of Star Trek history, people start to recognize what you contributed to the overall franchise and the overall universe. And I think that if for some reason Discovery wasn’t your cup of tea, I think that there’s definitely a softening over time. But, hopefully, it was from the beginning.

Checking In On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, And More

Yeah. Well, I want to ask you for some rapid-fire updates. We’ve mentioned a couple of these shows already. But, any update on Strange New Worlds is good. Season 3?

Trevor Roth: Season 3? It’s awesome. I love Strange New Worlds. It’s such an homage to, literally the very first – the Cage – the very first pilot that was made that ended up in the Menagerie. And it too, I think about the cast in my mind right now and what a wonderful group of actors and bringing certain characters that we love or have known of to life and others being brand new. It’s fantastic. We’re very excited about season three.

How about Lower Decks?

Trevor Roth: Lower Decks? Taking it to the animation man. Mike McMahan and that crew and Tawny [Newsome] and Jack and [Quaid], everybody there, it’s a great look at Star Trek. I think that for those people who – the “underbelly” is not the right word, but getting to see that side of Star Trek that we didn’t used to see was always such a fascinating thing to me. And they do it with a great sense of humor and it’s fantastic. And no one knows Star Trek like Mike McMahan. I mean that guy is pulled out I cannot tell you how many little Easter eggs or referrals to – it’s insane.

How about Prodigy?

Trevor Roth: Love it. All I can say about Prodigy is if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it. I don’t care if you’re a child or an adult, it is strong Star Trek and a great adventure. And if you don’t know Star Trek, it’s also a wonderful, wonderful access point to it, because it allows you, along with the characters in it, to figure out what this is all about and why it’s been around for almost 60 years.

What about Section 31? I don’t think we’ve mentioned it.

Trevor Roth: Section 31, Michelle Yeoh. What more could you ask for? Michelle was part of Discovery early on, and then eventually left the show and is now back in Section 31. And she’s like a force of nature. And it’s almost like the world in some ways is just now recognizing that, and in other ways has forever. But, really, I’m not even a tall guy, but she’s just like this small woman who’s just a powerhouse. It’s crazy.

So, where’s Star Trek going from here?

Trevor Roth: I think that Star Trek is going to continue to expand and see the different ways we can. We’re working on everything from podcasts or audio dramas to other shows. And I think that one of the things that we try and do is continue to push the vantage points from which we can see Star Trek. So, are there new perspectives that we can bring to it? We’ve never seen it from this perspective or that perspective.

I think a lot of it is about, again, keying into what Star Trek is, making sure that we provide that substantive quality adventure and exploration of both out there and the human condition, while simultaneously see if we can bring a new perspective or a new on-ramp to that and see if we can bring something new to the table.

Check out our other Star Trek: Discovery interviews here:

• Sonequa Martin-Green
• Doug Jones & David Ajala
• Alex Kurtzman & Michelle Paradise
• Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman & Blu del Barrio

Source: Screen Rant Plus