Leonard Nimoy and other big names in the sci-fi arena have endorsed a new project from original Stark Trek writers David Gerrold and DC (Dorothy) Fontana and producer David C. Fein that's aiming to raise funds via Kickstarter.
The trio are using the crowd-funding platform to raise money to shoot and create a new science fiction adventure series titled The Star Wolf. So far, they have raised $52,000 of their $650,000 goal.
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"David Gerrold and Dorothy Fontana gave us some of the best writing we ever had on the original Star Trek series," Nimoy says. "I, for one, will be eagerly looking forward to see what their creativity will offer us on The Star Wolf."
The Big Bang Theory showrunner Bill Prady, original Star Trek castmember Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Chase Masterson and Kerry O'Quinn, former publisher of Starlog magazine, also have endorsed the project, based on Gerrold's best-selling book series. It centers on a crew of regular people caught up in an interplanetary war between the human race and the animalistic Morthans.
Nichols, who played Uhura in the original Star Trek series, has signed on in the recurring role of Admiral O'Hara.
Said Prady: "When I began my career, everything I knew about how television was written and produced came from David Gerrold's books. I can think of no one more deserving of the chance to pilot a TV series."
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Gerrold, Fontana and Fein are touting the project as the first sci-fi TV series to be funded by Kickstarter.
"We’re finally going to make the show I’ve been dreaming about for years -- a show that is compelling, thought-provoking and bold enough to take on the real emotional issues of war," says Gerrold, who is best known for writing the iconic Star Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles."
The move continues a trend in Hollywood of funding projects through Kickstarter. The Star Wolf campaign comes on the heels of Rob Thomas' successful campaign to finance a Veronica Mars movie and Zach Braff's successful -- but somewhat controversial -- effort to raise money to fund his next movie, Wish I Was Here.
For Star Wolf, producers are offering pledge prizes from the production ranging from a PDF of the first episode script and an invitation to watch the pilot online for $10 to a cameo in the series. Donation levels also include an opportunity to name a character in the series, a digital copy of the finished pilot, a screening of the work-in-progress version and set visits during filming.
More information can be found here.
