Has ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Begun Filming?
Star Trek: Discovery is set to premiere May 2017. After suffering previous production delays, it would be a very bad sign for it to be stalled again. Time is running out. So, with only a few months to spare, info appears to have leaked out showing the start date of filming – it could be as early as next week. If true, it could be quite a relief to fans of the Trek franchise, some of whom have been worried about the future of the forthcoming TV series. In fact, some social media postings by Discovery cast members hint filming may have begun already.
Fan news website TrekMovie recently uncovered an official notice that hints at the start date. Posted on a movie employee union website, there was a listing with a start date of January 24, 2017, running to September 7, 2017. It says it is for a production called “Green Harvest,” and lists producers like Bryan Fuller, Gretchen Berg, and Aaron Harberts.
“Green Harvest” Is Really Star Trek: Discovery
All of these details check out; this doesn’t look like a hoax. The website with the post is the official website of the Toronto International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. A union website would only post legitimate ongoing projects.
The name of Bryan Fuller also makes sense. Bryan Fuller (known for Pushing Daises and the TV adaption of Hannibal) is the executive producer of Star Trek: Discovery. He remains officially a part of the show, although his role was reduced last year to a producer in name only as he moved on to other projects, as previously reported in the Inquisitr. The other producers, Berg and Harberts, took over day-to-day production on the show after Fuller’s departure.
Even the fake name of “Green Harvest” makes sense. It is somewhat of an inside joke for show-biz and geek movie fans. A similar fake name was used during the production of the Star Wars sequel Return Of The Jedi to keep nosy fans and media away; it was called “Blue Harvest.” Clearly, the production staff with Star Trek: Discovery took the opportunity to tease fans monitoring the making of the new series.
Another Star Trek fansite, TrekCore, noticed that filming may have already begun earlier this month. At the very least, some of the cast has arrived in the Toronto area for filming.
Michelle Yeoh, who will play a starship captain, posted an image on Instagram a few days ago of fan mail that is addressed to her, care of “Green Harvest.”
She calls it her “first day in [the] office.”
Chris Obi, who will be playing a Klingon leader in Discovery, posted a video on Twitter earlier today, that he titled “Day 2.” He never mentions Klingons or Star Trek, but instead jokes about the implied secrecy surrounding his current job. He also makes a point of thanking the dedicated fan base. Sounds like Trek. Most importantly, he tags the official Star Trek: Discovery Twitter account in his post. One wonders if they’ll approve of him hinting at filming before any official announcement has been made.
Since TrekMovie‘s article was posted, the January start and September end dates have been taken down, but the listing for “Green Harvest” remains. Given the series expected release date of May, some fans were surprised to see the end date of September. It may indicate the show will continue shooting new episodes for the first season even after the show begins to air.
Trek On The Seas, And A Date To Remember
All of this speculation follows the recent conclusion of the 2017 Star Trek cruise, which had guests from virtually every previous incarnation of the franchise. They included William Shatner, Denise Crosby, Terry Farrell, and John de Lancie.
To all on the Trek Cruise…thank you! Had a great time. And while we spent a day steaming in circles (weather) I'd do it again in a flash!
— John de Lancie (@johndelancie) January 16, 2017
Guests had access to intimate Q&A sessions, trivia games, and movie screenings.
Today also marks a cute calendar event for Trek fans. January 17, or 17/01, lines up with NCC-1701, the registry number of the original series USS Enterprise. TrekMovie called it “USS Enterprise Day.”
Happy #USSEnterpriseDay! #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/PbRnU3HuHF
— TrekMovie.com (@TrekMovie) January 17, 2017
Of course, January 17 comes every year. But, perhaps it is an omen that this month, and this year, could very well be a lucky one for the future of Star Trek and Star Trek: Discovery.
[Featured Image by CBS Studios]
