STAR TREK PREMIERE SET FOR AUGUST 23

More to come, but George Takei is announcing details on Howard Stern this week and we'll both be on COAST TO COAST soon, possibly next week, with a big announcement.

Keep watching this space...

Cheers,
Marc

ZICREE HANGS WITH STAR TREK WRITERS

We're in post production now on "World Enough and Time," the STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES episode I co-wrote with Michael Reaves, directed and executive produced.

Things are going amazingly well with Ron Thornton, FX whiz of BABYLON 5, VOYAGER and ENTERPRISE, running his team at the DAVE School in Florida, generating the TON of special effects shots for the episode (666 effects shots at last count!).

We'll be done with the episode on March 29, when we screen the episode at a movie theater in Orlando for the DAVE School, George Takei and whatever members of our cast and crew can get down to Florida. Should be an amazing time.

Meanwhile, some of the NEW VOYAGES team was here in L.A. and we all got together to watch the rough cut and hang out.

Included in the mix was DOROTHY FONTANA -- the legendary D.C. Fontana -- and DAVID GERROLD, two of the great STAR TREK writers. Dorothy story edited the original series and wrote such great episodes as "Charlie X" and David wrote the classic "Trouble With Tribbles."

Both are now working on NEW VOYAGES. Dorothy wrote the Walter Koenig episode that just debuted and David is co-writing and directing the next one, "Blood and Fire," based on the famous script he wrote for STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION that was censored and went unfilmed.

It turns out that David actually went to college with my wife Elaine -- in fact, Elaine actually read "Tribbles" in the original first-draft typescript!

David and Dorothy were huge inspirations to me and their work led to my becoming a writer in the first place. How truly wonderful to know them now!

I screened the rough cut of "World Enough and Time" for David and he was most complimentary. I can't wait to share the episode with the rest of the world...

Soon enough.

Cheers,

Marc

ZICREE BLOG IS BACK ON THE AIR!

Great news all round – I finished directing, executive producing and co-writing the STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES episode “World Enough and Time” starring George Takei and it went GREAT!

What’s more, we made the front page of the Los Angeles Daily News last week. We shot nine days in upstate New York on the Enterprise sets and two days in Chatsworth, California, where we rebuilt Captain Sulu’s ship, the Excelsior. And serving alongside George Takei was Janice Rand herself, Grace Lee Whitney. You can check it all out at http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4657327

What a dream come true, and what joy to work with these wonderfully-generous actors.

Lots of stories to tell from the shoot on both coasts, and I’ll be regaling you with those in days to come.

For now, let me catch up with one big bit of news – we had a casting change just a few weeks prior to the shoot, and stepping into the lead role of Sulu’s daughter Alana was the spectacular and luminous actress CHRISTINA MOSES. Christina’s had tons of New York stage experience, but being put in the Trek spotlight will be a new experience entirely. Her performance is simply spectacular, unforgettable and deeply moving. I can’t wait to finish the editing process so you all can see it (which looks like it will be March, 2007).

Other fun things have been happening – after working on TREK brilliantly coaching the actors and performing other vital producer chores, my wife Elaine went on to direct her own short film, BONNIE AND CLYDE – THE FINAL CHAPTER. We actually were both directing in the same week!

Beyond this, I just started the MAGIC TIME COMPANY in partnership with Bill Wallen, former Senior Vice President of Worldwide Strategic Marketing for Sony Pictures, who designed the posters and ad campaigns for such classics as JAWS, ET, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, POLTERGEIST, FIELD OF DREAMS, WRATH OF KHAN, ON GOLDEN POND, STARSHIP TROOPERS, MEN IN BLACK – all the way up to consulting on the new CHARLOTTE’S WEB.

Bill will be helping me to position and launch the MAGIC TIME TV series, based on the series of bestselling novels I’ve been doing over the last few years. Something that will help this, no doubt, is that I’ve just closed the deal to write the MAGIC TIME comic book for Marvel – it’ll be out this summer.

And I’m finally able to carve off some time to work finishing the new book, LOVE, GLORIA, a memoir about my mother.

Phew! Another slow week, I guess… with more adventures to come.

Cheers,
Marc

WATCH ZICREE VIDEO REMINISCING ABOUT OLD L.A. EATERIES

Hi, guys --

My friend documentary filmmaker Patrick Francis just shot a little mini-doc with me reminiscing about different cool old eateries in Los Angeles (and it has pictures of me as a kid!). To see and hear it, log onto

http://turnhere.com/city/los_angeles/west_la/films/270.aspx

It's really fun, and a real blast from the past.

Cheers,
Marc

ZICREE HANGS WITH J.J. ABRAMS, CAROL SERLING AND STEVEN SPIELBERG!

Just a quick entry on the AMAZING lunch I had yesterday.

I first met J.J. ABRAMS a few years back, when I consulted on the TWILIGHT ZONE-oriented episode of FELICITY he wrote. Since then, we’d kept in touch and it has always been a very friendly exchange. He’s quite a nice, hugely talented guy (as ALIAS, LOST and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III demonstrate), with a warm, loving heart (it’s great to hear him talk about his wife and kids).

And he’s a HUGE Rod Serling fan!

So I got the idea of arranging a lunch with J.J. and CAROL SERLING.

We met yesterday in the Rotunda at Disney Studios, an elegant and extremely exclusive restaurant on the lot. It was a wonderful time all round, with J.J. full of questions for Carol about Rod and their life together (Carol read all Rod’s scripts as he was writing them, gave feedback and – as she noted – was “always right”).

We talked about various adventures and projects – including, of course, STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES and J.J.’s new STAR TREK feature, which he’s producing and may direct.

It’s such great fun to associate with such talented people who share so many of my enthusiasms – I just learned that J.J. is a big RAY HARRYHAUSEN fan; we didn’t even have a chance to talk about the four previously-unmade Harryhausen films I’m executive producing and will possibly be writing several of (I’ll have to tell J.J. about that next time).

Then the capper came, the ultimate Hollywood moment. As we were finishing our lunch, BOB IGER, the President of Disney, ambled over with STEVEN SPIELBERG!

Iger, it turns out, went to Ithaca College and was actually a student of Rod’s, who he absolutely adored (who didn’t?). We shared some fond memories of Rod, and I’m mailing him a copy of THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION today.

Best of all, when J.J. introduced me as the author of the COMPANION, Spielberg gave a big smile and said, “I live by that book!”

Holy cow!

Spielberg’s first professional directing gig, of course, was helming the Joan Crawford segment of Serling’s NIGHT GALLERY pilot. “Those were eleven of the most terrifying days of my life,” he mentioned, adding, “And then came JAWS.” JAWS was renowned as one of the most challenging and nightmarish shoots of all time, running over one hundred days. But Spielberg triumphed and it was the real beginning of his stratospheric rise.

Hanging out with these guys while I’m writing a new pilot and a new book, prepping to direct STAR TREK, starting up the MAGIC TIME company, working on the Harryhausen films, signing the graphic novel deals for MAGIC TIME and HELL’S KITCHEN, and talking to Carol about a new Rod Serling project… Gee, it’s a depressing life.

Don’t pinch me, folks, ‘cause I sure don’t want to wake up from this one…

Cheers,
Marc

ZICREE MEETS WITH McCAIGS, SILVA, TAKEI, BRADBURY & MORE!

What a great week!

First IAIN McCAIG and his gorgeous daughter MISHI – our two WONDERFUL costume designers on STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES “World Enough and Time” – met with our BRILLIANT lead actress LESLIE SILVA (along with my wife ELAINE – a former actress/director Off-Broadway -- who’s serving as World Enough’s drama coach) to discuss her character’s costume.

Then the next day, Iain, Mishi and I met with GEORGE TAKEI and his partner BRAD to discuss his NEW VOYAGES wardrobe. George was incredibly gracious, insightful and entertaining, and he and Iain really hit it off, sharing memories of their travels in the UK and other adventures.

After that, it was off with Iain and Mishi to RAY BRADBURY’s house to share some of Iain’s recent work on a major (and hush-hush) project. Iain brought incredible artwork that blew Ray’s socks off. Joining us was KERRY CONRAN, writer-director of SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, who has been working with Iain on several projects. Kerry is a huge Bradbury fan, as is Iain (and myself, of course), so it was a terrific afternoon all round.

Following that, Iain, Mishi, Kerry and I reconvened at Sisley’s, a terrific Italian restaurant at the celebrated Westside Pavilion, where we traded tales of our adventures in Hollywood over beverages and desserts.

Kerry is a great guy and a true visionary, and we shared tales (and enthusiasms) about such diverse subjects as THINGS TO COME, Forry Ackerman, Rick Baker, Rod Serling, MAGIC TIME and much, much more.

Another day to remember, and I hope not the last time I see Kerry Conran… (I’m keeping Iain and Mishi glued to my side as we continue on the STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES adventure!)

More to come…

Marc

ZICREE CASTS LEAD IN STAR TREK EPISODE

Hi, guys --

Just wanted to let you all know that we just held auditions for the guest roles in the STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES episode Michael Reaves and I wrote that I'm directing, "World Enough and Time." The actresses we read were all fantastic, and it was great fun working with them and seeing how well they took direction, and how moved they were by the script.

Michael Reaves and my wife, writer-producer Elaine Zicree, and I were there for the auditions. Elaine -- who had been a director and actress for many years Off-Broadway -- was of great help in working with the actors, giving them insightful suggestions that aided them in accessing the deep emotions needed for the scenes. (I'm going to keep her right there with me through the entire process of directing this sucker!)

George Takei was kind enough to let us read one actress in his home, actually playing Sulu (and even Captain Kirk!) in scenes with her. And it payed off -- this actress was nothing short of AMAZING.

And small wonder. It was LESLIE SILVA, who was a lead on the recent Showtime series ODYSSEY 5, created by ENTERPRISE Executive Producer MANNY COTO. In the audition, Leslie lent the role of ALANA a depth and variety that was just spectacular, breathtaking.

So once all the deliberations were made, I called Leslie and told her she'd won the part! She was thrilled.

So on Friday, Leslie will be meeting with IAIN McCAIG and his daughter MEESHEE, who will both be designing her and George's costumes and overall look. Iain, you may recall, was a lead designer on the last three STAR WARS films, and created the looks of DARTH MAUL and QUEEN AMIDALA.

Wow, what a team!

The fun is just beginning...

Cheers,
Marc

P.S.
Check out today's HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. There's an article announcing four upcoming films based on the unmade projects of RAY HARRYHAUSEN that I'll be executive producing and also writing part of.