Axanar (Star Trek fan film)
| Fan Film | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Axanar |
| Creator: | Alec Peters, Axanar Productions |
| Date: | 2014 ("Prelude to Axanar"); main production was abandoned |
| Length: | 21 mins. ("Prelude to Axanar"); 3 min. ("The Vulcan Scene") |
| Medium: | video |
| Genre: | science fiction |
| Fandom: | Star Trek |
| URL: | Axanar website |
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Axanar is a 2016 Star Trek fan film.
It was written by Christian Gossett and Alec Peters and directed by Christian Gossett. Funded through Kickstarter, production sought $10,000 in funding, but raised $101,000. The first part, [Prelude to Axanar], was first shown July 26, 2014 at San Diego Comic-Con and has had over four million views on YouTube.
Set in the Star Trek universe, the film stars Kate Vernon, Tony Todd, Richard Hatch, Gary Graham (reprising his Star Trek: Enterprise character of Soval), and J. G. Hertzler, in a documentary-style film recounting the events surrounding the Battle of Axanar, a major clash between the Federation and the Klingons.[7][8]
It raised over $1 million via crowdfunding.
In 2015, CBS and Paramount filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California, claiming copyright infringement. The film uses the Klingon language and "innumerable copyrighted elements of Star Trek, including its settings, characters, species, and themes". The lawsuit is discussed at Fansplaining: Lawsuit at Axanar.
On June 23, 2016, Paramount and CBS released new fan film "guidelines"[1], which amounted to a crackdown on fan films. Axanar staff described these new rules as "disheartening" and "draconian." While some critics agree that fans creating amateur productions are fine but that fan-produced series featuring copyrighted characters are not,[2], most fans and critics perceive Paramount/CBS as having killed off any chance for fan-produced Star Trek in any form.[3]
On January 20, 2017, the parties announced that the lawsuit had been settled, with Alec Peters and Axanar Productions promising to make "substantial changes" to Axanar and agreeing to abide by Paramount's and CBS' alleged guidelines.[4] Under the terms of the settlement, the filmmakers will be allowed to release two commercial-free 15-minute segments, instead of their planned 90-minute feature.[5] Updates can be found on the Axanar channel on YouTube.
Some Links
- Why CBS/Paramount Lawsuit Against 'Star Trek' Fan Film Is Not Surprising, Archived version by Beatrice Verhoeven (January 8, 2016)
- Paramount lawyers call Star Trek fan film’s bluff in nerdiest lawsuit ever, Archived version by Sam Barsanti (March 13, 2016)
- Paramount Claims Crowdfunded 'Star Trek' Film Infringes Copyright to Klingon Language -- Hollywood Reporter, Archived version by Eriq Gardner (March 13, 2016)
- Paramount And CBS Clarify Copyrighted Elements In Axanar Lawsuit, Archived version by Erik Amaya (March 14, 2016)
- Justin Lin Weighs In On Latest 'Axanar' Lawsuit Development, Says That Star Trek 'Belongs To All Of Us' : CULTURE : Tech Times, Archived version by J.E. Reich (March 14, 2016)
- Helpful CBS Lawyers Explain the Many, Many Ways a Star Trek Fan Film Is Ripping Them Off, Archived version by Katharine Trendacosta (March 14, 2016)
- How $1.1 Million 'Star Trek' Fan Movie Escaped Studio Shutdown (So Far), Archived version by Beatrice Verhoeven (August 25, 2016)
- Axanar and CBS, Archived version by Alec Peters (August 30, 2016)
- Axanar’s Peters Speaks About Lawsuit – TrekToday, Archived version by T'Bonz (sometime in 2016)
References
- ^ Fan Films at startrek.com
- ^ Devin Faraci, "How the Star Trek Fanfilm Guidelines Saved Fanfilms." Birth Movies Death 2016-06-29.
- ^ Read the comments to Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines Announced at startrek.com, 2016-06-23.
- ^ "Paramount, CBS Settle 'Star Trek' Fan Film Lawsuit". 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19.
- ^ Mele, Christopher (21 January 2017). "'Star Trek' Copyright Settlement Allows Fan Film to Proceed". Archived from the original on 2021-10-20 – via NYTimes.com.