Star Trek Beyond round-up: Posters, stills, music, first TV spot, and more

After plugging in the Star Trek Beyond marketing machine a week ago Paramount seems to have the thing on over-drive ever since, pumping out posters, stills, behind the scenes photos, another trailer, interviews, and more! Continue below for the latest:

Shortly after the reveal of the main US poster, Paramount also released a more character focused international poster design, which seems to have a few hints of the classic The Motion Picture poster's streaks of colour, albeit at a funny angle.

Kirsten Beyer to write for new Star Trek TV series!

Great news for the new Star Trek TV series, Voyager novelist Kirsten Beyer has joined the writing team! The Shore Leave convention website announced the news, after Beyer had to pull out of appearing there due to her new commitments:

One of our author guests, Kirsten Beyer, has to cancel her attendance at Shore Leave 38 for an admittedly very cool reason. Kirsten is one of the writers for the new Star Trek series. Her work load and commitment to the new series make it impossible to attend Shore Leave this year. She is looking forward to coming back to Shore Leave next year to share the excitement of her new job. Shore Leave extends congratulations to Kirsten for this amazing achievement and opportunity.

Beyer should be well known to Star Trek books fans, as the author of all the post-Destiny Voyager novels, starting with Full Circle (which followed a couple of earlier Voyager works in her bibliography). I think it's safe to say that she is considered the savour of the Voyager series, bringing it back to life with some inspired stories, cleverly weaving together threads of continuity, and perhaps most importantly bringing Voyager's cast of characters (and several new additions in the Full Circle fleet) vividly to life.

If you've not read her books I highly recommend them, her run of Voyager stories is one of the best series of Star Trek novels, ever. So it certainly exciting that her huge talents are being utilised in the new TV series!

I wonder if any of the other current crop of Star Trek novelists have been called in too? Several have screen writing experience already...

In one other little nugget of news from the series, Variety report the new series will indeed be gaining a sub-title at some point, and will not just be called Star Trek.

Mega Bloks bridge set out now

This year Mega Bloks are returning to the world of Star Trek with a range of construction toys including TOS ships and playsets, and figurines in their Kubros range based on TOS and TNG characters. While these weren't expected to arrive until late in the year, several sets have already found their ways to retailers.

The latest of those, now available on Amazon, is the largest playset in the initial wave of releases, the very impressive USS Enterprise bridge set. This set comes with figurines of Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Sulu, plus, a surprise revealed in the new images below, also included is Nomad, making this set specific to the episode The Changeling (watch out Uhura!). Continue below for a closer look.

Star Trek Beyond Funko Pop! vinyl figures announced

The first Star Trek Beyond toys have been announced! Joining Funko's range of stylised Pop! vinyl figures, are no less than nine characters from the movie, including our new alien friend Jaylah, and foe Krall, plus all the main Enterprise crew (Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov). According to Entertainment Earth these will be arriving in August. Continue below to check them all out:

Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe preview

Due out next month from National Geographic is Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe - The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages, a new book by Andrew Fazekas that contextualises the Star Trek universe with the real world science of today. The press release for the book gives a nice overview:

As Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary in September, this big, beautiful beginner’s guide to the cosmos – planets, starts, galaxies and beyond – reveals the real science behind its fantastic and beloved fictions, inviting readers to step outside, gaze up at the night sky, and observe some of the destinations the Starfleet has visited. Fazekas takes Star Trek fans and astronomers alike on an incredible journey into space, starting with specific Star Trek voyages, explaining the science behind them, and guiding them in observing and learning more about the real-universe corollaries of planets and places in the Star Trek universe. Stunningly illustrated with more than 400 full-color images – some artists' interpretations and some real images generated by the most recent NASA missions – plus 50 maps alongside stills of beloved Star Trek scenes and characters, STAR TREK: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE is sure to open readers’ eyes to the fascinating world of astronomy while giving them a treasured bit of Star Trek memorabilia.

Every chapter is a voyage of discovery. From Altair to Vega, from red giants to white dwarfs, from solar system exoplanets only beginning to be imagined, the book visits dozens of celestial objects, spotlighting some 20 in careful scientific detail and offering easy-to-follow star-gazing instructions to find them in the night sky. No warp-driven starship, not even a telescope is required to go on these voyages: Most destinations are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. This inventive book blends science and fiction, making learning fun and making Star Trek's 50th all the more worthy of celebration.  

The Star Trek Facebook page has now released preview pages from the book. While the book has an emphasises the astronomy of Star Trek - Which we can certainly see here in the star charts and discussion of astronomical objects - These previews also reveal an exploration of other aspects of the Star Trek universe, such as alien life, and pondering how close we are today to Star Trek technologies such as the universal translator and shuttlecraft. Continue below to have a look:

Ships of the Line 2017 covers, and other calendar updates

It's that time of year where with great excitement we get to see what await us in next year's Ships of the Line calendar! This year is TOS focused collection looks like a real winner, topped off with a Doug Drexler's latest massive-collection-of-ships image, which features both as the cover and, in it's full form, one of the interior images. Continue below for a look at all the images in this calendar, and updates from the other 2017 calendars.

Star Trek Beyond trailer 2, shot by shot

Want to scrutinise every little detail of every shot in the new Star Trek Beyond trailer? Of course you do! Continue below to examine images form every shot (nice big ones taken from a 4K version of the trailer), and animated gifs of the exciting shots too!

Proceed with caution if you're spoiler averse, lingering on images that only last a flash in a trailer can reveal details, and help join up the narrative dots (especially as I've arranged this in what I speculate is a rough narrative order).

But we'll start by enjoying my favourite shot of the trailer, the dazzling new warp effect:

I love this new way of picturing the Enterprise warping through space. I doubt this has any scientific credibility, in terms of it being possible to really ever record an image like this at least, but it looks sciencey and that's pleasing in itself. Dare I say, in the age of annual Star Wars films, this kind of science-inspired angle on creating Star Trek could really help set it apart from the other big space series too.

Second Star Trek Beyond trailer, and poster, released - UPDATED

The second trailer for Star Trek Beyond is online now. Enjoy!



The Star Trek Beyond twitter account has also released this glorious poster:

Both releases came simultaneously with the Star Trek Beyond fan event hosted at Paramount Studios in LA, which also included a few other treats. Continue below for information (now updated with videos from the event):

Star Trek Beyond round-up: Stills, posters, tweaked release dates, ST4, and more

Tonight the long awaited second trailer for Star Trek Beyond will be released, at a special fan event hosted by Paramount in LA, which also promises to include "exclusive first look at previously unseen footage from Beyond, a Q and A with Lin, cast members and crew, as well as special guest appearances and other surprises". Over the past few weeks Paramount have been promoting various ways to get tickets to that event, but if you didn't win, or weren't close enough, it will be streamed online too.

Hopefully this will be the start of Paramount's big marketing push for the film, which is only two months away from release now. Meanwhile building up to tonight Paramount have been steadily getting the marketing machine into gear, with lots of new images, interviews, and more. Continue below for all the latest on Star Trek Beyond, including news of updated international release dates. Proceed with spoiler caution, some of the images say a lot...

Quite a few images from the film have also been released recently. One that seems to be little circulated so far, but rather exciting, was posted by the Facebook page of a production company called Harvest Moon Productions, and appears to show the last moments of the Enterprise:

Manifest Destiny #3 preview

Out this week is the third issue in IDW's four-part biweekly nuTrek event miniseries, Manifest Destiny. Written by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott, and illustrated by Angel Hernandez, the Klingon attack on the Enterprise continues in brutal fashion. But there is a glimmer of hope for the crew...

This issue is available in three different covers. The regular one is by Angel Hernandez (coloured by Jose Luis del Rio), a subscription cover by Tony Shasteen , inspired by Bob Peak's The Search For Spock poster, and a retail incentive design by Stephen Mooney. Continue below to check them all out, plus a five-page preview from the book:

First teaser for the new Star Trek TV series

CBS have released the first teaser for the new Star Trek television series. It doesn't reveal a lot (the series wont start filming for months still), but does give us a first logo, and a some little teases, with the promise of "New crews, new villains, new heroes, new worlds".

Check it out, complete with everyone's favourite music cue.

More Star Trek stamps from around the world

It is truly a great year if you're a Star Trek stamp collector. There have already been numerous releases and announcements for releases this year (see my Star Trek stamps list for full listings), and now the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation (who design and distribute special stamps for countries around the world) have revealed no less than four more sets of designs to add to your collections!

By far the weirdest releases come from Antigua and Barbuda (their second round of Star Trek stamps following a 2008 TOS collection), who have issued designs utilising Patrick Faricy's artwork from the novelty book, A Very Klingon Khristmas. I'm not sure what is stranger, the fact these exist as stamps at all, or that they got released in February of all times! As is the case with all the recent releases via the IGPC, this and all the other new releases come in the form of two miniature sheets; one featuring a single higher value stamp, and another sheet with multiple lower value ones.

Latest Star Trek movie bluray releases

As previously reported, there is a new and improved bluray release of The Wrath of Khan on the way, and details of which have now been released. Plus all the prime-timeline films have new steelbook releases coming too. Continue below for the details of all those:

The Wrath of Khan has been remastered to 4K standard, but this latest release is using that master for a bluray edition - According to The Digital Bits, a 4K Ultra HD release is still expected, possibly later in the year. This Bluray version is due out in June. On the disc you will find both the theatrical and director's cuts, plus a new half an hour documentary, The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan. All the various commentaries and documentaries from previous home video releases will also be included. Wrapping it all up is a snazzy new cover, using Tyler Stout's Mondo poster artwork.

IDW's July Star Trek comics

IDW have released their July solicitations, which include one wholly new story, one adaptation, and two omnibus books. Continue below for the details.

Star Trek #59: Altered Encounters, Part 1
Written by Mike Johnson, with art by Tony Shasteen.

Don't miss Part 1 of the 2-part SERIES FINALE! It's the penultimate chapter in the latest Five Year Mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise, as Captain Kirk and the crew encounter... themselves? Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of STAR TREK with this all-new story that brings two timelines together! 

Pre-order: Things From Another World, Forbidden Planet.

You might notice the emphasised "SERIES FINALE" in that blurb. I've been bugging IDW about what exactly that means, but they're keeping quiet for now; what they will say is, fear not, they aren't going away from Star Trek, and, that there is big news on the way. Whatever that means... Of course with the release of Star Trek Beyond imminent, and the trailers implying the destruction of the Enterprise, there is an obvious break point coming in the nuTrek continuity. Maybe IDW will pick up the story after with something completely new (who knows how world altering the events of Beyond will be), maybe they'll return to ongoing with issue 61 being a new jumping on point. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Meanwhile, this issue will be available in three covers, the main one by Tony Shasteen, a subscription cover by Josh Adams, and plus a third cover by Drew Moss, which is part of IDW's celebration of ROM the Space Knight, which will see covers across multiple titles this month (you can see how this last cover was created in an article on 13th Dimension).

Canadian Star Trek coins

The Royal Canadian Mint has announced a big new range of Star Trek coins, being released over the next several months, to of course help mark the 50th anniversary. Continue below to check out all the designs.

The most impressive of the range is the delightful Starfleet-delta shaped coin! It has an impressively ludicrous face value of $200 (Canadian of course), but because they've gone an minted it in solid gold it will set you back quite a bit more than that!

Legacy of Spock, part 3 preview

IDW's latest Star Trek comic release is issue fifty-seven of the nuTrek ongoing series, the penultimate chapter in the Legacy of Spock story. This time we get a pleasing flashback to the events of TNG's Unification, while continuing the story of the Spock and aftermath of Vulcan's destruction in the nuTrek timeline.

This book is available in three different covers: The regular cover, featuring Spock and Picard, is by Tony Shasteen (13th Dimension has an article looking at the creation of that cover). The subscription cover, which has Spock framed by two of Nero's crew, is by Angel Hernandez, with colours by J.L. Del Rio. A retail incentive cover, exclusive to Merrymac Games and Comics, and styled like an action figure blister pack, is by J.K. Woodward. Continue below to check them all out, plus a five page preview from the issue.

More 50 Artists 50 Years art revealed, on mugs! Plus other new Trek drink-wear

Hope you're thirsty, as there is quite a variety of new Star Trek drinking vessels and bare-ware around. Continue below for new glasses, bottles, a decanter, and bottle opener. But first, mugs!

I pick mugs first because I believe this latest range of rather lovely artistic designs from Culturenik might well be revealing several pieces of art from the 50 Artists 50 Years exhibition. It has not been confirmed in any of the product descriptions, but we have seen one of the designs in previous previews for that 50th anniversary art collection, all the artists are involved in the collection, and it's hard to believe these have all been commissioned just for use on mugs!

My personal favourite is the glorious comic-book style collection of classic scenes from the original series, which is apparently titled Risk is Our Business!, by Mick Cassidy.

Mega Bloks Klingon D7 and transporter room in the wild

This year Mega Bloks is returning to Star Trek, with a large range of construction toys, including model ships and playsets based on TOS, and figurines in their Kubros range featuring characters from TOS and TNG. The first of the Kubros figures, Spock, appeared last month, but we we're expecting to see the rest of the collection until later in year...

Well, thanks to Amazon, two of the other sets have snuck out super early. So available now is the Klingon D7 class, and transporter room playset. As ever, going with those Amazon listings are lots of new images of both sets. So continue below to give them a good look.

The Klingon D7 is one of two model ships so far announced, the other is a much larger rendition of the USS Enterprise. The quite modestly scaled D7 captures the shape of the ship impressively well, and comes with a display stand, including a spot for the included figure of Kor to stand on, beneath a Klingon banner!

Canada Post's Star Trek stamps collection

Canada Post have revealed no less than nine new Star Trek postage stamps, available now, which they have issued in a bewildering variety of formats ready to appease the most casual letter-sender through to the most die hard stamp-collector. Continue below to check out all the designs, and the many ways Canada Post are offering them.

The collection is split into three groups, the largest of which is a series of five character stamps. Featured on those are Captain Kirk, Spock, Doctor McCoy, Scotty, and Kor the Klingon. Canada Post cite the Canadian origins of actors William Shatner (Kirk), James Doohan (Scotty), and John Colicos (Kor), as inspiration for their inclusion, while Americans Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and DeForest Kelley (McCoy) appear to have just come along for the ride.

New Visions: Of Woman Born preview

This week saw the release of the eleventh issue in John Byrne New Visions photo-comic series, Of Woman Born. The story stars Carolyn Palamas in an immediate sequel to Who Mourns for Adonais? The issue also contains a one page secondary story, I Sing of Arms and Heroes, introducing Arex to the photo-comic world! Continue below for a five-page preview from the main story:

Manifest Destiny #2 preview

This week saw the release of the second issue in IDW's four-part biweekly nuTrek event miniseries, Manifest Destiny. The Klingon action continues in the issue, and series, written by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott, and illustrated by Angel Hernandez.

This issue is available in three different covers. The main one is by Angel Hernandez, Tony Shasteen gives us the subscription cover, inspired by Bob Peak's Wrath of Khan poster, and then there's a retail incentive design by J.K. Woodward. Continue below to check them all out, plus a five page preview from the issue.

Vulcan Travel Guide cover and preview

Coming in July is the Hidden Universe Travel Guide: Vulcan, a handy guide to visiting the home of our pointy-eared friends. A really nice temp cover was released for this some time ago, but now publishers Insight Editions have revealed the final cover, with another snazzy bit of artwork, showing a Vulcan city awash in the familiar red-tinged light of the planet's skies.

Written by Star Trek novelist Dayton Ward, the book's artists have now been revealed too. They include Livio Ramondelli, a designer with a wide-ranging resume, including lots of work on various IDW comics, being particularly active in their Transformers titles. He is joined by Peter Markowski, who has worked for Lego, and on many animated television series, including various DC Comics series. If you're a regular reader here, you might recall the latter name, as Peter also created a wonderful concept for a new Star Trek animated series a few years ago.

StarTrek.com and Amazon have released preview pages from inside the book, giving us a nice sample of the variety of things we shall find inside, including beautiful landscapes, maps, infographics, and more. Check them out after the break: