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Actor Patrick Stewart is synonymous with the role of Jean-Luc Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise-E, a character he has played for decades. After debuting in the role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stewart reprised it in a series of theatrical films from Paramount Pictures, including the classic 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact.
Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Jean-Luc Picard in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact (Credit: Paramount Pictures).While working on the movie, Stewart disagreed with the writers on some aspects of the screenplay and was very vocal about it. During an interview to commemorate the film’s 25th anniversary, writer Ronald D. Moore reflected on the experience of working with Stewart. The screenwriter revealed what led to the clashes with the veteran actor, and here is what he had to say.
Patrick Stewart Openly Clashed With Writers on Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact was released in 1996 and became the second theatrical feature film in the sci-fi franchise to focus on the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The crew is led by Jean-Luc Picard, played by actor Patrick Stewart.
Patrick Stewart wanted rewrites done on Star Trek: First Contact (Credit: Paramount Pictures).On the film’s 25th anniversary, co-writer Ronald D. Moore sat down for a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. During the interview, Moore revealed that Stewart was initially unhappy with some portions of the screenplay and wanted rewrites.
Patrick wanted some rewrites of his scenes, and he pressed Rick to bring on his own writer to do that.
Moore made the above statement, recalling him and co-writer Brannon Braga being replaced at the behest of Stewart.
However, the new writer’s screenplay did not work out and was eventually scrapped with producer Rick Berman re-instating the duo. Moore recalled that when he and Braga later met with Stewart on the film’s sets in Arizona, the actor handled the awkwardness in the room.
Stewart expressed remorse over getting the writers replaced and expressed a desire to move on with the issue so that production could run smoothly. Later in the interview, Moore praised Stewart’s performance in the film, suggesting all was well between the writers and the actor in the end.
Star Trek: First Contact Producer Also Clashed With the Studio
The issue between Stewart and the writers wasn’t the only point of contention on Star Trek: First Contact. In the same interview, Moore recalled that there was a disagreement between producer Rick Berman and Paramount Pictures regarding the film’s visual effects budget.
Star Trek: First Contact was a major box office hit (Credit: Paramount Pictures). The film featured an extensive action setpiece on the Enterprise’s hull, where a confrontation between the Borg and Picard’s crew takes place. Describing the ambitious setpiece, Moore stated:
That was pretty cool. It was very time-consuming, though; this was all pre-CGI and lots of wire work.
From Moore’s statement, it is evident that the scene would require a considerable amount of budget to execute, which is why there was a disagreement between the production team and the studio.
Despite the argument regarding the film’s overall budget, Paramount was more than happy with the return on their investment. Star Trek: First Contact was produced on a budget of $46 million. It grossed roughly $92 million at the domestic box office and an additional $58 million internationally. As a result, the film more than tripled its investment with a worldwide gross of $150 million.
Star Trek: First Contact is streaming on Paramount+.
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