Star Trek showrunner almost cried during Patrick Stewart’s Picard script read

Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Alex Kurtzman can reveal very little about the upcoming Picard-based series, except that he almost cried during Patrick Stewart’s first script reading.

When Patrick Stewart announced his surprise return to the Star Trek universe as the legendary Jean-Luc Picard, fans everywhere likely shed tears of excitement. And while we know very little about what to expect in the new series – cast, crew, and the creative team being predictably tight-lipped about the top secret project – we can likely expect to shed tears again when Picard finally makes his reappearance. During the Paleyfest panel for Star Trek: Discovery, showrunner and Star Trek overlord Alex Kurtzman revealed that he almost cried during Stewart’s first read of the new script.

"“I had an amazing experience yesterday. I sat at Patrick’s kitchen table and I heard him read the first episode and I almost cried. It was quite something.”"

Kurtzman actually did go on to give further details of the new Picard series, and while it was nothing concrete, it at least gives fans an idea of the tone of the new show.

"“This is going to be a very thoughtful, psychological portrait in a lot of ways. We all know what Picard means to the world and why he, like so many legendary characters on Star Trek, has endured and what he’s represented. He in some ways has to go through a gauntlet to find that again. Things have changed for him and changed him in some ways, and yet he is so deeply and fundamentally still Picard.”"

Fans can take courage in the fact that Stewart is also an essential member of the creative team, crafting this later-life Picard in partnership with great writers like novelist Michael Chabon.

Of course, Picard wasn’t the only topic of conversation at the Paleyfest panel, as the focus was on Star Trek: Discovery. The series has been renewed for a third season on CBS All Access and can expect Michelle Paradise (The Originals) to join Kurtzman as co-showrunner. Ethan Peck talked about taking on the role of a young, rebellious Spock while Doug Jones addressed his character’s fundamental biological shift and his story opportunities going forward.

Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz also discussed the return of Hugh Cubler and the importance of portraying the first gay relationship in a Star Trek series. Many would argue that Star Trek has had gay storylines in the past, but none that weren’t just single episode arcs or an incidental detail of a character’s identity.

No release dates have been announced for either Star Trek: Discovery season three or the still unnamed Picard series, but rough estimates predict that Discovery won’t be seen until next year and that the Picard series will premiere late 2019.

Source: Deadline