Jonathan Frakes Directing Sci-Fi Series Adaptation From One Of The Most Important Authors Ever
Jonathan Frakes is trading in one space adventure for another as the Star Trek: The Next Generation alum has been tapped to direct a small-screen adaptation of the sci-fi book series, Venus Prime, penned by Arthur C. Clarke and Paul Preuss. Aptly titled Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime, the show is set to go into production later this year in Canada and will consist of six episodes. Eager to get started on his latest project, Frakes revealed that his answer to the Venus Prime team when asked to stand at the helm “was a resounding and immediate ‘Hell, yes!’”
A True Sci-Fi Devotee
Like many of his fans, Jonathan Frakes is truly devoted to the genre, making it unsurprising that he would find a new directorial home with the creative team backing Venus Prime. The actor is also using his new opportunity as a way to honor the late creator of the Star Trek universe, Gene Roddenberry, whom Frakes mentioned in his acceptance statement, saying, “Working on such a tremendous piece of IP from the mind of another sci-fi legend (who is also a contemporary of the true #1 Gene Roddenberry), will be both an honor and a dream for me.”
A Six-Episode Run Helmed By Jonathan Frakes
This is going to be a big one for the sci-fi community as Jonathan Frakes’ involvement with the Venus Prime series sets the production up for a promising run. Arthur C. Clarke is the original author of the story surrounding Venus Prime, having penned six short stories that would later be elaborated on and extended into novels by Paul Preuss. While it isn’t fully clear where the series will go, seeing as how only six episodes were announced, we’d presume that it will be produced in a limited series format with each episode following one of the short stories – hopefully, they’ll be long episodes!
The Venus Prime Book Series
The otherworldly universe uncovered in the Venus Prime book series follows a young woman named Sparta who holds a superhuman set of powers. Over the six stories, Sparta finds herself in interesting galactic circumstances where she puts her skills to the test to save those in trouble and – step by step – uncovers more about her mysterious past.
Along with directing, Jonathan Frakes is also attached to the Venus Prime series as a producer, which will see him working alongside writers, executive producers, and showrunners, David Cormican (Tokyo Trial) and Dwayne Hill (Northern Rescue).
Other Arthur C. Clarke Adaptations
While Jonathan Frakes is a huge get for the Venus Prime series, he isn’t quite the biggest name in the industry to have brought one of Clarke’s books to the screen. That honor would fall to the legendary filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick, who in the years between Dr. Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange, adapted Clarke’s sci-fi giant, 2001: A Space Odyssey into a feature-length production. Clarke and Kubrick worked together on the project’s story, with the movie arriving in cinemas ahead of the book’s debut on shelves.
From Star Trek To Venus Prime
Jonathan Frakes will be cradling Venus Prime from day one of filming as the actor knows that, above all else, staying true to the fans is the number one goal. Sure, he’s the face of our favorite first officer but his journey bopping around space has also put Frakes on the other side of the camera, having helmed both Star Trek films, First Contact and Insurrection as well as episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. We look forward to learning more about Frakes’ latest directorial project.
Source: Variety
