Star Trek’s Most Infamous Show Almost Connected To Scott Pilgrim
Normally, you wouldn’t think there was any connection between Star Trek and Scott Pilgrim (although, when you think of it, Captain Kirk probably has at least seven evil exes). However, these two franchises were almost connected in the most unexpected way. Back when he was the Star Trek: Discovery showrunner, Bryan Fuller tried to get Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright to direct the first episode.
Edgar Wright Directing Star Trek
This is a sad story, one that is intimately tied to why Fuller was unceremoniously fired from his showrunner gig. Fuller co-created Star Trek: Discovery and had a very unique vision for what the show could be like; accordingly, he wanted visionary director Edgar Wright to direct the first episode, “The Vulcan Hello.”
However, CBS executives were adamant that the episode should be directed by David Semel, a veteran of many genre dramas, including Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.
A Clash Between Creative Minds And The Financial Backers
It’s easy to see the creative divide when it came to this first episode of Star Trek: Discovery: Semel was the safe choice, and Edgar Wright was the wild card. Clearly, CBS wanted Semel because he could take the insane budget for this episode (each episode reportedly cost between $8 and $8.5 million to make) and deliver an audience-friendly hour of prestige television.
Fuller seemingly wanted Wright because he would take risks and create something more stylish, and he had the kind of brand appeal that might bring other fans (say, Scott Pilgrim fans) into the Star Trek fold.
The Director Change Led To Fuller Leaving
This anecdote underscores some major Star Trek: Discovery behind-the-scenes drama because Fuller’s desire to hire Edgar Wright was never seriously considered. In short, the execs forced Semel down Fuller’s throat. The network forcing their showrunner to use a director he didn’t want to work with was a bad sign, and Fuller later exited the show over creative differences, giving him more time to focus on his American Gods television adaptation.
Star Trek Could Benefit From Wright’s Off-Beat Style
Because of this, Star Trek: Discovery lost its chance to have Edgar Wright as a director, and we think the show is all the poorer for this. There’s nothing wrong with Semel’s work…regardless of your feelings on Discovery, it’s hard to argue that the man didn’t deliver a competent and beautiful-looking first episode. However, Wright’s involvement could have elevated the entire pilot, and Discovery, in general, could have benefited from some of the weird humor that permeates Wright’s films, like Scott Pilgrim and Shaun of the Dead.
Part Of The Franchise
Interestingly, while he never got the chance to direct Star Trek: Discovery, Edgar Wright is still connected to the franchise in a way most fans don’t know about. When Star Trek Into Darkness was being made, Wright toured the set, allowing him to reconnect with the Scotty star and Shaun of the Dead alumnus Simon Pegg. While on set, Wright directed a second unit shot involving a group of Klingons getting unexpectedly massacred.
While he got to direct a single shot in one of the worst Star Trek movies, we still wish the Discovery pilot had been directed by Edgar Wright. He could have attracted a bigger audience for the new Paramount show while also inspiring future directors with his bold and unexpected visual choices.
