A biopic based on the life of the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is in the works at Roddenberry Entertainment, which is headed by the sci-fi legend’s son Rod Roddenberry, reported Deadline.
The script is written by Adam Mazer, who penned the Emmy-winning You Don’t Know Jack. The film was announced on what would have been Roddenberry’s 100th birthday on 19 August 2021. Roddenberry died in 1991 at the age of 70.
Roddenberry’s biopic will also have Star Trek caretakers Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth producing it, who also produced Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. Having those who have kept Star Trek alive and well spearheading the biopic gives us hope that the legendary life of Roddenberry will be brought justice.
The biopic will cover Roddenberry’s life before and after creating Star Trek, which was notable at the time for its diverse cast and was threatened with cancellation after the second season before becoming a massive worldwide franchise. The project will also cover his survival of two plane crashes and the events leading to his death just as Star Trek: The Next Generation was becoming the most successful series of the franchise.
“Gene led a remarkable life. He was an incredibly complex, compelling man, whose work changed the face of television, and whose ideas changed the world. It’s time to share Gene’s story with audiences everywhere,” said Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth.
Raised in Los Angeles, Roddenberry was an Army Air Force pilot during WWII, then a pilot for Pan Am before joining the Los Angeles Police Department where he wrote speeches for the chief of police and became an advisor for television shows before leaving to become a full-time TV writer.
The original Star Trek series only ran for three seasons, starting in 1966, but spawned an empire of spinoff TV shows, feature films, books and merchandise.
The biopic just needs actors and a director to bring the fascinating life of Roddenberry to life.