Patrick Stewart introduces new "Star Trek: Picard" trailer at San Diego Comic-Con
In arguably the most anticipated part of "Enter the Star Trek Universe" at Comic-Con, Sir Patrick Stewart took to the Hall H stage Saturday afternoon to discuss his new series, "Star Trek: Picard." The panel, which included fellow actors, said the series will focus on what caused famed captain and admiral Jean-Luc Picard to leave Starfleet, and his life since.
The panel also featured an exclusive San Diego Comic-Con trailer, which offered more of what to expect from the series than the original teaser trailer that was released in May.
Here is the exclusive trailer that premiered Saturday at the Star Trek panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
When does Star Trek: Picard start on Paramount+?
A firm start date has not been announced. The Paramount+ website, which previously stated "Coming soon," now reads "Coming Early 2020." A graphic that appears toward the end of the new trailer reads "Early 2020."
Star Trek: Picard Comic-Con panel highlights
Ahead of the trailer's reveal, showrunner Alex Kurtzman, fellow cast members and Patrick Stewart – who is also an executive producer – answered questions about the show.
"We never know, do we, when our best moment will be. And that is now," Stewart said. "I knew something unusual would happen. I knew I needed to be a part of it."
Stewart has been heavily involved in crafting "Star Trek: Picard" and frequently visits the writer's room. Alison Pill, who plays a researcher in the series, says the show thrives on its deep exploration of characters' pasts and how they impact their present. "Everybody here is kind of broken, in terms of their character, in interesting ways and different to a lot of what we've seen," Pill said.
Brent Spiner, who played the character Data on TNG, said there was "no way" he could say no to the opportunity to work with Stewart again. He also joked with the crowd about when he first heard the news of the new "Picard" series, wondering who would play the lead role.
"When I first heard about #StarTrekPicard, I called the producers and asked 'Do you have anyone for the role of Picard yet?'" - @BrentSpiner #StarTrekSDCC
— Star Trek on CBS All Access (@startrekcbs) July 20, 2019
Stewart was apparently excited to be reunited with fellow "Next Generation" cast members, suggesting the excitement sometimes got the better of them while filming.
"You've got to get your laughing gear in place. We have more fun that should be allowed in a series." - @SirPatStew on set with the #StarTrekPicard crew #StarTrekSDCC #SDCC
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) July 20, 2019
Stewart originally played the Enterprise captain in the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which ran from 1987-94 and then in several feature films. His last appearance as Picard was in the movie "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002.
What is "Star Trek: Picard" about?
The show is set 20 years after the events of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" around the year 2399. This sets the series further into the future than any previous Star Trek series. But fans should not expect to see the same Jean-Luc Picard they know from "The Next Generation" series. During the press tour, Kurtzman teased that the show will be very different and "grounded."
The series will explore how Picard has changed in that time, making him reckon with the choices he has made. Kurtzman hinted that there are circumstances that have "radically" shifted that have caused the beloved Starfleet admiral to question his life decisions.
"Patrick was very clear to us in the beginning: He did not want to repeat what he had already done," Kurtzman said. "And by the way, it's been 20-plus years so he couldn't possibly be that same person anymore. So the question becomes: What has happened to him in that period of time?"
But, Kurtzman said, Picard's core values have not changed. "Picard is still standing up for what matters. Standing up for what we believe in." He added, "He has to dig even deeper into himself to get there. That's why he remains such an aspirational Captain."