For “Star Trek: Nemesis,” Jonathan Frakes handed the reins over to Stuart Baird, who previously directed Kurt Russell in 1996’s “Executive Decision” and Tommy Lee Jones in 1998’s “U.S. Marshals.”
While Frakes didn’t point his finger at the filmmaker specifically, he indicated in “The Fifty-Year Mission” that the film’s lack of attention to the core cast hurt it. The actor argued fans come out the first weekend of a Star Trek movie to see stars like William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, and Brent Spiner. Frakes feels that “Nemesis” is more concerned with the villain than Data or William T. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi’s (Marina Sirtis) relationship. “The story of ‘Nemesis’ was very much a story about the obsession of Shinzon, Tom Hardy’s character,” he said. “The front end of the movie with the wedding of Riker and Troi … just got cut to bits.”
Frakes added that if the scene had remained, there would have been cameos by cast members from “The Next Generation” series and a lighter atmosphere. “We originally had Whoopi [Goldberg] and Wil Wheaton and all of these Easter eggs in there, and Brent sang. It was a big deal that got cut up to nothing.”
