David Zappone, known to fans of Star Trek for his work on documentaries like The Captains, For the Love of Spock, and What We Left Behind, is almost ready to let you see his latest work. Zappone says that he needs to complete just a few final interviews and hopes to release his Voyager documentary very soon.
“I thought that I was done with Star Trek documentaries but, it really seems that there’s a hunger for Voyager,” says Zappone. “We were lucky enough to get onto the Star Trek Cruise, and CBS allowed us to film back in March.
“We filmed for an entire week and got just about everybody, including offshore excursions. And you realize that this is the last cruise before the COVID shutdown. So, talk about amazing timing, and no one got sick. We were on the last cruise until at least 2022, and virtually the whole Voyager cast reunited.”
Zappone says that the still-untitled Voyager documentary will feature most of the cast and crew, who will all reflect on the series run, and how it all came to an end.
“It will be a definitive look — warts and all — at Voyager,” says Zappone. “But, ultimately, uplifting, because I believe these shows have thrived now for 25 years, and there’s clearly a strong fanbase.”
“Pretty much everybody reflects on the ending and where their character would be,” says Zappone. “Or where they think they would be. Were they happy with the ending, and if not, why not?”
“I’ve already spoken to some of the writers, we’ve already got three more of the principal actors, and we’re about to film two more. I anticipate that it will be out next year.”
Zappone says the success of the Deep Space Nine documentary, What We Left Behind, was one of the reasons he and his team wanted to look back at Voyager as well.
“Some people say that [What We Left Behind] is the best Star Trek documentary ever made,” says Zappone. “99.9% of the credit goes to [DS9 showrunner] Ira Steven Behr. Having him as a partner was just an incredible experience.”
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the production of the Voyager documentary slowed to a crawl. This is much like most films and series based in North America. During COVID, only animated shows or those who work on computer-based special effects could continue production.
“If COVID hadn’t happened, I’d be 70% done with Voyager,” says Zappone. “We were slated to go to Germany, England, and Vegas, and they were all canceled.
“We have amazing stuff — I’ll tell you that,” says Zappone. “Out of all the films I’ve done, this is the most visually exciting. Because we were out on a cruise. It was so much more interesting than a convention floor.”
While the Voyager documentary release is just on the horizon, Zappone dropped a hint on a possible sequel to the beloved What We Left Behind.
“Yes, we’re actually talking about a sequel to What We Left Behind,” says Zappone. “Maybe releasing more of the interviews and more of the Writer’s Room.”
