Since it was announced last August, the new CBS All Access Star Trek show featuring Sir Patrick Stewart returning to the role of Jean-Luc Picard has been a bit of a mystery, but some new details on the show have now been revealed.

Picard show to deal with the destruction of Romulus

The Hollywood Reporter has posted more from their interview with Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman, this time focusing on what he had to say about the Picard series. In it, Kurtzman reveals a key point about the setting of the show and how it relates to other Trek productions:

“Picard’s life was radically altered by the dissolution of the Romulan Empire.”

Kurtzman is referring to an event shown in the 2009 film Star Trek, which he co-wrote. The film established that in the year 2387, the planet Romulus was destroyed by a supernova. While Star Trek sets up the new Kelvin timeline, the events prior to Spock traveling back in time were part of the Prime timeline, and the Picard show is set in the Prime timeline.

Jean-Luc Picard has a long history with the Romulans. Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Romulans were one of the primary antagonists for the show, with Picard and crew going up against them more often than the Borg. Picard was involved in Spock’s failed secret peace attempt to reunify the Romulans and the Vulcans (TNG: “Reunification”), and in his final outing (Star Trek: Nemesis) he faced off with his own clone, who had taken over the Romulan Empire. That film ended with Picard forming a friendship with Romulan Commander Donatra, indicating a potential thawing of relations.

While not considered official canon, the Star Trek: Countdown comic prequel to the 2009 Star Trek film also showed Picard involved with Romulan politics. That comic features a story co-written by Kurtzman and could end up becoming official canon through this new series.

The Picard series is expected to take place 20 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis, which would set it in the year 2399, or twelve years after the destruction of Romulus. Apparently, during those years, the destruction of Romulus led to the dissolution of the Romulan Empire. It’s not hard to imagine how Picard may have become more involved with Romulan politics in the years leading up to the destruction of Romulus, and how it would “radically alter” his life.

Stewart wants the unexpected

Kurtzman also talked about the efforts to talk Stewart into doing the series, including how he and his team–including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon–prepped for their first pitch meeting with the legendary actor. Kurtzman revealed:

“It turned into a 34-page document — with no way to shorten it. We were going on all in and he was going to read it or not read it, love it or hate it. It was our best attempt at trying to get him to say yes. He walked into the room and he had a huge smile on his face and said, ‘This is wonderful,’ “

But Stewart had important stipulations about how the show would go forward, as Kurtzman tells THR:

“He threw down an amazing gauntlet and said, ‘If we do this, I want it to be so different, I want it to be both what people remember but also not what they’re expecting at all, otherwise why do it?’ “

TNG guest stars?

Another key question about the Picard series regards other characters. So far no casting beyond Stewart has been announced. During the fall, a number of Stewart’s Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars made it clear they had not been contacted, and they didn’t expect to be involved. Speaking to THR, Kurtzman didn’t say anything specific on the possibility of TNG actors showing up, but did offer a little hope, saying:

“Anything could happen.”

Stay up to date on all the Picard show news here at TrekMovie.com.