Indiana native Aaron Waltke is a producer and writer for Nickelodeon's upcoming CG-animated
Star Trek series,
Star Trek: Prodigy. In a new interview with
Trek Report, Waltke discussed his experiences working on a
Star Trek series.
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Image: Trek Report.
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“Star Trek: Prodigy is one of my favorite things I’ve ever worked on,” Waltke told Trek Report. Waltke had previously worked with Prodigy creators Kevin and Dan Hageman as a co-executive producer on Wizards: Tales of Arcadia. and collaborated with them on Trollhunters. Coming onto the Star Trek scene to write for Prodigy seems to be an enjoyable challenge for him, as Waltke said, “As a hardcore Trek fan, it honestly felt less like writing a script and more like breathing.”
"I’ve internalized so much lore from its myriad series over the years that I instinctively know how the Heisenberg compensator in a transporter works and can easily write an essay comparing the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and the Great Material Continuum to ancient Egyptian cosmology. Now I get to tell my own stories in that universe, and the opportunity to contribute to such a rich mythology that’s been so influential in my life has been a tremendous honor."
While he couldn’t share many details on what audiences can expect to see in Star Trek: Prodigy, Waltke did take a moment to talk about what working on Star Trek (and writing for Captain Janeway) means to him. Feeling satisfied that Prodigy “honors classic Trek”, Waltke said the new series “also provides an entry point for new audiences to be introduced to the world of the Federation and its aspirations for an idealistic future, even when facing adversity.”
Having the opportunity to help bring the Janeway character back to life brings a special meaning to the project. “Writing the return of our beloved Voyager captain feels oddly iconic, like a homecoming for me,” Waltke said. "When I joined Star Trek: Prodigy, it was a lot of fun doing a deep dive into the last fifty years of the franchise in search of inspiration, especially with every film and television iteration available on demand. My personal mission working on the show was to always instill a sense of wonder, optimism, and adventure — what I remember so fondly experiencing the shows during my own childhood and adolescence. I was also a bit obsessed with getting my treknobabble right — it’s essentially a second language, and there is a lot of it to pull from."
Aside from discussing
Star Trek: Prodigy, Waltke spoke about starting his career, moving from Indiana to Los Angeles, the differences for writing for 2D and CGI shows, his first "contact" with the franchise, and what it’s really like to be in the writer’s room. You can read the full interview for yourself by visiting
Trek.Report.
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