A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : ON THE WARP-SPEED TRACK : Beam Them Aboard: Paramount Preps the Next Generation of ‘Star Trek’ Films

When “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” beamed into theaters in late 1991, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and all the other principal players involved made one thing perfectly clear: This was the last one.

The old crew of the Starship Enterprise may be finished with the movies, but the “Star Trek” movie franchise lives on. According to industry sources, longstanding speculation that Paramount plans to use the characters established in the studio’s syndicated television hit “Star Trek: The Next Generation” for a new set of films has become a reality.

Rick Berman has recently closed a deal to co-write and executive produce two feature films for the studio using the “Next Generation” characters and general premise, sources say. Berman, with the late Gene Roddenberry, produced “Star Trek: TNG” and now produces the latest syndicated “Trek” spinoff, “Deep Space Nine.”

Although the relaunch of a “Star Trek” film series has been put on the fast track at the studio, reportedly by Paramount chief Stanley Jaffe, no release date for the first new movie was available. Sources say, however, that they expect a “Next Generation” film to be released in late 1994.

The original “Star Trek” film series was one of the most profitable and popular studio “tentpole” properties in film history, and sources say Paramount had no intention of losing such a lucrative cash cow. The first “Star Trek” film was released in 1979. The six movies, along with revenues from the television series and various merchandising deals, have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Because the deal with Berman has just closed, no storylines for the continuing adventures have been worked out. Sources say they expect many of the cast members of the “Next Generation” to be on board, particularly Patrick Stewart, who plays Jean-Luc Picard on “TNG.”

Will Trekkies accept the new faces? Sources say yes. “The Next Generation” series is in its sixth season and still going strong.