The day that thousands of AXANAR supporters feared would never happen finally arrived on Sunday, July 26, 2026 in San Diego and also on YouTube. After a 12-year wait, the first of the two sequels to PRELUDE TO AXANAR premiered: AXANAR: THE GATHERING STORM.
In the three days since then (as I type this), a LOT has happened. First, the new video caught fire on YouTube, running up nearly 120K views as of my screen-capping of the page of Tuesday night—along with 11K likes and 1,576 comments, nearly all of which were lavishing high praise on the release.
There was also the San Diego premiere itself, which took place at the DIGITAL GYM CINEMA in downtown near the convention center (where Comic-Con was wrapping up) at 2pm Pacific Time. About 75 people in total came to the theater to check out multiple showings of Prelude and The Gathering Storm between 2pm and 5pm, followed by a marathon that bookended the above releases sandwiching the Axanar Universe fan films THE ICARUS MANEUVER, DAEDALUS, and INTERLUDE. The largest number of audience members sat for the first showing, filling nearly 40 of the 54 available seats in the small theater. Here’s an image from the last showing of the day, which had about 20 people…
Showrunner ALEC PETERS was feeling great. When I asked him during a post-premiere dinner at the local Spaghetti Factory restaurant how he felt about finally releasing the first of the Axanar sequels after twelve years, he said, “Vindicated. And all of the comments we’ve been reading on the YouTube channel are just so overwhelmingly over-the-top positive that it just makes us realize that we were doing this for all of the right reasons.”
I asked Alec if he thought that CBS/Paramount would try to have The Gathering Storm taken down from YouTube. The run time was 21 minutes (although four of those minutes were credits), and three of the cast members who weren’t in the original Prelude (and therefore weren’t grandfathered in: PATRICIA TALMAN, TONY AMENDOLA, and FARAN TAHIR) had previously played roles in Star Trek TNG/DS9/VOY episodes and the 2009 Star Trek feature film. So a takedown seemed likely. That said, I’m still not sure how forbidding SAG/AFTRA actors from being hired for paid roles benefits either Hollywood studio and might violate union rules.
“The over/under on a takedown is 36 hours,” Alec’s girlfriend CRYSSTAL HUBBARD replied, and Alec added, “If that!!” So I asked what the plan was if that happened, and Alec said, “Then free downloads for everyone!”
Their comments proved to be quite…prophetic…as three days later, Paramount Pictures Corporation and CBS Studios did indeed tell YouTube to take down the video due to copyright issues. And YouTube complied because, in a David and Goliath situation with two Goliaths, you don’t stand next to David no matter how big a sling he’s waving!
And so Alec did, indeed, end up posting a free link to The Gathering Storm on the Axanar website:
https://beta.axanar.com/watch/the-gathering-storm
Once there, you can watch the fan film online or else download a clean, high definition version of the video to have on your computer. Also, as a back-up, I’m featuring a version here on Fan Film Factor, as well, for fans to check out…
Has a new “war” begun between CBS/Paramount and Axanar Productions? I’ll refrain from editorializing or conjecturing. Obviously, things aren’t over yet. Actor footage is in the can to complete the Axanar saga with the release of the final episode of the mock documentary: CRUCIBLE. And although Alec told me that he hopes to have it finished and released before the end of this year, a LOT of visual FX shots still need to be created and rendered. Perhaps we’ll be back in San Diego next summer for the release of the final episode. At this point, I’ve given up making predictions.
Instead, I’ll simply include a collection of photos that I took during the premiere event at the Digital Gym Cinema…
Congratulations are due on producing the first segment.
I personally found the sets to be compelling- a real feature.
Where I’m lost though, is – if there was such a high expectation of a takedown for using professional actors and exceeding the run time, WHY DO IT THAT WAY??? Surely it would have made more sense- if the goal was to make and distribute Axanar to the fans- to do so in accordance with the terms of settlement, or at least not in a way that’s already been ruled copyright infringement?
I understand that Alec intends to take this to arbitration. I don’t know how in heck he’ll win, but here’s hoping that the pleadings and evidence are shared.
In the meantime, I think that anyone hosting a copy of the segment should be very careful- at least on my reading, it creates the same level of liability for redistribution as the original publication
While I can’t speak to the reasoning behind the use of actors who appeared in Star Trek (although so many actors–probably thousands–have appeared in small guest roles in the 900-or-so episodes and films released over the past 60 years that it could be an unreasonable burden to apply such a broad stipulation in a settlement agreement) nor the 17-minute run-time (without credits), I would like to state the following for the record:
While I am not a journalist by education or training (I majored in psychology and, later, graphic design), this website has become, over the past decade, a source of information about the Star Trek fan film community with over 1500 published blogs featuring news, interviews, editorials, and other content that would certainly quality this website as a journalistic endeavor. As such, any content I present is protected by the First Amendment under freedom of the press. Alec Peters posted “Axanar: The Gathering Storm” at a specific link. I have shared that link because it is newsworthy. “Axanar: The Gathering Storm” is also, itself, controversial and therefore newsworthy. In order for my readers to understand what it is that is causing such controversy, I need to include the full film here, as well. This is similar to CNN reposting a controversial social media comment even if that comment was subsequently taken down. The free press has certain rights and responsibilities, and while some people might say, “You’re not reporting on political campaigns, Jonathan; you’re covering Star Trek fan films,” the fourth estate isn’t defined as only “major” news. Journalism is journalism, and I am covering one of the most significant and divisive Star Trek fan films in the 60-year history of the franchise. Like it or not, Axanar is news.
I don’t know if the word is circulating through the hater ranks yet, but while they are celebrating The Gathering Storm being taken down (though they would go through extra effort to download it so as not to have their few views counted), they should realize CBS did their own violation. Per Section #10 Dispute Resolution, they should have taken a different route than a take down notice to YouTube, including filing for arbitration. Doing that put them in violation. So we have one on each side.
I sure hope despite their action regarding the latest chapter of Axanar, CBS and Paramount take close notice of the positive fan reaction and it helps inform the direction they take their corporate version of the franchise.
Do we know why the takedown was issued? I saw some comments on some other posts that it might have to do with the slave clause. You know, where they say that anybody who acted in a Star Trek production cannot act in a fan film?
Had CBS or Paramount contacted Alec prior to approaching YouTube–or even since doing so–we would know why the takedown order was made. However, neither of the studios nor their attorneys have done so, and therefore, neither you, me, nor Alec know what specifically was their issue(s) with the release. We and Alec can only guess.
Having read the terms of settlement, my guesses would be:
1. length
2. professional actors from star trek- this provision is actually a ban on ANY professional actors (guideline 5), with a ‘grandfathering in under the settlement of those who worked on Prelude.
3. music from Star Trek
4. Violation of the ‘no series’ provision (guideline 1) from the combination with interlude, daedelus, icarus etc
5. Fundraising.
6. Being slightly more adventurous, the settlement allows 2 15 minute segments of the axanar film to be produced- it could be argued that only in accordance with the script. Dunno if they would press that one.
7. the use of copyrighted works in the film- starship designs etc
Those are the copyright issues. There are a bunch of others that I can see- merch etc- that violate the terms of settlement, but I think that’s not why there is a takedown.
Dear Axa-Fans, if any of you have an account on IMDB, you might consider updating the Axanar page with current information from the end credits:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3302086/
You could also link the page for “The Gathering Storm” (which also needs updating) to it, listing it as the first episode or part:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43714361/
I watched it yesterday, after downloading it from the axanar website. I loved it, it’s awesome. I love how it emphasize the collectivist side of starfleet. The actors are great, the lines are well written, the visual effects are GORGEOUS.
Then… I came to r/startrek on reddit and I’m disheartened. I didn’t knew the haters lies had took root on so many people. Almost all the comments are parotting misinformation or are just straight up hateful, it really sadden me.
Because so many people said Axanar would never happen, and now the first part is here, despite so many setbacks. It’s here, RIGHT HERE, proving that Alec and the hundreds of people who worked on this where genuine in their intent to produce it.
Anyway, let’s focus on the positive. The Gathering Storm IS HERE and is fucking awesome and I hope the Crucible will be here soon to finish the story.
And then we really need the documentary, so many things has to be said, SO MANY. Making Axanar is such a constant battle, it’s worth telling.
Qapla’!
I salute Alec and all those who won another battle to bring this new episode to us. I offer 10 barrels of blood wine and sing to the victory as we anticipate the final battle and the final victory. Qapla’
Hear! Sons of Kahless.
Hear! Daughters too.
The blood of battle washes clean
The Warrior brave and true.
We fight, we love, and then we kill.
Our lives burn short and bright,
Then we die with honor and join our fathers in the Black Fleet where
we battle forever, battling on through the Eternal fight.