Star Trek: The Academy Years/The First Adventure
Conceived as a means to not only reinvigorate the franchise, but also to save money by recasting TOS characters, Harve Bennett (ST II and III) and David Lougherys look at the early years of the Enterprise crew was originally intended as Star Trek 6. Kirk, a brash cocky Iowa farm boy, Spock an alien outsider and a 30 year old McCoy seeking answers after euthanizing his father, all meet at Star Fleet Academy. The script called for the trio and their fellow TOS characters to end up on The Enterprise and assume leadership roles after the Captain and senior officers are killed. Harve Bennet was said to have been considering casting Ethan Hawke as Kirk and John Cusack as Spock. Gene Rodenberry and the original series cast were said to have vigorously campaigned against the project and following a change in management at the studio, the film was scrapped.