This captain was asked to embody
an inhuman level of perfection
in order to be accepted as good enough
to the doubters,
but show them all what it means to be truly outstanding.
We can think of no better captain
to inspire the next generation of dreamers than this one.
[Outside voice] Permission to come aboard.
Ladies and gentlemen, the star of Star Trek: Prodigy,
Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Welcome home, Kate.
[Kate laughing]
Virtual greetings and well done, you,
Alex Kurtzman and the Hageman brothers
for having the foresight to understand that Star Trek
will captivate the imaginations of young people.
And when Alex Kurtzman called me over a year ago now,
I think, to propose this idea,
I have to tell you that I was at first
a little bit uncertain.
After all, I had played her for seven years
in four and a half inch heels.
I had invested every scintilla of my being in that woman.
And I thought, "An animated version of Janeway?
I don't know, I don't know."
But even as I was talking to Kurtzman on the phone,
long dormant longings to restore her
started to stir,
and I thought, "This will be heavenly."
I can go into a recording booth, which I love to do.
I can now endow her with nuances that I didn't do before,
because I will have the privacy
and freedom of a recording booth,
and we can take it to unlimited places.
And then I thought, you know
I was the first female captain,
and now I'm gonna be the first children's captain,
and what on earth could be better than that?
So then, Dan and Kevin Hageman, who are geniuses,
you should know--
you just saw them,
I can assure you that they are bonafide geniuses--
sent me the animatics and the scripts,
and I was dazzled.
So I jumped in,
and I thought to myself,
"This is gonna be an extraordinary adventure."
How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds
an idea that has elevated the world for decades?
And to be at the helm again in that way
is, I think, going to be deeply gratifying
in a brand new way for me.
So, I'm ready to go, guys.
This is gonna be a wonderful adventure
and I'm so glad you're on board with me,
and I hope you're equally excited.
-: Are you? -: Oh, my God.
Are you kidding me?
[laughing]
We're sitting here with just joy radiating out of us.
-: We're so excited. -: Yes.
[Alex] We're so excited, Kate.
I was about to say, "I'm over the moon,"
but I'm like, "That's not far enough."
I'm up further.
I'm over galaxies.
I think it is true about the children.
And by children we're talking about a demographic
five to 15 and their parents and their grandparents.
It's gonna be a living room
full of generations watching this,
but I think those little sponges,
those little minds are gonna go [slurping]
"We love this."
And to be able to do that again, anew,
is absolutely delightful.
So, I'm not only excited,
I'm completely committed.
I've already started recording and enjoyed it enormously.
I got the next four scripts, which are increasingly better.
You guys are really marvelous.
And Alex, thank you for having the foresight to understand
that children will absorb this
as it has never been absorbed before.