The Untold Story Behind The Next Generation’s Reimagined Romulan Warbird – Sky Bulletin

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When “The Neutral Zone” episode aired on May 16, 1988, audiences anticipated the return of the Romulans, a formidable species not seen since the original Star Trek series. The ship that was to represent this enigmatic alien race underwent a significant redesign process led by Andrew Probert, who undertook the challenge to conceive a Romulan ship with a unique aesthetic contrasting the USS Enterprise-D.

Observing that the Enterprise-D had a broad, horizontal profile, Probert was inspired to create a ship that differed dramatically, choosing to focus on a vertical design language. As Probert explained:

“I didn’t have any information except that the Romulans were coming back and that we had never seen their ship before. […] Since the Enterprise is so horizontal, I wanted to contrast it with a vertical ship.”

His innovative ideas brought forth a concept in which the command center resembled a “sideways burger” with an enormous, vertically aligned elliptical ring. Images of these early designs can be viewed here.

However, the unconventional verticality of Probert’s design raised concerns among Star Trek producers, who pushed for a more traditional horizontal format that aligned with the franchise’s ship design ethos. In response, Probert re-envisioned the Romulan vessel with a bird-like silhouette that, in its early incarnations, lacked a “bottom wing” and resembled a bird in flight, as seen in this concept art.

After several modifications, the final design introduced a lower wing structure, and the preliminary look of the Warbird came into focus. The design evolution can be followed with this image of a subsequent design stage.

FAQ Section

  1. Why was the original Romulan Warbird design never used in The Next Generation?
    The original vertical design by Andrew Probert was deemed too unconventional by the producers, who preferred a more horizontal orientation that aligned with the existing Star Trek spaceship aesthetic.
  2. What was the key inspiration behind Andrew Probert’s initial Romulan ship design?
    Probert aimed to contrast the design of the Romulan ship with that of the Enterprise-D, which was very horizontal. He wanted the Romulan ship to stand out with a unique vertical orientation.
  3. Where can I see Andrew Probert’s initial and subsequent designs for the Romulan Warbird?
    You can view the early and later concept art for the Romulan Warbird at the Forgotten Trek website, which showcases various designs stages through provided links.

Conclusion

The creative process behind the Romulan Warbird in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” showcases the complex interplay between innovative design ideas and the necessity to maintain a coherent visual language within an established universe. Andrew Probert’s original vertically-oriented design may have been striking, but it was the collaborative evolution of the concept that ultimately resulted in the Warbird fans came to recognize in the series. This design iteration reflects the careful consideration required to balance novelty with the expectations of a legacy sci-fi franchise.

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