Casting is underway for Khan-Ceti Alpha V audio drama podcast

In the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Space Seed," Captain Kirk sent Khan Noonien-Singh [Ricardo Montalban] and his crew of augemented soliders to a desolate planet, forcing them to eke out an existence of their own. For a while, there was talk about a series based around the time Khan spent on the planet, but two years ago, Nicholas Meyer, who directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, officially confirmed that the series would, instead, be an audio drama.

Recently, Meyer confirmed to Trekmovie that the drama is still in progress and, in fact, they are now casting for the roles. The director believes the podcast drama will begin production "within the next year." And while Khan is one of the worst villains in Star Trek history, Meyer chose to see this audio drama as an opportunity to show a different side of him as Khan will be the main protagonist in the drama.

"“[In Ceti Alpha V] Khan is the hero. [In TOS “Space Seed”] Kirk says to him, ‘You think that genetically engineered man is the measure of all things. I’ll give you a chance to prove it.’ I’ll put you on an Eden-like planet, and let’s see if you can build your own Utopia, as you claim that you’re able to do… By the end of the story, I wanted people to weep for this man. I hope that you understand where he’s coming from and what his destiny is and why it is.”"

- Nicholas Meyer

Only six months after Khan and his crew were stranded on the planet, Ceti Alpha VI exploded which shifted Ceti Alpha V's orbit, creating a much more inhospitable place to live. Khan and his follwers faced Craylon gas, high velocity winds, and constant sand, basically no place to live. But somehow Khan and a small contigent of his crew manage to survive, although Khan does lose his wife.

The audio drama will explore the ingenuity and mental fortitude it takes for the known villian to lead his crew and to keep them alive. It's a way of creating a hero out of Khan at least during the time he spends on the planet as we all know that The Wrath of Khan puts him right back into villain territory.

The overall premise sounds like it could be a hit, but we'll miss out on the chance to see the effects instead of just hearing them. Still, it'll be like listening to a really good book on audio. And it will be interesting to see who is chosen for the role of Khan.