Axanar is the title of the feature-length film (formerly titled Star Trek: Axanar) at the center of the CBS-Paramount lawsuit against producer Alec Peters and his company, Axanar Productions.

Axanar is the story of Garth of Izar (introduced in the Star Trek episode, “Whom Gods Destroy”), first written by executive producer Alec Peters wrote 25 years ago. After playing Garth in the fan production Star Trek: New Voyages, Peters turned the story into a screenplay.

Peters recruited a team of experienced filmmakers, many from Hollywood, to first produce a short film as a proof of concept. That movie, Prelude to Axanar, sparked worldwide attention that led to multiple crowdfunding campaigns that raised about half the $2 million budget estimated for production of the feature-length Axanar.

GARTH OF IZAR, played by Steve Inhat, was introduced in the Star Trek episode, "Whom Gods Destroy.“

Axanar tells the story of Garth of Izar, introduced as Captain Kirk’s hero, a legendary starship commander whose victory at Axanar was required reading at the academy.

The film, originally scheduled to go into production in 2016, tells the story of the Four Years War with the Klingon Empire, which the United Federation of Planets nearly lost. Axanar picks up where Prelude to Axanar left off, with the new Klingon battlecruiser, the D-7 class, turning the tide of the war, and a frantic Starfleet scrambling to find some way to end the conflict. Garth’s audacious battle plan is the course the Federation decides to bet on.

GARTH OF IZAR as portrayed by Axanar producer Alec Peters in Prelude to Axanar.

While no cast members have been officially signed, several of those who appeared in Prelude to Axanar were expected to reprise their roles in the feature, including Richard Hatch, Kate Vernon and J.G. Hertzler in principal roles, with Gary Graham reprising his role as Vulcan ambassador Soval, first seen in the television series, Star Trek: Enterprise.

Actor Tony Todd left the project in 2015, citing “accountability” problems possibly connected with the production’s crowdfunding of more than $1 million.

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Prior to the lawsuit’s filing, Axanar was scheduled to start shooting in early 2016. Production was halted by mutual agreement by all the lawsuit’s parties until February 22, 2016, the due date for Axanar’s response to the legal complaint.

The lawsuit asks for a temporary injunction that would likely prevent production from moving forward until the case is resolved.

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