It looks like good news ... and bad news ... for Star Trek fans.



Paramount Pictures has given the official greenlight for the next film, "Star Trek: Nemesis," announcing that a tight shooting production schedule will begin Nov. 28 that will ensure Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard) will be available to film "X-Men 2" immediately afterward for 20th Century Fox.



However, despite the upcoming shooting schedule, there's a very good chance you won't be seeing the new film in fall 2002 as has been previously reported.



In today's report in Variety magazine, the film is being readied for a fall or holiday 2003 release. The possibility exists that this was simply a typographical error on the part of the magazine, and it could be corrected by their next issue. But then again there could be some truth to that date because Digital Domain -- the special effects house tapped to do "Nemesis" post-production -- has a very backed up effects schedule ahead of them.



According to reports, Digital Domain is finishing up work for "The Time Machine" (whose release has been pushed to early 2002) as well as "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring."



Mark Foker from Digital Domain will oversee the effects for "Nemesis," but early reports from last year stated that the new movie could already have some special effects shots completed. According to a 2000 interview with Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker), "Nemesis" was poised to try creating effects before or during filming. This not only would create a shorter turnaround time for the movie's release following principal photography, it also would allow special effects to be better inserted into the final live production sequence.



If the report of early production work is true, it would seem highly unlikely that Paramount would require a 23-month post-production turnaround time.



If the 2003 date does hold firm, this would be the longest gap between Star Trek movies in its 22-year history. The last movie, "Star Trek: Insurrection," premiered in 1998, which would mark a five-year gap between the films.



"Star Trek: Nemesis" will be directed by Stuart Baird ("U.S. Marshalls") and was written by John Logan ("Gladiator," "The Time Machine").