Exclusive interview with Marcus and Sam Bagala — the duo behind Star Trek: Khan
The Star Trek universe is set to expand once again, but this time, the journey is one for the ears. Star Trek: Khan, a first-for-the-franchise audio drama, promises to explore new territory in both storytelling and sound, revisiting one of the series’ most iconic villains: Khan Noonien Singh.
Premiering on all major podcast services today, the series takes place during the 20 years Khan and his followers spend on Ceti Alpha V following the events of The Original Series episode “Space Seed.” The drama aims to tell the “recently unearthed” story of Khan’s descent from a “beneficent tyrant and superhuman visionary” to the vengeful figure seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
To craft this ambitious narrative, the production called upon composers Marcus and Sam Bagala, two brothers and accomplished audio producers who have been Star Trek fans their entire lives. We sat down with them to discuss their creative process, the unique challenges of scoring an audio-only project, and what it means to leave their mark on a franchise that has inspired them for years.
The Composers’ Journey
The two brothers’ involvement in this project began several years ago, when Khan was initially pitched as a miniseries. The project’s director, Fred Greenhalgh, invited the pair to help pitch the project to CBS and Paramount, so they wrote a bit of music that, much to Sam and Marcus’ satisfaction, made it into the final production years later.
“We’ve been on this project for a while. It’s been really awesome to see it come to fruition,” said Marcus.
The pair are lifelong Star Trek fans, noting a particular fondness for Voyager and the Star Trek movies. Being able to work on a Star Trek production is a “dream come true” and a “full-circle moment” for them both.
Marcus and Sam grew up in a household where their parents appreciated music, so the brothers were exposed to soundtracks from an early age. They cite iconic scores like The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Gladiator as influences in their careers.
Marcus is an Emmy Award-winning composer who previously worked on audio productions like Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind, The Flash: Escape the Midnight Circus, and The Daily. Sam has a strong musical theater background, having served as associate music director and conductor for the first national tour of Hamilton and music director for the 20th anniversary tour of RENT.
Collaborating from their homes in Philadelphia and New York City, the brothers would meet remotely to hash out ideas and share music. The most fulfilling part of the process, according to Sam, was when they could finally work together with live musicians. “Those studio recording days are the most fun because you actually bring live music into a space and play music together,” he shared.
Revisiting a Classic Villain
Unlike most Star Trek productions, the story in Khan is told from the perspectives of people who are not in Starfleet – not the “good guys,” so to say. To reflect this approach, Marcus and Sam created the soundtrack with modern sound design and orchestral elements, an unusual mix that they hope pulls people into the narrative by expressing a variety of themes.
“We did try to play with interesting sounds,” said Marcus. “For example, the eels from The Wrath of Khan play a part in the story, so we had to come up with some sounds for them. We wanted them to feel kind of scary, so we veered into horror a little bit.”
In the same vein, the Bagalas used choral arrangements to convey the telepathic nature of a particular group of characters in the story, and they used solo instruments to convey Khan and his followers, who are themselves a group of individualists. Khan, particularly, is often expressed musically via a lonely cello. This tight integration of sound and story promises a diverse soundtrack that is an inseparable part of the narrative itself.
Like any good project that lives within a broader franchise, Star Trek: Khan aims to give people a look at Khan and his followers in a way that compliments fans’ understanding of this group as seen in The Wrath of Khan. Sam and Marcus note how they hope listeners are able to connect to the story – and its main character – in an impactful way.
“I think everyone has this idea of Khan as being this archetypal villain. I think with this series, we’re trying to show Khan in a much more holistic way, answering the question of why he is the way he is in The Wrath of Khan. I think this production succeeds in that very well,” said Sam, who also noted he thought Naveen Andrews (of Lost fame) nails the role of Khan in this story.
“I really do think Nicholas Meyers understands the character and he’s been thinking about Khan’s story for a long time,” said Marcus. I think [the production crew] managed to do something really interesting with the character. I don’t feel like they are trying to necessarily rehab him or anything like that. It’s a kind of descent into madness, and there’s some really beautiful stuff in there.”
Marcus and Sam didn’t work with Nicholas Meyers, the man behind the story for Khan and the director of The Wrath of Khan, a whole lot during the production process, but the time they did spend with him was meaningful and contributed to the pair’s understanding of what Meyers is trying to accomplish by revisiting this classic character decades after he first appeared in Star Trek.
“When we met with him, he was reminiscing about James Horner’s score for The Wrath of Khan, which we were able to nerd out with him about,” said Marcus. “We went through some of our initial demos with Nick and he gave us his thoughts, which was very cool. It was affirming to get his take on the music we were making.”
Joining the Star Trek Universe
With CBS and Paramount showing no signs of slowing down on new Star Trek content, the Bagala brothers are excited about the new characters and story that Khan introduces. Both feel the narrative is worthy of inclusion in the ever-expanding Star Trek canon.
“I would love to continue to play in the Star Trek world,” Marcus said, with Sam echoing the sentiment.
For fans eager to experience this unique addition to the franchise, the composers have one final recommendation: Put on a good pair of headphones, sit back, and get ready to be immersed in the untold story of one of Star Trek’s greatest villains.
Star Trek: Khan’s first episode premieres today on all major podcast services. Check back to Treknews.net soon for a review of the premiere episode and reviews of all proceeding episodes.
In addition to Naveen Andrews as Khan, Wrenn Schmidt voices Marla McGivers, the Enterprise’s historian who falls in love with Khan and is marooned with him; we learn in The Wrath of Khan she died at some point before that movie. Rounding out the cast is Sonya Cassidy, who plays Rosalind Lear, and George Takai and Tim Russ, who reprise their Star Trek characters Hikaru Sulu and Tuvok, respectively.
Star Trek: Khan Official Trailer
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