Patrick Stewart wraps Marina Sirtis in an affectionate hug, then gives Gates McFadden one as well. The two ladies have just filmed their last scene for ``Star Trek: Insurrection,'' which beams into theaters on Dec.11. But Stewart's not done yet. ``I've got a few more days to go,'' Stewart says in his commanding British voice. ``We've got some more work to do here in this beautiful Bak'u village, then a few scenes to do in the water tank back at Paramount. Then, I'm finished, too.'' Stewart couldn't possibly seem more relaxed as he settles into a director's chair to talk. Perhaps it's the surroundings. The sun shines bright on a late June morning in Sherman Lake, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Stewart and the ``Insurrection'' cast and crew have spent a great deal of time here, shooting in the aforementioned Herman Zimmerman-designed Bak'u village. It's sort of a Shangri-la consisting of serene gazebos, a temple and a rotunda, all of which figure prominently in the fountain of youth thread of ``Insurrection's'' story line. Perhaps it's the overall plot, which finds Picard quitting Starfleet and thrusting his loyal crew into an adventure involving a Federation conspiracy, a villainous alien raced called the Son'a (led by Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham as Ru'afo) and the long-lived Bak'u. '' `Star Trek 9,' for Capt. Picard, doesn't have the intensity that the previous two movies had, of a personal connection with a tormented past history, or with family tragedies,'' Stewart says. ``There's nothing like that in this film. ``Other than him becoming suspicious of some things and then working to resolve what he sees as a betrayal, it is a much gentler story. And we have a romantic story line for Picard (which pairs him with Broadway actress Donna Murphy as a Bak'u named Anij). ``As for what's at stake for Picard this time, I would say it's his integrity.'' Stewart reports that the production has gone swimmingly and that he's thrilled to be reunited with his co-stars. He adds that his designation as ``Insurrection's'' associate producer simply formalizes his top-to-bottom participation in the development of the ``Trek'' features. Fans know that Stewart's universe extends far beyond Picard. As much as he relishes portraying the good captain, he refuses to let himself be trapped in the 24th century. In the two years between ``First Contact'' (1996) and ``Insurrection,'' Stewart has appeared in the films ``Mastermind'' (1997) and ``Conspiracy Theory'' (1997), the acclaimed miniseries ``Moby Dick'' (1998) and a recent stage production of ``Othello.'' Stewart has also branched out into producing via his company, Flying Freehold Productions, based at Paramount Pictures. Headed by Wendy Neuss, Stewart's fiancee and a former producer of both ``Next Generation'' and ``Voyager,'' Flying Freehold hopes to realize a miniseries version of ``A Christmas Carol,'' which Stewart has frequently performed as a one-man play, and a feature based on Noah Hawley's forthcoming novel ``A Conspiracy of Tall Men.'' Stewart, who will be heard as Seti in the Dec. 18 release of the animated feature ``Prince of Egypt,'' intends to star in both ``Christmas Carol'' and ``Tall Men.'' However, assuming that ``Insurrection'' performs well enough to merit another sequel, Stewart looks forward to suiting up again as Picard. ``I think we've done very well as a series of feature films,'' says Stewart, who even has an idea in his head for ``Trek 10'' which he hatched with Brent Spiner. ``The TV-to-film transition has gone as I imagined it would, and I've been pleased that we've been able to keep `The Next Generation' going without having to do it as a weekly series.''
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