. ▁A ▁fan ▁of ▁Star ▁Tre k , ▁Gordon ▁was ▁hes it ant , ▁bel ieving ▁Gal axy ▁Qu est ▁" could ▁be ▁a ▁great ▁idea ▁or ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁terrible ▁idea " ▁and ▁initially ▁turned ▁it ▁down . ▁Gordon ▁had ▁not ▁read ▁Captain ▁Star sh ine ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁film ' s ▁completion , ▁but ▁instead ▁started ▁from ▁the ▁prem ise ▁of ▁was hed - up ▁actors ▁from ▁a ▁sci - fi ▁series ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁real ▁al ien ▁situation . ▁Gordon ' s ▁initial ▁scripts ▁added ▁elements ▁of ▁humor ▁to ▁Howard ' s ▁script , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁sc rap ing ▁of ▁the ▁Prote ctor ▁when ▁leaving ▁space ▁dock . ▁Gordon ▁became ▁more ▁confident ▁in ▁his ▁script ▁when ▁he ▁completed ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁N es m ith ▁adm itting ▁to ▁the ▁Th erm ians ▁the ▁truth ▁of ▁the ▁situation , ▁which ▁he ▁felt ▁he ▁na iled . ▁He ▁submitted ▁his ▁first ▁draft ▁to ▁Dream Work s ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁which ▁was ▁immediately ▁green lit . ▁ ▁Since ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁production , ▁Mark ▁Johnson ▁wanted ▁Dean ▁Paris ot , ▁who ▁had ▁directed ▁Home ▁F ries , ▁another ▁film ▁he ▁produced , ▁to ▁direct ▁Gal axy ▁Qu est ; ▁however , ▁Dream Work s ▁fav ored ▁Harold ▁Ram is ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁prior ▁experience . ▁Ram is ▁was ▁h ired ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁but ▁depart ed ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁because ▁of ▁casting ▁difficulties . ▁He ▁wanted ▁Ale c