There are fans, then there are superfans. And finally there are superfans with loads of money, which is the category that Marc Bell sits in. Bell, who is the managing partner of Marc Bell Capital and chairman of a company called Terran Orbital--a firm that manufactures satellite components for NASA--is an inveterate Trekkie.
This 48-year-old became a fan of the series when he was 10, and hasn’t looked back since. Making his Star Trek dreams come true, he spent four years putting together a home theatre in his $35 million, eight-bedroom, 27,000-square-foot home. But this isn’t just any old home theatre one has been custom-built to resemble the USS Enterprise, the famed spacecraft from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Powering this home theatre is a cinema-class JBL Synthesis sound system that’s currently being upgraded to Dolby Atmos, and he also plans to install a top-of-the-line 4K projector. At his disposal are about 3,500 digitized films that are piped to the home theatre via a Kaleidescape media server, and he also has a Prima Cinema system that enables this home theatre’s viewers to enjoy films the very day they are released in regular cinemas.
There are 11 custom leather chairs in this theatre, of which eight convert into beds. Even the doors that enable access to this theater are made to look--and even sound, complete with the “whoosh”--like those classic ‘Turbolift’ doors that are so reminiscent of the movie.
Immediately outside the theatre is is a ‘ready room’ that is modelled on the lines of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s office, although this one serves as a base for the popcorn and sweet dispensers and all of the Star Trek memorabilia that Bell has collected over the years. In fact, he estimates this memorabilia to be worth about $1 million, which includes the actual Spock ears worn by actor Leonard Nimoy, as well as several costumes and props that were used in the movie. Apart from this, the home theatre itself was built it a cost of over half a million dollars.
Watch this Wall Street Journal video walkthrough of this truly one-of-a-kind home theatre experience:
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Star Trek Home Theatre")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}