Alex Kurtzman has secured a new deal through 2026 to continue making Star Trek.
Love them or hate them, but the current era of Star Trek isn’t going anywhere according to Variety. The Hollywood trade publication is reporting that ViacomCBS has extended Alex Kurtzman through 2026, and is currently mapping out the Star Trek franchise for years to come. Since the deal is through CBS Studios, it’s unlikely that he’ll have much say over the film side which is handled by Paramount Studios but that’s conjecture at the moment.
Variety claims in the article that Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout will “expand” to cover the growing number of television shows being produced. Heather Kadin will also remain as head of content for Secret Hideout; which is overseeing projects for CBS, Paramount+, and Showtime.
It seems like things are going to be status quo for a while, even if Paramont+ is slinking behind Disney+, Peacock, Netflix, and others in streaming service subscribers and views.
Star Trek staying the course with Alex Kurtzman for good or bad
It’s not completely unexpected that he got an extension to keep making Star Trek series, especially considering the ramp-up in production for toys and merchandising.
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The last thing you want to do as a brand is going to your merchandising partners and tell them that all that new stuff you were planning on wheeling out in six or eight months is going to be changed radically and delayed indefinitely because a new guy is coming in.
That may not be the only reason, granted, as Secret Hideout is a well-respected and sought-after production house, and prestige is everything in Hollywood.
The news is certainly going to rile up fans. Some will be happy that Star Trek is staying the course while others will be mad that ViacomCBS is doubling down on more of the same. Considering how controversial “the same” has been among scores of fans, there’s always going to be a risk that fans will be upset.
Whether you’re or happy or not, this is the future for the next few years unless something truly drastic occurs.