A regime change at Paramount may lead to a brighter future for Star Trek that includes once more dominating in movies!
Star Trek and Paramount have been linked from the beginning, when Star Trek was produced by Desilu, which was acquired by Paramount in 1968. Beginning in 1979, the studio would release big-screen movies, followed by numerous TV shows from 1987 to the present.
It’s why Star Trek has maintained such support and why its shows are mainstays on Paramount+. However, the franchise has seen some decline with the last big-screen outing in 2016, while Strange New Worlds will wrap up after a five-season run. It seemed that Paramount wasn’t interested in pushing Star Trek.
That's mostly due to the chaos at Paramount, as bad box office from high-budget disappointments caused major layoffs and bad creative leadership. Star Trek was clearly affected by it, with Strange New Worlds' third season delayed and other projects outright canceled.
However, that could be changing as Paramount and Skydance just completed a merger with Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg as the co-chairs. This had led to excitement for Paramount to boost itself in movies and television, which could include Star Trek.
Deadline quoted sources that there are plans for big tentpole franchises like Star Trek and Top Gun to top the list. Goldberg was openly quoted saying, “Star Trek is a priority across the company.”
That’s good news for fans, as the support of Paramount is something the franchise can use to take off further!
What’s coming for Star Trek?
It does seem Paramount has been encouraged by how Disney has utilized franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and more. Star Trek is the obvious franchise to keep building with so much potential for the saga moving forward. That will include the upcoming Starfleet Academy series, set in the 32nd century with a fresh take on the mythos.
Per Deadline, Paramount is working on a film starring brand new characters with Toby Haynes of Andor to direct and a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, while Simon Kinberg and JJ Abrams produce. There’s also the long-awaited fourth entry in the Kelvin Universe timeline, produced by Abrams with Steve Yockey writing.
This would be a boon to the fan base, as TV may be Star Trek's home, but the movies get a far wider audience into the franchise. The 2009 reboot breathed new life by not being bound by the old history, so a "jumping on" point for more action. Setting future films in this universe seems a great way to rebuild interest.
It’s unclear if Paramount would be willing to try more movies in the Trek universe. The Section 31 film was originally intended to be a series and was cut into a feature film with a mixed reaction. Still, with so many worlds and cultures, not to mention the centuries of history within the timeline, there are numerous movies that could work in the Star Trek franchise.
At the same time, Paramount may want to be careful not to oversaturate fans, which can lead to backlash (as Marvel, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings can all attest). Obviously, a movie on the main Enterprise crew is a must while Paramount wants to build up interest in other projects. They may just steer clear of releasing more than one every couple of years to make a Trek movie more of an event.
That could mean more TV shows as well as it’s easy to see stories set between the events of Discovery and Starfleet Academy. They can also go a prequel route again, perhaps with tales set in the early days of the Federation or more in the future, which both allow freedom to craft fresh stories not hidebound by the franchise's complex history.
This is still in the early stages, and we have to wait for confirmation on plans. Nonetheless, this new leadership could be a great boon to the entire Star Trek franchise and let the voyages once more dominate on the big screen.