In the last seven years, there has been a positive glut of “Star Trek” introduced into the world. Just as the UPN launched with the debut of “Star Trek: Voyager in 1995,” so did the new streaming service CBS All Access launch with the debut of “Star Trek: Discovery” in 2017. This was the first “Star Trek” TV series on the airwaves since the cancelation of “Star Trek: Enterprise” in 2005, and many Trekkies were eager to see if the franchise could be restarted. An entirely new creative team had taken over “Star Trek,” and they sought to update the decades-old series for a streaming audience.
“Discovery,” we would later learn, was only one of many “Star Trek” projects that would debut on CBS All Access — later renamed Paramount+ — over the next few years. To keep people subscribed, Paramount produced “Short Treks.” As a hook for fans of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” they launched the follow-up series, “Star Trek: Picard.” To prove they could have fun, they launched the animated comedy “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” For a young audience, they launched the animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy.” And, because certain guest legacy characters were such a hit in the second season of “Discovery,” Paramount gave them their own spinoff with “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” There was a brief period when all six of these shows were running simultaneously.
As of this writing, however, five of the six shows have come to an end. Only “Strange New Worlds” currently remains. One can’t help but think that Paramount put too many horta nodules in one basket. “Star Trek” was getting a little overexposed, and likely cost more than the ailing Paramount wanted to spend. As such, “Star Trek” has undergone some contraction, and now the franchise is reconnoitering.
There are, however, a few shows and movies still on the horizon.
The third season of Strange New Worlds, and Section 31
As of this writing, “Star Trek: Lower Decks” just ended, and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is gearing up for its third season, due to debut in the early months of 2025. The series has also already been renewed for a fourth season, so Trekkies have at least 20 new episodes of the franchise’s strongest series to look forward to. “Strange New Worlds,” to offer a broad description, is set a few years before the events of the original “Star Trek,” and follows the U.S.S. Enterprise when it was commanded by Kirk’s predecessor, Captain Pike (Anson Mount). Spock (Ethan Peck) and several other legacy characters also appear on the show.
Also due in 2025 is “Star Trek: Section 31,” a feature-length TV movie, and the first in the franchise’s history (not counting two-part or two-hour episodes of extant TV shows). “Section 31” details the formation and earliest adventure of the titular black ops organization that uses unethical spy tactics in the Federation’s name. It was initially planned as a series but was shortened to a movie when budgeting concerns came down the pipeline. The movie, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, will star Michelle Yeoh as the evil Mirror Universe Empress Georgiou, in addition to Sam Richardson, Kacey Rohl, Humberly Gonzalez, and Miku Martineau.
Fans will be able to tell you that Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the Enterprise-C, will appear as a character, as will a Chameloid, a species not seen since Iman’s character in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991). Provided there are no time travel shenanigans, Rachel Garrett’s presence implies that “Section 31” takes place about 35 years before “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Starfleet Academy and the untitles Star Trek sitcom
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is also currently in development, and is currently aiming to debut on Paramount+ in 2026. Set in the 32nd century, as a spinoff of “Star Trek: Discovery,” the new “Starfleet Academy” show will take place at the franchise’s famous school for future officers, traditionally located in San Francisco, California. Trekkies will tell you that “Discovery” began in the time period about a decade before the original “Star Trek,” but fast-forwarded to the 32nd century at the end of its second season when the U.S.S. Discovery flew through a time portal. The new series will feature a few common characters from “Discovery,” including Lieutenant Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Jett Reno (Tig Notaro).
Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti will play notable roles, and Robert Picardo will reprise his role from “Star Trek: Voyager.” This is possible because his character is a hologram and cannot die. Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, Karim Diané, Zoë Steiner, and Sandro Rosta will play the show’s first class of cadets, while Gina Yashere and Tatiana Maslany will play teachers. Filming is currently underway, and early reports say that “Starfleet Academy” features the largest TV set ever built.
Also in development is an as-yet-untitled “Star Trek” live-action sitcom co-created by “Lower Decks” star and “Academy” writer Tawny Newsome. She is developing the show with Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman and Justin Simien. Little is known about this series at the current juncture, however, and no characters or titles have been released. In November 2024, Newsome said that she was still writing it. Her logline was that it was about “Federation Outsiders serving a gleaming resort planet [who] find out their day-to-day exploits are being broadcast to the entire quadrant.” How meta.
Star Trek 4, and the Star Trek prequel movie
J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film “Star Trek” famously rebooted the franchise’s timeline, taking place in an alternate universe and following the exploits of the original “Star Trek” characters, now played by younger, hotter actors. The 2009 film was such a hit, that it spawned two sequels: “Star Trek Into Darkness” in 2013 and “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016. In the last eight years, many, many efforts have been made to get a fourth Kelvin-verse movie off the ground, but to no avail. The film has been both on and off of Paramount’s release schedule in recent years, and its last potential director, Matt Shakman, left the project to work on “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” for Marvel Studios. The film was to feature a time travel story where Kirk (Chris Pine) would be able to meet his dead father George (Chris Hemsworth).
Paramount has assured us that “Star Trek 4” is still in development, but many Trekkies are in “We’ll believe it when we see it” mode.
Also in development at Paramount is an untitled prequel movie, set before the events of Abrams’ 2009 film, handled by Simon Kinberg and with writer Seth Grahame-Smith attached. Almost nothing is known about this new film, other than it is being described as a prequel that will “involve the creation of the Starfleet and humankind’s first contact with alien life.” These events were, of course, already dramatized in the 1996 film “Star Trek: First Contact” and in the 2001 series “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Given that “Star Trek” shows have jumped around so much — the series’ timeline stretches from the 22nd century to the 32nd — it’s unclear what “prequel” means.
Not in development is “Star Trek: Legacy,” a proposed spinoff from “Picard” by showrunner Terry Matalas. There has been no official movement on that series, and it’s unlikely to happen, as Matalas is currently working on “Vision Quest” for Marvel.
The “Star Trek” movie script written by Quentin Tarantino is also not being made. That would be too wild, I think, for the studio to consider.
