Paramount+ Chief on Star Trek’s TV future

The Star Trek franchise is currently navigating a pivotal moment, standing at a fascinating crossroads as it enters its 60th year. While the cinematic and television universe remains legendary, the studio is actively charting a new course for its future, seeking to define what the next great iteration of the Trek story will look like.

This moment is compounded by a recent pause in major creative output. With the final seasons of “Strange New Worlds” and “Starfleet Academy” set to film for a 2027 release, the franchise has entered a period where new series and films have been notably absent, save for the occasional telemovie. The question now is how the studio plans to reignite the creative engine and deliver fresh content to fans.

To address this, the Paramount studio is focusing heavily on the streaming landscape. Jane Wiseman, Paramount+ Head of Originals executive, highlighted that key to the franchise’s small screen future is the strategic hiring of Chris Parnell, a former Apple TV+ creative executive and co-president of Sony Pictures Television Studios. Parnell’s involvement is seen as a crucial element in bringing new energy and talent to the franchise.

Wiseman emphasized the studio’s commitment to finding the next great narrative bounce, noting that they are actively consulting with writers and leveraging CBS Studios resources. The goal is imperative: figuring out what the next evolution of Star Trek will be.

The strategy involves careful collaboration across the studio ecosystem, including Paramount Pictures, which is also developing a feature film. This dual approach—building out streaming content while developing cinematic properties—demonstrates a comprehensive commitment to the franchise’s legacy.

Adding to the excitement, Paramount CEO David Ellison recently confirmed that a new Star Trek movie is in development. This feature is slated to be helmed by the duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, known for their work on “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” promising a vision that stretches further into the future than previous installments.

This development signals an exciting push forward, indicating that the Star Trek universe is poised not just to celebrate its history, but to launch a new, ambitious era of exploration and storytelling.