It’s no secret that Star Trek has had a long, successful run as a sci-fi franchise. It all began in 1966 with three seasons of The Original Series, initially known simply as Star Trek, the brainchild of Gene Roddenberry. The seminal series followed the intergalactic adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise and are said to have been inspired by the Horatio Hornblower novels, Gulliver's Travels, and western TV shows like Wagon Train.
The franchise continued with 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series, which was followed by six films and five spin-off TV series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and the recent CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery.
Now, Variety reports that Alex Kurtzman—who CBS recently named the sole showrunner on Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery—may also oversee a five-year project that will yield multiple new Star Trek projects. Those projects are rumored to include a new live-action TV series, two limited series, and a potential animated series. Kurtzman, who co-wrote the scripts for two of the most recent Star Trek films, 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, is about to go where no man has gone before…
It is rumored that the potential new shows are already in the development process. One is supposedly a series set at Starfleet Academy. Aimed at younger audiences, this series was created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, known for their work on Gossip Girl and the Dynasty reboot. Another potential series is based on the “Wrath of Khan" storyline.
There’s also a rumor that Captain Picard will return to the captain’s chair for the first time since Star Trek: Nemesis, and that Patrick Stewart will return to play the beloved captain. The Hollywood Reporter says Kurtzman may be collaborating with Akiva Goldsman — formerly the executive producer of Discovery — on a new series that would feature Picard.
While most of the details of the expansion remain up in the air, there’s one thing that doesn’t: these potential new series are sure to have a huge impact on the Trek fandom. As has been the case with Star Trek: Discovery, some loyal Trekkies may be thrilled by these new additions to the franchise, whereas others will be reluctant to see the final frontier evolve to meet the vision of new creators. Only time will tell what the expansion of the Star Trek universe looks like.
[via The Verge]
Featured still from "Star Trek: Nemesis" via Paramount Pictures
