A new ‘Star Trek’ movie is finally in the works — here’s what we know about Paramount’s bold direction
It’s official! ‘Star Trek’ is preparing to return to the big screen. According to a new Paramount report, plans for a brand-new ‘Star Trek’ movie are now underway, setting a fresh direction for the legendary sci-fi saga that has spent nearly a decade focusing on television. The last time audiences saw the Enterprise crew in theaters was in 2016’s ‘Star Trek: Beyond,’ directed by Justin Lin. Since then, the franchise has expanded its universe through small-screen hits such as ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ ‘Picard,’ ‘Lower Decks,’ and ‘Strange New Worlds,’ each exploring different corners of the Federation timeline.
But after years of TV dominance, Paramount is ready to reignite ‘Star Trek’s’ cinematic potential. As first reported by Variety, the upcoming ‘Star Trek’ movie will not continue the storylines from J.J. Abrams’ “Kelvin Timeline,” which reimagined the original crew in a parallel universe starting with the 2009 reboot. Instead, the new project will carve its own path, potentially setting up a new chapter in the franchise’s long and varied history. The news follows Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance Media, which placed CEO David Ellison at the helm of the newly formed company.
One of Ellison’s top priorities is reviving iconic yet underused franchises, and ‘Star Trek,’ one of Paramount’s crown jewels, sits right at the center of that plan. The studio appears eager to restore its cinematic legacy, bringing the Federation’s starships, aliens, and moral quandaries back to the theater where it all began. While details about the project remain scarce, no director, cast, or official storyline has been announced, early buzz suggests that this film will serve as a flagship revival rather than a continuation of existing TV plots.
It’s unclear whether it will take place within the established Prime timeline or introduce a brand-new universe altogether. This development arrives months after ‘Star Trek: Section 31,’ a spinoff film starring Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, debuted on Paramount+. Though that project tied up loose ends from ‘Discovery,’ it didn’t make the leap to theaters. It makes this upcoming movie the franchise’s first true cinematic push in nearly ten years. Over the past few years, several attempts at rebooting ‘Star Trek’ for film have been floated and shelved, as per ScreenRant.
In 2024, writer Steve Yockey was reportedly developing a sequel to ‘Beyond,’ while ‘Discovery’ scribe Kalinda Vazquez had her own standalone film in early stages. Now, with this new initiative, it seems Paramount may be turning to an entirely fresh concept to define ‘Star Trek’s’ future on the silver screen. Whether it ends up being a reboot, a prequel, or an expansion of the existing canon, one thing is clear: Paramount is ready to boldly go back to theaters once again. And for longtime fans who’ve been waiting since 2016 for warp speed on the big screen, that’s a mission worth getting excited about.