Paramount Pictures‘ cinematic Star Trek franchise is expanding with a new prequel film apparently set in the Kelvin Timeline.
As broken by Deadline, Paramount has tapped Andor director Toby Haynes to helm a new Star Trek movie written by Seth Grahame-Smith. J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot is producing. While details are scarce, the new film is said to be an “origin story” that takes place “decades” before Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot. Additionally, Deadline’s sources say that the long-gestating sequel to 2016’s Star Trek Beyond remains in “active development.”
Haynes is known for his work on Disney+’s live-action Star Wars series Andor. He directed Episodes 1-3 and 8-10 of the acclaimed sci-fi drama. Haynes has also worked on shows like Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Black Mirror.
Meanwhile, Grahame-Smith is the author behind such novels as The Last American Nightmare; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. He wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film adaptation of the latter. Additionally, Grahame-Smith has co-written such films as The Lego Batman Movie and Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. He also created the MTV sitcom The Hard Times of RJ Berger.
The history of Star Trek’s Kelvin Timeline
Directed and produced by Abrams, 2009’s Star Trek served to reboot the late Gene Roddenberry’s beloved sci-fi franchise on the big screen. That said, Abrams’ film actually did not hard-reset Star Trek continuity. Rather, it introduced audiences to the Kelvin Timeline — an alternate reality that runs parallel to the franchise’s original, Prime Timeline. Notably, the Kelvin Timeline diverged from the Prime Timeline in the year 2233 — 22 years before the primary events of the 2009 reboot begin.
Abrams returned to direct a sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, which released in theaters in 2013. That film got its own sequel, Star Trek Beyond, which itself arrived 2016. However, while Abrams returned to produce Beyond, he did not direct it. Rather, Justin Lin — of Fast & Furious fame — stepped in to steer the ship.
The Trek franchise’s cinematic future
Paramount has been developing a fourth film in the Star Trek reboot series since before Beyond came out. However, the planned sequel has had an arduous journey thus far. In 2018, the studio tapped director S.J. Clarkson to helm Star Trek 4. Things hit a snag later that year, when stars Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth reportedly backed out due to contract disputes. Clarkson herself exited Star Trek 4 to pursue other projects in early 2019.
Things appeared to get back on track in 2021, when Paramount dated an untitled Star Trek movie for June 2023. Later that year, Matt Shakman signed on to direct the mysterious project, with Abrams returning to produce. The film was subsequently delayed to December 2023.
In early 2022, Paramount confirmed that the Shakman-directed feature would be Star Trek 4, announcing the return of Kelvin Timeline stars like Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Simon Pegg. The project entered yet another state of limbo later in 2022, when Shakman departed in favor of directing Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. Paramount soon removed Star Trek 4 from its release calendar altogether. Even so, screenwriter Lindsey Anderson Beer said the film was still in development as of September 2023.
Still, while the future of the Kelvin Timeline has long been in flux, Star Trek’s Prime Timeline has enjoyed a renaissance on Paramount+. The franchise’s next feature-length entry will be Star Trek: Section 31, a Star Trek: Discovery spin-off movie starring Michelle Yeoh. Production on Section 31 kicks off this month. The film currently lacks a release date, though will release exclusively on Paramount+.
