From Westview to boldly going, director Matt Shakman — who’s had a hell of a great day already; did you see how many Emmy nominations WandaVision, which he directed all nine episodes of, racked up? — has just been announced as the director of Paramount’s as-yet-untitled new Star Trek film for producer J.J. Abrams. The script is by Lindsey Beer (whose upcoming credits include the Pet Sematary prequel and the Kingkiller Chronicle adaptation) and Geneva Robertson (Captain Marvel, Tomb Raider).
Deadline got the scoop on this one, noting “the film will now move at warp speed and begin production next spring,” and making sure to point out that this film is not to be confused with the Noah Hawley project (as a reminder, he’s got that Alien TV show going now) or that Quentin Tarantino one we’ve been hearing about for a while now.
As you might guess, details on anything else — a plot outline, whether or not anyone named “Chris” will sit in the captain’s chair, etc. — regarding this new entry into the ever-expanding Star Trek media empire are nonexistent. However, fans of the franchise have plenty to capture their attention while waiting for news of the beloved sci-fi series’ long-awaited return to the big screen.
Season two of delightful animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks hits Paramount+ in the U.S. on August 12; premiering later this year will be Star Trek: Discovery’s fourth season, as well as the debut of kid-focused animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. A second season of Picard, along with another new live-action series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, should be arriving in 2022.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for where these shows will end up in Australia.
In addition, we learned last week that 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture is getting a full-scale, 4K Ultra HD restoration that will eventually come to streaming services.