Paramount+ executive Jane Wiseman has confirmed that the streaming service is actively planning new Star Trek content to succeed its current lineup. While Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy are approaching their finales,the studio is collaborating with CBS Studios and various writers to define the franchise's next phase.
The 2017-era cycle ends with Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds
The current chapter of Star Trek television, which began in 2017 with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, is drawing to a close. According to the report, this era will officially wrap up once Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds conclude their runs. Starfleet Academy is expected to end with its second season, which concluded in March.
For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the conclusion is already taking shape. The series will wrap up with a fifth season, though that final outing will be shorter than previous ones, consisting of only six episodes. As Deadline reported, the series finale will feature appearances by Thomas Jane as Dr. Leonard McCoy and Kai Murakami as Hikaru Sulu, providing a bridge back to the franchise's classic roots as the show exits the Paramount+ schedule .
A standalone cinematic reset from Goldstein and Daley
While the television slate is in transition, Paramount Pictures is developing a new feature film helmed by the duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. This project, announced last November following the merger between Paramount and Skydance, represetns a significant pivot in storytelling strategy. The new film will be entirely unconnected to any prior Star Trek movies or television shows, effectively creating a clean slate for the cinematic universe.
This shift comes as a definitive end to previous plans for Star Trek 4. The fourth installment of the Kelvin timeline movies has been scrapped, suggesting that the studio is moving away from the rebooted continuity of the J.J. Abrams era in favor of the standalone approach championed by Goldstein and Daley.
The uncertain fate of Newsome and Simien's 25th-century resort comedy
One of the most intriguing potential additions to the franchise remains in limbo. in June 2024, it was announced that filmmaker Justin Simien and Star Trek: Lower Decks writer Tawny Newsome were developing a live-action comedy set on a resort planet in the 25th centry. This would have marked the first time the franchise attempted a live-action comedic tone, following the success of the animated Lower Decks.
However, the report notes that the status of the Newsome and Simien project is currently unclear following the Paramount and Skydance merger. Whether this tonal experiment survives the corporate restructuring remains one of the primary questions for the franchise's future, as the studio decides which genres best fit the next iteration of the brand.
Jane Wiseman's search for the next 'bounce' with CBS Studios
Despite the ending of several series, Jane Wiseman, the EVP and Head of Originals for Paramount+, insists that the franchise's presence on the small screen is a priority. Wiseman stated that it is her job to determine the "next bounce" of Star Trek, a process that involves heavy collaboration with CBS Studios and a wide array of writers to ensure the property remains a cornerstone of the streaming platform.
This internal drive is supported by a culture of fandom within the executive ranks. Wiseman highlighted Chris Parnell,the EVP for Paramount+ Originals, as the company's "resident number one fan," suggesting that the leadership overseeing the transition has a personal investment in maintaining the legacy of Gene Roddenberry's creation while evolving it for a new audience.
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