Trek Watch: ‘Star Trek 4’ Shelved, Picard Show Features ‘Radically Altered’ Timeline, Another Animated Show Coming To CBS All Access
Trek Watch! (Please read that in Paul Rudd’sAnchormanvoice.) A galaxy full ofStar Treknews just happened to beam itself into our laps, so I’ve rounded it up for you, dear reader. The biggest and perhaps most disappointing story is thatStar Trek 4has been shelved due tothose contract disputeswith Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth. Meanwhile, the CBS All Access show about Captain Picard will apparently feature Picard’s life being “radically altered.” And finally, CBS All Access is boldly going forward withanotheranimatedStar Trekseries.
Star Trek 4 Shelved
Word broke the other day thatS.J. Clarksonwas directingtheGame of Thronesprequel pilot.Trekfans will likely recognize that name – Clarkson was set to become the first female director to helm aTrekmovie withStar Trek 4. But according to Deadline,Star Trek 4has beenshelved.Trek 4was to involve a plotline reunitingChris Pine’s Captain Kirk with his dead father, played byChris Hemsworth. But Pine and Hemsworth both walked away from the project due to salary disputes, which left the fate of the film uncertain. Now, Clarkson’s departure to directGame of Throneshas allegedly shelved the project completely. Paramount responded to the report with “no comment,” which isn’t the best sign.
New Picard Details
In otherTreknews,Alex Kurtzmanoffered an update on the CBS All Access Picard show starringPatrick StewarttoTHR, confirming the show will tie into the 2009Star Trekfilm reboot, which Kutzman co-wrote. In the film, the Romulan home world Romulus was destroyed by a supernova, leading to the end of the Romulan empire. According to Kurtzman, the new series will reveal that “Picard’s life was radically altered by the dissolution of the Romulan Empire.” The THR story continues:
The destruction of Romulus would also have extra resonance for Picard, who has a long and complicated relationship with the Romulans, the alien race that split from Vulcan society thousands of years ago and founded a separate civilization. The Romulans went on to control a portion of the galaxy, and the empire was in opposition to the Federation for all of Picard’s career…One of his goals as captain of the Enterprise was seeking a peace between the Romulan Empire and the Federation.
That’s all we really know for now, but more will come to light as production gears up.
Another Animated Series
We already knew about one new CBS All AcessStar Trekanimated series – calledLower Decks. But it’s not the only cartoonTrekon the horizon. Alex Kurtzmen tellsTHRthat there will be at least one more animated show. There will also be moreShort Treks– the short little films that featured supporting characters fromStar Trek Discovery.Said Kurtzman:
“Our goal is to not only expand the definition ofStar Trekand what has qualified as traditionalStar Trek, but also to tell stories that are both self-contained in a very short period of time that also connect to the larger picture of what we’re doing, not only inDiscoverybut in the world building ofTrekin general…And you get to tell these very intimate, emotional stories that are side stories to characters. So you get the benefit of the experience in and of itself but then when you watchDiscoveryyou’ll see that these were all setting up things in the world of season two.”
