The long saga for Star Trek to return to big screen has taken another turn; Paramount is saying goodbye to one era of the film franchise.

Fresh Trek?

It’s been over nine years since Star Trek Beyond exited theaters with underwhelming box office performance, leading to several regimes at Paramount Pictures struggling to find a way to make a fourteenth big screen Trek work. As reported in a big Variety Magazine cover feature all about Paramount’s first 100 days under new CEO David Ellison and his Skydance team, Trek looks to be taking another turn. According to the venerable Hollywood trade, Paramount Pictures is de-prioritizing some projects while bringing new focus to others as the studio looks to up its overall pace of releases, which includes an update for Trek on the big screen:

“[T]here has also been a focus on reinvigorating certain franchises. The hope is to have a fresh ‘Star Trek’ movie, though the studio has moved on from the idea of bringing back Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and the rest of the ensemble from the J.J. Abrams reboot.”

In the last nine years, several Star Trek film projects have been announced attached to a variety of writers and directors. At least two serious attempts to move forward on a fourth movie with the Kelvin universe crew got close to pre-production before everyone got let go and the process was started again—the last time was in 2022 with director Matt Shakman. Paramount’s official stance for the last few years was that a fourth and final film for the Abramsverse crew starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk was still in development, but that seems to no longer be the case.

Skydance’s David Ellison at the premiere of Star Trek Beyond in 2016

As the Variety piece was an overall look at Paramount, there was no more detail about Star Trek or any mention of the status of the “Star Trek origin” film under director Toby Haynes. Before the Skydance takeover, that film was scheduled to come before another attempt at a “Star Trek 4” with the Kelvin crew, and the film was even announced as part of the 2026 release slate; however, without any serious movement on the project, it’s clear there will not be a Star Trek movie released in the franchise’s 60th anniversary year.

It’s possible, and even likely, that Paramount’s new management is looking for something entirely new. CEO Ellison has made it clear that franchises are a key part of his future plans for the company, and at a press conference right after the takeover, the new head of the film studio said Star Trek was “absolutely a priority” for Paramount, which would include taking a holistic approach across film and television. They may already have something in mind, or perhaps they are taking pitches for the next step in the final frontier’s film franchise.

Putting a final Kelvin movie into production—if the financials and schedules could be worked out—could be seen as a safe move just to reengage audiences with the franchise, but it comes with several risks and isn’t really a long-term solution, especially with the directive to get the TV and film sides working together. So, it looks like the wait for the next Star Trek movie will continue, making the gap between releases spanning over a decade—but as James T. Kirk once said, “Young minds, fresh ideas. Be tolerant.”

From Star Trek: Beyond (Paramount)

What about Trek TV?

The Variety piece didn’t get into any specifics when it came to upcoming programming plans for Paramount+. However, it does note Ellison seeks to “transform Paramount+ from a second-rate app to a dominant player” through better technology, an improved user experience, as well as “opening the purse to bring better programming” to the streamer. In recent years, we have seen Paramount+ pull back on spending, which has impacted Star Trek.

Currently there are two active series. Strange New Worlds will be ending with a shortened fifth and final season, currently in production. In January 2026, Paramount+ launches Starfleet Academy, which currently has a second season in production, also in Toronto. Both shows were developed by executive producer Alex Kurtzman and are produced by his Secret Hideout production company for CBS Studios. Kurtzman’s contract with CBS and Paramount ends in 2026, and it’s possible the new Paramount regime will use that as a pivot point for a “fresh” approach on the small screen as well.

There are a couple of external factors that could have a big impact on Star Trek streaming. One is that Taylor Sheridan, the streamer’s biggest producer with hits like Tulsa Kings and the whole Yellowstone universe, was just poached by NBC Universal and will be exiting Paramount at the end of 2028. His shows have been the most consistent performers for scripted drama on the streamer, with Star Trek coming up (a somewhat distant) second. With Sheridan gone, Trek could move up in the pecking order. But if Ellison achieves his goal of buying Warner Brothers Discovery (if he can beat out other potential bidders like Netflix, Amazon, and Comcast/NBCUniversal), things will change. Ellison is reportedly interested in merging HBO Max with Paramount+ into a mega streamer to take on Netflix and Disney/Hulu, and in that world, Star Trek would have to compete for production dollars with the likes of The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, and more.

So, it’s likely the world of Trek TV is in for some changes in the near future as well. Buckle up, Trekkies.

Anson Mount as Captain Pike in season 4, episode 1 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+

Keep up with all the latest Star Trek Universe developments at TrekMovie.