Summary
- Star Trek movies are making a comeback, but release dates for upcoming theatrical or streaming releases are still unknown.
- Star Trek: Section 31 is the first Star Trek movie for streaming on Paramount+, starring Michelle Yeoh as antiheroine Emperor Georgiou.
- The next Star Trek movie in theaters will be an Untitled Star Trek Origin movie directed by Toby Haynes, exploring the origin of Starfleet.
Star Trek movies are finally coming back, but there are no release dates yet announced for Star Trek's upcoming theatrical or streaming releases. Originating on network television with Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek became a successful movie franchise starting with 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. There have been 13 Star Trek movies in total, and every decade since the 1970s has enjoyed a Star Trek movie release.
However, Star Trek movies stalled following the theatrical release of Star Trek Beyond in 2016. A year later, Star Trek returned to television after a 12-year absence with Star Trek: Discovery, and its success spawned a new golden era of Star Trek TV shows on Paramount+ with 6 existing and upcoming live-action and animated series. Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures' Star Trek movie franchise has been mired in development hell, with several attempts to develop Star Trek 4 with big name directors going nowhere. However, there are new signs of life for Star Trek movies, which will soon arrive in theaters and streaming on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Section 31 Is The Next Star Trek Movie
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh headlines Star Trek's first streaming movie
The next Star Trek movie is Star Trek: Section 31, which is also the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Section 31 stars Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her antiheroine, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, from Star Trek: Discovery. Section 31 also stars Sam Richardson, Omari Hardwick, Humberly Gonzalez, James Hiroyuki Liao, Robert Kanzinsky, and Kacey Rohl, who plays the younger version of Rachel Garrett from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Emperor Georgiou is billed as confronting the past sins and origins of Section 31, and time travel puts her in the "lost era" of Star Trek 's 24th century before Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Section 31 was originally developed as a Paramount+ series, with Michelle Yeoh's Georgiou written out of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 to topline the new show. However, the COVID-19 pandemic stalled Section 31 moving forward, and Michelle Yeoh winning the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once changed her availability. Still, Yeoh remained dedicated to Star Trek and her commitment allowed Section 31 to move forward as a made-for-streaming movie. Star Trek: Section 31 completed filming in March 2024 in Toronto, and it is waiting for a release date from Paramount+, which could be late in 2024 or in 2025.
Untitled Star Trek Origin Is The Next Star Trek Movie In Theaters
Toby Haynes is directing with J.J. Abrams producing
Paramount Pictures officially announced the next Star Trek movie made for theatrical release will be an Untitled Star Trek Origin movie directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Haynes is renowned for directing Star Wars: Andor and he also directed the Star Trek parody episode "USS Callister" for Netflix's Black Mirror. The Untitled Star Trek Origin movie is reportedly set "decades before" the events of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) movie and depict the origin of Starfleet. Although, Star Trek fans are concerned whether Haynes' movie will attempt to reboot the established Star Trek canon.
J.J. Abrams will be a producer of Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin movie, but X-Men producer Simon Kinberg is reportedly in talks to come aboard as the producer who not only oversees Haynes' Star Trek prequel, but the entire Star Trek theatrical movie franchise going forward. Kinberg's proposed role would be similar to how Alex Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout single oversees all Star Trek on Paramount+ streaming TV series and movies. The Untitled Star Trek Origin movie is scheduled to start production in the fall of 2024 for a possible 2025 or 2026 premiere in theaters.
Star Trek 4 Is Still In Development
Expected to be the final chapter of Chris Pine's USS Enterprise crew
A fourth Star Trek movie produced by J.J. Abrams starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk leading the crew of the USS Enterprise has been in development since 2018, but Star Trek 4 is reportedly still in the works. Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant) was recently brought aboard to develop a new screenplay for Star Trek 4, although there is no further news on the long-delayed film. However, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Sofia Boutella have all publicly stated their desire to return for another Star Trek if the movie actually happens.
It would be a shame if the Starship Enterprise doesn't return to theaters to mark Star Trek 's 60th anniversary in 2024.
Star Trek 4 has had several failed attempts with notable filmmakers attached. Quentin Tarantino wanted to do an R-rated version of Star Trek 4 based on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "A Piece of the Action". S.J. Clarkson's story concept to reunite Chris Pine's Captain Kirk with his late father, Lt. George Kirk played by Chris Hensworth, didn't come to fruition due to creative differences. This was the same reason Matt Shakman gave for leaving Star Trek 4 to direct Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four. It would be a shame if the Starship Enterprise doesn't return to theaters to mark Star Trek's 60th anniversary in 2024, but Star Trek 4 remains an unfulfilled wish.
