Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyMany people are touting the details of writer/producer Alex Kurtzman’s new $25 million deal with CBS TV, but there is only one thing that is on my Geek mind about the deal; Star Trek.
Alex Kurtzman is the executive producer behind Star Trek: Discovery and I recently reported that he has taken over the series after the previous showrunners left. Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Kurtzman has just inked a deal to stay with CBS through 2023 with a contract extension which will net him $5 million dollars per year. While all of that is fascinating, the fact that Kurtzman is going to expand on the Star Trek franchise for CBS is what I am interested in learning more about.
According to multiple sources including Deadline and THR, Kurtzman will be expanding the Star Trekfranchise with additional series, a miniseries and a possible animated series as well for the small screen.
What makes this story more interesting is the fact that Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart has made some recent rumblings about returning to the franchise. While many suspected that he might make an appearance on Discovery as an ancestor of his Picard character, it can also be presumed that he might be returning as the character himself on a new Star Trek series or miniseries being developed by Kurtzman.
“There is a very short list of writer-producer-directors that every film and television studio wants to be associated with, and Alex and his Secret Hideout team are always at the top,” said David Stapf, CBS Television Studios president. “His talent, taste and ability to shepherd a successful project is unparalleled. Alex has done remarkable work for our studio, dating back seven years to the launch of Hawaii Five-0, and we are thrilled that he, Heather [Kadin] and their team will be partnering with us for a long time to come.”
According to Variety, some of the series that are said to be included in the expansion of Star Trek include:
A series set at Starfleet Academy from Gossip Girl and Marvel’s Runaways creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz.
A limited series based on the character of Khan Noonien Singh, previously played on the big screen by Ricardo Montalban and most recently by Benedict Cumberbatch. The series could chronicle Khan’s rise to power and eventual exile into space.
An animated series whose details are being kept under wraps.
Discovery has been a huge success for CBS and their CBS All Access subscription service so an expansion of Star Trek was only a matter of time.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
