Paramount Needs To Get A Move On With Their Star Trek Movies

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Paramount Needs To Get A Move On With Their Star Trek Movies

Highlights

  • Star Trek franchise has had success on both TV with Paramount+ shows and in theaters, despite recent challenges with film productions.
  • Paramount’s attempts to revive the franchise on the big screen have faced obstacles, including casting and behind-the-scenes issues.
  • The studio is exploring new avenues for Star Trek films, with multiple projects in development to capture the franchise’s small screen success.

As a long-time fan of the Star Trek franchise, I’ve been both thrilled and disappointed with the recent developments in the series. The success of the Star Trek universe on Paramount+ has been nothing short of impressive. With shows like Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and Prodigy, the small screen has become a new frontier for the Star Trek experience.

As a dedicated gamer and sci-fi enthusiast, I can’t help but feel excited about the enduring legacy of Star Trek. This franchise, which took its first steps into our collective consciousness nearly six decades ago, has remained a captivating presence in popular culture. Its core concept – exploring the vastness of interstellar space – began as a television phenomenon but later thrived on the big screen as well.

The film brought in a modest revenue of $385.6 million globally and led to the production of two follow-ups: “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Star Trek Beyond.” The first sequel raked in an impressive $467.3 million, outperforming its predecessor, while the second underperformed with a worldwide box office of $343.4 million. Paramount aimed to create a fourth installment, but progress on this project has been slow. Why is it taking so long?

Paramount’s Success with Star Trek on the Small Screen

Paramount Needs To Get A Move On With Their Star Trek Movies

Paramount has faced challenges in making “Star Trek” movies profitable for the studio, but found triumph with the revival of the franchise through its streaming service, Paramount+. In 2017, Paramount+ debuted “Star Trek Discovery,” a series set about five years before the original series, which garnered significant viewership and ran for five seasons. This success paved the way for further expansion of the “Star Trek” universe on television. New live-action shows such as “Star Trek: Picard” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” as well as animated series like “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and “Star Trek: Prodigy,” have joined the lineup to cater to a diverse audience. “Star Trek: Picard” reintroduced beloved characters from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” while “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” serves as a prequel to the original “Star Trek.”

Paramount is evidently content with the small-screen success of “Star Trek,” initiating production on “Star Trek: Section 31” in January. This project had been in development for quite some time, having been announced years prior to production. It signifies the first “Star Trek” movie produced for Paramount+, and Michelle Yeoh will reprise her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. In this film, she’ll navigate the challenges of her past while safeguarding the United Federation of Planets within a clandestine Starfleet division. As the franchise thrives on television, it’s undeniable that Paramount has catered to fans’ desires – even if it’s in a more compact format. Sadly, however, the cinematic “Star Trek” series hasn’t managed to achieve the same level of success.

Paramount’s Troubles with Star Trek on the Big Screen

Paramount+ has breathed new life into “Star Trek,” and it’s high time Paramount achieved similar success in cinemas. After disappointing box office sales for the first three “Star Trek” films, the studio has been eager to revive the franchise on the big screen. There were several instances where “Star Trek 4” seemed set to begin production. In fact, Paramount had even confirmed some cast members, including Chris Hemsworth’s return as Captain Kirk in the 2009 “Star Trek.” However, Hemsworth left the project due to reports of a subpar script or salary disagreements. Chris Pine also faced issues with the film, leading to talks between him and the studio falling apart. Despite these setbacks, Paramount persisted in finding directors for the project, having recruited S.J. Clarkson (“Madame Web”) and Matt Shakman (“Fantastic Four”) to help move things forward. Currently, no director is attached to “Star Trek 4.”

The studio has considered alternate projects, including discussing a new “Star Trek” film idea with Quentin Tarantino. However, that project failed to materialize. In March, it was revealed that Steve Yockey would pen the final script for the reboot series’ conclusion. Simultaneously, Paramount is developing two additional “Star Trek” movies: one with Seth Grahame-Smith and Toby Haynes, and another with Kalinda Vazquez. With the challenges Paramount has faced in managing the reboot franchise, it’s crucial that they learn from their successful television adaptation. There are numerous possibilities for “Star Trek” on the big screen, but to achieve the same level of success, Paramount must put significant effort into getting the franchise back on track and move quickly to keep fan interest.

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2024-07-21 19:04