Paramount Pictures is pushing forward with a brand-new Star Trek feature film helmed by directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, according to reports from SlashFilm and SFFGazette. Nearly a year after the filmmakers signed on to write and direct the project, fresh details have emerged regarding its plot, timeline, and tone as Hollywood adjusts to corporate shifts involving Paramount and Skydance.
Directors Confirm Absence Of Legacy Characters And Alternate Timeline Placement
The upcoming Star Trek reboot will discard familiar faces entirely, with Daley and Goldstein confirming that the film features no legacy characters and nobody audiences have met before, as reported by SlashFilm. Daley explained that the narrative takes place in a different time period set further into the future. While the directors noted the story occupies a different timeline, SFFGazette noted they explicitly clarified it is not the Kelvin timeline established by J.J. Abrams. This creative decision officially closes the door on any appearances by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, or other stars from the previous film iterations.
Directors Reject Comedy for Darkest Star Trek Film
Despite Daley and Goldstein’s extensive background in comedy, including projects like Game Night and Vacation, the directors stated the new Star Trek movie is not a comedy. SlashFilm reported that Daley described the project as likely the darkest film the duo has ever written. Goldstein added that the goal is a fun, engaging watch rather than a laugh-out-loud comedy, drawing inspiration from research trips to aircraft carriers where real crews must find levity amidst fraught, serious environments, as highlighted by SFFGazette.
Paramount Merger Changes Corporate Ownership of Franchise
The Star Trek reboot develops alongside major corporate realignments at Paramount, which approaches a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery following an acquisition by David Ellison’s Skydance. SFFGazette pointed out that the Ellison family’s involvement changes the corporate ownership of the franchise, though long-standing fans remain interested in whether the core themes of diversity and inclusion historically central to Star Trek will persist. Paramount has not yet announced an official release date for the untitled film.