We recently learned that Paramount Pictures has finally decided to pull the plaster off and move on from the big screen Star Trek franchise led by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana.
The studio has wasted no time in finding a new creative team to take charge of the USS Enterprise, as Deadline is reporting that Spider-Man: Homecoming writers and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are set to put a fresh spin on the property.
The filmmakers will write, direct, and produce this new Star Trek movie, and while plot details are being kept under wraps, "sources say Goldstein and Daley’s film is a completely new take on the Star Trek universe and not connected to any previous or current television series, movie or prior movie development projects."
However, rather than once again recasting Captain James T. Kirk and the crew, this movie will boldly go where no previous effort has with new characters taking centre stage.
As well as delivering a critical hit in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves for Paramount, Goldstein and Daley recently helmed the original Cold War action comedy Mayday starring Ryan Reynolds. The trade's sources say that it recently "tested through the roof in early screenings" for Skydance, Paramount's new owners.
Star Trek was rebooted in 2009, with filmmaker J.J. Abrams behind the camera. He later returned for a sequel, 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams then decided to head into a Galaxy Far, Far Away to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, leaving Justin Lin to helm Star Trek Beyond in 2016.
Nearly a decade later, a fourth movie has simply never materialised. Multiple ideas and filmmakers have been considered, including Chris Hemsworth's return as Captain Kirk's father and an R-rated Star Trek movie from Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino.
When Tarantino's movie failed to come to fruition, Paramount shifted focus to a new prequel movie with Andor filmmaker Toby Haynes attached to direct from a screenplay by Dark Shadows writer Seth Grahame-Smith. That seemingly remains in development.
Last we heard, the studio reportedly still intended to make the "final chapter" of the Chris Pine-led era of Star Trek movies, with Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant) attached to write a new draft of that screenplay. Things have changed since Skydance took over, and it looks like the franchise is getting a fresh start from the Spider-Man duo.
Stay tuned for more on Star Trek as we have it.