“Star Trek” Origin Story in the Works From “Andor” Director

Captain’s Log, Stardate January 11, 2024: It looks like Star Trek is coming back to the big screen.

Paramount has tapped Toby Haynes, director of half of Disney+’s crackling Star Wars series Andor, with writer Seth Grahame-Smith penning the script. What’s more, the new film will be set decades before the events of J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek and is being billed as an origin story. Abrams is on board as a producer through Bad Robot.

It’s not that we haven’t had Star Trek in our lives these past few years since Justin Lin’s 2016 film Star Trek Beyond—we’ve had Star Trek: Picard, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks all streaming on Paramount+. What we’ve been missing, however, is a new feature film that either extends the story from Beyond or opens new vistas. That situation looks set to change.

As for the latest Star Trek films, they’ve starred Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and John Cho as Sulu since 2009. The late Anton Yelchin starred as Chekov. Star Trek Beyond found our heroes battling with the dictator Krall (Idris Elba) after the USS Enterprise crash-landed on a dangerous planet. Paramount is still working on a fourth film to star this crew, with the script nearly complete.

Left-to-right-Zachary-Quinto-is-Spock-and-Chris-Pine-is-Kirk-in-STAR-TREK-INTO-DARKNESS-from-Paramount-Pictures-and-Skydance-Productions.jpg
L-f: Zachary Quinto is Spock and Chris-Pine is Kirk “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” Courtesy Paramount Pictures.

This new Trek would be Toby Haynes’ first feature film, yet it wouldn’t be his first time helming something decidedly Trek-ian—he directed one of Black Mirror‘s most beloved episodes, “USS Callister,” which was inspired by the legendary space franchise.

Deadline first broke the story.

For more films and series from Paramount and Paramount+, check out these stories:

Defying Death With “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” Second Unit Director & Stunt Coordinator Wade Eastwood

The Final “Mean Girls” Trailer Reveals Reneé Rapp’s New Regina George

“Mean Girls” Trailer Reveals the Reneé Rapp-led Movie Musical

“Fellow Travelers” Director/ Executive Producer Daniel Minahan Scorching Trip Through Turbulent Times

Featured image: The USS Enterprise in “Star Trek: Picard.” Photo Credit: Paramount+. ©2021 Viacom, International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.