Simon Kinberg Reportedly Producing new ‘Star Trek’ Movie

In related, and more confirmed ‘Trek’ news, Holly Hunter has been cast as the Chancellor and Captain of Paramount+’s new Starfleet Academy series.

(Left) 'Invasion' series creator Simon Kinberg. (Right) Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, and Karl Urban in 'Star Trek' (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Preview:

Simon Kinberg is reportedly boarding the ‘Star Trek’ movie franchise.
He’s going to be producing future entries.
Holly Hunter is the first person cast in series ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’.

While Paramount itself remains in something of a flux state –– with different buyers circling to make offers to buy the venerable studio and its associated TV network, streaming service and other properties –– it appears to be making moves on both the movie and TV front when it comes to hugely successful sci-fi franchise ‘Star Trek’.

First up, we have news on the ‘Trek’ movies and a notable new (potential) hire.

Star Trek

"The future begins."

PG-132 hr 7 minMay 7th, 2009

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What is happening with the new ‘Star Trek’ movie?

Chris Pine in 2009's 'Star Trek'. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Paramount has seemingly had real trouble landing on a direction for its ‘Trek’ movie franchise. The TV side of things (more on that below) has been humming along nicely, but on the big screen, the movies have been mired in development limbo since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ opened to less-than-thrilling box office in 2016.

There have been various films announced or reported upon, including a return for Chris Pine’s Kirk and co. from J.J. Abrams’ “Kelvin” timeline movies, a one-off by Quentin Tarantino (which seems less likely to happen) and the more recent word of a prequel/origin story to be directed by ‘Andor’s Toby Haynes with a script by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Now, according to Puck’s ‘What I’m Hearing…’ newsletter, Simon Kinberg, a veteran producer of movies such as ‘The Martian’, some of the 'X-Men' movies and the first two ‘Deadpool’ efforts (not to mention the likes of ‘Invasion’ on Apple TV+) is in talks to produce that new ‘Trek’ effort.

And if it all works out, the plan is apparently for Kinberg to take over the stewardship of the movie side of Trek, helping to shepherd future outings and presumably help to correct the course.

What’s happening with the ‘Starfleet Academy’ series?

Holly Hunter attends the Academy’s 2017 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Saturday, November 11, 2017. Credit/Provider: Aaron Poole / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Following that, we have word that Holly Hunter will star as the Captain and Chancellor of Starfleet Academy set in the titular educational facility that trains crew and officers for the fleet.

Hunter’s Chancellor will be presiding over the faculty and the latest class of students to arrive at the academy.

This is what co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau said about casting Hunter to Variety:

“It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius. To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on ‘Starfleet Academy’ is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of ‘Star Trek.’”

What’s the story of ‘Starfleet Academy’?

1979's 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.

While most of the other character and story details are being kept behind a forcefield, we do know something of the show’s tone thanks to a previous comment by Landau:

“These are kids who’ve never had a red alert before. They never had to operate a transporter or be in a phaser fight.”

So, yes, lots of coming-of-age with high tech equipment appears likely with this one.

The sets being built for the new series apparently include featuring the largest contiguous one ever constructed for a ‘Star Trek’ series, a central academic atrium that will span two stories and include an amphitheater, classrooms, a mess hall, and an idyllic walkway lined with trees.

Production on the show is scheduled for later this summer in Toronto.