Jonathan Frakes Isn't Hopeful for Future STAR TREK Movies If Abrams and Tarantino "Can't Get a F***ing Movie Made!"
Paramount Pictures has been trying to get a new Star Trek movie off the ground for years with producer J.J. Abrams. This is one of their biggest franchises, and they can’t seem to get a new film in the franchise going! It’s crazy because they’ve had some seriously awesome talent involved including Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley, but after Star Trek Beyond, the TV side of things has been propelling the franchise forward in really cool ways!
In the latest issue of SFX Magazine, Star Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes talked about the future of the franchise, and in regard to the film side of things, he’s not hopeful. He said:
"Movies are tough! Even JJ [Abrams] can't get this fourth movie off the ground. All those wonderful rumors? Noah Hawley was attached to a 'Star Trek' movie, and Quentin was toying with people's emotions about doing a movie. If those two names can't get a f***ing movie made, I don't know. TV is the future, it seems to me."
Yeah, he’s right. It seems like TV is the future for the franchise. Sure, it would be great to see another Star Trek adventure on the big screen, but it’d have to be great! It’ll have to meet the standards of storytelling that we are seeing in the current Star Trek shows, and none of the most recent films have reached that bar.
A fourth Star Trek film under Abrams was in the works for some time, and it would have seen Chris Pine's Captain Kirk unite with his father, played by Chris Hemsworth. There was an interesting story there, but they never managed to get it together. There have been various other attempts to make a film since then, the most recent involved Matt Shakman (WandaVision) directing. But he dropped out, and that project has since been shelved.
As for the TV side of things, Frakes has been heavily involved with Star Trek: Picard and after its third and final season comes, he still thinks there is an opportunity to expand and keep the story going for some of these characters. He said:
"I hope the road leads to another series. The setup is there clearly, as you'll see, by the end of the season. It all seems to me that the characters in this final season of 'Picard,' should it work out, are primed for another journey. I'm certainly optimistic. I think it may be the end of the 'Picard' story, but I'm not sure it's the end of the 'Next Generation' story. That's the vibe. I'm an eternal optimist. I'm sure it's what [showrunner] Terry [Matalas] would like!"
Hell, yeah! Let’s keep that Next Generation story going! I’m totally up for that! So, we may not be getting any new Star Trek movies anytime soon, but there are lots of awesome things happening with the shows that the fans are enjoying. It’s so funny because Star Wars is having the same issue right now!