Jonathan Frakes Optimistic About Star Trek’s Future Amid Production Hiatus

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Jonathan Frakes remains hopeful about the future of Star Trek, even though the franchise is facing an important turning point. Frakes is well-known for playing Commander Will Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation and later reprised the role as Captain Riker in Star Trek: Picard. He’s also a highly regarded director within the Star Trek universe, having directed many episodes and films, including the popular Star Trek: First Contact.

Despite being 4 months into its 60th anniversary year, Paramount+ currently has no new Star Trek TV shows in the works or officially approved after cancelling Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. However, there is some good news: Paramount Skydance has confirmed a new Star Trek movie is being developed, though they didn’t share any details at a recent presentation in Las Vegas.

Jonathan Frakes, along with Armin Shimerman and Kitty Swink, recently joined the All Access Star Trek podcast on TrekMovie to raise awareness for the PanCan PurpleStride walk, which supports pancreatic cancer research. While acknowledging current uncertainty makes the future of Star Trek feel discouraging, Frakes remains hopeful. He reassured fans that Paramount+ is still planning to release new Star Trek content in 2027. Here’s a quote from Jonathan:

I’m hopeful about the future of Star Trek, but I’d like to see something new happen soon. I’ve heard talk of another movie, and it doesn’t sound like J.J. Abrams will be involved this time—it seems like they’re considering a completely fresh concept. There’s also an idea floating around about a series focusing on Paul Wesley as a young James T. Kirk, exploring his origins. However, that’s all just speculation right now. While I don’t have any solid information, I’m confident Star Trek will continue to be produced through at least 2027, giving them plenty of time to develop another project.

In November 2025, Variety announced that a new Star Trek movie was in development, to be directed by John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein, the team behind Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. This is the film Jonathan Frakes has mentioned. However, the dismantling of the sets used for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds suggests that a planned spin-off series, Star Trek: Year One, starring Paul Wesley, is no longer moving forward.

Jonathan Frakes agrees with fans who are disappointed that Paramount doesn’t have any new Star Trek shows currently in production, calling it an unfortunate way to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary. While he’s confident Star Trek will return, fans are concerned about whether the spirit of the original series, created by Gene Roddenberry, will remain strong under the new leadership at Paramount Skydance. Here’s what Frakes had to say:

As a lifelong fan, it really bums me out that we’re celebrating 60 years of Star Trek without any new shows actually being made. It feels like a strange and disappointing coincidence, especially at this milestone. But I have total faith that Trek will be back – it always finds a way! It’s clear that the magic Roddenberry created all those years ago is still going strong after six decades, and that’s what keeps me hopeful.

I was really disappointed to hear Jonathan Frakes talk about the cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Apparently, Paramount+ pulled the plug, and Frakes learned the news directly from Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau. What’s even more frustrating is that the show was apparently targeted by a coordinated online hate campaign – and the people driving it hadn’t even watched the series! Kurtzman, according to Frakes, understood how much these, as he put it, ‘trolls’ influenced the decision. It’s a sad situation when negativity can derail a show without anyone even giving it a fair chance.

It’s really too bad the show was put on hold. I heard directly from Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, his co-showrunner on Starfleet Academy. They were reaching out to people to let them know the project was essentially paused. They also mentioned that negative reactions – especially from people who hadn’t even seen the show – definitely played a role in the decision.

Jonathan Frakes discussed why Paramount+ stopped making new Star Trek series after ten years. He pointed out that the current, action-packed style of Star Trek is much more expensive to produce than older Star Trek TV shows, and this was a key factor.

Some people weren’t happy with the recent direction of the show, and there are a few possible reasons why. It could be due to the changes happening at Paramount+ and CBS Studios, or perhaps a lack of clear decision-making. Another factor is the show’s high production costs – it’s become a visually stunning experience, unlike the original in the 80s, which relied more on strong stories and performances. Modern television is a different, and much more expensive, undertaking – after all, it is show business.

Jonathan Frakes directed the ninth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which ended up being his last directing job on the current Star Trek series. Due to scheduling conflicts, he wasn’t able to direct any episodes of season two of Starfleet Academy, or seasons four and five of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

According to Jonathan Frakes, Paramount+ has enough Star Trek content completed to last through 2027. Season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will debut later in 2026, and in 2027, subscribers can expect the second and final season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, along with the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Currently, there are no new Star Trek shows being planned. This means Star Trek might stop releasing new content after 2027 as Paramount Skydance figures out the franchise’s future. They appear to be focusing on Star Trek movies, and a new film is already in the works, which could be how the series makes a return. It’s uncertain if this movie will be released in 2028, but it’s a possibility.

Jonathan Frakes is still optimistic about the possibility of a Star Trek: Legacy spinoff, which was originally planned as a continuation of Star Trek: Picard. While it seems unlikely at the moment, it’s unclear what Paramount Skydance has planned for the future of Star Trek on television. Regardless of what happens next with the franchise, fans hope to see Jonathan Frakes return, either as a director or reprising his role as Captain Will Riker.

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2026-04-17 03:40