‘Star Trek’: ‘Andor’ Director To Helm New Prequel-Era Film, But ‘Star Trek 4’ Is Still On The Table

New “Star Wars” films are on the table, new “Superman,” “Supergirl,” and even “28 Days Later” franchise films? Hell, why not throw new “Star Trek” movies into the mix. While the “Star Trek” brand has dramatically expanded in the era of TV and streaming over the last few years, there hasn’t been a new film in theaters since 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.” Could the franchise make the big leap back on the big screen? Paramount is undoubtedly still trying and they have a new take in the works that’s different and separate from the still-in-the-works “Star Trek 4.”

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So, a new, separate version is in the works with “Andor” filmmaker Toby Haynes directing that will expand on the “Star Trek” universe with Seth Grahame-Smith (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) writing.

While plot details are under wraps, it’s definitely not the fourth film in the “Star Trek” sequel with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and the rest of that ensemble. Instead, it’s a new origin story set decades before 2009’s “Star Trek.” J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions will produce the film.

A fourth and what is said to be a final chapter in the “Stark Trek” saga with Pine and company is in the works—though Paramount amusingly announced a film during the pandemic to psyche up investors before any of the cast was involved and ended up being something of an embarrassment when they all publicly said, “news to me!”

Paramount+ shows like “Picard” and “Strange New Worlds” have received good reviews and good ratings, but after nearly a decade of “Star Trek” exclusively on TV, will audiences show up on the big screen? We’ve already seen Bob Iger suggest that Disney+ shows have diluted the cinematic brand, and that came to a head with “The Marvels,” a movie that tanked in November, having been spawned from what was arguably three Disney+ shows, “WandaVision,” Ms. Marvel,” and to a lesser extent “Secret Invasion.”

Maybe casting and trailers can convince, but I definitely think studios are underestimating the accustomed-to-watching-at-home effect vs. going out to theaters to see something they’ve been trained to watch on TV for years.