Paramount Pictures has officially confirmed the development of a new Star Trek prequel film that will explore the origins of the world of the popular science fiction franchise. This project, currently called “Untitled Star Trek Origin Story”, is part of the studio’s 2025-2026 release schedule. It will be directed by Toby Haynes (Andor, USS Callister episode of Black Mirror) from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith (Lego Batman, the Movie). The iconic producer of the modern-day Star Trek films, JJ Abrams, will be back at the helm.
A Star Trek prequel set decades before the 2009 film
According to the first information communicated by Paramount, this new Star Trek feature film will take place decades before the events of the 2009 film directed by JJ Abrams. As a reminder, this reboot with a cast of young actors recounted the beginnings of James T. Kirk And Spock at Starfleet Academy before they took command of theUSS Enterprise.
The studio has not specified the exact era in which this prequel will be set. But if we rely on the timeline of the Star Trek universe, it could happen after the adventures of the crew ofEnterprise NX-01 from the Serie Star Trek: Enterprise (set in the 2150s) and before the Romulan ship’s temporal incursion Narada in 2233 seen in the 2009 film.
This would leave a period of around 80 years to explore, with potentially major events like the Romulan Wars Or the founding of the United Federation of Planets.
A project at the embryonic stage but ambitious for the 60th anniversary of Star Trek
This Star Trek prequel film is still in its early stages. No details have yet filtered out on the precise plot, characters or casting. The script is currently being written and filming is expected to begin by the end of the year.
If production progresses at a good pace, Paramount aims for an outing for 2026, the year of 60 years of the Star Trek franchise. But the studio remains cautious and has not yet set a date. Other Star Trek film projects are in development at the same time, such as a potential sequel to Star Trek Without Limits with the return of the cast of the trilogy initiated by JJ Abrams.
Star Trek is banking on prequels in cinema and series
This new film is part of the trend of Paramount and producer Alex Kurtzman to multiply Star Trek prequels, whether on the big or small screen. After the JJ Abrams films and the series Star Trek: Discoveryseries Star Trek: Strange New Worlds currently follows the adventures of Captain Pike And Spock about ten years before the original series.
This strategy allows you to explore new stories and introduce new characters while maintaining links with existing continuitysometimes at the cost of some script acrobatics and detours with the cannon established. We will have to see if this prequel will shed interesting new light on the origins of Star Trek or if it will be one too many projects that further blur the coherence of this sprawling universe. Answer in a few years, hoping that this film will eventually see the light of day.
