The new Star Trek movie has received a crucial update on its story and ambitions to kickstart a new franchise. Fans of the long-running series last saw the film on the big screen in 2016: Star Trek Beyond.
After a long wait with no substantial updates, directors John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein have finally shared an update on the new Star Trek movie. In an interaction with Inverse, they revealed plans for the story, cast, and a deeper look at Starfleet. The duo is currently working on the film script.
“I would say it’s really kind of a look at the institution of Starfleet and any institution as a whole that has existed for a long time and what that does,” said Daley. “I think the portrayal of Starfleet and the people that work within it have always been generally idealized versions of what the future could be.”
Teasing a unique take on the new Star Trek movie, Daley mentioned that it will explore the darker side of Starfleet. “I think it does acknowledge that there are some bad apples in every institution that can have a strong voice and can really make an impact on that institution and everything it stands for.”
Daley also cited Training Day and Crimson Tide as the inspirations for the film. Additionally, the new Star Trek movie will feature an all-new cast of characters.
How the new Star Trek movie could expand beyond existing fans
While the film will cater to existing fans, John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein want to take the franchise beyond with the next Star Trek installment. They aspire to reach a whole new audience with a “spectacle”.
“With the advent of truly cinematic television, I think the challenge then is to have it justify its place as a feature, a theatrical feature that in a perfect world is on the biggest screens possible,” Daley added. “It’s definitely something that we are hyper-cognizant of as well. There has to be a spectacle to it.”
Meanwhile, Goldstein made it clear that their new Star Trek movie will not try to please existing fans but will try to be remembered by anyone who sees it. “We want to just make a great movie that lives in the world that people are familiar with — some people are familiar with — and that others will discover. And then, with good fortune, we launch a new franchise into existence.”
The next Star Trek movie has yet to receive an official release date.
