'Starfleet Academy' series in the works to expand 'Star Trek' universe
Feb 02, 2022
Washington [US], February 2 : The 'Star Trek' universe is adding a new offshoot, 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy', currently in development at CBS Studios and Alex Kurtzman's studio-based Secret Hideout for the ViacomCBS streamer.
As per Deadline, sharing a name with the late 1990s video game, the series is set among the college of cadets mentored for leadership roles in the United Federation of Planets space force.
'Absentia' co-creator Gaia Violo is currently working on a take for the project. With the long-gestating 'Star Trek' spinoff 'Section 31' starring Michelle Yeoh expected to get a pickup soon, 'Starfleet Academy' is believed to be next in the 'Star Trek' development pipeline behind it. It will be pitched to Paramount+ shortly, and the hope is to get it going in the next year, sources said.
'Star Trek' boss Alex Kurtzman has confirmed the latest growth spurt in the Trekverse to Deadline. He revealed that "there is another one" besides 'Section 31' but added that he wanted to keep "tight lipped" about the new series.
"We have to think several years out," Kurtzman said. "We're thinking about knowing we'll want new shows on the air two or three years from now so we have to start planning those now. There's a bunch of things in development now that are starting to take shape and we're super excited about it."
The classic sci-fi brand created by Gene Roddenberry currently has 'Star Trek: Discovery', 'Star Trek: Short Treks', 'Star Trek: Picard' and 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' on Paramount+ as well as 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' coming in May.
Expected to take flight by 2023, 'Section 31', a spinoff of 'Star Trek: Discovery' features the Emperor Philipa Georgiou character played by 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' alum Yeoh.