A new theatrical Star Trek film is in development, with writers and directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley describing a project shaped by two Denzel Washington thrillers: Training Day and Crimson Tide. The pair discussed the film’s direction in an interview with Inverse.
The movie would be the first new theatrically released Star Trek film in more than a decade. It is also the only known Star Trek movie currently in development, although the project remains at an early stage.
A darker look at Starfleet
Training Day follows Ethan Hawke as a rookie Los Angeles police narcotics officer working under Alonzo Harris, a corrupt detective played by Denzel Washington. Crimson Tide is a submarine thriller in which a US nuclear submarine confronts a Russian ultranationalist faction threatening to launch nuclear weapons at the United States and Japan. Washington also stars in that film.
Daley said the Training Day influence would be reflected in the new film’s examination of Starfleet and the people operating inside it. Rather than presenting the organisation as uniformly heroic, the story will acknowledge that long-established institutions can contain individuals whose decisions and influence damage the principles they are meant to uphold.
The filmmakers stressed that this is not intended to be a cynical or nihilistic version of the future. Instead, it will explore how a few “bad apples” can affect an institution and its identity while still respecting the values that define Star Trek.
Real-time tension and new characters
Starfleet misconduct has appeared in earlier films, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Into Darkness. Goldstein and Daley plan to take a different structural approach, with the story unfolding almost in real time.
“It takes place almost in real time,” Daley said, describing the project as a fresh view of what a Star Trek film can be without abandoning the fundamentals of the franchise.
The film will focus on an entirely new group of Star Trek characters. Goldstein said the goal is not to depend on audiences already knowing the original series or The Next Generation. The filmmakers want to create a strong standalone film set in a familiar universe, while giving newcomers a way into that world and, if successful, establishing a new franchise.
Why the creative team has attracted interest
Goldstein and Daley previously co-wrote and co-directed Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which starred former James T. Kirk actor Chris Pine. They also co-directed the action comedy Game Night. Their latest theatrical release, Mayday, received positive reviews.
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What this means for the franchise
The project arrives at an important point for Star Trek. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy are both scheduled to end after their next seasons, and no other television series has been announced. A successful theatrical film could therefore help restore momentum for the franchise at Paramount.
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