It may be a while before we are introduced to the new group of cadets in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The all-new original series, which was announced by Paramount+ nearly one year ago, may not air until 2026, according to executive producer Alex Kurtzman.
Speaking to Collider at SXSW, Kurtzman revealed that the series won't begin shooting until late summer. With six months of shooting, and then another six to eight months of post-production, Kurtzman figures the series won't premiere until 2026.
"It could end up not airing until 2026. We don’t know. But by starting [shooting in late summer], just building the sets alone is a massive endeavor, then six months of shooting, then six to eight months of post. If you recall, there was all this noise around Season 1 and Season 2 of Discovery because the streaming service, they were like, 'Oh, it’s like a turnaround on a cop show.' I’m like, 'No, you don’t understand. It’s eight months of visual effects turnaround, and we’re not gonna rush that.' So, it’ll come out, but it’ll come out when it’s done."
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce a new generation of Starfleet officers in training as it follows a group of young cadets through the rigors of the Academy as they "come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism."
"Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself," the synopsis teases.
While specific casting and plot details remain under wraps, we can expect to see a diverse group of characters.
"There's a lot of different kids from a lot of different places. Some of them want to be there, some of them don’t want to be there. It’s gonna be a fundamental reinforcement of all the things we love about Starfleet, in general," Kurtzman added.
In some ways, it sounds like the new series will touch on subjects that today's generation of teens and young adults can relate to.
Kurtzman elaborated: "You always want to ask yourself, 'Why this show now?' I think that one of the big things that certainly my 17-year-old son is facing, which is kind of a fundamental 'Star Trek' question, is, 'How did we get here? How has this generation inherited the mistakes from previous generations? And what are we gonna do to fix it, to build that optimistic future that is Roddenberry’s essential vision?' That is very much going to be at the heart of Starfleet Academy."
While Star trek: Starfleet Academy represents an opportunity to expand the franchise to a new audience of older teens and young adults — a demographic that Star Trek isn't typically directed at — Kurtzman was sure to point out that this will also be a series for original, longtime fans.
"You have to make sure that you are also pleasing people who have been around and are die-hard 'TOS' fans, die-hard ' Next Gen' fans, whatever iteration of 'Trek' is yours. You cannot alienate those people. You actually also have to invite them to the tent. So the challenge is how do you do that while also bringing 'Trek' to a new generation of fans that have no experience with those shows, has never watched those shows? So you need to make a show that you can drop into if you don’t know anything about 'Star Trek,' but also a show that you can get a tremendous amount out of if you have all of that canonical history."
The first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will consist of ten episodes. Given that filming won't begin until late summer, it will probably be some time before we learn of any specific details.