I’m jealous thatStar Warsmovies will soon be back in theaters, unlikeStar Trek. Star Wars Celebration Japan recently ended, and it was a galvanizing event forStar Warsfans. The centerpiece of several excitingStar Wars Celebration announcementswas the official unveiling of the next twoStar Warsmovies:The Mandalorian & Groguwill hit theaters in May 2026, followed byStar Wars: Starfighter, which premieres in May 2027. Meanwhile,Star Trekmoviesare still in limbo.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Groguis directed by Jon Favreau and brings back Pedro Pascal as Djn Djarin alongside the beloved baby Yoda, Grogu, while the announcement ofSigourney Weaver joining the film as a starfighter pilotwas a jaw-dropper. Director Shawn Levy also dazzled by bringing out his leading man, Ryan Gosling, and unveiling his movie,Star Wars: Starfighter,which takes place a few years afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Six years afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkersimultaneously grossed $1 billion at the box office but pleased few fans, Lucasfilm and Disney seem to have overcome their movie development malaise. The Force is strong withStar Warsmoviesagain, and fans are feeling a new sense of excitement and optimism.It would be great if the same could be said for the state ofStar Trekmoviesto lift the spirits of the fans of Starfleet’s big-screen voyages.
Star Trek Movies Are Still In Development Hell
Theatrical & Streaming Star Trek Movies Are A Big Question Mark
WhileStar Warsis on its way back to movie theaters, Star Trekmovies remain in dry dock. The lastStar Trektheatrical release,Star Trek Beyond, directed by Justin Lin and produced by J.J. Abrams, was in 2016 - nine years ago. In the years since, filmmakers like Noah Hawley, S.J. Clarkson, Matt Shakman, and evenQuentin Tarantino walked away fromStar Trekmoviesover creative differences with Paramount Studios. There seems to beno end in sight toStar Trekmovies' development hell.
A bright spot was the advent of made-for-streamingStar Trekmovies on Paramount+. If Trekkers can’t see a big screen theatricalStar Trekadventure,Star Trekstreaming movies were, optimistically, the next best thing. However, audiences and critics alike did not care for Paramount+’s first release,Star Trek: Section 31. Not even Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh could makeSection 31a movie thatStar Trekfans embraced.The future ofStar Trekstreaming movies is now questionable, as well.
It’s encouraging to know that two newStar Warsmovies are en route.
Lucasfilm and Disney seem to have overcome a slew of missteps and smartly refocused theatrical movies as the bread and butter ofStar Wars. Although recent Disney+Star Warsshows likeThe AcolyteandSkeleton Crewweren’t as beloved asThe Mandalorian’s first two seasons,Star Warsmovies getting back on track is a shot in the arm to the galaxy far, far away. It’s encouraging to know that twonewStar Warsmoviesare en route with major names and successful directors like Jon Favreau and Shawn Levy behind the camera.
Star Wars Will Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary With A Movie
Star Trek’s 60th Anniversary May Pass Without A Movie
2027 is the 50th anniversary of the premiere ofStar Wars: A New Hope,andStar Wars: Starfighterwill celebrate the milestone with a new theatrical release. Even diversified across multimedia like streaming television, comics, novels, and video games,Star Warsis, at its core, a movie franchise first and foremost.The ‘specialness’ ofStar Warsis directly related to its ability to deliver beloved cinematic blockbusterslikeThe Empire Strikes BackandRogue One.The Mandalorian & GroguandStar Wars: Starfighterback-to-back is a genuine cause for excitement.
Star Trek may not ring in its 60th anniversary in 2026 with a new movie.
Star Trek Beyond’s 2016 release markedStar Trek’s 50th anniversary, butStar Trekmay not ring in its 60th anniversary in 2026 with a new movie.Star Trek,which is primarily a TV franchise, does haveStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 4 andStar Trek: Starfleet Academyseason 1 expected to release on Paramount+ in 2026, soStar Trek’s 60th will be covered on the TV side. Unfortunately, a big-budgetStar Trekmovie that could woo general audiences the way J.J. Abrams’Star Trekreboot did in 2009 doesn’t seem to be in the cards forStar Trek’s 60th anniversary.
Will Another Star Trek Movie Be Made?
It’s Been A Long Time Since There Was A Star Trek Movie Update
It’s been a year since there was a significant update toStar Trekmovies. In April 2024, Paramount Studios officially announced anUntitled Star Trek Originmovie directed by Toby Haynes, who helmed episodes ofStar Wars: AndorandBlack Mirror’s Star Trekhomages, “USS Callister” and “USS Callister Into Infinity.” However,Paramount made no mention of Haynes’Star Trekprequel movie at CinemaCon 2025. There’s also been no further word ofX-Menproducer Simon Kinberg reportedly being hired to produceStar Trekmovies.
Meanwhile,Star Trek 4starring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock remains a pie-in-the-sky idea that Paramount can’t seem to crack. Pine and his fellow actors have repeatedly publicly stated that they would love to return to the Starship Enterprise. Like theStar Trek Originmovie,the last update onStar Trek 4was last yearwhen Steve Yockey was reportedly hired to write a new screenplay, but there has been silence since then.
It’s disappointing that there’s no indication a new Star Trek movie is coming.
It’s possible that Toby Haynes’Star Trek Originprequel could ramp up production sometime in 2025 since it was reportedly further along thanStar Trek 4and close to a green light from Paramount. In that case,it’s feasible for Haynes to deliver a newStar Trekmovie to theatergoers in time forStar Trek’s 60th anniversary in 2026. It would be a boon to fans of both franchises if there were aStar WarsandStar Trekmovie in 2026 to flock to theaters for, but it’s disappointing that there’s no indication a newStar Trekmovie is coming.
Why Movies Are Still Important To Star Trek
Star Trek Is More Than A TV Franchise
Star Trek’s roots are in television, and the franchise is generally considered to be at its best on the small screen. Episodic and serialized television letsStar Trekexplore its complex characters and myriad moral and ethical questions, which are hallmarks ofGene Roddenberry’s optimistic universe, as well as take ‘big swings’ likeStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode. However,there’s also something undeniably special aboutStar Trekmovies.
From Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) death inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) fighting the Borg inStar Trek: First Contact,to Chris Pine’s young Captain Kirk saving Earth inStar Trek(2009),Star Trekmovies have delivered many iconic momentsthat have become seminal aspects of the franchise.Star Trekmovies, especially the J.J. Abrams trilogy, also welcome mainstream audiences that findStar Trek’s 900+ hours of TV episodes daunting.
J.J. Abrams, who directedStar Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, rebootedStar Trekto be more likeStar Wars, upgrading its visual effects to be more palatable to summer blockbuster movie audiences.
I’m excited to go back to movie theaters to enjoyThe Mandalorian & GroguandStar Wars: Starfighteron the big screen in 2026 and 2027. But I’d love to also have aStar Trekmovie (or two) to look forward to as well. I’m so envious ofStar Warsthat they’re on their way back to movie theaters, and I dearly wish the same forStar Trek.
