10 BOLD Predictions For Star Trek's Next Decade

In all of the predictions listed above, there is also one likely hurdle that Star Trek is going to face, though perhaps this will come after the sixtieth anniversary - Star Trek may well take a break. While Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy are in production, both shows look set to air until at least 2027. All going well, a third season of Academy will air in 2028.

As it stands, nothing is confirmed. That leaves Trek in a position to take its time, particularly when it comes choosing the next project. This writer is old enough to remember that fallow period between 2005 and 2008, when Star Trek went into production. 

While a perfect world would see new episodes of Star Trek airing weekly, there is a risk of rushing production on the wrong show, or at the wrong time. The best series have seen issues when released at the wrong time, with Enterprise being a perfect example of this. The new Goldstein/Daley film project is far from entering production, let alone being released. This leaves us with another thing to consider.

Star Trek fans need to show up for any future projects to be greenlit. As the movie industry relies on financial turnover to decide the next direction, a perceived failure at the box office would almost certainly spell the end of theatrical Star Trek. At a time when big films cross the billion dollar mark, where would Trek stack up against Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, Transformers, and other huge Paramount properties? 

As of writing, Ellison's company are courting Warner Brothers in a bid to purchase their competitor, which in turn could lead to mega corporations owning the Trek IP. With such enormous scale, smaller franchises and details could easily be overlooked or even shelved entirely.

With so much change in the air, plus Paramount's focus on theatrical releases, despite their assurance that Star Trek is a focus, it seems likely that there will be a quieter future, at least in the immediate future, for Trek. This is not necessarily a bad thing. As stated above, taking the time to craft something properly is a net positive for the fanbase. Two decades separate The Original Series and The Next Generation and, while we'd never wish that gap on anyone now, the result was one of the best pieces of science-fiction in television history. 

Star Trek is slowing down, but does it need to be rushed for the sake of content? With a slate as busy as Paramount's seems to be, uncertainty over who exactly will be running the franchise, and the increasing cost of productions in general, a break seems more than likely in Trek's history. 

As we have before, we will wait, keep the ghost candle alight, and as fans, we'll ignite the midnight petroleum as we share our love the universe past, present, and future. Star Trek is not going anywhere, and neither are we.