Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, comment on the franchise’s bright future. 2024 marks Star Trek‘s 58th anniversary as an ongoing narrative encompassing a dozen TV shows and 13 feature films, with more on the way. Star Trek‘s new and legacy TV series continually stream on Paramount+ and Netflix, while the 13 Star Trek movies can be found on Max and Paramount+.
Variety‘s cover story about the future of the Star Trek franchise included a comment by Rod Roddenberry on the impact Star Trek fans have made in keeping the franchise alive. As CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, Rod is executive producer of Star Trek on Paramount+’s TV series, and his focus is on maintaining his father’s optimistic vision of Star Trek. Read Roddenberry’s quote about how important Star Trek fans are below:
Eugene Roddenberry: “’Star Trek’s fans have kept it alive more times than seems possible…While many shows rightfully thank their fans for supporting them, we literally wouldn’t be here without them.”
Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman, whose Secret Hideout production company oversees all of Star Trek on Paramount+, understands the optimism at the heart of Gene Roddenberry’s creation:
Alex Kurtzman: ‘Star Trek’ is an institution… [Star Trek is] ultimately a show with the most amazing vision of optimism, I think, ever put on-screen in science fiction… All you need is two minutes on the news to feel hopeless now. ‘Star Trek’ is honestly the best balm you could ever hope for.”
Kurtzman also comments on how Star Trek on Paramount+ meets the challenge of moving the franchise forward while honoring Star Trek‘s past and the fans’ loyalty to their beloved legacy characters:
“Doing ‘Star Trek’ means that you have to deliver something that’s entirely familiar and entirely fresh at the same time…You cannot create new fans to the exclusion of old fans… You must serve your primary fan base first and you must keep them happy. That is one of the most important steps to building new fans.”
As for how long Alex Kurtzman will be in charge of Star Trek on Paramount+, he shows no signs of falling “out of love” with the franchise:
“The minute I fall out of love with it is the minute that it’s not for me anymore. I’m not there yet… To be able to build in this universe to tell stories that are fundamentally about optimism and a better future at a time when the world seems to be falling apart — it’s a really powerful place to live every day.”
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Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show
The Star Trek franchise on Paramount+ continues with new series and made-for-streaming movies as well as more Discovery and animated shows.
Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount+
