Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the creative team behind “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and co-writers of “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” are preparing to boldly go where they haven’t gone before. The duo has been tapped to write, produce, and direct a new “Star Trek” movie that aims to reinvigorate the franchise, which has been absent from the big screen for nearly a decade.
However, as previously reported by Variety, this new installment will not continue the J.J. Abrams-led reboot and won’t include Chris Pine or any of the actors from those films.
Even more significantly, while specific plot details are being kept under wraps, the film will not be tied to any existing or upcoming “Star Trek” television series, films, or previously announced projects. So don’t expect appearances from Jean-Luc Picard or Kathryn Janeway this time around.
Since the release of “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016, efforts to launch a new film have faced more hurdles than a Klingon rite of passage. Chris Hemsworth was nearly brought back to reprise his role as Captain Kirk’s father from the 2009 reboot.
Quentin Tarantino flirted with directing a “Star Trek” movie set in a 1930s gangster universe. And both Noah Hawley and Matt Shakman got close enough to start building sets before their films ultimately fizzled out; they’ve since moved on to other projects, Hawley to FX’s “Alien: Earth” and Shakman to Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
In 2024, it was reported that Steve Yockey (“The Flight Attendant”) was working on a draft for a “final chapter” starring the cast led by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldaña.
Meanwhile, Toby Haynes (“Andor”) had reportedly been chosen to direct a “Star Trek” origin story written by Seth Grahame-Smith (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”). As it stands now, both projects seem destined to languish in development limbo.
Reviving the “Star Trek” film series has been a key objective for Paramount ever since David Ellison’s Skydance took control of the studio in August. The franchise remains one of Paramount’s most valuable and iconic assets.
Goldstein and Daley are familiar collaborators with Ellison’s team, having recently completed “Mayday,” a Skydance production starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. The film, produced under the duo’s GoldDay banner, will debut on Apple TV+.
Goldstein and Daley’s directing credits also include New Line’s action-comedy “Game Night” and the “Vacation” reboot. They’ve built an impressive writing portfolio as well, with credits on “Horrible Bosses” and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2.”
The duo is represented by CAA, Fourth Wall Management, and the law firm Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.