Two New ‘Star Trek’ Movies in Development Thanks to CBS Merger
Two new Star Trek movies are being developed, thanks to the recent mega-merger of CBS and Viacom.
ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish made the announcement this past week at an investor’s conference, the UBS Global TMT (Technology, Media & Telecommunications) Conference in New York.
The various Star Trek properties had been split between CBS and Viacom. That included the classic Star Trek shows and movies based on William Shatner’s Captain Kirk (dubbed the “Prime Timeline”), and the newly-styled projects kick-started by J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot (dubbed the “Kelvin Timeline”). That is why the classic and modern Treks looked so different: the two properties had to, to avoid violating copyrights.
The merger of the two corporations will unite Paramount Pictures, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, the CBS broadcast network, Showtime, PlutoTV and CBS All Access under one umbrella.
Bakish said the merger will allow Star Trek to exist as one intellectual property. As a result, Paramount is developing two new Star Trek films.
Plans for a fourth Star Trek film based on Abrams’ Kelvin Timeline fell apart after contract negotiations between Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth (who would have returned as Kirk’s father) fell apart.
It is unknown which timeline the two new films would be based upon, although it seems the Kelvin Timeline is the obvious choice.
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