Star Trek: Paramount Responds To Rumors About The Franchise Ending

Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana in Star Trek Into Darkness

The Star Trek franchise is an iconic piece of history which entire generations are brought up on. The property has found massive success in both TV and film, and is showing no signs of slowing down. On the big screen Star Trek Beyond was the latest entry back in 2016, and fans have been eager to see if the current timeline would continue in another blockbuster. And when a rumor circulating claiming that the franchise had come to an end, Paramount responded to those reports.

Earlier this week rumors swirled around the internet that claimed Paramount was no longer interested in continuing the current Star Trek movie timeline, and would instead be pulling the plug on the property. This report stunned the fandom, who are still holding out hope to see the cast like Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles. But Paramount has responded, shutting down the rumor and clarifying that the movies are currently still in development.

This clarification comes to us from ScreenRant, and is sure to be a relief for the many Star Trek fans out there who are hopeful for the current timeline's future. But while the recent trilogy of movies hasn't been officially ended, it does seem like the franchise will remain in development hell for the foreseeable future. It's time to use some Vulcan-like patience.

As for the future of the current Star Trek timeline, there's no telling where the property might go. One possibility is a fourth Star Trek movie that follows the same timeline, continuing the story from Beyond. This would allow the same ensemble of actors to return, with one notable exception. Chekov actor Anton Yelchin tragically died in 2016, and his absence would surely be felt.

There's also another more outrageous possibility for Star Trek's future: a movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. The legendary filmmaker has expressed interest in helming his own vision for the beloved franchise, which would be an exception from his plans to direct only ten original films. While there might be some friction between Tarantino and actor Simon Pegg, the possibility of the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director taking to the skies is something that cinephiles are very excited about.

It's been a number of years since Star Trek Beyond hit theaters, with no concrete information regarding the franchise's future on the big screen, or lack thereof. But clearly Paramount is still interested in using the beloved science fiction property moving forward. While development hell isn't where the fans are hoping to stay, it's certainly more hopeful news than the current timeline being ended for good.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Star Trek as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.