Since then, he has produced five shows in the universe initially envisioned in the 1960s by Gene Roddenberry, all of which will be on Paramount +. They are “Star Trek: Discovery”; “Star Trek: Picard”; “Star Trek: Lower Decks”; “Star Trek: Prodigy,” which will be released in the fall; and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which will premiere in 2022. ViacomCBS says that “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard” are among the most viewed original series on Paramount +.
They are also preparing “Section 31”, starring Michelle Yeoh, and a show built around the “Starfleet Academy”, which will be aimed at a younger audience.
But how much “Star Trek” does a planet need?
“I think we’re just getting started,” Kurtzman said. “There is much more to have.”
He recently completed a four-month shoot in London for the first half of “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” a 10-episode series based on the 1976 David Bowie film. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a new alien character who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution.
Kurtzman said he loved the experience of working on the series, encouraged by the fact that the pandemic allowed him and his writing partner, Jenny Lumet, the opportunity to complete all episodes before production began.
“I wouldn’t be doing absolutely anything different if we were doing this as a movie,” he said. “I’m working with movie stars in three different countries, shooting sequences that are certainly not typical TV sequences, all of which I can only do thanks to my experience working on movies.”
Ms. Lumet met Mr. Kurtzman in 2015. He requested to meet after seeing the movie “Rachel Getting Married,” which she wrote. Ms. Lumet said she was surprised that this “sci-fi robot boy in khaki pants” was interested in meeting her.
