Sir Patrick Stewart, who originated the character of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation before reprising the role in three seasons of Star Trek: Picard, has teased that a new Star Trek movie is in development with him in mind.
Now streaming on Paramount+, season 3 of Picard was initially intended to be Stewart’s last tour of duty as Jean-Luc. But with the success of the show’s third season, which brought together the TNG cast to face off against the Borg Queen once again, the actor has changed his tune. Beginning with San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Stewart started regularly teasing that maybe he wasn’t done with the character after all, and he wanted to see the story of Picard and his crew move forward on the big screen.
While there are still very few details about the upcoming Star Trek film starring Stewart, here is what we know so far!
What is the new Star Trek movie about?
Stewart told Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz that a new Star Trek script was being written with him in mind and that he was excited about the project due to its experimental nature. The interview was posted on January 4, 2024, and recorded in November 2023, when Stewart did interviews supporting his memoir, Making It So (via TrekMovie.com).
I heard only last night about a [movie] script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it. And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so. I’m so excited because it sounds like the kind of project where the experimentation that I want to do will be essential for this kind of material. It’s good at 83…
Although Picard movie rumors started swirling as early as 2022, Stewart’s comment on the podcast is the first official indication that a movie project with him is in development.
Will Patrick Stewart return as Captain Picard?
Happy Sad Confused is not the first time Stewart has mentioned the possibility of Picard’s return on the big screen. “We could do a movie, a Picard-based movie,” Stewart told IndieWire. “Now, not necessarily at all about Picard but about all of us. And to take many of those wonderful elements, particularly from season 3 of Picard, and take out of that what I think could be an extraordinary movie.”
The actor continues to say that he keeps “mentioning” the film to everyone, but he’s received no eager responses. “I keep telling people and mentioning it, and so far, there’s been no eager response, but it might well happen,” said Stewart. “That would be, I think, a very appropriate way to say, ‘And goodbye folks.'”
In his memoir, he also mentions “gently pushing Paramount” about doing a “single Picard movie,” not a TNG movie (“as we have already done four of those”), that would expand and deepen the Star Trek universe as we’ve seen it on Picard.
“I’ve discussed this with [Jonathan Frakes], [Brent Spiner], and [LeVar Burton], and they are all game,” Stewart continues. “Jonathan is my first choice to direct it.”
Well, I guess someone finally responded to Stewart’s nudging. But will Paramount also ask Frakes to direct the film?
Will the movie be released in theaters?
It’s unclear if the movie is intended for a theatrical or streaming release, and it could go either way. Right now, Paramount seems to be still planning on releasing Star Trek 4 in theaters, as well as the recently announced new film set before the Kelvin timeline, with Seth Grahame-Smith (The Lego Batman Movie) penning the script, Toby Haynes (Andor) directing, and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot producing. Then again, the Picard-centered film could also go straight-to-streaming on Paramount+ like Michelle Yeoh’s upcoming Section 31 film. Depending on how successful Section 31 is for the streamer, the Picard movie might wind up on Paramount+.
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