Summary
Director Jonathan Frakes touts the"great shape"Star Trekis in as he looks to the franchise’s future of new TV series and streaming movies, including thepossibility ofStar Trek: Picard’s much-desired spinoff,Star Trek: Legacy.Frakes portrayed Captain William Riker inStar Trek: PicardandStar Trek: Lower Decks, but he is also one of the most prolific and beloved directors of the Star Trek on Paramount+ streaming franchise. Frakes has helmed numerous episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, andStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
IndieWirespoke to Jonathan Frakes about his most recent directing success,Star Trek: Discoveryseason 5, episode 9, “Lagrange Point”. Turning to the future ofStar Trek,Frakes offered his optimistic take onStar Trek’s upcoming projects,Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Star Trek: Section 31, and the possibility ofStar Trek: Legacystill happening down the road. Read his quote here:
“I certainly have hopes and thoughts. Updates? I don’t have, but I do know that the franchise is in great shape. I do know that this Starfleet Academy series is going to be an entirely different animal, and I think that the success of what I’m imagining, the success of Section 31, Michelle Yeoh’s movie, is only going to catapult us further into the future. And my hope, obviously, is that we’ll find a place then to continue the Legacy story.”
Star Trek: Picardseason 3 showrunner Terry Matalas was recently named as the new showrunner of Marvel Studios’VisionTV series on Disney+, which could further hamperStar Trek: Legacyhappening in the near future.
Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show
Star Trek is ending series like Discovery and Lower Decks but renewed Strange New Worlds while setting up new streaming and theatrical movies.
What Is Jonathan Frakes' Star Trek Future?
Frakes is sticking with his home franchise
Jonathan Frakes is in demand as a director (and he still occasionally acts, taking a role in the2023 Hallmark Channel filmA Biltmore Christmas), butStar Trekwill continue to benefit from Frakes' talent behind the camera.Jonathan directed an episode ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, following up his smash hit comedic crossover betweenStrange New WorldsandStar Trek: Lower Decks.Frakes toldScreen Ranthis further plans to direct forStar Trek:
I’m gonna keep going on Strange [New Worlds]. I was asked to come and do Starfleet Academy, but the [episode directing]slot conflicted with my son’s wedding. So I’ll come back, hopefully, for the second season [of] Academy.
Jonathan Frakes plans to return behind the camera forStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 4, which is greenlit by Paramount+ for a planned Spring 2025 production start. Frakes also hopes to directStar Trek: Starfleet Academyin season 2. In the meantime, Frakes was announced as a director of the sci-fi seriesDeathlands,although there has been no further update about that project. As for what elseStar Trek’s future holds, thankfully, Jonathan Frakes has no plans to exit the final frontier.
