Jonathan Frakes on Star Trek's Uncertain Future Amid 60th Anniversary

Star Trek is navigating a period of transition as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. Despite this milestone, the future of the sci-fi franchise feels more uncertain than ever. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has completed filming for its fifth and final season, while Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will not continue beyond its already-filmed second season.

For the first time in over a decade, there are no new Star Trek projects in active development. No new series or films are in production, announced, or even in early development stages. Even previously discussed projects, such as the James Kirk prequel Star Trek: Year One, appear to have stalled. The dismantling of the Enterprise sets from Strange New Worlds further signals a lack of immediate plans for new productions.

The uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s future extends to its own creators and actors. Jonathan Frakes, best known for portraying William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, has appeared in multiple subsequent series, including Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard. In an interview with TrekMovie.com’s All Access: Star Trek podcast, Frakes expressed disappointment over the current state of Star Trek production.

“I think, sadly, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our incredible franchise, it seemed very unfortunate that they’ve chosen this moment to not have any new Trek in production. It seems like a very unfortunate irony. I’m sure that Trek will resurface, it always has, and it always will. And the power that Roddenberry invested in it seems to have made it through six decades.”

Frakes’ perspective carries weight. With decades of experience in the franchise, he has directed episodes across seven Star Trek series and two feature films. Most recently, he directed an episode of Starfleet Academy. He offers a candid assessment of the challenges facing modern Star Trek.

“Some people who either didn’t like or didn’t approve or didn’t support the latest endeavors, for whatever reason,” he says. “Perhaps it’s the changing of the guard at Paramount+ and CBS [Studios]. Perhaps it’s indecision. Perhaps it’s the amount of money it costs to make how beautiful the show is; the level of the production has become this sort of ‘shoot to thrill’ cinematic phenomenon that when we did the show back in the ’80s, we counted on storytelling and acting and the occasional camera move [laughs]. It’s a different beast now, and that beast is very expensive, and as we know, it’s called show business.”

Despite these challenges, Frakes remains optimistic about the future of Star Trek. However, he admits to frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the franchise’s next steps.