Paramount CEO Hints At Animated 'Star Trek' Feature Film Amid Franchise Reboot

The “Star Trek” franchise is heading to wider frontiers, including the potential for an animated feature films, according to Brian Robbins, CEO of Paramount Pictures, a ViacomCBS VIAC company.

What Happened: In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Robbins pointed to “Star Trek: Prodigy,” an animated series slated to run on the Paramount+ streaming service, as a stepping stone for attracting younger viewers to the franchise. The series was originally developed for the Nickelodeon cable network, which will run the episodes after their streaming debut.

Robbins envisioned an animated feature of “Star Wars: Prodigy” as a “four-quadrant family movie” that would connect diverse age groups.

“I had a similar experience with ‘Spider-Verse’ where my daughter, who was six or seven at the time, my late-teen sons and my wife and I all saw that movie together,” he said. “That was the first experience of any film where we were all in.”

What Else Happened: The last “Star Trek” theatrical film to date was 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond,” which grossed $343 million globally. Robbins stated he was eager for new films featuring the USS Enterprise.

“Where we go with the franchise next theatrically is crucial to the health of the overall franchise,” he said. “There’s no doubt that big theatrical movies are the beacon that ignite franchises. We’re in it and I don’t really have anything to say because I’m waiting for the development to be delivered. I can’t wait to get going on it; we’re not there yet, but we need to get there soon.”

However, Robbins opted not to discuss what plans may be in the works, teasing, “There’s a lot going on and I’m just going to leave it at that.”

Photo: "Star Trek: Prodigy," courtesy of Paramount+.