Star Trek’s 60th-anniversary year is ending on a sobering note. At Rome’s MIA Market, Roddenberry Entertainment COO and president of development Trevor Roth said the franchise is “at a bit of a crossroads” as current series wind down, film activity has been quiet, and the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger forces decisions about what the property becomes.
The anniversary itself proved that fan demand is still strong. On Sept. 8, the date the original series premiered in 1966, 934 Trekkies gathered in London to set a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous Vulcan salute. In the U.S., a limited theatrical run of 4K restorations paired classic films with original series episodes, and the show’s creator received a Hollywood Walk of Fame tribute.
The committed pipeline is thinning
Behind the celebrations, the slate is contracting. Paramount Skydance had already announced that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will end after its upcoming second season; the series was originally ordered at Paramount+ in 2023. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will deliver its fifth and final season next year.
- Starfleet Academy: ends after Season 2, originally picked up in 2023
- Strange New Worlds: final fifth season due next year
- Feature film: in development, confirmed by Paramount Skydance at CinemaCon this year
- Non-Trek genre slate: new sci-fi, fantasy and genre projects in development at Roddenberry
Why this matters for media buyers
The message is not that Star Trek is fading; it is that the anniversary’s visibility is running ahead of the dated pipeline. Roth said Roddenberry has “very specific designs” for the next incarnations and believes the franchise can run another 60 years, but that it must evolve for a new economy, new consumers and new viewing habits.
Roth also framed the MIA appearance as a partner search: the company wants to introduce itself to potential collaborators worldwide. That creates two conversations for buyers: one about a legacy franchise that still moves audiences, and one about a company placing new IP.
What to do about it
For media planners and licensing teams with Star Trek on the plan, the prudent move is to hedge. Use the anniversary stunts as reach evidence, but do not build a full-year model on the assumption that series volume remains constant. Ask for firm dates on the feature film and any next series, and watch whether Roddenberry’s non-Trek projects create new ad or partnership inventory. The franchise will likely continue; the format, windowing and partner model are what is being renegotiated.
Source: Variety
