Jonathan Frakes' recent comments excite me even more forStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, especially afterStar Trek: Section 31’s missteps. Best known as Captain William T. Riker,Frakes is also one ofStar Trek’s most celebrated directors.Jonathan’s credentials speak for themselves as the director ofStar Trek: First Contact, several episodes ofStar Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' crossover withStar Trek: Lower Decks. Frakes is also directing episodes ofStar Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau,Star Trek: Starfleet Academyis the sixthStar Trek on Paramount+ TV series. and one of only two live-actionStar Trekshows remaining on the streamer, along withStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.Starfleet Academyis a spinoff ofStar Trek: Discoveryset in the 32nd century,continuing the farthest point in theStar Trektimeline.Starfleet Academy’s young cast is led by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, with season 1’s recurring villain played by Academy Award nominee and lifelongStar Trekfan Paul Giamatti.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy recently wrapped filming season 1, and Paramount+ has already ordered season 2, which will begin filming later in 2025. AlthoughStar Trek: Starfleet Academyisn’t expected to premiere on Paramount+ until 2026, it’s likely that the first glimpses of thenextStar Trekserieswill emerge at San Diego Comic-Con in July. However,Jonathan Frakes speaks effusively aboutStar Trek: Starfleet Academy,and his word goes a long way to get me excited.
Jonathan Frakes’ Comments Made Me Even More Excited About Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy Is For “Hardcore Fans”
Jonathan Frakes hyped upStar Trek: Starfleet Academyas being made for"hardcore Star Trek fans"during a Star Trek: The Next Generationpanel hosted byColliderat the Indiana Comic Convention. Frakes noted the incredible cast led by Oscar-caliber"movie stars" Starfleet Academyassembled, as well as the show’sStar Treklegacy actors, and other impressive aspects of the show. Read Frakes' quote below:
“Well, first of all, it’s got movie stars in it, which I think is a great idea. Holly Hunter is in it, Paul Giamatti is in it. [audience cheers] Right? That’s exactly the response I think CBS is looking for. Holly— they’re both fabulous. I didn’t have the privilege of directing Paul.[Robert] Picardo’s in it, Tig Notaro’s in it. [Audience cheers] Right? I love Tig. But it has the most massive set of any Star Trek ever. There’s also a spaceship on the show, which I think, I hope that’s not a f*cking secret. I have been known—I’ve had a bad experience with oversharing, and I hope that wasn’t an overshare, but it’s fabulous. The sets are great. The scripts are—they’re funny, which is always helpful on Star Trek… It’s [aimed at] much morehardcore Star Trek fans.
As Frakes confirmed, Robert Picardo is reprising The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyagerand Tig Notaro is once again playing Commander Jett Reno fromStar Trek: Discovery.Star Trek: Starfleet Academywill be set on Earth and in space, and the show does have an unnamed starship, which was already leaked whenWWE’s Becky Lynchwas reported to join the cast, along with She-Hulk’s Tatiana Maslany. It was also already known thatStarfleet Academyhas the largest sets ever constructed forStar Trek.
Why Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 Movie Failed Star Trek Fans
Section 31 Was Barely A Star Trek Movie
Jonathan Frakes assuring hardcoreStar Trekfans thatStarfleet Academyis being made with them in mind is a balm, especially afterStar Trek: Section 31. Headlined by Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh,Section 31was the first Star Trekmovie in 9 years and the firstStar Trekmovie made for streaming on Paramount+. DespiteSection 31posting impressive streaming numbersin its first week in late January,it was savaged by critics andStar Trekfans online.One ofSection 31’s failings is that it is barely aStar Trekmovie.
I’m Very Disappointed That Star Trek Movies Are Back In Limbo
Star Trek: Section 31 was the first Star Trek movie in 9 years, but instead of ushering in a new era, Star Trek movies are a question mark again.
Star Trek: Section 31cast memberRob Kazinsky, who plays Zeph, confirmed to theTrekNationpodcast thatSection 31was targeted to non-fans in the hopes of getting newcomers interested inStar Trek.Section 31had fleetingStar Trektrappings, but was much more of a generic sci-fi action movie. Kazinsky says he was told byStar Trekexecutive producer Alex Kurtzman that was the intention ofSection 31:
“They explained to me very, very clearly, and once I’d heard this, I was 100% behind this movie: You have to make different flavors of Star Trek for a different time. You have to try and bring in new people. […] That’s what Section 31’s about. This film, and I’m sorry to say it, it wasn’t made for people that love ‘Star Trek.’ It was made to make people want to learn more about ‘Star Trek.'”
While I appreciated the in-your-face-brashness ofStar Trek: Section 31’s action, the foray into the Mirror Universe, and the performances of the cast led by Michelle Yeoh,Section 31was indeed lacking as aStar Trekmovie.Section 31’s links to the widerStar Trekuniverse were minimal, and it’s aStar Trekmovie in name only.Section 31simply didn’t satisfy, leavingStar Trek: Strange New WorldsandStar Trek: Starfleet Academyas the last hopes for Star Trek on Paramount+.
What I Expect From Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Lessons Have Hopefully Been Learned From Past Star Trek Mistakes
Jonathan Frakes’ comments give me confidence thatStar Trek: Starfleet Academywill not repeat early mistakes made byStar Trek: DiscoveryandStar Trek: Picard.BothDiscoveryandPicardtried to reinventStar Trek, to mixed results. Further,Star Trek: Discovery’s early seasons varied in tone from what the series turned into after it switched its setting to the 32nd century. Similarly,Star Trek: Picardseason 1 and 2 were tonally different beforeStar Trek: Picardseason 3 struck goldby reassembling thecast ofStar Trek: The Next Generationunder showrunner Terry Matalas.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Exploring another corner of the Star Trek universe, the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a brand-new take on the classic franchise.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academyis hopefully more clear-eyed about its mission and more consistent from inception. Further,Starfleet Academyis ideal to honor and evoke the expansive canon ofStar Trek,since it’s set in a school where it’s logical to learn from past heroes like Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew).Starfleet Academy’s concept is about young people learning the values ofStar Trek, and legacy characters being part of the show means Starfleet’s past won’t be forgotten asStarfeet AcademybuildsStar Trek’s future.
Jonathan Frakes Is Also Directing An Episode Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3
Frakes Is Directing A “Hollywood Murder Mystery” Episode
BeforeStar Trek: Starfleet Academyhits Paramount+,Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3will finally premiere at some point in 2025. Even better, Jonathan Frakes is directing a mysterious, noir-inspired"Hollywood Murder Mystery"episode that he toldVarietyis"the best hour of TV I’ve ever done.“Considering Frakes directedStar Trek: Strange New Worlds’comedic crossover withStar Trek: Lower Decks, and “No Win Scenario,” one ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s best episodes, this is a high bar I’m excited to see Jonathan exceed.
A Massive Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Detail Means Season 3 Surely Needs More Than 10 Episodes
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds dropped a series of gorgeous character posters that hint at just how massive season 3 will be.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academyis a literal investment inStar Trek’s future, as it’s set in the 32nd century and is about developing the next generation of Starfleet heroes.Starfleet Academyboasts an astounding cast of movie star actors surrounding a slew of fresh faces, and it brings the venerable institution back to San Francisco while still incorporatingStar Trek’s classic starship action. Jonathan Frakes’Star Trekknowledge and credibility is bona fide, and if Frakes says hardcoreStar Trekfans will thrill toStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, it makes me even more excited to see it.
