The author of Project Hail Mary is firing a photon torpedo at Paramount+’s Star Trek efforts.
Bestselling writer Andy Weir criticized modern Trek shows while on the Critical Drinker podcast last week, and even revealed he pitched a Trek show that was shot down by Paramount.
The topic began with the podcast’s host, Matthew Marsden, saying how refreshing the box office hit Project Hail Mary has been, especially for audiences who grew up on Star Trek and now suffer from “a lack of” such sci-fi efforts nowadays.
“Yeah, I saw a … I forgot who it was — I wish I could remember who it was who said it, some analyst — he said something like: ‘All modern science fiction TV shows and movies have been heavily influenced by the original Star Trek — except for the current batch of Star Trek shows,’” Weir said.
Marsden replied, “Yes!” and they both laughed.
At first, Weir left that comment open to interpretation, but then added, “I’m Gen X, so my sci-fi was like original series Star Trek reruns and Lost in Space reruns. And there wasn’t really much in the way of [new] sci-fi that was airing — where people are off in space doing cool things — until we got to [Star Trek: The Next Generation].”
Later, Marsden brought up the divisive Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which Paramount+ recently confirmed will end after its already-shot second season.
“I think we can probably safely never talk about it again,” Marsden quipped.
“It’s gone baby!” Weir cheerfully agreed. “It’s all gone.”
Marsden said his advice to Paramount is to de-canonize everything Star Trek from Enterprise onward.
“Okay, you’re a little more severe than I am,” Weir said. “I’ll give you my opinion and I’m just a consumer. I like Strange New Worlds. I think it’s pretty good. I didn’t hate Enterprise. I thought it was kind of weird. Lower Decks I thought was entertaining and fun. All the others, they can go. And here’s another thing: I pitched a Star Trek show to Paramount and I was in Zoom with the showrunners with all the shows and spent a lot of time talking to [executive producer Alex Kurtzman]. I don’t like a lot of the new Trek. He, as a person, is a really nice guy. But at the same time, those shows are shit. He is a nice guy. But they didn’t accept my pitch so, you know, fuck ’em.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Paramount for comment.
Paramount+’s Star Trek efforts are seemingly taking a break in Spacedock. For the first time in many years, there are no current Trek projects in production, though there are two more years of Strange New Worlds left and another season of Starfleet Academy left to air.
There is also speculation surrounding Alex Kurtzman’s future with the franchise, who has lead Paramount’s Star Trek TV revival. His deal with CBS Studios goes through the end of 2026; Paramount+ is currently in talks with Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout production company about renewing or extending his deal.
When news of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s cancellation broke, Kurtzman, alongside EPs Noga Landau and Gaia Violo, released an open letter that addressed some of the criticism surrounding the show.
The letter reads, “Whether you’re working on Star Trek or part of the marvel that is Star Trek fandom — its very heart, soul, and conscience — the joy comes from adventuring across boundaries of time, space, and the humanly possible in service to [Gene] Roddenberry’s transformative vision of the future. That incomparable vision was fueled by an inexhaustible optimism. Star Trek places its bet on the best in human nature. It dares to imagine a society of ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations,’ free of war, hate, poverty, disease, and repression, and dedicated to the spirit of scientific inquiry and respect for all life, whether carbon or silicon-based, green-skinned or blue.”
“But make no mistake: Gene Roddenberry wasn’t some starry-eyed dreamer. He was a decorated Army bomber pilot in the Pacific Theater. He had seen first-hand the grim consequences of the worst of human nature. And his vision of the future wasn’t just a promise of hope. It was also a warning. In a fraught, frightening time of intolerance and violence, Star Trek said: Look! We made it! But just barely. First, we had to put all those ancient scourges behind us. It said that what makes us glorious as a species, and gives us hope for the future and the galaxy is inextricably linked to what makes us dangerous to each other, to this one world we presently inhabit, and to ourselves. That dual message — of hope and of warning — isn’t just a pretty dream but a call to action, to think about who we are in a different way,” the letter continued.
