Star Trek: Picard ended in April of 2023, but many are still campaigning a year later for the story to continue in an upcoming Star Trek project. Co-showrunner Terry Matalas has pitched his idea for a continuation series, Star Trek: Legacy, which would pick up on Picard's untethered plot threads while continuing to explore characters' stories in the 25th century. Nothing official has been confirmed thus far, but I have a theory that something special is being worked on quietly in the background.
To be clear, I have no inside information here, and I'm not trying to hint that I know for sure of anything in development. My thoughts here are based on a recent interview with Patrick Stewart, paired with some logical steps that would be taken if and when something like Star Trek: Legacy enters the discussion. Without further ado, here's why I'm thinking we might soon hear about movie plans to further flesh out the adventures of the beloved Picard characters.
Patrick Stewart Says Someone Is Writing A Jean-Luc Picard Movie
This all starts, more or less, with Star Trek veteran Patrick Stewart, who made headlines not long ago by sharing the news of a new Jean-Luc Picard movie script being written. For those who missed the quote, here's how he put it:
I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it. And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so. I’m so excited because it sounds like the kind of project where the experimentation that I want to do will be essential for this kind of material. It’s good at 83…
A key part of the context here was that the quote was offered up after Stewart remarked that he'd like to play Jean-Luc again, just not as a series lead. Given the end of Star Trek: Picard, it seems logical he'd take a backseat to play more of a supporting role in another character's adventures, especially with the series ending with setting up Seven of Nine as Captain of the Enterprise G with Picard's son Jack Crusher at her side. Could they be the real stars of the alleged movie script, with Stewart meant to be playing a more minor role as Picard?
Even if that's not the case, how would anyone make a movie about Jean-Luc Picard in 2024 without referencing the events of Picard in any way? Doing anything else would seriously conflict with the Prime timeline, so I would wager the 25th century will be referenced heavily in a film, assuming this script makes it through the muck to become an actual movie.
Terry Matalas Said Paramount Is Aware Fans Want Star Trek: Legacy
It's worth mentioning that right as Star Trek: Picard finished, Terry Matalas told CinemaBlend that Paramount+ is aware of the constant calls for a continuation. The issue, as the showrunner said, is that there's no shortage of other Trek projects in the works already. Even with Discovery ending in 2024, developing a new season of Strange New Worlds was going to be a tall order as production starts up on both new series Starfleet Academy and Section 31.
In short, the showrunner was more or less saying that the odds of a successor series being greenlit, regardless of the fans' appetite, wasn't a possibility for the immediate future. Shows take a long time to make, after all, and if they're competing for studio time with other equally important projects, they will take even longer.
A Star Trek: Legacy Movie Would Be Easier To Fit Into A Loaded Schedule Than A New Series
I won't sit here and pretend I know with certainty that making a Star Trek movie for Paramount+ is a shorter process than making a series, but in my mind, that feels like it would make sense. From a scheduling standpoint, if it's impossible to justify throwing in a Star Trek: Legacy series into the mix, then creating a movie for Paramount+ could be something to retain fan interest and continue to make progress until that's more feasible.
Let's not forget that Section 31 was originally going to be a Michelle-Yeoh-led series before it became a movie. A feature could provide a way to write off the characters who would either not wish to be involved in a future series or would be too costly to keep on board. Think of it as a bridge to set up what Legacy could be, even if it seems the end of Picard already did that. Personally, I would love a Q-centric movie, and given Jack ran into the character upon the series ending, I could see the new project revolving around that topic.
Again, though, this is just a theory. Even if there were a Star Trek: Legacy script in the works, there's a long way to go before anyone crowds around cameras on set to start filming. That is to say, we can only wait and see what happens, but keep those fingers crossed that people are quietly working on the next iteration of the beloved series.
Star Trek: Picard is available to stream in its entirety with a Paramount+ subscription. Rewatch the series and give Paramount another reminder of how much fans want to see more adventures because Jeri Ryan recently won an award for her work as Seven of Nine in Season 3.
