Star Trek: Strange New Worlds quickly gained notoriety as one of the best new shows sci-fi fans have seen, so it's a wonder to think it wasn't originally part of the original revival effort to bring the Trek franchise back. As the story goes, it was actually current co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman who pitched the idea for Strange New Worlds in the Season 1 writers' room for Discovery. Goldsman later helped bring the show to life when fans responded positively to Anson Mount's Pike and some of his cohorts when they popped up in Season 2. What Goldsman did was magical, so I had to ask, could he do the exact same thing for a Picard follow-up?
CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman ahead of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 2 premiere. During our conversation, I recalled the above to Goldsman and wondered if he'd be able to help make some moves behind the scenes to get a spinoff for another show he's co-showrunner on, Picard. Fans have been asking for what they're calling "Star Trek: Legacy" before Picard even ended, so they'll be happy to hear what Goldsman had to say about it:
Well, I think what Terry did with Season 3 is so extraordinary, and I think that the appetite for it is, I think, undeniable. So certainly, I am a huge advocate of some version of that continuing. It was so spectacular, I think, what he did. And so, you know, right now, there's no pitching of anything. Right now the world is uh shut down [due to writer's strike]. But, you know, I would really hope– let me put it like this: I signed the petition [for Star Trek: Legacy] too.
The WGA writers strike is still underway, so as Akiva Goldsman said there's no pitching going on at the moment. However, he's very much on board with seeing a continuation of Star Trek: Picard happen. As I said, this guy helped make Strange New Worlds a reality, so it feels like a good indication to have him in the fold.
Terry Matalas mentioned when he spoke to CinemaBlend months ago that the fans' voices are heard on this matter, so there's reason to be optimistic that a Star Trek: Picard follow-up will happen eventually. It needs to be said, though, that Paramount+ already had a lot of upcoming Trek shows and projects on the horizon before all the acclaim Picard Season 3 received came along. Even if Alex Kurtzman and other top brass at the network are keen on seeing it made, it could take some time to get anything in the works just due to scheduling alone.
And while it seems that Picard has enough help from fans in proving the value in a spinoff via petitions and frequent watches with their Paramount+ subscription, it wouldn't hurt for Season 3 to nab a few Emmy nominations during this upcoming awards season. I personally believe Jonathan Frakes deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of Riker, which was some of the most emotional acting we've seen in a Trek series.
While the world waits on more news for a Star Trek: Picard follow-up, Strange New Worlds Season 2 is about to debut. Critics and audiences alike were all about SNW's acclaimed first season, and there's an eagerness to see if Season 2 will live up to the hype. We'll all find out soon enough and, hopefully, get some news about a Picard follow-up in the coming months.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ Thursday, June 15th. There's only a short time left to catch up on Season 1 before the season starts, so get on it and get ready for another batch of exciting adventures aboard the starship Enterprise.
