Paramount Pictures decided to suspend the production of the new film "Star Trek", which would be written and directed by Noah Hawley (creator of "Fargo" and "Legion").
The decision reflects a change in command of the studio, five weeks after former 20th Century Fox film executive Emma Watts became president of the Paramount Motion Picture Group.
Variety magazine sources said Watts put the project on hold to gain more clarity on how to deal with the next sci-fi film, but added that the project was not abandoned.
The problem, apparently, would be in the theme of the feature, which would show a virus decimating the life of the universe. In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the topic would have been considered sensitive. If this is the case, Paramount should not have taken into account that one of the greatest successes of VOD during the pandemic was the film “Contagion” (2011).
The studio was also developing a “Star Trek” project with Quentin Tarantino and even tried to release another film in 2018, which would be the first directed by a woman, SJ Clarkson, with Chris Hemsworth (Thor) back to the role of Captain's father. Kirk, seen in “Star Trek” (2009).
None of these projects got off the ground.
The next film will be the 14th in the franchise. The last was “Star Trek: Sem Fronteiras”, from 2016.