Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 4 return amid the 2026 TV schedule is just around the corner, and I've been excited for a while. However, comments from series co-creator Akiva Goldsman already have me nervous for the fifth and final season's run. The producer spoke about the ending of the beloved series and shed some light on the plan that he and the creative team have in place.

Goldsman spoke to TV Insider about charting out Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' endgame, which track with what he told CinemaBlend about SNW about his goals for the finale. The goal is for the series finale to bring us right up to Kirk's first day as Captain of the Enterprise, which means the final season will need to take care of some other things first. He explained below:

It's not anything unexpected, considering we've learned Sulu and Bones have been cast for the final season. However, I do have concerns. Namely, I worry about what this means for the final season and whether this specific direction will lead to the final episodes feeling drastically different from the rest of the series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Has A Lot To Tackle (And Not A Lot Of Time Left To Do It)

Assuming that Season 4 doesn't get a jumpstart on writing off its characters that aren't around in the original Star Trek, Strange New Worlds is going to spend a lot of time handling that in its abbreviated season. There will only be six episodes in Season 5, as that was the number co-creators Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers told Paramount+ they needed to close out the show after Season 4.

I worry that's a tight window to work out all the changes needed to make the bridge look like Kirk's Enterprise. But, presumably, the co-creators had a plan.

Will The Need To Resolve Storylines Hurt The Flow Of The Series?

Something Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has thrived on since its debut is great way it balances its characters' story arcs with the "adventure of the week" format. Now, based on what I'm hearing, it almost feels necessary for the series to adapt heavier serialization in order to get to the point where it can set up Kirk's first day on the Enterprise.

It's important to me that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has a great final season because, quite frankly, a bad final stretch has tainted the legacy of many shows (Trek or otherwise). Let's not forget that when people bring up Enterprise, one of the main elements talked about is how bad the ending is.

If SNW's final season feels like too much of a deviation from what worked before, I fear people will feel like it's less than everything that came before. Granted, the series hasn't steered fans wrong so far, and Season 4 has been largely acclaimed by the cast, who say it's among the best of the series. Whatever was filmed, the series is already wrapped for good, so I guess I just need to have faith (of the heart) that the final season won't be too far off course from what we've seen.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to television on Thursday, July 23rd. Tune in to see Captain Pike's crew take on some new adventures and tackle a wild scenario in its Season 4 premiere.

Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are talking about missed opportunities ahead of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's bumming me out. Not long after revealing they were close to getting William Shatner in the series, we're now hearing the fabled Doctor Who crossover was also close to happening.

While both shows nodded at each other in recent years, Goldsman recently told AwardsRadar during an interview that he was actively working with recently departed Who showrunner Russell T. Davies on making the crossover a reality. Here's what he said:

As a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek who loves the new era of both, this is just another gut punch. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already wrapped filming on its final season, and Doctor Who is on indefinite hiatus for the time being. We were so close to having The Doctor on the Enterprise in live-action, and now we're presumably back to square one and may never see it happen. That situation could change a year or two from now, but as it stands, it feels there's no chance.

Of course, I say live-action crossover because we've seen The Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard cross paths in comic books thanks to IDW Publishing's crossover. I should also point out that in addition to Pelia's mention of traveling with The Doctor in Strange New Worlds, the series also showcased the TARDIS in a background shot of a Season 3 episode.

As for Doctor Who, The Doctor implied to companion Ruby Sunday that Starfleet is a real organization when she likened his technology to something out of Star Trek. It had me jazzed back then and hoping I'd stream a crossover one day with my Paramount+ subscription, but it just wasn't fated to be. Here's hoping both franchises find a way to cross paths again down the line, and it's all we hoped for and more.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres on Paramount+ on July 23rd. As for Doctor Who, we're not sure when we can expect to see the series return, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes we don't have to wait too long.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' staff attempted to get William Shatner back as Captain Kirk, but they weren't able to make it happen before filming the final season. Now, as the series prepares for Season 4's debut on the 2026 TV schedule, we're hearing about the massive cameo they tried and failed to get.

Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman and EP Alex Kurtzman talked to Polygon about the idea and how they quietly worked for years to try and get Shatner to return to Star Trek. With the series wrapped and Shatner revealing elsewhere he'd been in contact with the show about appearing, they pulled back the curtain on the plan they had to bring the 95-year-old actor back as Captain Kirk. I love the idea, and am a little upset we didn't get to see this happen.

William Shatner Would've Reprised His Role As James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, But As An Alternate Version

Bringing back William Shatner as James T. Kirk, especially at the actor's current age, presented a challenge. Akiva Goldsman had a pitch, however, and wanted to do an episode centered around an alternate version of Kirk that would be linked to the classic Star Trek episode, "The City On The Edge Of Forever."

In the original story, McCoy inadvertently destroys the timeline whilst visiting the past under the influence of a drug. Kirk and Spock follow McCoy back to the past, trying to figure out what he did that forever altered the course of history. Whilst there, he falls in love with Keeler (played by Joan Collins), only to learn that McCoy's saving her from a deadly accident is what ruined their timeline. Kirk is forced to allow the accident to happen, thus restoring the timeline.

In this new potential story, rather than return to his adventures, this version of Captain Kirk would stay behind in Depression-era New York to live out his days with the new love of his life, Edith Keeler. Obviously, the details are thin because the idea never fully came together, but I'm sure it would've been great had they gotten a chance to work on it fully.

What Alex Kurtzman Had To Say About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Missing Out On Including William Shatner

It's a cool pitch, but I imagine the logistics of pulling a script together in a way that didn't rebreak the Star Trek timeline were too hard to navigate. Alex Kurtzman seemed to agree it was sad that bringing back William Shatner and other scrapped ideas didn't happen, but believed it was ultimately inevitable:

As psyched as I am to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 4 and 5 with my Paramount+ subscription, I can't help but be a bit bummed by what Kurtzman said. If there are tons of ideas that were left on the table, it makes me more eager to see more adventures. In fairness, that may be the point, considering Akiva Goldsman has petitioned for a spinoff of Strange New Worlds prior to this.

Unfortunately, we've known for a while that the days of hundred-episode Star Trek shows are over. Five seasons for a streaming series is considered an impressive metric, and with ten-episode orders becoming more commonplace, it's inevitable that ideas will be left on the table in the writers' room.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres over on Paramount+ on July 23rd. William Shatner may not be in it, but with all the incoming crew members joining Kirk's Enterprise during the final two seasons, I'm still plenty excited about what's to come.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wrapped up Season 3 recently, and while some catch up and check out the closer with a Paramount+ subscription, many are looking ahead to Season 4. With the news that the show will end with Season 5, the pressure is on for the remaining episodes to do some heavy lifting to bring the show up against the original series, and there might be worry about whether the showrunners are up to the challenge.

I had a chance to speak to co-showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman about the Season 3 finale, and after talking about Captain Batel and other questions, I asked about the season as a whole and the episodes on the way. Specifically, what's on tap for Season 4, and how it may compare to what we've seen in Season 3

Henry Alonso Myers Compares Season 4's Overall Tone To Season 3

I enjoyed Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but do feel like there was an imbalance in the amount of humor injected into the season vs. other genres. That said, I didn't volunteer that information to Henry Alonso Myers, which is noteworthy because he referenced how "serious" the next season would be in comparison:

While I didn't lead the question in that direction, I'm sure the co-showrunners have seen that criticism float around the internet from many fans as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds played out. "Wedding Bell Blues," "A Space Adventure Hour," and "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans" all had a humorous tone, bringing the grand total of comedy episodes in Season 3 to three. It may not seem like a lot, but in the context of a ten-episode season, that's nearly a third of the episodes.

It sounds like Season 4 will be a little less humorous, and we may get more stories with major character development similar to Ortegas' big episode with a Gorn. With the clock ticking on just how many episodes we're guaranteed to see some of these characters, I certainly hope that's the case.

Akiva Goldsman Details The Difficulty Of Making Strange New Worlds Season 3

Following Henry Alonso Myers' brief comment on the previous and upcoming season, Akiva Goldsman went a bit deeper with his answer. The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunner started by talking about the production of Season 3, which was only one day from kicking off before the writers' strike began:

As disappointing is it is to hear the co-showrunners admit that making Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had a lot of challenges beyond their control, it's reassuring to hear those factors weren't in play when making Season 4. Presumably this will result in some tighter scripts, and maybe some storytelling that is a bit more ambitious in terms of what it's setting up and the pay off.

We don't know much about Strange New Worlds Season 4, outside of the fact that there will be a "puppet episode." That didn't exactly combat the fear that the series would be attempting to step away from leaning so much into humor, though I don't think anyone expected it to go away completely. I also wouldn't put it past this show to subvert expectations with an entirely serious episode where the crew is puppets, though I'm skeptical they're actually going to do that.

After Season 4, Paramount only greenlit Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for six episodes to wrap up the entire series. It's better than the movie plan that Paramount originally offered, but who knows whether that will give enough time to appease fans and make them feel like they got the most out of this series.

We have plenty of time to talk about Season 3 and what's ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and to watch everything released thus far on Paramount+. Work on Season 5 is set to begin shortly, and while it'll take a while before any of us get to see it, I can't help but feel a little bummed to know it's the beginning of the end.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "New Life and New Civilizations." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds closed the curtain on Captain Pike and Batel's relationship, with her ultimately sacrificing herself to prevent the Vezda from escaping into the greater universe. The good news is they got to live out a whole lifetime together in a pocket reality, but does this conflict with Pike's eventual ending in The Original Series?

It's a question I had to ask, after being relieved the Trek series didn't bring back the body horror elements with the Vezda. Fortunately, co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers had the answers about why they pursued a romance storyline for Pike with Batel, and The Next Generation episode they looked to for inspiration to pull it off.

Why Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Didn't Worry About Pike's Future With Vina

Captain Pike might've spent the past three seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in a romantic relationship with Captain Batel, but that's not who he ends up with in his limited appearances in the original series. As fans know, Pike undergoes a horrific training accident after handing the Enterprise over to James T. Kirk, and is left with limited capabilities, confined to a machine, and unable to speak.

In "The Menagerie," Spock helps his former Captain and delivers him to Talos IV, remembering the planet from their visit in the original pilot for Star Trek, "The Cage." There, Pike can be free from his physical body and live a normal life alongside his love interest, Vina, whom he met when they originally visited the planet.

The issue now is that Strange New Worlds takes place between "The Cage" and "The Menagerie." As such, it's hard to imagine Pike is so thrilled about living out the rest of his days alongside a woman he had a casual fling with once, after living out an entire lifetime with Batel between those meetings. Akiva Goldsman understood what I was getting at and had the following to say regarding why they weren't too concerned with Vina when setting up the Batel storyline for Pike:

It's hard to argue with that logic, and Goldsman makes a good point. If we're going to complain about canon, perhaps we should start with the fact that Star Trek characters are watching footage from a Star Trek episode inside of its own world in "The Menagerie."

Additionally, with Strange New Worlds set to end with Season 5, it doesn't sound as though the series will get the chance to recreate Pike's ending or change what is established in TOS (even with a spinoff). As such, they opted to work on what they could control, which was a romance established and concluded within the confines of their show.

Strange New Worlds Sought Inspiration From The Inner Light For Season 3 Finale

Even if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wasn't concerned with getting Vina back, it still had to play out and resolve the Batel storyline in a way that didn't have her still around when the original series started. So, why even have her in the series at all? Akiva Goldsman explained why the show brought her into the story, and how they looked to The Next Generation in an attempt to close out the arc between her and Pike:

For those who haven't seen it, "The Inner Light" is generally considered one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. After being put into a coma by an alien probe, Jean-Luc lives an entire lifetime as a farmer named Kamin, experiencing what life might've been like had he never been involved with Starfleet.

It's easy to see how the same concept was used in "New Life and New Civilizations" in which Batel and Pike were able to live out a lifetime together despite having little time passed at all in the real world. One might see it cruel, showing Pike a life he never actually had, and would never have.

Another might see it as a gift, given his fate is sealed and he would never have that life anyway. Even if this encounter with the Vezda never happened, there was never a guarantee that Batel and Pike would last until the fateful day of his life-changing accident. In hindsight, maybe this was a blessing and a chance for him to live a life he never would've had otherwise, similar to the TNG classic.

With that episode, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is still doing post-production on Season 4, and according to Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, filming on Season 5 is set to begin in late September. For the foreseeable future, the cast and crew have their foot on the gas until the series is finished, so here's hoping they get a chance to breathe in between days of shooting and editing.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 is now available to stream in its entirety on Paramount+. Here's hoping the wait for the new season doesn't last too long, and that by this time next year we're enjoying new episodes of the upcoming Trek season.

Every Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season has come with one episode that has an especially wacky premise. Season 1 had a fairy tale-themed story; Season 2 delivered both the Lower Decks crossover and the franchise’s first musical episode; and this week on the 2025 TV schedule, we watched La’an Noonien Singh solving a murder mystery in a prototype of the holodeck for Season 3. As for Season 4, it's been announced that the Strange New Worlds cast will spend some time transformed into puppets. Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers opened up about the work that’s been poured into this upcoming episode, which included getting advice from some talent who worked on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel.

While it remains to be seen when Strange New Worlds Season 4 will premiere on the slate of upcoming Star Trek TV shows, the show’s cast and crew already have this particular episode in their proverbial rearview mirror. Following the reveal of Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike in puppet form at San Diego Comic-Con, Goldsman and Myers revealed to EW that “there was easily more than six months of work” on this episode, and that “alongside all the other prep meetings for every episode, there was always a separate puppet meeting.” Then Myers said:

It’s hard enough making a “normal” episode of Star Trek with the actors just playing their characters normally, but throw puppets into the mix? Yeah, I’m not surprised it took so much extra time, especially factoring in those puppeteers that had to be brought in. The Strange New Worlds puppets were designed by the Jim Henson Creature Workshop, and if this episode is anything like a Muppets production or The Dark Crystal, then new stages likely had to be constructed to accomodate the puppeteers.

Of course, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is far from the first TV show to puppetize its cast, with another notable example including the Angel Season 5 episode “Smile Time.” Henry Alonso Myers got in contact with Angel writer, director and producer Jeffrey Bell to pick his brain about how to tackle this fun premise, with Myers recalling:

While it remains to be seen when we’ll get looks at the other Strange New Worlds characters in puppet form, Akiva Goldsman said that there are “no words” to describe how Christina Chong’s La’an puppet looks. Chong and fellow castmates Jess Bush and Rebecca Romijn all praised the script, making me all the more eager to see how this episode turned out. For now though, I’ll just have to make do with watching Puppet Pike say “Hit it!” and express confusion over where everyone else on the Enterprise bridge went.

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiere Thursdays on Paramount+. The show has been renewed for a fifth and final season consisting of just six episodes, so I hope Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers find a way to squeeze in a fifth “special” episode during that shortened run.

It's been a long wait for more upcoming Trek series to hit streaming, but readers will soon have new episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to obsess over and dissect. It'll surely be a welcome distraction from the recent news that the acclaimed series is ending with an abbreviated Season 5. I was among the first to express spinoff skepticism, given the final season didn't even get a full episode order, but the showrunners explained to me why the final season will only be six episodes.

I had a chance to speak to Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, and of course, had to talk about the show concluding. When I asked if the decision to end with only six episodes in Season 5 was their decision or Paramount+'s, Goldsman laid out the thought process behind it as best as he could, saying:

It's wild to think that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could've ended altogether with the impending Season 4, which is pretty deep into production. That certainly could've ended in an unsatisfying ending to the series, or maybe a coda sequence similar to what happened with Discovery. So, for those who might feel upset about the final season seemingly being abbreviated arbitrarily, it could have been much worse.

To be sure, even though six eps was agreed upon as a serviceable number, the two creatives definitely wouldn't stop there if it wasn't necessary. He continued:

I feel better knowing Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers actually had a say in how many episodes they'd get to bring Strange New Worlds as close to the Original Series' timeline as possible. Which then inspired a new line of questioning.

Are There Plans For A Paul Wesley-Starring Spinoff?

Of course, this then led to me wondering if that means Paramount+ is considering a soft reboot of the original series starring Paul Wesley and the new cast, ,focusing on Kirk's early years as Captain of the Enterprise. Goldsman had a sly expression as he responded by pointing out some very relevant facts:

Akiva Goldsman has been in the industry a long time, and he makes a great point. Having the Enterprise still set up and able to be used for a follow-up with Kirk's captaincy, along with having most the cast already in the fold does a chunk of the leg work for this show.

Of course, I think it's fair to say that nothing is set in stone by any means. Sure, it could make sense for it to happen with the cast all wrangled together and filming for the immediate future, but with Star Trek scaling back on projects, it may not be in the cards.

The good news is, we have a long time before we see the end of Strange New Worlds. Season 3 is only just starting, and then we have all of Season 4 to watch before Season 5 arrives. So, before we start banging the gong about a spinoff, maybe it's best to remember we still have potentially two more years of the current series before it closes out.

I'm thrilled that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back on the 2025 TV schedule, and I'm hoping that a potential spinoff is in the works. For those interested in that, it may be worth keeping an eye on Paul Wesley's upcoming projects, like the latest vampire show he's a part of.

It's no secret that creative visions can inspire bitter battles in Hollywood. The movie industry is a business, and executives don't want to make blockbusters that are going to repel audiences... but sometimes repellent material is necessary in storytelling, and filmmakers will often go to the mat defending hardcore elements in their work. That being said, I've never heard a behind-the-scenes story quite like what happened when Will Smith and writer/producer Akiva Goldsman pitched what is arguably the most devastating moment in the 2007 sci-fi thriller I Am Legend.

Those who have seen the film will remember that Will Smith's Neville has a canine companion named Sam for most of the movie, but their story together ends tragically when Sam is bitten and infected with the virus that effectively killed the world. As recounted in an interview in The Hollywood Reporter, Smith and Goldsman needed to get the green light from then-Warner Bros. President Alan Horn to include a scene where Neville euthanizes Sam, and it was a scene so painful that it's comical in retrospect. Smith remembers:

That, folks, is some expert level "throwing under the bus" right there. It's so rough that you almost have to applaud Akiva Goldsman for the audacity of the maneuver.

You're going to be shocked by this part: Alan Horn didn't have the best response to the pitch. According to Will Smith, he began weeping while holding one of the photos of his deceased pet. All seemed lost, as Horn didn't think mass audiences would accept a sequence in a sci-fi/horror blockbuster where one of the biggest stars in the world kills a dog. The actor was evidently at a loss in terms of a comeback, but following the whole "throwing under the bus" thing, Goldsman stepped in to save the day:

Ultimately, I Am Legend got a mixed/positive response from critics, with the scene of Neville saying goodbye to Sam being one of the film's most powerful moments – and it can be said that it most definitely didn't put off/scare away audiences. It was not an inexpensive movie to make, with a pre-marketing/publicity price tag of $150 million per Box Office Mojo, but it made $585 million by the end of its theatrical run around the world.

The film was so successful that talks about an I Am Legend 2 have persisted for years – with the most recent update having come this past April when Will Smith confirmed the involvement of Michael B. Jordan as part of the cast and explained his role in the film's plot – denying rumors that he was going to play a younger version of Neville in a prequel. I Am Legend 2 will be making a bold move with its narrative, as while the theatrical version of I Am Legend ended with Neville dying, the sequel will recognize the blockbuster's alternate ending as canon.

Will the sequel include an emotionally bold scene as powerful as the death of Sam that will require Will Smith and Akiva Goldsman to make a special pitch to David Zaslav? Time will tell.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 episode "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow." Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made some major changes to the universe's timeline in the Season 2 installment "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow," and as we predicted, the changes came with a surprise appearance from Khan Noonien Singh. The character made famous on the big screen by Ricardo Montalbán was back again, but in a way that we'd never seen him before. After the reveal, the showrunners shared some insight with CinemaBlend regarding that surprise appearance, and what makes it special for all audience members.

This Khan, played by younger actor Desmond Sivan, was only a child when his descendant, La'an, met him after traveling back in time to Toronto in the 21st century. CinemaBlend spoke to showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman about the reveal, which effectively confirmed the Eugenics War and World War III won't happen until decades after the original series previously stated, and Goldsman talked to me about the beauty of the reveal, and how it's something that works for all audiences regardless if a viewer is a Trek veteran or new to the franchise. In his words:

One goal of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, according to Akiva Goldsman, is to make the franchise's lore both accessible and deep at the same time, depending on who is watching with their Paramount+ subscription. Viewers unfamiliar with the films would at least understand enough about La'an's background to know Khan is a big deal, and hardcore fans would understand how tempting it'd be for La'an to take the offer of a fresh start at life. 

Khan is the latest major Star Trek villain to show up in Strange New Worlds, though obviously with the twist of him being much younger. Henry Alonso Myers said that detail was part of the reason it was so enticing to both bring that character back while also featuring the Augment once again. Here's how he put it:

Will we see more more recognizable villains returning in the future? Fans of the original series were thrilled in Season 1 when it was revealed that the new villain Angel was the lover of Spock's half-brother and The Final Frontier villain Sybok. 

Considering Star Trek: Strange New Worlds brought back Khan and even recast Captain Kirk, it's natural to wonder if anyone is off limits in this universe. I had to put that question to Henry Alonso Myers, especially after seeing that reveal, and got a pretty definitive answer.

If it wasn't obvious by now, it would appear that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has the green light to pull in just about any character provided they can explain it logically. This even includes characters from shows in the future, as we'll see Boimler and Mariner from Lower Decks wind up on the Enterprise later in Season 2. I'm excited to see who else may show up, and if another Khan appearance could happen in future seasons. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Catch up on what has been a great season so far, and be sure to check out what other great shows are up on the platform to stream. 

Warning! The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow." Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' showrunners have promised change, though I'd question if anyone in the fandom was prepared for what they had in mind. Viewers might've already been on high alert for some shenanigans when they learned that "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" was a time travel episode featuring Paul Wesley's James Kirk and Christina Chong's La'an Noonien-Singh, but I'm not sure they were ready for just what we'd see change. 

By the end of this episode, which you can watch right now with a Paramount+ subscription, the Star Trek lore has been forever changed. We now have new timelines for the Eugenics Wars and World War III, and we can both break it down and explain why this has happened with the help of a previous chat CinemaBlend had about Season 2 with co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman. 

How Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow Officially Shifted The Star Trek Timeline

"Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" got rolling with La'an thrown into an alternate timeline after a brief conversation with a man who handed her a device. She walked to the bridge of an Enterprise captained by James T. Kirk, a captain in the United Earth Fleet. After a brief conversation confirming they were not from the same timeline, La'an pressed the device and transported herself and alternate Kirk back to present-day Toronto.

It took some time, but the duo eventually sussed out they were sent back in time in an effort to prevent alternate Kirk's timeline from happening. With the help of an alien-loving photographer named Sarah, Kirk ultimately remembered a cold fusion explosion in Toronto that threw his past into chaos. Kirk and La'an made their way to Pelia in the United States for help in figuring out where the cold fusion device was stored and then returned to Toronto to stop the explosion. 

Unfortunately, La'an and alternate universe Kirk were stopped at gunpoint by Sarah, who was not a human photographer from Toronto after all. She was a Romulan time agent from the future who was sent back to this era under the instruction of computers that determine the odds of changes that will have a lasting impact on the timeline. We ultimately learn that she was sent back to find a way to halt humanity's progression as much as possible. 

After Toronto does not explode due to the cold fusion reactor like it did in Alternate Kirk's timeline, so Sarah goes for Plan B. Her plan, as La'an finds out when she arrives at the room, is to kill a child by the name of Khan Noonien-Singh. Yes, he's that Khan, and yes, if you're a classic Star Trek fan, this is confusing. Khan was supposed to already be off Earth following the Eugenics Wars, so what's going on? 

Sarah explained that as various species mess with time and try to impact and alter events, time has seemingly responded and found ways to make fixed events happen regardless. She went on to say that "this should've happened in 1992," which may imply she was originally sent back in time to kill Khan when he was ruling over a quarter of Asia ahead of the Eugenics Wars. 

That didn't happen, and it appears that various time meddling has forever altered and pushed forward the timeline in which the Eugenics Wars and World War III happened. We do know, of course, that both events happened, as they were instrumental to the construction of Starfleet and the modern Federation. To sum it up, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds pushed forward the major wars of Trek so that they no longer happen in years that have since passed. 

Why Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Changed The Timeline

Some Star Trek fans may initially look at this change and think it's blasphemy. The truth of the matter is, the franchise has struggled across many of its shows to maintain the original timeline of the Eugenics Wars. Star Trek: Voyager went back to the 20th century without recognizing it, and Picard Season 2 took place in present-day Los Angeles without any real indication that it ever happened. 

The signs were even there in the Strange New Worlds pilot, in which Pike showed footage of the January 6th Capitol insurrection in his video about what led to Earth's darkest days. There is a clear intention by Star Trek's decision-makers to reset when La'an's ancestor Khan rose to power, and when the Eugenics Wars and World War III happened. Akiva Goldsman spoke to CinemaBlend about the change in greater depth below: 

Beyond the idea of addressing past inconsistencies of Star Trek, Akiva Goldsman and fellow showrunner Henry Alonso Myers felt it was imperative to alter the dates of these key in-universe events in order to keep the "aspirational" part of the series alive. With the dates officially pushed forward, we can now all say that the future of Star Trek is still possible in our world, provided we can work to get there. 

I've seen it said before by fans that Star Trek exists in a different universe than our own. This change makes the reality of Trek being a looking glass to our future viable again, even if it'll take some time to get there. Granted, it also signals the possibility of some dark days ahead for our immediate future, which is not a future I know I'm looking forward to!

So for anyone still trying to spin a yarn and come up with an alternate explanation, no, there is no possibility the '90s timeline of original events is still in play. It's been obliterated partly by temporal meddling by various civilizations, and by showrunners who thought it was past time that Star Trek be brought up to speed and pushed forward events that we on Earth have yet to encounter ourselves. 

One upside of this change is that it now opens the door for Paramount to do a miniseries or film that's centered around either event, assuming that's something the studio would want to do. Obviously Star Trek likes to lean more on the positive side of humanity, so visiting what's canonically the worst moments in human history could be iffy. 

The important takeaway here is that moving both events forward on the timeline open the door for a lot of possibilities; maybe even a Wrath of Khan remake! Did I take it too far with that suggestion? I mean, we already have a Section 31 movie on the way. Is it so crazy to believe that a movie like that is out of the question? 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds airs new episodes of Season 2 on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Catch up on Season 2 before next week's episode arrives, and check out some of the other Trek shows available to stream on the platform. 

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:

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. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 received near-universal acclaim from viewers and critics alike, and there are already calls for a follow-up subtitled Legacy. There's a hope that such a spinoff would give Picard co-showrunner Terry Matalas the opportunity to tell new stories and maybe even fixing some flaws from previous franchise stories. Season 3 did a lot to rectify the mistakes made by the movie Nemesis and, apparently, there may also be reason to believe that it set the stage for a future retcon of a controversial Captain Kirk decision. 

How Was James T. Kirk Referenced In Picard?

Star Trek: Generations (chronologically) marks the final adventure for James T. Kirk, who perished after being crushed by a collapsed walkway while in the process of retrieving a data pad. Jean-Luc Picard buried him under a pile of rocks on Veridian III, and some thought that the body remained there until the recent events of Jean-Luc's eponymous show. 

For those who may not remember the Kirk reference and don't want to use their Paramount+ subscription, Star Trek: Picard alluded to the iconic character in the Season 3 episode, "The Bounty." One of several cool moments in the installment saw Riker, Worf, and Raffi discovering that the Daystrom Station housed the remains of Captain Kirk. It seemed that his body had been transported there sometime after his death and, at this time, there was also mention of "Project Phoenix." 

What Did Series EP Akiva Goldsman Have To Say About This?

The easter egg seemingly hinted at the notion of Kirk being resurrected in a future Trek production. Ultimately, Picard Season 3 ended without William Shatner's beloved character reappearing. More recently, during an interview with our sister site, SFX Magazine, co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman revealed that the nod was indeed meant to lay the foundation for that massive return. As for whether it'll actually be followed through at some point, Goldsman said this (via Games Radar):

The "lack of plans" might be Akiva Goldsman's way of subtly confirming that there's no Picard follow-up in the works. Showrunner Terry Matalas told CinemaBlend that the fans are being heard when it comes to calls for a spinoff but acknowledge that Paramount+ has a loaded slate for the franchise as is. Even with Discovery ending with Season 5, there are still plenty of upcoming Star Trek shows on the horizon, and that doesn't even include the Section 31 movie starring Michelle Yeoh. 

On the bright side though, we do have confirmation that the lingering plot thread is out there. So if a Picard follow-up is green-lit, there's a possibility fans could get to see a post-Generations Captain Kirk. As Akiva Goldsman mentioned, he'd be open to having some digital performance work done to make Kirk look the same as he did in the film. With that said, there's been no indication as to whether 92-year-old William Shatner would be available for that or even interested in returning to the role in that capacity. 

It's also worthing noting that James T. Kirk has already been recast in the prime universe and is played by Paul Wesley in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Given Akiva Goldsman's willingness to use digital performers, a follow-up could theoretically go that route and probably create a decent-looking recreation of Kirk for a one-off adventure if another recasting is off the table. 

Coincidentally, The Roddenberry Archive produced a scene that featured Leonard Nimoy's Spock recovering the Enterprise and visiting Kirk's grave. If Star Trek could make a digital William Shatner look as good as they did Nimoy's Spock in this video, then I'm all for it happening. Check out the clip: 

There is precedent for James Kirk being brought back to life after Star Trek: Generations, though it's not considered canon. Terry Matalas revealed to TrekMovie.com that the easter egg was partly referencing The Return, a Trek book written by William Shatner in which Kirk was brought back to life after the events of the 1994 film. Matalas added that the reveal set up "possibilities" but didn't go so far as to say that he might've been in conversations with co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman about a Kirk return. Should Matalas and Goldsman reunite for another Trek project, I'd be curious to see whether they'd truly decide to revive the captain.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+, and there's a ton of other Trek content to check out as well. Make sure to keep that subscription active, as the Season 2 premiere of Strange New Worlds lands on June 15th. 

Ahead of the weekend's big debut for Star Trek: Picard's Season 3 trailer, the sci-fi franchise's fanbase was one of several who were mourning the death of actress Annie Wersching, who notably took on portraying the third Borg Queen iteration in the streaming spinoff’s second season. With a career that began with Star Trek: Enterprise, Wersching became a beloved TV star over the past two decades, and gained a lot of friends and fans in Hollywood through her work on The Rookie, General Hospital, 24, The Vampire Diaries, Bosch, Marvel’s Runaways, and many more. Not to mention her stellar work on the acclaimed video game The Last of Us. So it only makes sense that those closest to her from those projects have shared loving and sorrowful messages after her passing was made public. 

The always iconic Star Trek vet Jeri Ryan, who returned to space as Seven of Nine for Paramount+’s Picard, shared an Instagram post honoring Annie Wersching with a loving message and a couple of pictures, both in and out of Borg form.  

In her Stories, Ryan also shared Runaways star Ever Carradine's link to the GoFundMe campaign set up to help Wersching's husband Stephen Full and their children.

Of course, Ryan wasn't the only person from the Star Trek universe to speak out about Annie Wersching's death. Picard's executive producers Telly Matalas and Akiva Goldsman shared the following statements with StarTrek.com:

• My heart was broken to hear that we lost Annie this morning. She made our set a joy every day she was there. A true professional and a beautiful human being in every way possible. - Telly Matalas
• Annie was a gift to us all, and an utter joy to work with. Her entire Star Trek family is heartbroken. Our deepest condolences go out to her family. - Akiva Goldsman

Wersching certainly touched a lot of people's lives on seemingly every project she was a part of, which definitely included the legend-status video game The Last of Us, which is currently blowing up HBO's ratings. She memorably voiced the protagonist survivor Tess, as well filmed for the character's motion-capture. (The TV show's Tess, whose story gets shaken up a bit, is portrayed by Fringe vet Anna Torv.) 

Neil Druckmann both co-wrote and directed the game, as well as co-created the HBO series alongside Craig Mazin. (He also directed episodes for it, including the groundbreaking "Bill and Frank" episode.) Druckmann took to Twitter after hearing the bad news, saying:

Druckmann followed that post with one fully celebrating Wersching, complete with pics from The Last of Us' aforementioned motion-capture production. 

The actor seen in Druckmann's pics is iconic voice actor Troy Baker, who portrayed Joel in both of the video games so far, as well as Ashley Johnson, the voice of Ellie. Both of the voice actors will be popping up in the TV show in different parts, with Merle Dandridge reprising her own role of Marlene. Fans were no doubt holding out hope for Wersching to also be involved in a non-disclosed role. 

Baker also took to Twitter with loving words about Annie Wersching, as well as some adorable imagery.

Annie Wersching will definitely be missed by everyone mentioned above, and so many more, both for her work within the entertainment industry as well as for just being a solid person inside and out. She will be missed, though let's be thankful that so many of her past efforts can be rewatched with ease. 

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Annie Wersching's family and friends during their time of grieving. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Picard episode “Assimilation.” Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard certainly delivered a lot to think about this week, and while fans mourn Elnor’s death and wonder whether or not he’ll come back to life once the timeline is corrected, there are other exciting things to consider. I spoke to creator and executive producer Akiva Goldsman about the massive revelation regarding Q's altering of the Prime Universe (and he has many possible motives for doing so). We also had a chance to chat about that Rick and Morty reference, which might’ve casually slid under the radar.

For those who missed it, Picard realized that Q’s reality-altering move wasn’t quite what some originally thought. Specifically, Picard realized that Q altered the events of the past rather than create an alternate reality, which means Q directly meddled in the Prime Universe timeline. The only problem with that is Star Trek: Picard isn’t the only show currently operating in the Prime Universe timeline, as there are several shows set to air in 2022 that feasibly would feel the impact of Q altering the timeline with a massive event in 2024. 

I asked Akiva Goldsman (who shared some awesome insight with us about Season 2’s premiere) if we could see the events of Picard play out across multiple shows and got an interesting answer in response. 

Akiva Goldsman wasn’t willing to comment further on the matter, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Confederation or any other timeline-altering activities that happen in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard play out on other shows. After all, stuff like this is commonplace in the MCU, so why wouldn’t Star Trek get in on the fun? 

Speaking of crossovers, it’s worth noting that Star Trek: Picard had another exciting moment in Episode 3 when the on-call physician threatened her son Ricardo that if he didn’t finish his homework, he couldn’t watch Rick and Morty. I asked Akiva Goldsman if that was a small nod to the work of current Star Trek: Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan, who worked on Rick and Morty prior to joining the franchise:

Rick and Morty canonically exists as a show in Star Trek, and while I’d need to consult Mike McMahon on this one, I think that could mean the actual Rick and Morty universe is canon? There’s a popular fan theory that the show’s fourth wall breaks are a result of Rick and Morty being a show the characters watched on interdimensional cable, so I’m just saying there’s a path for the actual Rick and Morty to be canon in the Trek universe. 

We all have Star Trek: Picard to thank for this, and of course, potentially any other weirdness that might impact the show’s timeline. Perhaps Q’s timeline meddling will inadvertently lead to Rick Sanchez on Lower Decks? I doubt it with licensing rights between companies, which McMahan and Justin Roiland talked about when asked about a crossover between Lower Decks and Solar Opposites. 

Star Trek: Picard streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. It’s just one of many Star Trek shows coming in 2022, so be sure to snag a Paramount+ subscription to get in on all the fun.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premiere. Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is here, and it’s hard to ask for anything more from a season premiere than what was shown. Fans got to see Whoopi Goldberg back as Guinan, updates on what’s happening with all the main characters, a surprising twist involving the Borg, and John de Lancie’s Q making his grand return into Picard’s life. We also got some unexpected moments, such as a look at Picard’s childhood and a romantic scene that went awry.

It’s a look into moments in Picard’s life that aren’t often seen and something that I found most interesting about the Season 2 premiere. I asked Patrick Stewart to speak on the importance of those story elements, especially as someone who understands Picard better than most other people. He explained: 

Star Trek: Picard showed a brief scene with a young Jean-Luc and his mother, and how she always encouraged him to look to the stars. This was especially true in the cases in which his father physically abused his mother, which certainly led me to wonder if it subconsciously encouraged Jean-Luc to naturally brush off uncomfortable or concerning personal matters by focusing on “the stars” or his role in Starfleet. 

A clue that could be the case that came via a conversation between Picard and his Romulan housekeeper Laris in the Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premiere. The two share a heavy conversation about romance, and just when it seems like the two might kiss, Picard balks despite the clear signs he wants to engage in some type of relationship. Patrick Stewart talked about that scene and what it meant for him to get a rare opportunity to do a romantic scene. 

It’s kind of funny to hear Patrick Stewart dote on a scene that seemingly ends Picard’s relationship with Laris, as she feels the relationship is just too awkward for her to continue working for him merely as friends. Unfortunately, Picard didn’t get the chance to mend the relationship, as duty pulled him elsewhere. Based on all that happened at the end of the episode, it’s hard to tell whether or not he’ll get a chance to rectify that. 

For more insight on Star Trek: Picard’s decision to feature both a flashback and romance scene in the Season 2 premiere, I turned to co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman spoke about the decision to include these moments and the value they provide for fans.

It’ll be interesting to see how much further we get to see Jean-Luc’s psyche explored, especially given the wild twist at the end. It seemed like Picard and other major characters were killed in a bizarre confrontation with the Borg, but then Picard arrived alive and well back in his own home. Q appeared, so it feels safe to assume he’s responsible and that this adventure is only just beginning. I can’t wait to see what comes next and how some of those changes we’ve seen in the trailers factor in. 

Star Trek: Picard airs new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Snag a Paramount+ subscription to watch it, as well as the back half of Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 as it heads towards its season finale. This would also be a good time to look back at the best Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes to remember why Q is such a beloved villain in the first place.

When Star Trek: Picard was first announced, Patrick Stewart revealed his goal to have the entire principal cast of The Next Generation appear during the series' run. Unfortunately, COVID-19 created a number of obstacles during the development of Season 2. It seemed as though some series alums like LeVar Burton and Gates McFadden might’ve been involved yet, sadly, plans changed. Jonathan Frakes recently teased that he wasn’t sure it’d happen , especially with the series set to end with Season 3. Now, executive producer and showrunner Akiva Goldsman has offered a far more cryptic response. 

I spoke to Akiva Goldsman ahead of the Season 2 premiere of Star Trek: Picard. Considering the Paramount+ series is currently in production on the third and final season, I asked if he knew whether the rest of the main cast would appear everything wraps up. Goldsman, of course, didn’t tell me yes or no but did offer something that may get Next Generation fans optimistic:

While no specifics were given, I don’t think Akiva Goldsman would've given that kind of response if fans weren’t going to see more of The Next Generation cast at some point in the final two seasons. I could be wrong, of course but, since it’s something Patrick Stewart and a lot of fans have hoped for, one would think the Picard team would do whatever it takes to make it happen. 

So far, the series has welcomed TNG’s Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, and Marina Sirtis, who were featured in the first season. And the second will bring back Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan and John de Lancie’s Q. 

With those actors already in the mix, that leaves LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, and Wil Wheaton. Wheaton, at one point, said he didn’t think he’d be involved in Picard, though only because he doubted the producers would ask for him. As for Dorn, he’s frequently mentioned his intention to pitch his own Trek series. He's also said that if he did return to play Worf, it’d need to be for a role that justifies the long time required for putting on the Klingon prosthetics. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the most celebrated shows in the expansive sci-fi franchise, so it’d be great if Picard could get the cast together. Such a moment would be bittersweet, as it would likely be their final time appearing as an ensemble within the franchise. If the cast doesn’t get together, that’d be a shame, though, not a complete deal-breaker for what’s been such a great show so far. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, March 3rd. You'll want to have a Paramount+ subscription so that you can watch the titular character go head to head with Q and so that you catch all the other surprises this season may bring. 

Star Trek: Picard is a show that once seemed like it would never happen. The fact that Patrick Stewart returned to portray Jean-Luc Picard is a blessing, but folks have known for a while that the show (which is packed with plenty of returning characters from The Next Generation) didn't bring him back forever. That seemed solidified when Patrick Stewart confirmed a Season 3 ending earlier this year, though executive producer Akiva Goldsman has offered some comments that could keep fans' hopes for more seasons alive. 

Akiva Goldsman, who also serves as a co-showrunner on Star Trek: Picard, spoke to TrekMovie.com and other outlets about the Paramount+ series. When asked about the possibility of a future beyond Season 3, Goldsman gave an update about where things stand on that front:

Star Trek: Picard is planned to end after three seasons, but Akiva Goldsman didn’t completely smash the hopes of a surprise Season 4. It apparently would take CBS, Patrick Stewart, and the fans to want it to happen. Fans probably wouldn't be the ones to say no to more seasons, but CBS and Stewart might have other plans in mind. 

After all, Star Trek has a lot of shows in the works at the moment and a couple that haven't even officially entered production yet. Giving Picard another season could impact those shows or even future Trek plans that fans don’t even know about. 

As for Patrick Stewart, it’s possible he just wants to close the door on Jean-Luc Picard and is content with a three-season arc that effectively closes out the character’s story. It’s also possible Stewart is off to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, considering his voice is seemingly in the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer. Of course, if he truly is coming to the MCU, Patrick Stewart isn’t revealing that publicly just yet. 

In reality, Star Trek: Picard is currently in production for Season 3. If plans aren’t being made for Season 4 right now, it seems probable the series will end with Season 3 after all. That said, if Akiva Goldsman says it’s possible, then there is a chance of it happening. I’m not sure how big of a chance, but at least one worth mentioning!

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 will premiere on Paramount+ on Thursday, March 3. Those looking to catch it and the rest of the Star Trek shows slated to premiere in 2022 need to pick up a Paramount+ subscription and get ready for tons of high-flying space action!

Star Trek: Picard covered a lot of ground in Season 1, and it seems likely we’ll learn some more about Jean-Luc and his crew in Season 2. We’ll also see the return of characters like Q and Guinan, as well as a trip back to the year 2024 in Picard’s effort to stop a change in reality. Yes, there’s time travel in Picard Season 2, but according to showrunners Terry Matalas and Akiva Goldsman, this season of the Paramount+ series is about more than that. 

Terry Matalas and Akiva Goldsman spoke to SFX Magazine about Star Trek: Picard Season 2 and confirmed this season is indeed a time-traveling story. At the same time, there’s a lot more to it than that, and Matalas explained how, once again, this story will seek to further flesh out Jean-Luc Picard as a character.

Name-dropping Beverly Crusher is always going to set off alarm bells in my head, though last we spoke to Gates McFadden, she didn’t think she’d appear in Star Trek: Picard Season 2. She did have a recent cameo in Star Trek: Prodigy, however, and even if she doesn’t appear, we could still get answers as to why Picard and Crusher took things to the next level. Hopefully, we do learn about it because McFadden is tired of answering that question. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 wants to tell a story of Q’s return and perhaps even a life where Seven of Nine doesn’t have her Borg implant, but it also wants to focus on character-driven stories. Akiva Goldsman added to the statement about Season 2 and why it’s important this season covers more than time travel.

Star Trek: Picard also has more familiar faces on the way, though no specifics on whether it’ll happen in Season 2 or Season 3, which is currently in development. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the entire main cast of The Next Generation before the series ends, though Jonathan Frakes didn’t seem too hopeful on it when we talked to him. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ starting on Thursday, March 3rd. I personally think it’s one of the best shows on Paramount+, though there’s lots of other content on there I think qualifies for that title. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will evoke many classic Star Trek elements that long-time fans have missed, especially with its episodic structure. At the same time, Strange New Worlds’ episodic structure won’t be entirely the same as it was on the classic Star Trek, as we learned recently from Akiva Goldsman, a co-showrunner for the upcoming Paramount+ series.

Akiva Goldsman spoke to TrekMovie.Com about the series and how the show’s modernized episodic structure will work. Goldsman said that while the self-contained stories will return, there will be an important distinction in how Strange New Worlds handles its storylines compared to past Star Trek past shows. As he put it:

Similar to Doctor Who and other modern shows with an episodic structure, the character arcs of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will continually be acknowledged, as will past events. Some could argue that it’s still serialized in a way. However, as Akiva Goldsman pointed out, being truly episodic like the classic Star Trek made for some odd moments in which significant events transpired only never to be referenced again. It sounds like Strange New Worlds won’t do that, which should come as a relief to many fans excited for this show.

Akiva Goldsman also noted that while Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will use its ensemble cast, there will certainly be episodes that highlight one character with much more frequency than the rest. This, of course, is nothing new to Star Trek, but given how Star Trek: Picard has mainly focused on stories through Jean-Luc’s perspective and Discovery through Michael Burnham's, it will be nice to see some more minor characters get their chance to shine. I’m hoping for a few standalone Spock episodes, though I’m certainly interested in seeing more of Uhura and the rest of the original Star Trek characters audiences are familiar with.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds still does not have an official release date at this time, though there has been speculation it will arrive sometime after the premiere of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 in 2022. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for more details on the world of Star Trek, such as what Akiva Goldsman had to say when asked about whether or not Whoopi Goldberg would re-appear in the franchise anytime soon.

Even if you are not a fan of Batman Forever, you may find some of its behind-the-scenes secrets fascinating. In fact, while it is not remembered as one of the most beloved live action Batman movies, director Joel Schumacher's 1995 DC movie debut is still one of the more fascinating films featuring the Dark Knight, played here by Val Kilmer, who may not be the best live-action Batman actor, but is at the center of some interesting stories from the set.

There are also some intriguing facts involving Nicole Kidman's Chase Meridian, Jim Carrey's Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face, and Chris O’Donnell's Robin. Read on to learn some details that may change how you see Batman Forever forever.

Michael Keaton Thought The Batman Forever Script Sucked

Michael Keaton actually would wear the cape and cowl a third time, and for the first time since 1992's Batman Returns, in 2023's The Flash. However, that third outing in Gotham could have been in Batman Forever, but after Schumacher replaced Tim Burton as director, the Academy Award nominee told The Hollywood Reporter that he decided to leave for the following reason:

I think I would be also pretty apprehensive to do a live-action Batman movie with a director who wants to make the Dark Knight lighter. Yet, I wonder if Keaton was involved in conversations about how his costume would change.

Joel Schumacher Wanted The Batsuit To Look Anatomical, Hence The Bat Nipples

While Batman Forever still has its fans to this day, and for various reasons, the one thing that most would deem a mistake in the production was adding artificial rubber nipples to the hero’s costume -- something that would reappear for one final time in the fourth installment, Batman & Robin, in 1997. In following years, fans would question why the late Joel Schumacher opted for such an unusual and unnecessary alteration to the Batsuit and in 2017, when speaking to Vice, he would give his answer.

By the time Schumacher was hired to direct Batman Forever, the rubber molding process used to make the suits from the first two movies had advanced, which gave him the idea to make the suit appear anatomically correct. With images of Greek statues and medical illustrations as his visual aids, he pitched the concept to the lead designer Jose Fernandez, who personally added the Bat Nipples which the director thought was “cool.”

Gotham City Was Created Using A Mix Of Miniatures And Digital Effects

You know what I actually think is kind of cool about Batman Forever? It may be an unpopular opinion, and I fully understand why, but the production design, which reinterprets Gotham City as the eccentric love child of New York and Las Vegas, is pretty intriguing, if not slightly out of place. What I find especially interesting is how the unique urban landscape was created for the film, combining classic methods, which were slowly on their way out, with new tricks considered cutting edge for the time.

In a bonus featurette included on the 2005 Batman Forever DVD release titled Beyond Batman - Imagining Forever: The Visual FX for Batman Forever, visual effects supervisor John Dykstra explains how the crew used small-scale sculptures to stand in for Gotham’s buildings with computer animated effects to enhance their surroundings. Little did fans know that, lurking beyond the bright, neon signs was a certain darkness that audiences did not get to see.

Batman Forever Intended To Have A Darker, More Complex Take On Bruce Wayne’s Psychology

In another DVD featurette, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman talks about the version of Batman Forever that audiences never got to see, due to Warner Bros. and its fear of repeating the Batman Returns Happy Meal debacle. Hearing him say the following about scrapped material regarding the red diary that belonged to Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas, actually makes the film sound even more interesting and, especially, darker:

Goldsman goes on to describe a deleted scene in which Wayne returns to the place where he first found the Batcave as a child and has a vision of a giant bat that, essentially, inspires him to accept his destiny as a vigilante. Some people may have already seen this version in the Schumacher Cut.

Robin Williams Turned Down The Chance To Play The Riddler In Batman Forever

Now, do not get me wrong: I think Jim Carrey gives one of the most iconic Riddler portrayals, even if his uproarious performance makes Ace Venture look pretty damn tame at times. However, I cannot help but imagine how the film would have turned out if one of their first choices to play the Edward Nygma had said yes.

According to a retrospective by ScreenRant published in January 2021, the late Robin Williams was reportedly considered for the villain role but turned it down because he was still sore from learning he was really offered the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman as “bait” to get Jack Nicholson. While that is a perfectly legitimate reason to turn down such an offer, seeing the Oscar winner as the Riddler is something I almost wish we could have seen. Not to mention, it could have saved Carrey a lot of trouble on set.

Jim Carrey Claimed Tommy Lee Jones Hated Working on Batman Forever With Him

The pairing of Two-Face and the Riddler proves to be a little dysfunctional at times in Batman Forever, which is nothing compared to the tension that was apparently going on between Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey behind the scenes. The comedic actor, who was just coming off a several-year stint in the In Living Color cast at the time, was on Norm MacDonald Live when he recalled how his Academy Award-winning co-star told him to his face that he hated him and couldn’t “sanction [his] buffoonery.” Director Joel Schumacher would later confirm this on-set tension as true to Vulture in 2019.

I honestly find it ironic that Jones found Carrey irritating when his take on Harvey Dent often feels like a competition to out-crazy The Riddler. That being said, I think his roles in later comic book movies like 1997’s Men in Black and Captain America: The First Avenger were far better suited for him, anyway.

Leonard DiCaprio Was Offered To Play Robin In Batman Forever

There are a few interesting stories behind the process of casting Robin in the original Batman movies franchise. My personal favorite is how the Boy Wonder was almost introduced in Batman Returns as played by Marlon Wayans before his storyline was scrapped. However, can you imagine Batman Forever with Leonardo DiCaprio as Dick Grayson?

According to a 2015 interview with IndieWire, the future Oscar winner (before hitting it big in the Titanic cast) had a meeting with Schumacher about the potential to play Robin. Of course, the role, instead, went to Chris O’Donnell, who turned out to be a bit of a troublemaker behind the scenes, too.

Chris O’Donnell Crashed The Batmobile On The Batman Forever Set

Remember the scene from Batman Forever when, after discovering his guardian is the Caped Crusader, Dick Grayson takes the Batmobile for a cruise? Well, apparently, life imitated art pretty closely for O’Donnell on set that day.

During an interview with Groucho Reviews in 2008 to promote his role in the family film Kit Kitteridge: An American Girl, the NCIS: Los Angeles star revealed that he has been known to crash a few cars on sets, including the Batmobile, which he “never heard the end of.” If only he had another cinematic Batmobile like the Tumbler from Batman Begins, a fender bender might not have been such a problem.

Say what you want about Batman Forever, or any of the upcoming Batman movies for that matter, there will always be something intriguing and truly batty to learn from the set.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 wrote off Mirror Georgiou in a way that seemingly confirmed the character's long-gestating spinoff was still in the works. By and large, there hasn't been any reason to think otherwise, but there also hasn't been word on when Michelle Yeoh's entry in the franchise will appear. Now, following recent comments from producer Akiva Goldsman, there's reason to suspect the spinoff may not happen at all.

Though it was one of the first spinoffs to be announced following the release of Star Trek: Discovery, the Section 31 spinoff is still in limbo as others announced after it are in production or even in the process of releasing more seasons. Star Trek producer Akiva Goldsman was asked if the show is still happening in an interview with THR, and his update won't sound too reassuring to those who had hopes of seeing this project from executive producer Alex Kurtzman soon.

The initial "I don't know" may be concerning. With that said, Star Trek: Discovery seemingly wrote off Michelle Yeoh's Georgiou (who is set to lead the project) back in Season 3, possibly in anticipation for the spinoff. Unfortunately, fans could be waiting a while to see what comes next for Georgiou as Alex Kurtzman told Variety in February that Section 31 or any other Trek spinoff won't happen until one of the five current Trek shows are completed. Could Akiva Goldsman's "I don't know" mean something may have changed?

It's worth noting that while Akiva Goldsman has had a hand in every new live-action Star Trek series that has aired thus far, it's possible he's not one to be in the know on the status of the Section 31 series. Goldsman did kind of push off the response on the fact that Alex Kurtzman is the mastermind of this television initiative and assured that there is a plan in place for what's happening.

I should also playfully point out that this wouldn't be the first time Akiva Goldsman was out of the loop on something Star Trek. Goldsman revealed in the past that he originally signed on for Discovery because he believed as a Pre-Kirk series, the show would star Captain Pike. It wasn't until he arrived in the writers' room he learned differently, and maybe why he's now the co-showrunner of the Pike-centric spinoff Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

So, is the Section 31 spinoff still happening? It seems that's still up for debate, and at the very least, we can't expect it to begin until one of the currently airing shows has concluded. Perhaps, since past reports indicated the series had a production start date of 2020, one of those shows could be headed to an end sooner than later?

Obviously Star Trek: Discovery has been on for the longest, so it's possible it'll be the first to go, or maybe Patrick Stewart's return as Picard won't last quite as long as Discovery? There are countless possibilities that could lead any of the shows to end, really, so there's no guarantee which, if any, would be the first to go in the near future.

And even if one of those ends, who's to say another idea for a series won't spring up and divert Star Trek away from the Section 31 spinoff further? After all, this spinoff was the first announced and hasn't gotten off the ground yet, and Michelle Yeoh surely has offers for her to appear in other things. I'm optimistic we may still see the series yet, but it does feel like these latest comments make it happening an "if" rather than "when."

Those who haven't had a chance to check out all the new Star Trek can do so with a subscription to Paramount+. For more on that universe, read up on our recent interview with Julie Nimoy and her thoughts on Ethan Peck's portrayal of Spock.

Stephen King is such a prolific author that not only have many of his stories been adapted into movies and/or TV shows, but quite a few of them have been adapted for such media more than once. For instance, his novel Firestarter was previously made into a movie back in 1984, and now Blumhouse Productions is working on its own take, with Zac Efron playing the lead. However, like most remakes, don’t expect this new Firestarter to simply copy what its cinematic predecessor did.

Akiva Goldsman is one of the producers attached to the new version of Firestarter, and he’s no stranger to Stephen King-related projects, having previously produced 2017’s The Dark Tower. Along with discussing his work on the Star Trek shows Picard and Strange New Worlds, Goldsman also briefly talked about Firestarter in an interview with THR, saying the following about how the upcoming movie will differ from the previous one:

Akiva Goldsman has been attached to the Firestarter remake since 2017, when the project first set up shop at Blumhouse. So he’s poured a lot of time and energy into making sure the new movie stands out, and going off the above quote, evidently we can count on this take being more faithful to the source material compared to the 1984 feature. Granted, there will still be some differences in how the Firestarter remake unfolds, which is to be expected from any adaptation. But if you’re a fan of the Firestarter book, no doubt you’ll be keeping track of how the remake better matches what unfolded on the printed page compared to how the ‘80s cinematic narrative veered into new places.

For those unfamiliar with Firestarter, the original novel followed Andy and Charlie, a father/daughter duo who are on the run from a government agency called The Shop. During college, Andy and his future wife, Victoria, participated in an experiment involving LSD that gave them unique, albeit limited, psionic abilities. When Charlie is born, it’s soon discovered she has powerful pyrokinetic powers, making the family a target and Victoria tragically being killed during one of the Shop’s capture attempts. 1984’s Firestarter starred David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Freddie Jones, Heather Locklear, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott, and it was primarily met with negative reviews. You can count Stephen King among those who didn’t like the movie, as he called it “flavorless” back in 1986.

As for this new Firestarter, it’ll star Zac Efron as Andy McGee and Michael Greyeyes as John Rainbird (the main villain), with the rest of the main cast being kept secret for now. Behind the scenes, The Vigil’s Keith Thomas is directing the remake, and he said last month that he believes Efron’s turn as Andy will change the way people look at the High School Musical alum. As Akiva Goldsman noted, filming will begin in the coming months.

While we wait for more news about this Firestarter remake, including when it’ll be released, stay apprised of the films set to arrive later in the year with our upcoming 2021 movies guide. And as always, keep visiting CinemaBlend for all the latest and greatest news concerning Stephen King adaptations.

There was disappointment abound in the summer of 2017 when director Nicolaj Arcel's The Dark Tower arrived in theaters. Critics panned the film, Stephen King fans felt shortchanged when comparing the adaptation to the beloved series, and what was intended to be a franchise-starter instead turned out to be a worldwide flop. Nearly four years after its premiere, it's a wound that still stings – and it's resulted in screenwriter Akiva Goldsman regretting a lot about the project that didn't work out.

Goldsman first got involved with The Dark Tower in 2010 when Universal Pictures began plans to adapt the story simultaneously across multiple mediums, and the filmmaker was specifically asked about that era of development during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Brushing past the aspect of the question wondering if any of the material was still in any way active, the Oscar-winning screenwriter instead took the opportunity to explain that he ultimately wasn't happy with the way that the 2017 film turned out, and that far superior big screen takes on the Stephen King epic came and went long before the version that was released on the silver screen:

During The Dark Tower's time at Universal, the project was the subject of a ridiculous amount of back-and-forth and push-and-pull that eventually saw the studio lose faith in its potential. Belts were tightened and scripts were rewritten as budgetary concerns began to rule conversations, and by July 2011 Universal decided to cancel all their plans. For a time Warner Bros. was looking into getting things going again, but they eventually passed too, and it wasn't until April 2015 that Sony Pictures got involved and fast-tracked the single movie that eventually got made.

In the span of a few years, The Dark Tower adaptation went from having ambitious plans akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to becoming a $60 million blockbuster that ended up being under 90 minutes long. Akiva Goldsman says that there are aspects of the movie that he still appreciates, including Idris Elba's turn as Roland Deschain, but notes that the end result is the outcome of a classic "too many cooks in the kitchen" scenario.

So will we ever get to see Hollywood try another crack at The Dark Tower? There have been attempts, but sadly they haven't worked out – with the most prominent being an Amazon Prime streaming series that was in the works for a while before it fell apart. That being said, Stephen King adaptations continue to have a lot of heat, so it would be silly to totally give up on the idea.

If we do wind up hearing about any more plans for either big screen or small screen plans for Roland Deschain and The Man In Black, you'll be sure to find it in our constantly updating Upcoming Stephen King Movies And TV guide, so stay tuned.

By now, it’s pretty much common knowledge that a post-credits scenes will more than likely accompany an MCU film. However, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a thing, DC’s Constantine had already utilized the post-credits scene technique to its storytelling advantage. Now, director Francis Lawrence has shared a little about how that scene came together for the Keanu Reeves-led film.

During a Comic-Con@Home panel put on by Collider, producer Akiva Goldsman, director Francis Lawrence, and Keanu Reeves talked a bit about Constantine. When asked about how they developed the post-credits scene, Francis Lawrence revealed that it wasn’t even in the plan until later. Here’s what he said:

While it was a cool idea to tease the audience with the possibility of there being more to the story, it was likely unbearable for fans when those plans weren't followed through. Even though Francis Lawrence and Keanu Reeves are down for a sequel, Constantine (which released in 2005) has yet to get a follow-up.

The film's post-credits scene is one that still sticks out. If you recall, Shia LeBeouf’s Constantine character -- Chas Kramer -- is the driver and student of John Constantine and helps him defeat the forces of darkness. After they attempt to exorcise Mammon, Chas Kramer is killed by the angel Gabriel. However, in the post-credits scene, John Constantine places a lighter on Chas’ grave and shortly afterward, Chas rises from the dead with angel’s wings and flies off into the sky.

So, theoretically, if a sequel were to happen, they would've likely included Chas Kramer’s now angelic form. Perhaps he would partner up, once-again, with John Constantine in the fight against evil. Well, at least, that's the feeling you get from the post-credit scene.

Part of the reason we never got a sequel to Constantine was because Keanu Reeves, at the time, said he didn’t want to do a sequel. On top of that, the R-rated comic book movie didn’t do as well in the box office as hoped. Instead, the studio took the franchise to television, which also didn’t pan out as hoped.

Warner Bros. hasn’t entirely given up on the idea of the character, though. With the release of HBO Max, it was revealed that J.J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot would produce a Justice League Dark TV show. If you aren’t aware, Justice League Dark is a team comprised of DC’s darker heroes, like John Constantine, who fight the supernatural elements that heroes like Batman and Superman wouldn't normally handle.

We don’t know much about that show just yet. And though it seems unlikely that Keanu Reeves would reprise the role for it, nothing is out of the question. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest news.

Hollywood has been on lockdown for quite some time thanks to stay-at-home orders, which has understandably affected a lot of shows and movies. A lot of plans have changed on when productions will be able to start or resume, and Star Trek: Picard is no exception. Season 2 has been thrown off schedule, but co-creator Akiva Goldsman has given fans reason to be optimistic about when to expect it.

Akiva Goldsman revealed that Star Trek: Picard Season 2 has had its schedule affected by COVID-19. Goldsman told Collider that the show most likely won't start filming as planned, but there is some promising news as well:

It's comforting to hear Star Trek: Picard is looking to get back on schedule as soon as possible, and may mean any delay beyond its originally scheduled release will be minimized. Not that fans would know anyway, as development on Season 2 hasn't progressed enough for a release date to be teased or anything of that nature.

There has been enough done, however, for Akiva Goldsman to feel pretty good about what's happening with Star Trek: Picard Season 2. Though he gave a rather generic and cryptic statement about it, Goldsman has confirmed enough work has been done for he and the staff to have a good idea of where this season is heading and what it's about, and that's thanks in part to Season 1.

Unlike Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard didn't end by throwing some big cliffhanger at its audience, so it's hard to say with certainty where Season 2 is headed. One thing that is known is that Patrick Stewart has expressed a desire to see most the principal cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation included in some way before the series' end, so fans should expect someone from the Enterprise to appear next season like in Season 1.

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 is currently available to stream on CBS All Access. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the world of Trek, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.For some upcoming viewing options, be sure to check out our summer 2020 premiere schedule.

Fans got quite the treat when Star Trek: Picard debuted on CBS All Access toward the end of January. It had been 18 years since Trekkies had last seen Jean-Luc Picard on screen (in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis) and way longer since Picard and his portrayer, Patrick Stewart, had been on television on a weekly basis. We now had one of our long wished-for dreams come true, which was to finally be able to catch up with one of the greatest captains we'd ever seen in the Star Trek franchise. Now that the first season of his new adventure is over, though, audiences are already wondering just how many seasons of Picard we could get.

Star Trek fans are pretty used to our shows lasting for a good long while. With the exception of The Original Series (which was cut down in its prime after three seasons) and Enterprise (which only made it through four seasons), the three other classic shows in the franchise each lasted for seven seasons. While the possibility is there for Picard to have a really long run, what are the actual chances that we could see the series run as long as some of its predecessors?

Star Trek: Picard executive producer, writer and director Akiva Goldsman spoke to Collider recently, and revealed both their potential plans for the future and one thing that the longevity of the show relies on:

Oooh. While three seasons seem like it might be a bit short to fully satisfy fans' desire for as much Jean-Luc Picard / Patrick Stewart as possible, at least it's good to hear that Akiva Goldsman and everyone else behind the show are willing to be as flexible as possible with the run of Star Trek: Picard. Of course, there is one big factor at play when it comes to having more than just two seasons of Picard, and that (no shocker here) is the man who brings the character to life.

As Goldsman noted, Patrick Stewart wasn't really sold on the idea of starring in a new show about one of his best known characters at first. While Stewart has now said that he's been "thrilled to continue" Picard's journey, he did have some very specific requirements set before stepping back into the part. Aside from not wanting to wear that classic Starfleet uniform again, Stewart also needed to make sure that this new series would be able to reflect the new world we live in (in some way) so that it wouldn't tread the same ground as The Next Generation or any of the movies he made as the character.

Luckily for us, Patrick Stewart got his wish, and Star Trek: Picard was born. Now all we have to do is wait and see how many seasons the legend is willing to do, because it sounds like Akiva Goldsman and others behind the series are set to keep going as long as Stewart does.

The complete first season of Star Trek: Picard is streaming on CBS All Access, and Season 2 will be along at some point in the, hopefully, not to distant future. For more on what to watch until then, check out our 2020 Netflix guide and see what joys summer TV will bring in a few weeks!

Fans of Star Trek: Discovery went crazy for Ethan Peck's bearded Spock when he showed up on Season 2 of the latest entry in the Star Trek franchise, and now everyone who loved seeing the classic character in a new way is going to get to see a lot more of him and some of the other old favorites we were treated to on Discovery. CBS All Access, the new home for pretty much all things Trek, has now given a series order to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which will follow Spock, Captain Pike and Number One in the years before Kirk came to the Enterprise.

Along with Ethan Peck returning to the role of Spock for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Anson Mount is on board to bring Captain Christopher Pike to life again, along with Rebecca Romijn taking on the part of Number One, as she did in Star Trek: Discovery. The series will focus on the trio as they lead the Enterprise and her crew on a trip around the galaxy to explore, you got it, new worlds. Akiva Goldsman wrote the series premiere from a story created by himself, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, and here's what Kurtzman had to say about the new project:

I have to say, I love it when a plan comes together! It was just last summer that fans, in the wake getting to watch Spock, Pike and Number One on Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery, were giddy with the hope that we could see these new versions of the characters again. Of course, as Discovery viewers will know, that show jumped very far ahead in the Star Trek timeline at the end of its second season, meaning that any significant appearances from them would be very unlikely.

At the time, Kurtzman, who is Discovery's co-showrunner and EP, admitted that they were looking for a way to bring Spock, Number One and Captain Pike (with Pike and Number One also being Original Series characters, but who were only briefly seen) back into the Trek fold. Seeing as how not even a full year has passed since then, it's clear that they were deeply serious about granting fans' wishes and making Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a reality.

This series now joins several new franchise shows, as, along with Discovery, there is also Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Short Treks, the upcoming animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, and the still in development show about Section 31 starring Discovery's Michelle Yeoh, along with a CG animated show for younger audiences, which is being made for Nickelodeon.

Goldsman, Kurtzman and Lumet will act as executive producers on Strange New Worlds, along with Henry Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Goldsman will also keep his other day job as an executive producer on Picard, and had this to say about the new series:

Man, it's hard to believe that just a few years ago, there was no new Star Trek on TV, and it didn't seem like we'd ever get to explore the galaxy with a brightly outfitted Trek crew again. Now there are so many shows to choose from that fans can stay entertained for as long as they like.

Right now, there's no word on how many episodes we'll see from Season 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, or when we can expect it to debut on CBS All Access, but you can stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest!

It's no secret that comic book movies are dominating the film world, with plenty of studios creating their own cinematic universe in hopes of cashing in on the genre's box office draw. But superhero movies have historically left something to be desired, including the Batman franchise from the '90s. Joel Schumacher took control over the franchise following Tim Burton's pair of movies, with 1997's Batman & Robin marking the fourth and final installment. Batman & Robin has been the butt of countless jokes throughout the years, and now one of the movie's writer has officially apologized for the movie's quality.

Batman & Robin was written by screenwriter Akiva Goldman. Goldsman has had a long career in film, even winning an Academy Award for his work on A Beautiful Mind. He also wrote Batman Forever and Batman & Robin for Joel Schumacher, and now Goldsman has explained exactly what went awry during the production of the latter blockbuster. As he put it,

Well, that was honest. It looks like while Batman & Robin originally looked like it was going to be a dark adaptation of Bruce Wayne's story, something went awry along the way. Because as we all know, the theatrical cut ended up being ultra campy, complete with a burlesque number and Arnold Schwarzenegger's over the top Mr. Freeze.

Akiva Goldman's comments to Collider help to peel back the curtain on Batman & Robin, which has remained famous for all the wrong reasons in the decades since its release. The movie's tone and contents were mystifying to moviegoers back in the '90s, and it looks like those involved with the ill-fated Batman sequel were similarly puzzled. This is coming from the movie's only writer, mind you.

Tim Burton's pair of Batman movies were decidedly more dark, while still having a heightened comic book feel. When Joel Schumacher took over the franchise starting with Batman Forever, the property got decidedly more light. Batman & Robin cranked up the camp factor to a ten, void of any grit and darkness. While this was seemingly a purposeful choice, Akiva Goldman's seem to indicate that it wasn't the original plan for the sequel.

Batman & Robin's theatrical cut bordered on cartoonish at points, especially in the characterization of villains. The action itself was far less intense, and the grit that made Batman Returns so successful was all but absent. The movie's poor reception tanked plans for another sequel, and Batman wouldn't be back in theaters until Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.

Gotham's Caped Crusader will return to theaters with Matt Reeves' The Batman, which is currently expected to hit theaters on October 1st, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard's Season 1 finale. Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard had a pretty wild finale that made massive changes that will impact the franchise's future, but it also closed the door on stories that hadn't truly reached satisfying conclusions. Specifically, the CBS All Access spinoff set the stage for a true reunion between Jean-Luc Picard and Data, who had not spoken since Data sacrificed his life in Star Trek: Nemesis.

The two beloved characters had a chance to share all their unresolved feelings with one another, and Data was able to ask Picard for one final favor. He wished for the last remaining bit of his consciousness to be removed from existence, so that he could experience one thing that's truly human, a finite life. Patrick Stewart spoke to THR about the scene, and what it meant to shoot such an emotional wrap-up with longtime co-star Brent Spiner.

Filming the scene meant so much to Patrick Stewart that he requested to go home with the chair Jean-Luc Picard sat in during his goodbye to Data. Stewart said he wanted the chair because of the moment's significance, but also joked that it was pretty comfortable, too. The chair is indeed now sitting in Stewart's home in Oxfordshire, provided he brings it back to set should Star Trek: Picard need it in the future.

Shooting Data's scene was about more than the emotional payout however, it was about concluding an arc for Data that was open-ended. Akiva Goldsman told THR the purpose of the scene was a sequel to the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and gave the character of Data a conclusive arc.

Data "died," and in a stranger twist, Jean-Luc Picard's mind was transferred into a Synth golem. Picard won't have all the augments that a usual Synth would, but he also won't have to worry about that debilitating brain illness, and will presumably live out the rest of his days in good health. There's built-in tech that will ensure he dies around the same time he would without any major illness, so Picard is feasibly guaranteed not doomed to repeat Data's troubled existence in the years after Star Trek: Nemesis.

Star Trek: Picard is already green-lit for Season 2, and audiences can now stream the entire season on CBS All Access for free for the foreseeable future. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for updates on the franchise, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

In late January, Patrick Stewart's return as Jean-Luc Picard will be available for Star Trek fans young, old, and highly opinionated to enjoy. Everyone who watches will likely draw comparisons to Stewart's past work as the Enterprise captain. Those hoping for a massive Star Trek: The Next Generation follow-up series will be happy to see all the former stars featured, but executive producer Akiva Goldsman has expressly stated that fans shouldn't go in expecting an official sequel to the beloved show.

Akiva Goldsman revealed that while there are shades of Star Trek: The Next Generation to be found in Star Trek: Picard, the upcoming CBS All Access series is altogether something different. Goldsman revealed the change is intentional, and that the idea was never to make this a direct successor to Patrick Stewart's prior Star Trek series.

Many of the actors involved with Star Trek: Picard have previously stated that this series wouldn't be a return to Next Generation form, but rather a project that melds past and present incarnations of Star Trek. More specifically, that process involves adopting elements seen in Star Trek: Discovery, which entails some elements that current fans have deemed controversial.

Controversial or not, Akiva Goldsman told Hollywood Outbreak that this is the way of Star Trek. Each series has a certain responsibility with its story, and Star Trek: Picard has a little bit extra going for it thanks to its effort to modernize this chapter of the Star Trek franchise by taking on elements from more recent projects. According to Goldsman:

It will be interesting to see how older generations of fans respond to Star Trek: Picard, especially after the early backlash that Star Trek: Discovery faced. That being said, Discovery seemed to warm over a few formerly cold hearts with its jump to the future going into Season 3, as well as with how it wrapped up some key plot points that would've otherwise conflicted with original Star Trek canon. Picard presumably won't have similar story conflicts from the outset, but it still might inspire some fans to take issue with this series for not being similar in structure to past Star Trek efforts.

Related: Wow, Star Trek Borg Hugh Is Unrecognizable In New Picard Photo

Star Trek: Picard premieres on CBS All Access on Thursday, January 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series this winter season, and for more on what's happening in the world of television and movies.

Space. The final frontier. The voyages of the Starship Enterprise continue in spirit with the newest sci-fi series, Star Trek: Picard, which will premiere in just a few short months. It'll serve as Patrick Stewart's unexpected return to the sci-fi franchise, and it'll hopefully be both a fitting, formidable return for the beloved captain. What do we know about the Star Trek series, though, particularly as it's expected to connect the tissues of several hit shows?

With the show practically weeks away from its much-anticipated premiere, we do know a bit about Star Trek: Picard and the rousing return it'll provide to the long-running legacy of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Let's get into a rundown of what Star Trek fans can expect from this streaming program!

Are There Any Trailers For Star Trek: Picard?

During this year's San Diego Comic Con, viewers got their first glimpse at Star Trek: Picard, which was set to premiere roughly six months later. This first trailer allowed fans to get a glimpse at what was considered a more grounded, contemplative show centered on the familiar character. It would be a little different from Star Trek: The Next Generation, yet this teaser was also a chance to remind people of what they loved about Jean-Luc Picard and see the potential in this new streaming series.

It was in early October that viewers got a second trailer (which you can see above). This one showcased some of the other cast members as well, while also providing a broader, more expansive look at the show, thus promising a number of delightful appearances for many long time Star Trek fans.

When Will Star Trek: Picard Premiere?

As the second trailer was making waves around the web, it was confirmed that Star Trek: Picard would premiere on CBS All Access on January 23rd, 2020. This premiere date isn't in line with Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it does follow the rollout of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, which made its debut in January of this year. The winter release date should hopefully land the series in a nice little window between the crowded return of fall shows and the equally bustling spring television line-up. Hopefully, there will be some wiggle room that will allow this new character study series to find its own little rhythm and rhyme with audiences.

What Is The Premise Of Star Trek: Picard?

In Star Trek: Picard, we follow our title character, played once again by Patrick Stewart, a full 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and find him still grieving the loss of his friend, Data (Brent Spiner). The intention with this series is to provide more of a "real world" feeling to the series, giving it a bit of an edge while never straying entirely far from what people can expect from these popular characters.

It's expected to be quite different from what we'd normally see in a traditional Star Trek series, however, and it's safe to assume that the creators will make great use of the possibilities provided by its streaming service home. It's also reported to show how the destruction of Romulus in Star Trek (2009) has affected our title character.

That last development is certainly an intriguing one, as it'll be the first time that the new Star Trek blockbusters and the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation will correlate, with the new show having a feeling that combines TNG with Star Trek: Discovery. It's unclear how exactly it'll work. But, we know that the character will have a different future than what viewers saw in the flash-forwards during the series finale of TNG, titled "All Good Things." The creators of the show have admitted outright that this series will be both similar and different to what came before.

Who Is The Creator Of Star Trek: Picard?

Star Trek: Picard is created by Alex Kurtzman, who has served as a writer and producer for Star Trek for a little over ten years running. Kurtzman was first involved when he served as a screenwriter / executive producer on Star Trek (2009) alongside Roberto Orci. He also co-wrote and produced Star Trek Into Darkness and spearheaded Star Trek: Discovery as the creator with Bryan Fuller. Picard is part of his five-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the popular property into several shows following Discovery. Surely, for many Star Trek fans, Picard is the type of show they were never expecting to see.

While Patrick Stewart was initially steadfast in his reasoning that he was done playing the character, he was intrigued by the ideas presented by Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Kristen Beyer. They were initially interested in having Stewart possibly reprise his character in one of their Star Trek: Short Treks episodes, but the conversation bloomed into the writers producing an outline alongside acclaimed novelist Michael Chabon. In an interview, Kurtzman has gone on to describe Picard as "a more psychological show, a character study about this man in his emeritus years." His broad intention for the series is to have the character find his way back to Gene Roddenberry's original optimistic visions, while also reflecting our times now.

Who Will Write Star Trek: Picard?

Currently, the full writing team behind Star Trek: Picard hasn't been 100 percent revealed, though we know that Alex Kurtzman and Michael Chabon are each credited with an episode, according to IMDB. Akiva Goldsman and Kristen Beyer, as mentioned earlier, were also involved in the show's core concept, but whether or not they're involved with the writing of the actual episodes themselves is currently left unclear. Though it would, obviously, make sense if they were attached. More details about the writers specifically involved with each episode is likely to be announced and confirmed in the weeks leading up to Picard's anticipated release.

Where Will Picard Take Place In The Star Trek Timeline?

Naturally, Star Trek: Picard is an extension of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the movies that followed for the cast. But, this show will deal with an important event from the rebooted Star Trek, which took place in 2379. This means that Picard will pick up in 2399. Even still, it'll be curious to see how the destruction of the Romulan empire has affected our former space captain. As the show premieres next year, it will give viewers a better reflection of how it wishes to present itself, but it should be noted that it's expected to follow what we know while also providing exciting new avenues.

How Many Episodes Are In Star Trek: Picard Season 1?

It has been confirmed that Star Trek: Picard will have a ten episode first season. This is notably more condensed than Star Trek: Discovery, which had a 15 episode first season and a 14 episode second season. It's also notably much shorter than your average season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran between 22 to 26 episodes per season. Given the more isolated, contained focus of the story, though, it makes sense that this newest series would want to narrow down the number of episodes per season, allowing each one to have more bang for the buck.

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)

Jean-Luc Picard, former Starfleet captain and admiral, is back again. After the traumatic death of Data, along with the destruction of the Romulan empire and leading the largest rescue armada ever seen, Picard left Starfleet at the height of his career. He retired to the family winery to live a much more simple, introspective life away from everything — until a young woman in need convinces him that it's time to return to work with the Federation. Although Picard was once one of the most celebrated captains of the 24th century, he now finds himself with a new mission so that he can do what he feels is right.

Data (Brent Spiner)

Data served as the second officer and chief operations officer aboard both the Enterprise D and E. He was capable of great courage and selflessness, as seen when he sacrificed himself in order to save his crewmates, and the universe at large, in Star Trek: Nemesis. But, it appears that Jean-Luc Picard is still haunted by his crew member's sacrifice, as the droid is seen in the trailer providing a paintbrush to Picard and telling him that it's time to finish his picture. It was confirmed back in Comic-Con in July that Data would be back in some capacity. Even still, this brief but lovely glimpse at Brent Spiner reprising his character was very welcomed.

Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) And Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis)

In addition to Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner reprising their respective roles from Star Trek: The Next Generation, there are also at least two other favorites from the sci-fi series who are making their comebacks in Season 1. Specifically, Jonathan Frakes' Riker and Marina Sirtis' Deanna Troi are both returning for Picard. Frakes, in particular, was already confirmed to be involved with the new adventure as a director of at least a couple of episodes. The latest trailer shows fans Riker and Troi, when Picard goes to visit them at home, so you can be sure that this surprise made folks happy.

Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)

In addition to the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation who will be appearing on Star Trek: Picard, there is also a favorite from Star Trek: Voyager who has been confirmed to star in the new CBS All Access program. That would be Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a former Borg who joined the Federation starship Voyager. She was intended to be the Spock to Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway, though she developed into an intriguing and memorable presence of her own throughout the show.

Seven's involvement in Star Trek: Picard is certainly a fascinating development, especially when you consider Picard's checkered history (to say the very least) with the Borg — as detailed in both TNG and in Star Trek: First Contact. Not to mention the fact that we see a Borg ship in the most recent trailer, and that Jonathan Del Arco, who played the freed Borg, Hugh, in TNG is scheduled to appear as someone in Picard. So, it looks like Picard's most fearsome foes will be big players in the story.

What New Characters Will Be On Star Trek: Picard?

In addition to all the characters named above, there are a bunch of fresh new faces joining the Star Trek series. While Picard was designed to be more of an introspective character study based on the eventful final years of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the streaming series will also feature Santiago Cabrera as Cristobal "Chris" Rios, Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker, Evan Evagora as Elnor, Alison Pill as Dr. Agnes Jurati, Harry Treadaway as Narek, and Isa Briones as Dahj. Details about their respective characters will be revealed closer to the show's premiere date, but it is definitely a solid cast.

Will Worf Appear On Star Trek: Picard?

Bad news for fans of Worf (which should, hopefully, be a good many of you). It has been revealed that Worf is not expected to appear in the first season of Star Trek: Picard. There had been rumors that the character would make an appearance in the series, though. A clapboard which featured a number of signatures from different cast members had an intriguing signature that looked very similar to the one from actor Michael Dorn.

Alas, the folks at CBS claim Dorn isn't involved with this season, though it's entirely possible they're just saying this as a diversion. Here's hoping that the actor makes at least a surprise cameo. Either that, or he will be asked to join next year. Perhaps this could provide some storyline incentive for season two.

How Can You Watch Star Trek: Picard?

Star Trek: Picard will be premiering exclusively on CBS All Access. The show will make its debut on January 23, and every episode will be found on the streaming service. While it might be an inconvenience for some folks, there is a good chance that a lot of Star Trek fans already have the service in order to watch Star Trek: Discovery. If not, this show might finally give them the incentive to buckle down and get yet another new streaming service.

This is what we know about Star Trek: Picard so far, but there are certainly more details to follow. Be sure to stay tuned here for the latest information about this new Star Trek series and a whole lot more.

Adapting a comic book to the screen is a trickier challenge than some may let on. Titans producers work hard to make that transition from the page to the live-action screen for DC Universe. As work on the show got underway, the minds behind the series were faced with certain challenges. At the red carpet premiere for the series, producer Akiva Goldsman opened up to CinemaBlend about one of those challenges. Goldsman said:

Talk about a fascinating insight! These are the kind of subtle challenges producers have to face when bringing the Titans to live-action. The producers have previously opened up about balancing Titans' tone and violence. In this case, Akiva Goldsman is pulling back the layers on many aspects, including what viewers expect from movies and television compared to comics, especially considering what comic book fans are used to handling. There a lot of moving parts to any adaptation.

The challenges did not end with the ones mentioned by Akiva Goldsman above. Co-executive producer of Titans Greg Walker revealed his pick for the most significant challenge. While Akiva Goldsman addressed the visual angle and only touched on Titans' storytelling, Walker expanded on the latter. Finding the right storyline is trickier than you may think. Walker said:

It makes sense that finding the right story to tell would provide its set of challenges. Add to that the pressure of bringing many of these characters to life for the first time in live-action, and the stakes are even higher. While the producers have discussed the process of making certain decisions, there were many factors to consider. Accordingly, the task of bringing them together also provided its share of trials.

Co-executive producer John Fawcett revealed the challenges he faced, saying:

The logistics of getting all of that into one finished product sound quite staggering in nature. Somehow, it has all come together, including the visualization and storytelling. That is a degree of teamwork the Titans themselves would likely appreciate. Thanks to The CW, viewers have been able to enjoy seeing many of their favorite DC comic book characters in a TV format. Where Titans will fall in tone and format between them and Marvel's Netflix slate will be intriguing to see.

As for the stories the Titans crew ended up settling on, we have info. Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Batman's first Robin, has his share of troubles when the series starts. One of the issues is his strained relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman. That is something many probably saw coming after Dick's now-infamous "Fuck Batman" line. Those strong feelings came from somewhere.

Brenton Thwaites recently revealed how integral uttering that F-bomb is in conveying Titans' tone to the audience. He also shared that Titans will deal with a time when Batman is starting to do questionable things. Thus, leaving the audience to ponder where they stand as former partners. All of which sounds exciting! Viewers have a pre-conceived notion about Batman; Titans sounds as if it will challenge that with its interpretation of the character.

While Dick will be struggling to reconcile his feelings over his mentor, he will have others by his side. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, among others, will be entering his orbit. Actress Anna Diop has teased her Starfire as being "badass" and "unapologetic." With so many characters coming together to create the Titans, it is sort of reminiscent of the collaboration that went on behind-the-scenes. Different voices with various visions came together to create a united entity.

Fans will have a lot to sift through as episodes of Season 1 begin rolling out. The wait to get here has been considerable, and now it is about to pay off. The trailer for Titans has hinted at a gritty series that, as producer Akiva Goldsman previously teased, will be different than DC's CW shows, a.k.a. the Arrow-verse. He also cautioned that episodes will not be as "nihilistic" as the darker films.

Demonstrating a great deal of faith in Titans, DC Universe has already renewed the series for a second season. That decision was made before the first season even premiered. Meaning, DC Universe did not even take a chance on letting a few episodes of the first season roll out.

It is incredible that after all of Titans' producers' hard work, the time has come for the final product to be enjoyed. As of October 12, Titans Season 1 has premiered on DC Universe. New episodes of the season will debut on a weekly basis on the new streaming platform. The superhero drama is among an immense amount of new content offerings available to stream this fall. The rest of DC Universe's original series won't be available for a while now, but the Arrow-verse has plenty to offer for superhero and DC Comics fans alike.

While today brought the potential death of one DC Comics TV show, another one has risen up in its place to potentially become much bigger and better. Against most odds, we're finally getting the long-gestating live-action adaptation of Teen Titans, based on the popular comic book superhero team. No pilots here, as Titans was ordered straight-to-series and is set to make its debut in 2018. But where it will show up may surprise you.

Four years in the making, Titans is no doubt an important project to everyone at DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television, and as such, the companies are using the teen-based series to launch an all-new digital service aimed specifically at mega-fans of DC-branded media. That's pretty huge, and hopefully implies that WB and DC spare no costs when putting this project together, both when it comes to the cast and the special effects.

Get pumped, because we're going to get a live-action Dick Grayson in our lives next year, and Titans will center on the young vigilante has he steps out of the shadow of Batman's cape (and car and cave) and founds a new team of fearless ass-kickers. Unfortunately, the announcement wasn't big on details about what to expect from the Teen Titans, and we didn't even get a full rundown of the other heroes we can expect to see, although Starfire and Raven are specifically named. One has to wonder how the lineup will fare with some of its comic book members like Kid Flash and Speedy currently on other live-action series. (I also wonder how to work a similar Teen Titans Go! spinoff out of this thing down the road.)

Understandably, Titans won't feature any comic book newbies behind the scenes. The series, or at least that first episode, will be written by Arrow-verse co-creator Greg Berlanti, DC Entertainment President and comic writing genius Geoff Johns and Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), and that super-squad of co-developers should be enough to get everyone jazzed.

Fans hadn't really heard anything palatable about Titans ever since early 2016 when it was passed on at TNT. And that happened after the network had kept hopeful fans on a line for quite a while without offering up any updates. So if the project is powerful enough to now warrant the creation of its own streaming service -- which isn't really what happened, but we're pretending -- then it will likely blow away any version that would have appeared on TNT anyway, right? Maybe.

As previously mentioned, Titans is set to debut on DC Entertainment's upcoming digital service at some point in 2018, with more exciting announcements to come in the future. In the meantime, you can head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV guide to see all the shows that will get here a lot sooner than 2018.

Since 2015, Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has become a big name in the world of cinematic universe franchises. In collaboration with Paramount Pictures, he not only created a braintrust that would help formulate the future of the Transformers series, but also went on to do the same thing with Hasbro and brands like G.I. Joe and ROM: Space Knight. We haven't seen an actual product from this process just yet, as none of the developing projects have made it to release -- but the methodology is continuing to spread, as the same approach that's going into the construction of the recently-announced Extreme Cinematic Universe.

Late last week, I had the pleasure of hopping on the phone with artist/writer Rob Liefeld -- the creator of the Extreme Studios comics that serves as inspiration for the burgeoning franchise -- and he told me all about the movie deal's origins. It all began in early 2016, when he got a call from Akiva Goldsman, asking if he'd be game to take a meeting. This was a deal from which Liefeld really had no expectations, but it kicked off with an incredibly exclusive peek at everything that is currently in the works for the Transformers movies. He told me,

For those who are a bit fuzzy on the history here, in the summer of 2015 Paramount Pictures had Akiva Goldsman bring together a group of writers -- including Robert Kirkman, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Zak Penn, Jeff Pinkner, and more -- come together to research the history of the Transformers series and construct a plan for how the movies can branch out into a multi-tiered franchise with strict continuity and overlapping narratives. According to Rob Liefeld, this resulted in a massive tome of scripts and artwork -- one that he considered sneaking out of the room and keeping for himself because of its majesty. This book was impressive enough to make him seriously consider such a future for the Extreme Universe he created for Image Comics.

It was at this point that Akiva Goldsman noted that he wasn't alone in his interest in Rob Liefeld's work, and that he both had a producer on board, and financing. Really, it was all coming together as a package. Said Liefeld,

It was after meeting with both Akiva Goldsman and Graham King that Rob Liefeld had a moment of clarity about the opportunity presented to him. He would not only be working with people he respected, but they had prepared absolutely everything in advance that would allow the franchise to start being built in an exciting way. It was an offer he couldn't refuse:

Hopefully in the coming weeks we'll be hearing announcements regarding who will be populating the Extreme Cinematic Universe writer's room... and you can always be sure to find the biggest news here on Cinema Blend!

For years, Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series has been on the long road to a live-action universe, and while all the parts are in motion for the feature film, things haven't gone so smoothly for the TV series, which hasn't gained much ground since being proposed six years ago. We thankfully got our first update recently, it has now been revealed that our first look at The Dark Tower on the small screen will be a prequel tale based largely on the fourth book in the series, Wizard and Glass, and it could very well include some of the film's stars.

The TV series was originally proposed with a narrative that would delve into the backstory of lead character Roland, but that was before it was announced that the film would actually be a sorta-sequel to The Dark Tower novels, in which Roland is already in possession of the Horn of Eld. After that, all bets were off, but it has been confirmed the TV show will tackle the lengthy story-within-a-story at the heart of Wizard and Glass, in which Roland tells of the first time he came across a thinny (a dimensional portal of sorts). His tale begins with how he became The Gunslinger, a story also told in the first novel, and involves him being sent on a mission with some companions, and involves him falling in love and all the other right parts that will fit into a TV season.

Here's how the film's co-writer and producer Akiva Goldsman explained the show's importance.

And because Roland is telling his story in the "present," for lack of a better word, Idris Elba will indeed appear in the TV series as the orating gunslinger. Tom Taylor, who plays Jake Chambers in the film, has also signed on. According to EW, it's possible that Matthew McConaughey could also appear on the show, although the Man in Black's penchant for taking on different names and appearances might require someone else to play the part.

As far as the technical details go, MRC and Sony Pictures have committed to funding 10-13 episodes of The Dark Tower's TV series, with the exact number to be determined by the writing. No networks or streaming outlets have been set up yet, but that's not stopping the companies from moving forward with it, since it's a certainty companies will throw money at this show. Goldsman will be executive producing, and the film's director Nikolaj Arcel and other co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen will be putting together the scripts for the series, while the search will be on for an actual showrunner to handle things for the actual production.

I feel like we've learned more about The Dark Tower TV show today than we have in the past six years. The plan is for the show to start shooting in 2017, and all involved are shooting for a release date in early 2018, timed to the film's release on TV and streaming services. It's happening! Maybe.

Earlier today, the big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower took a massive step forward – but it’s a step being taken after years and years of being idle. J.J. Abrams first started developing the film version of the story back in 2007, and since then the project has seen major ups, as well as devastating downs. So what is it that has kept the project going for so long, despite disappointments? According to screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, all of the credit goes to belief in the quality of the source material and the passion of those behind it, who were unwilling to just let it dissolve into dust.

I had the chance to talk with Akiva Goldsman on the phone earlier today, and after a lengthy discussion about the new series he’s producing, Underground (stay tuned for more on that!), I took the opportunity to ask him about his work on The Dark Tower and its triumphant emergence from the depths of development hell. Discussing the project – to which he’s been attached since 2010 - the filmmaker explained that the reason the film has managed to survive is because the people behind it just wanted to see it be made that badly. Said Goldsman,

As alluded to, the last decade or so has been a serious roller coaster ride for The Dark Tower. J.J. Abrams left the film two years after signing on, but things looked optimistic when Ron Howard came aboard to direct and Akiva Godsman was hired to write the script in 2010. An epic plan was set in motion that would see Stephen King’s narrative play out at both the movies and on television, and Oscar winner Javier Bardem was even brought on to star as Roland Deschain. A few months later, however, Universal Pictures decided to dump the ambitious project, leaving it without a home.

In the years since then, The Dark Tower was given new life at Sony and Media Rights Capital, but despite rumors about Russell Crowe and Aaron Paul being cast, the project seemingly couldn’t get a foothold. As Akiva Goldsman told me today, there were many times when it looked like the film would simply never have the chance to happen, but he’s incredibly excited that it’s finally moving forward:

Adapted from Stephen King’s series of books that began in 1982 with The Gunslinger, The Dark Tower tells the story of Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) as he quests across great distances to find the Dark Tower: a building said to be the nexus of all universes. Matthew McConaughey is attached to play the villainous Man In Black, while Mad Max: Fury Road’s Abbey Lee will play the female lead, Tirana. A release date has been set for January 13, 2017, so look for production to start up in the coming weeks/months.

Stay tuned for more from my interview with Akiva Goldsman, and you can catch Underground on WGN starting Wednesday, March 9th at 10:00pm ET/PT.

While Paramount Pictures have made sure not to get rid of the money-spinning directorial "talents" of Michael Bay during their massive Transformers reshuffle, they know exactly where their bread is buttered. Akiva Goldsman, the head of the franchise's new writer's room, confirmed this with the announcement that they will definitely keep the human characters in the series.

The Oscar winning screenwriter, who picked up the trophy for 2001's A Beautiful Mind, admitted to IGN that this tradition is going to continue with the already confirmed Transformers 5, and the expected sequels as well. In fact, Goldsman explained that he believes the dynamic between the humans and the robots in disguise is what makes the Transformers franchise so exhilarating, as he remarked:

Since Michael Bay kick started the Transformers franchise in 2007, Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg have led the four installments between them, and they’ve been joined by a pretty stellar line-up of actors along the way too. We’re still not 100% confirmed who will be joining Michael Bay, Akiva Goldsman and the Transformers team for the fifth instalment to the franchise, which is due out in 2017. Still, there are some promising leads that range from dead giveaways to pleasant surprises.

It's obvious that Mark Wahlberg has made it know that he would be interested in reprising his role as Cade Yeager, which he performed dutifully in 2014’s Transformers: Age Of Extinction. Wahlberg took over the leading role from Shia LaBeouf, who had appeared as Sam Witwicky in 2007’s Transformers, 2009’s Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, and 2011’s Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. The actor had previously starred in Michael Bay’s bombastic and entertaining, if not slightly too long, Pain & Gain in 2013, was deemed as the perfect replacement for LaBeouf, whose off-set antics were beginning to overshadow what he did on-screen.

There is certainly precedent for Michael Bay to hire an actor from one of his passion projects for the multi-billion dollar franchise, as Bay was so enamored with Wahlberg after Pain & Gain, that he asked him on the set if he’d like to star in Age Of Extinction. With Michael Bay currently working hard to put the finishing touches on 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi before it hits cinemas in the middle of January, we could totally see either John Krasinski or James Badge Dale taking the lead instead.

Both of the lead actors from 13 Hours and are extremely charismatic as well as great every-men who could easily be seen interacting with Optimus Prime and his cohorts. Though, admittedly, the sensible money would still be on Mark Wahlberg starring in Transformers 5. Though, to be honest, all we're hoping for is to see John Turturro re-appear in one of the impending Transformers sequels. Because, simply put, the world needs to have more movies with John Turturro playing the room for laughs.

Update: Well, it didn't take long for Michael Bay to chime in on his status for Transformers 5. He did direct all the previous installments, and just took to Twitter to say that, though there have been talks, he has not committed to the next chapter just yet.

Original Story: It wasn’t long ago that Michael Bay was distancing himself from Transformers 5. After helming Age of Extinction with a new cast of lead actors, he said he wanted to focus his energy in a new direction and that the dinobot-filled explosion was his final bow in the franchise. However, a new report has emerged confirming Bay, the master of chaos and mayhem, will be back to direct at least one more Transformers movie.

The news comes from Deadline, which reports the future of the Transformers franchise has been decided upon — at least, for the near future. According to the trade, a Transformers writers room of sorts took place to drum up ideas for the property moving forward. Among those included were Christina Hodson, Lindsey Beer, Ant-Man writers Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, Pacific Rim 2 writer Zak Penn, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 writer Jeff Pinkner, Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. For more than two weeks, they pitched ideas to Bay, Steven Spielberg, Paramount, Hasbro, and Transformers producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian. Many of their proposed ideas didn’t make the cut, but at least one did — Transformers 5.

Akiva Goldsman, who supervised this writers room, came out of these pitches with a skeleton for the Age of Extinction follow-up. The plan is for Bay to direct the movie, and while Deadline hints that the director could still turn down the project, he’s expected to sign on. Even if he does, though, the franchise apparently has enough ideas for potential spinoffs to keep the franchise alive. Details on the plot for Transformers 5 are unknown, but it will be laying the groundwork for what could come. Spielberg reportedly acknowledged that five out of the nine pitched ideas could be created into feature films, and Transformers 5 could lead into any number of them.

The report also confirms that Mark Wahlberg will return to star in Transformers 5 as Cade, the rural junker who stumbles upon a Transformer. His daughter was played by Bates Motel’s Nicola Peltz and her boyfriend was played by Jack Reynor – though there is no mention of either of them in the new trade report. The news of Bay’s involvement comes after Transformers voice actor Mark Ryan told The Christian Post that Transformers 5 would focus on two storylines — one will center on Cade and the human struggle, while the second one will focus on the Transformers and the mythology and history behind them.

Transformers: Age of Extinction not only introduced the existence of dinobots, but it also gave the live-action universe Lockdown, an alien bounty hunter of sorts. His ship was filled with imprisoned Transformers, any number of which could arguably make good source material for a new movie. We’ll keep you updated as more details about the project become available.

Transformers is on the verge of a major shift. The era of Michael Bay-directed movies in the franchise ended with Transformers: Age of Extinction, but a new era has begun, and it’s being ushered in by a large brain trust of both experienced and up-and-coming writers. It’s a gamble on behalf of Paramount Pictures, as they strive to build a cinematic universe akin to what Marvel Studios and multiple other studios doing, but if they get it to work, it could mean amazing things for the future of the series.

Though the work is only just beginning, Deadline recently had the chance to sit down with Akiva Goldsman – who is serving as the head of the aforementioned writer’s group – and the Oscar winning screenwriter explained the methodology behind the special approach. Noting the reciprocal relationship between movies and television these days, Goldsman freely admitted that this new approach towards Transformers is a concept stolen from the TV world, and is hoped that getting a bunch of creative minds in one room together will open the door to truly great ideas. Said the filmmaker,

Starting next week, the writers will begin a process of completely immersing themselves in the world of Transformers - doing everything from watching the old cartoons to playing with the toys, and the idea is to create what’s described as a "mythological time line" – presumably to discover what the true attraction of Transformers is and how to best approach the material. After that point, they will begin to explore not just one project that will continue the world-building work from the four Michael Bay movies, but multiple projects that will allow them to explore the full scope of the gigantic franchise. Yes – that includes Beast Wars, which is actually specifically name dropped by Akiva Goldsman in the interview.

This truly is the best time to apply a new approach. While all four Michael Bay Transformers films wound up being classified as blockbuster hits, the truth is that Transformers: Age of Extinction actually underwhelmed domestically in comparison to its predecessors. This, plus the fact that the movies have never really gotten any support from the critic community, means that the trajectory of the series really isn’t what it should be – necessitating the shakeup. Obviously the quality of future films in the franchise will depend both on the ideas that are being developed out of the writer’s room, and how much the studio is actually willing to listen to outside-the-box ideas, but it’s good to know that an effort is being made to try and create a creative environment where filmmakers can try and shine.

So who makes up this brain trust? It’s an expansive list of both solitary writers as well as duos, and the differences in their individual background suggests interesting things about what Paramount could be looking for from each of them. The full line-up is as follows:

Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind)

Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead)

Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man)

Zak Penn (Pacific Rim 2)

Jeff Pinkner (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Christina Hodson (Black List script The Eden Project)

Lindsey Beer (the upcoming Short Circuit reboot)

Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man)

Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down)

Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Black List script Hibernation)

Are you excited about this new approach for Transformers? Do you think it will help put the franchise back on an upswing? Hit the comments with your thoughts.

Hasbro and Paramount Pictures are not ready to give up on Transformers, and Age of Extinction will not prove to be the final movie in the series. But while we already knew that Transformers 5 and more live-action sequels are in the works, when are they coming? Who’s working on them? During their 2015 Q1 Earnings Conference Call, Hasbro answered a few of these questions for the public – including the fact that the next movie won’t be coming out until 2017.

According to TFW2005.com, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner revealed that the toy brand and Paramount are planning a release year for Transformers 5. This is contradictory to a previous report, which came out of last year’s CineEurope. At that time, Paramount slated the next sequel in the blockbuster franchise for 2016. However, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura later said that this information was inaccurate, which led some to believe that this project was farther off than we thought. Now, though, Goldner says that the team is actively working on Transformers 5 for 2017 and building a new cinematic universe. Akiva Goldsman has been brought on to lead a group of writers in forming a strategy around the property moving forward.

Given the poor display of Transformers: Age of Extinction, this might not be the best news. Michael Bay has been the driver of the Transformers movie series since the beginning, but the most recent sequel was one of the weaker installments so far (Mark Wahlberg’s performance didn’t do the movie any favors). Bay, for one, likely won’t return for Transformers 5, as he said previously that he has other projects he wants to focus on. However, that doesn’t mean Wahlberg is entirely out of the picture. With Shia LaBeouf retired from the franchise, Age of Extinction saw the Pain & Gain star enter the fray as tinkering mechanic Cade Yeager, while Bates Motel star Nicola Peltz portrayed his daughter and Jack Reynor played her adrenaline junkie boyfriend. All three were pegged as the new faces of the franchise, but will Paramount and Hasbro go in a different direction for the films moving forward after spending so much time and effort in introducing audiences to these new characters? At this point, it’s unclear.

Understandably, very little is known about Transformers 5 and the cinematic universe moving ahead. We barely have a solid release date other than the broad and seemingly loose 2017 premiere year. If Bay holds true to his promise, than that means they need to start looking soon for someone to replace him, and the treatment Goldsman and his team are crafting is the first step in convincing someone to take the helm. We’ll keep on alert for new information on Transformers 5, but for now, hold tight.

Earlier this summer we told you Paramount Pictures was getting serious about The Ring 3, having selected a director for the long-awaited horror sequel. But now this possible-completion to the chilling trilogy just got a bit more interesting with the announcement of a new screenwriter. For better or worse. You tell us.

In July, Paramount revealed Spanish helmer F. Javier Gutierrez had been chosen to direct The Ring 3, but it was unclear if the studio had a script in place. Deadline reports Paramount has entered into negotiations with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. Should he sign on, the scribe behind the critically heralded biopic A Beautiful Mind and the unheralded 1997 franchise killer Batman & Robin, would be the third screenwriter to touch The Ring 3.

Inspiration for the threequel was found in Koji Suzuki's novels. From there, Paramount had picked David Loucka, writer of the equally abysmal The House at the End of the Street and Dream House, to pen The Ring 3's first draft. Then Jacob Aaron Estes (Mean Creek) was brought in to revise. Now enters Oscar-winning Goldsman to figure out how to make the story of ghost girl Samara and her haunted videotapes freshly frightening. But despite past acclaim, Goldsman is a curious pick for the project on a couple of fronts.

The first concern is simple: Akiva Goldsman is not known for horror. The closest he's come to it are penning the sci-fi thriller I Am Legend and the religious thriller The Da Vinci Code. Both contain monstrous elements and murder, but neither would be regularly regarded as horror. So fans of The Ring franchise have some reason to worry. Though it seems he's proved his potential already. Recently, Goldsman scored a helming gig from Blumhouse on their upcoming horror pic, Stephanie, which centers on an orphan girl with extraordinary powers who is taken in by a couple claiming to be her parents.

Stephanie will serve as follow-up to the bigger concern of Goldsman's involvement in The Ring franchise. That would be his directorial debut, Winter's Tale, a movie sure to be counted as one of the worst of 2014. After having written such celebrated dramas as a A Time To Kill, Cinderella Man and I, Robot, Goldsman tried his hand at helming his own script and came up with an overwrought fantasy-romance that was a big, fat flop for Warner Bros. The $60 million stinker starred Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Will Smith. And yet it only brought in $30 mil worldwide. It did no better with critics. In our review, I wrote, "It's a movie so flawed and so burdened with heavy self-import that it is sure to be talked about for years, referenced as, 'Well, at least this wasn't as bad as Winter's Tale.'"

Basically, Goldman's attachment to The Ring 3 doesn't seem a good omen to us. But what say you?

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*If you don't understand this, that just means you're one of the billions who didn't see Winter's Tale.

The upcoming young adult fiction adaptation Divergent won't be out until March, but already the folks at Summit Entertainment are working hard to set up a future for the franchise. With director Neil Burger not attached to the first planned sequel, titled Insurgent, the hunt is on to find a new filmmaker to head up the project, but before the studio settles on a name their doing a bit of work on the screenplay they have. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Akiva Goldsman has been hired to take a look at the script, punch it up, and get the film on the proper path to its 2015 release date.

Based on the trilogy of books by Veronica Roth, Divergent tells the story of Beatrice 'Tris' Prior (Shailene Woodley), a young girl living in a dystopian future where society where the world has been split into five factions based on different virtues - Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. At the age of 16 all citizens of the society learn which faction they belong to, but the big secret is that Tris is actually known as Divergent, which means that she doesn't fit into just one category. Slowly she begins to learn more and more about the behind-the-scenes events of the world, and eventually discovers a shocking truth that could very well change everything. Watch the trailer below to get a better sense of the story:

At this time it's not exactly clear what Goldsman's duty is with Insurgent. The first versions of the script were taken care of by screenwriter Brian Duffield, and it's worth noting that THR doesn't say that the new writer will be starting a completely new draft. At this point it may be too late to start from scratch, as production is scheduled to start up this spring.

Goldsman has long been a go-to guy for Hollywood blockbusters, his career starting with the 1994 courtroom drama The Client, based on the novel by John Grisham. Since then he has found a lot of work alongside Ron Howard, writing movies like A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, and has also scripted movies like Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Lost In Space, I Am Legend and I, Robot. He recently made his feature directorial debut on the upcoming romance Winter's Tale, which you can preview below.

Divergent will be in theaters on March 21st, while its first sequel is already set to come out on March 20, 2015. Are you excited by this newest development?

Now that we’re getting a “Batman vs. Superman” movie and a plethora of new Star Wars movies, the “Will They Ever Get Made?” conversations can officially focus on Ron Howard’s nearly mythical adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. My hopes for this project have been going up and down more than [insert Miley Cyrus joke]. When Warner Bros. passed on the project a little over a year ago, it looked like all was lost, but Howard is now telling Empire that the Gunslinger has not yet put the Sandalwoods away, and that even though progress has been delayed, the project is very much alive. But given how ridiculous Internet journalism and rumors can get (guilty!), they’re not going to be very up front about where they are in the process for a while.

“The Dark Tower is something that we’re still working on,” Howard said in the Empire Podcast. “We’ve all taken a vow of silence about the progress, the headway, what we think our timetable is, because I don’t think I realized how much media interest there was in the title and how much excitement there was.” I wonder if Howard’s return to the Dan Brown universe for Angels and Demons was easier, given expectations and excitement for it weren’t much louder than a “hectic murmur.”

“It’s a fascinating, powerful possibility, and even Stephen King acknowledges it’s a tricky adaptation,” Howard continued, “but to be honest, from a financing side, it’s not a straightforward, four-quadrant, sunny superhero story – it’s dark, it’s horror. That edge is what appeals to me, the complexities of those characters is what appeals to all of us. And I think Stephen king really respects that, with Akiva Goldsman and myself, that that’s what we love about it, and that’s what we want to try to get to the screen.” Short of invoking some Satanic entity and casting it in the role of Randall Flagg, it doesn’t seem likely that the novels’ darkness can properly be transitioned into a film narrative, but I love that they don’t want to brighten up the material solely to guarantee funding. Principles in Hollywood aren’t always so easy to come by.

And though Goldsman, his frequent co-writing partner, is currently working on the dark fantasy A Winter’s Tale, Howard says, “So my answer is, it got delayed, it’s never gone away. We’re working on it, and Stephen is very patient with us…I’m continuing to work, but the Dark Tower dreams – fever dreams ,rather – are still there, but we’re not going to give it a timetable.“

When asked if he was going to put King into the narrative as the author did, Howard said he “will admit Stephen has said, ‘I don’t have to be in this.’ But that’s not to say that he won’t be!” So if you say that it isn’t necessarily going to be excluded from a film that may or may not one day exist, the rule of negatives has to come into this at some point.

You can catch Howard’s latest film Rush when it comes out in theaters this weekend. Meanwhile, give the Empire Podcast a listen below.

It seemed like an empty promise back in August of last year when director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer said that they would let their adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower die. While the format - three films and a television series to fill the time gaps - was something that all of the fans could get behind, the whole thing seemed too big for any studio to take a risk on. That could change.

While Universal eventually decided to scrap the project, according to Deadline. Warner Bros. is now in talks to pick The Dark Tower off of the trash heap. The site says that the deal would have Howard directing the first film while still using Akiva Goldman's script (which he will be giving a "polish"). Also mentioned is the possibility of Javier Bardem sticking with the movie, as he was Howard and Grazer's choice to play the hero, Roland Deschain - though that situation depends on possible scheduling issues. Should the deal with Warner Bros. go through, there is a good chance that the television series part of the epic would be shown on HBO, as both companies are owned by Time Warner. The whole thing could get going as early as the first quarter of 2013.

I know that fans have been waiting and hoping for this project to come back, so does it make you happy that it finally is? Is Warner Bros. the right home for the movie? Are you happy that Ron Howard is still directing, Akiva Goldsman is still writing and/or that Javier Bardem could star? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Akiva Goldsman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind such noteworthy dramas as A Beautiful Mind and I Am Legend, has been working hard to make the leap to film director. It was a nearly a year ago that news broke declaring Warner Bros. had greenlit Goldsman's adaptation of Mark Heprin's magical-realism novel Winter's Tale. Yet since then the film has been mired in development. Last fall, Goldsman attempted to forge ahead, delving into the casting process despite reports that the film's funding was not secured. At that time, A Beautiful Mind's Oscar-nominated leading man, Russell Crowe, was rumored to be attached, though without firm funding in place, nothing seemed certain about Goldman's passion project.

However, Vulture has now revealed Crowe has in fact signed on to Winter's Tale, and so has I Am Legendstar Will Smith. The A-listers will play supporting roles in the fantasy-fueled drama, as a favor to Goldsman. While it might not seem like much for each to offer a few shoot days to the screenwriter who helped garner each major acclaim, this favor has in fact saved Winter's Tale from stalling out altogether. Well that in conjunction with a new budget, wherein Goldsman has cut $20 million of Warner Bros.'s costs.

The film is set to center on the unconventional love story between a blue-collar mechanic and an invalid heiress. This odd couple's meet-cute occurs when the former attempts to rob the home of the latter in a desperate bid for some quick cash. The story moves between nineteenth-century and present-day Manhattan, and also includes a merciless gangster and a flying white horse. Crowe is committed to play the gangster, who has the weirdly perverse name Pearly Soames, while Smith is expected to appear as a judge. As to who could play the star-crossed lovers, Goldman's shown interest in Tom Hiddleston (Thor), Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Bella Heathcote (In Time), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Gabriele Wilde (Three Musketeers) and Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method).

With shooting set to begin next fall, there will be plenty of time for speculation on who will take on this Winter's Tale.

Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) is auditioning actors for Winter’s Tale, a passion project the writer-director has established at Warner Bros., and he’s circling a number of talents who’ve burst on the scene in 2011 with buzzworthy projects.

In a “Casting Couch” piece, The Hollywood Reporter says Goldsman has read with Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Marvel Films’ Thor and The Avengers) and Benjamin Walker (Timur Bekmembatov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) for the lead role of a criminal who finds himself on the run. Goldsman has penned a female part, as well, and is eyeing Bella Heathcote (In Time), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Gabriele Wilde (Three Musketeers) and Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method) to play a terminally ill character. The trade also notes that Russell Crowe is “loosely attached” to play the villain in the piece, though everything about Winter’s Tale is tentative and pending on Goldsman finding a third-party financier.

Goldsman has remained busy as a producer of the last two Paranormal Activity films, as well as the cult TV show Fringe. He hasn’t penned a feature-length screenplay since 2009’s Angels and Demons (for Ron Howard) however, and his last directorial credits are Fringe episodes from 2010. Perhaps that’s where he honed his craft while prepping Winter’s Tale. And if Goldsman wants to transition into film directing, he’s certainly eyeing the right talent, as virtually all of the names mentioned are noteworthy talents who have proven themselves in decent films. Having Mind co-star Crowe along as an off-screen mentor can only help Tale get off the ground, so we’ll be eager to see if the project takes shape some time soon.

The scale of Universal's The Dark Tower project has always been incredibly daunting. In order to pull off a trilogy of films with two full television series in between, the studio would be required to put up an incredible amount of money with no guarantee of success. Now, the project close to starting production, the studio is feeling like a bride on the night before her wedding day.

Variety is reporting from unnamed sources that Universal is considering putting The Dark Tower into turnaround. According to the story, executives have "run into budgetary complications" and will be holding a meeting in the next few days to determine the project's future. Set to be directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman, Javier Bardem remains in talks with the studio about playing hero Roland Deschain. As of now the project is still moving forward and the studio declined to comment about the status.

It's hard to say that this situation was completely unforeseeable. While the Stephen King series has more than its fair share of fans, one has to wonder if the concept would appeal to mainstream audiences to the point that it could justify the hundreds of millions that the project requires. Until we hear more, May 17, 2013 remains the release date of the first Dark Tower movie. Let's see if they can actually do it.

It was all the way back in January that we first heard an offer was out to Javier Bardem to star in Ron Howard's adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower. Since then, with the exception of a story that came out early last month that said the Oscar winner was "locked in psychologically," we've heard absolutely nothing about his involvement. Today that changes.

Deadline is reporting that Bardem is now on the verge of closing negotiations and signing on to star in The Dark Tower. Once he signs on the dotted line, he will be locked in to play Roland Deschain not just in one film, but an entire trilogy as well as a television series that will bridge the gaps between each movie. Production is scheduled to begin this September, based on a script by Akiva Goldsman, who has already written both the first film and the first run of the small screen series. According to the story, things are looking sealed to the point that Howard has already begun looking for actors to play other roles in the series.

Just based on the comments I've read on this site, people really don't seem happy about this casting decision. The thing that I'm left wondering about is if this means he won't be available to play the villain in Bond 23. That would just compound the bad news. I'm just disappointed I'm not writing this article about Timothy Olyphant.

It’s been rumored for years and now it’s finally happening. Deadline say Stephen King’s masterful fantasy series “The Dark Tower” is headed for theaters. As part of a deal being worked on at Universal (but not yet completed) the seven books which comprise the Dark Tower story will be condensed into three movies, in a script written by Akiva Goldsman and to be directed by Ron Howard.

The deal is also said to include a package which will result in a Dark Tower TV series, though how they’d pull that off in addition to the movies is a complete mystery. Will the three films cover only three of the books, leaving the TV series to cover the rest? Or will they combine all seven books into three films and then create a TV series which picks up where the final "Dark Tower" book leaves off? We won't know until the deal is finalized and Howard starts talking. King is reportedly working on an eigth novel which tackles a different storyline from "The Dark Tower", that could be possible fodder for the TV series as well.

What’s clear here is that, however they split it up, done properly The Dark Tower could be the next Lord of the Rings. King’s books follow a wandering Gunslinger named Roland, the last of his kind, as he wanders across dimensions and other worlds on an endless quest to find the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be a nexus between worlds. The stories are massively epic in scope and cross over all sorts of different genres. It’s more than just fantasy, it’s science fiction, it’s horror, it’s gut-wrenching drama, and it’s part old-school shoot-em-up Western. The character of Roland is in theory more of a wandering knight than a cowboy, but in appearance and disposition, it’s as if Clint Eastwood wandered off the set of one his classic Wild West tales and into a Stephen King novel. This could be huge.

I say could be, because there’s one problem. His name is Ron Howard. Ron is a fine choice if you’re looking for sappy, schmaltzy Oscar-bait but it’s hard to imagine him tackling the darker, more horrific elements of The Dark Tower with any success. Earlier in his career I might have had more faith in his ability to do this. The guy who made Backdraft and Apollo 13 seemed like he might have something tense and edgy somewhere inside him. But I’m not sure I believe the director of Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind is capable of anything like this. I hope I’m wrong because done right, The Dark Tower could be brilliant; an epic, unforgettable Oscar winner.

At one point JJ Abrams was supposed to be developing The Dark Tower into a feature film but back in November that fell through. Now it’s about to end up in the hands of Ron Howard. We’ll let you know as soon as this is confirmed as a done deal.