Holly Hunter has been cast in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy for Paramount+

There is no shortage of Star Trek content as Paramount has been developing plans for their film franchise with a fourth entry into the J.J. Abrams Kelvin Universe, as well as a prequel to said universe with Toby Haynes directing. It was recently reported that Simon Kinberg is in talks to produce the film series going forward. Seth Grahame-Smith, who also is credited with the upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, will be writing the screenplay and it is said “to involve the creation of the Starfleet and humankind’s first contact with alien life.” 

On the TV end, there will also be a show that focuses on cadets in training at Starfleet before embarking on exploratory missions with Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Deadline has now reported that Academy Award winner Holly Hunter has been cast in the upcoming show. The official synopsis says, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.” Hunter will be portraying the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy in the series, and it is scheduled to begin production later this summer.

Last month, it was announced that the series Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fourth season, while the animated series Lower Decks is set to conclude with its upcoming fifth season. “On behalf of the cast and crew of ‘Strange New Worlds,’ we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together,” said executive producers and showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers and executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “We can’t wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure.” Strange New Worlds has been a big success for Paramount+, quickly becoming a fan-favorite series and making Nielsen’s top 10 most-watching streaming originals multiple weeks in a row. The third season is currently in production and is planned for streaming in 2025.