Original Nickelodeon USA Press Release:
Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios Announce New Animated “Star Trek” Series
The Series Will Be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions,
Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment
Share it: @Nickelodeon @NickAnimation #Nickelodeon
April 24, 2019 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
BURBANK, Calif.--Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios announced the greenlight of a new animated “Star Trek” series to be developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (“Trollhunters” and “Ninjago”) and overseen for Nickelodeon by Ramsey Naito, EVP, Animation Production and Development, Nickelodeon.
Debuting exclusively on Nickelodeon, the series expands the “Star Trek” universe for a new generation of fans. The new original CG-animated series follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation.
The series will be from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios’ new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers alongside Kevin and Dan Hageman. Aaron Baiers will serve as a co-executive producer.
“‘Star Trek’s’ mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future,” said Alex Kurtzman. “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”
“‘Star Trek,’ Nickelodeon, and the state of animation are doing incredibly ambitious things as of late. We couldn’t be more excited to jump aboard," said Dan and Kevin Hageman.
“Partnering with CBS Television Studios and the creative masterminds behind the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is an incredible opportunity and allows our audience to discover rich characters and new stories,” said Naito. “‘Star Trek’ is a franchise loved by generations of fans around the globe, and adding Nickelodeon as home to the next animated series is a perfect fit.”
The animated series is the newest addition to the expanding “Star Trek” television universe. It joins STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of short stories tied to DISCOVERY; the new untitled “Star Trek” series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS from Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”), an animated series targeted at mature audiences; and a new “Star Trek” project based on “Section 31,” which is in development with Michelle Yeoh attached to star. All these projects, except the new Nickelodeon edition, are on the CBS streaming platform CBS All Access in the U.S.
Emmy Award-winning brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman have written and produced some of the biggest animated franchises in film and television. They served as co-executive producers on the Emmy Award-winning series “Trollhunters,” co-created the hit “The LEGO Movie,” wrote and executive produced “LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and developed the theatrical “The Lego Ninjago Movie.” Additional credits include “Hotel Transylvania” (story creators) and “The Croods 2” (writers), along with the upcoming live-action feature “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (writers).
The new “Star Trek” series is the third animated series from CBS Television Studios, following STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS for CBS All Access and OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT for SHOWTIME.
Claudia Spinelli, VP Animation Development, Nickelodeon, is the executive in charge of the new animated “Star Trek” series for Nickelodeon.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
About CBS Television Studios
CBS Television Studios is one of the industry’s leading suppliers of programming for broadcast, basic and premium cable, and streaming platforms. The Studio’s programming includes the phenomenally successful NCIS franchise; the critically acclaimed STAR TREK: DISCOVERY; MADAM SECRETARY; JANE THE VIRGIN; CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND; the hit dramas SEAL TEAM, FBI, BLUE BLOODS, HAWAII FIVE-0, MACGYVER, MAGNUM P.I., THE CODE, BULL, INSTINCT and ELEMENTARY; the popular comedy series THE NEIGHBORHOOD; MAN WITH A PLAN; FAM; CHARMED, DYNASTY and IN THE DARK for The CW; the summer action-adventure series BLOOD & TREASURE; and “90210,” a revival of “Beverly Hills, 90210” for FOX.
The Studio also produces the Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show THE TALK, as well as the Emmy Award-nominated late night series THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT and THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN. For CBS All Access, the Studio produces THE GOOD FIGHT; STRANGE ANGEL; the streaming service’s first comedy series, NO ACTIVITY; WHY WOMEN KILL; INTERROGATION; THE TWILIGHT ZONE; and the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, THE STAND. Additionally, as part of the expansion of the “Star Trek” universe, the Studio produces STAR TREK: PICARD featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, which marked CBS All Access’ foray into the animation landscape, as well as the untitled “Star Trek” animated series for Nickelodeon. The Studio’s programming also includes series based on popular, viral segments from THE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN, “Carpool Karaoke” for Apple Music and “Drop the Mic” for TBS, as well as “Dead to Me,” “Insatiable” and “Unbelievable” for Netflix. Additionally, the Studio produces the comedy anthology series “The Guest Book” for TBS; OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT and YOUR HONOR for SHOWTIME; DIARY OF A FEMALE PRESIDENT for Disney+ as well as “A Higher Loyalty,” a miniseries based on former FBI Director James Comey’s memoir.
Update (7/21): Nickelodeon's new Star Trek series will be distributed internationally by CBS Studios International.
Update (5/10): In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Alex Kurtzman, who is serving as the executive producer of Nickelodeon's new Star Trek series, promised it is nothing like the 1970s Star Trek cartoon, adding: “I can’t reveal details on that one, but it’s something that has never been done before in ‘Star Trek.’”
Update (5/6) - Official CBS Television Studios press release via TheFutonCritic.com:
CBS TELEVISION STUDIOS LAUNCHES "STAR TREK" GLOBAL FRANCHISE GROUP
New CBS Television Studios Unit to Manage and Maximize Expansion of Iconic Brand
Veronica Hart Will Head the New Business Unit
May 6, 2019 - CBS Television Studios has created a global franchise group that will manage and maximize the expansion of the "Star Trek" brand beyond the traditional boundaries of linear broadcasting and streaming. This new business unit reports to David Stapf, President of CBS Television Studios.
Leading the new team is Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, "Star Trek" Global Franchise Management, who will manage the "Star Trek" global brand strategy to support the content development plans being developed within CBS and under the stewardship of Alex Kurtzman.
The unit's goal is to invigorate and broaden the "Star Trek" fan community through additional branding opportunities, such as podcasts, a reinvigorated StarTrek.com and new digital spaces, consumer products and gaming, as well as live experiential events and global attractions. These endeavors to further grow the brand are designed to complement the Studio's expansion of the "Star Trek" universe, which now includes two live-action series, two animated projects and multiple "shorts."
The growing "Star Trek" universe for television includes a new animated "Trek" series from writers Kevin and Dan Hageman for Nickelodeon; STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, a series of short stories tied to DISCOVERY and the overall "Star Trek" universe; the new untitled "Star Trek" series featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard; STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS from Mike McMahan ("Rick and Morty"), an animated series targeted at mature audiences; and a new "Star Trek" project based on "Section 31," which is in development with Michelle Yeoh attached to star. With the exception of the new Nickelodeon edition, these series are presented on CBS' streaming service, CBS All Access, in the U.S.
In addition to Hart, the franchise team includes: John Van Citters, VP, "Star Trek" Brand Development, who will work within CBS and across the industry as brand experts while leading the implementation of initiatives and programs; Yasmin Elachi, Director of "Star Trek" Content, in charge of creating, relaunching and maintaining the new StarTrek.com along with overseeing all aspects of "Star Trek" social media in order to present a cohesive online brand; and Gabrielle Oliff, Director of Global Franchise Management Operations, who will focus on executing franchise initiatives and managing the review analytics and preparing presentations for cross-company communication. All are incredibly knowledgeable about the "Star Trek" universe, including legacy, current and future iterations of the series.
"Veronica and her team are not only gifted brand strategists and veteran consumer products executives, they are also experts on the 'Star Trek' canon," said Stapf. "We are excited to launch this new business unit because the brand has an enormously rabid fan base, and we look forward to expanding its reach even further."
"As we expand the Trekverse, Veronica's team and Secret Hideout are dedicated to broadening 'Star Trek's' brand reach by amplifying its core values globally: empowerment, inclusion, imagination, and above all, the exceptional storytelling that's inspired generations of fans," said Alex Kurtzman.
The new franchise group will be based out of Alex Kurtzman's Secret Hideout Productions in Santa Monica, Calif. Kurtzman, who is under an overall deal at the Studio, is the executive producer of the various "Star Trek" series.
About CBS Television Studios
CBS Television Studios is one of the industry's leading suppliers of programming for broadcast, basic and premium cable, and streaming platforms. The Studio's programming includes the phenomenally successful NCIS franchise; the critically acclaimed STAR TREK: DISCOVERY; MADAM SECRETARY; JANE THE VIRGIN; CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND; the hit dramas SEAL TEAM, FBI, BLUE BLOODS, HAWAII FIVE-0, MACGYVER, MAGNUM P.I., THE CODE, BULL, INSTINCT and ELEMENTARY; the popular comedy series THE NEIGHBORHOOD; MAN WITH A PLAN; FAM; CHARMED, DYNASTY and IN THE DARK for The CW; the summer action-adventure series BLOOD & TREASURE; and "BH90210" for FOX.
The Studio also produces the Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show THE TALK, as well as the Emmy Award-nominated late night series THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT and THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN. For CBS All Access, the Studio produces THE GOOD FIGHT; STRANGE ANGEL; the streaming service's first comedy series, NO ACTIVITY; WHY WOMEN KILL; INTERROGATION; THE TWILIGHT ZONE; and the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel, THE STAND. Additionally, as part of the expansion of the "Star Trek" universe, the Studio produces STAR TREK: PICARD featuring Sir Patrick Stewart reprising the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, which marked CBS All Access' foray into the animation landscape, as well as the untitled "Star Trek" animated series for Nickelodeon. The Studio's programming also includes series based on popular, viral segments from THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN, "Carpool Karaoke" for Apple Music and "Drop the Mic" for TBS, as well as "Dead to Me," "Insatiable" and "Unbelievable" for Netflix. Additionally, the Studio produces the comedy anthology series "The Guest Book" for TBS; OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT and YOUR HONOR for SHOWTIME; DIARY OF A FEMALE PRESIDENT for Disney+; as well as "A Higher Loyalty," a miniseries based on former FBI Director James Comey's memoir.
###
Update (5/23) - In an interview TheHDRoom, the Hageman Brothers revealed how they came to be involved with Nickelodeon's new Star Trek project!:
Your Nickelodeon Star Trek animated project is a return to your roots in a sense. Was this something that fell in your lap or did you actively seek the job out?
They pursued us, and we’re glad they did, because it’s quickly turning into our favorite project.
How would you compare the target age and tone of the Star Trek project to Ninjago, or is it still to early to share that information?
Our aim for all of our projects is that this is a show that the whole family can enjoy.
Star Trek was a massively passionate fan base like Ninjago. You must feel well-equipped to accept any praise or criticism with Star Trek from your Ninjago days experience.
Haha, yes. That thought did come across our minds.
Will you continue to regularly interact with Star Trek fans on social media like you have with Ninjago fans over the years?
We love interacting with fans. Star Trek is a little more or a guarded IP, so we’ll have to police ourselves more. Tommy [Andreasen] wouldn’t last a day keeping all those secrets.
###
Update (6/18) - Alex Kurtzman, the co-creator of Star Trek: Discovery, has given fans an update about Nickelodeon's currently untitled upcoming Star Trek series during the latest episode of Deadline's Crew Call podcast, including that the show has just completed its first storyboards!
During the interview, Kurtzman said: "I won’t announce the name of the Nickelodeon show, but that’s a really different show [from Lower Decks].
That’s a show that’s for kids, younger. Full CG animation. It’s going to be incredibly cinematic. We just started seeing [story]boards this week. It looks like, wow. It’s on par with Love, Death, and Robots in terms of beauty and lighting and cinema, so it’s a a really different feel, and Nickelodeon has been wildly supportive and I think very excited to bring a new energy to TV, you know, in animation."
Kurtzman also revealed that the new show is targeting a much younger age bracket, which he says you have Star Wars to thank for. In general, audiences for Star Trek develop as young as 9-12 years of age, but the Star Wars franchise is accessible to much younger viewers. Kurtzman said that at age four, he could picture himself "staring up at the twin suns of Tattooine" and now he wants to make Star Trek palatable for younger generations.
Update - 6/21: One question that a number of fans have been wondering is if the show will feature familiar Star Trek voices. Kurtzman makes it very clear that unlike Star Trek: The Animated Series which saw most of the original crew reprise their roles. These two animated shows are going in a different direction. But he does leave a bit of hope out there.
“It’s mostly new. There may be some that you know, but it’s mostly new.
Animation is in an incredible, glorious renaissance right now. Between [Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse] which just blew everything open and everything Pixar’s been doing for so very long, I think what I’m excited about in the world of animation is to try all these different things to see what feels ‘Trek.’”
From ComicBook:
Star Trek Head Thinks Franchise Needs to Try to Court Younger Fans
With Star Trek: Discovery several seasons in and a slew of other television projects in the works, the Star Trek franchise is on the cusp of a pretty interesting era. According to Alex Kurtzman, who is currently overseeing the franchise, the goal is to attract some younger fans to boldly go where no one has gone before. In a recent interview with Deadline's Crew Call podcast, Kurtzman spoke about his five-to-ten year plan for Trek, and how getting younger viewers could be a part of that.
"I went to CBS and I said, 'I think you have a universe here that is very under-utilized, and a fan base that I think is hungry for a lot more.'" Kurtzman revealed. "And I walked them through the plan of what I saw for the next five to ten years of Trek. Part of it was, kind of, premised on the idea that it was going to take time. What I said was, “Don’t expect us to put the first thing out, and suddenly, you know, you’re have 100 million new fans. That’s not gonna happen.” ‘Trek’ has been around for too long for that to happen — but but what we do have is new generations, and what I can tell you is that ‘Trek,’ in general, finds people when they’re about between nine and twelve."
"It’s never reached younger than that; it’s never tried to, and to me that’s a hugely missed opportunity, especially because what you’re really trying to do is influence hearts and minds with really positive messages — messages about who we can be as a species and as people and what our future is." Kurtzman added. "So why not start young, you know? And not for a cynical reason. Not because you know, hey, let some more toys, but because if you really want Star Trek to reach people, then you’ve got to start young."
"And this is where I guess the ‘Star Wars’ influence on me really mattered, because as a kid at four years old, I could imagine myself starting up with a twin suns of Tattooine and wondering what my life was." Kurtzman continued. "‘Trek’ didn’t give me that same thing — it gave me Wesley Crusher, it gave me different characters, but again, those are older characters. But we are definitely seeing just metric proof that the fan base is growing, and it’s growing younger — and yet, we’re keeping our current fans, and that’s great."
With an all-ages Trek animated series in the works at Nickelodeon, it will certainly be interesting to see if and how the franchise gets embraced by a new crop of fans.
What do you think of Kurtzman wanting Trek to be embraced by younger fans? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
###
Longtime Star Trek writer David Mack has revealed that he is consulting on a “classified” Star Trek project. Mack co-wrote the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes “Starship Down” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” He’s worked on many Star Trek novels, comics, and video games since then. Now he’s adding his voice to the burgeoning Star Trek television universe once again.
Mack revealed on Twitter that he is consulting on the upcoming animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks. He’s also consulting on a still-classified animated Star Trek project. He shared the news about his “dream job” with fans on Twitter.
“Now it can be told (because my agent secured me permission from the production company): I am excited to be working as a consultant on two new Star Trek animated TV series — Lower Decks, and another whose details remain classified,” Mack tweeted. “And that's all I can say about that. #DreamJob”
Fans already know about two animated Star Trek projects. The first is Lower Decks, aimed at older audiences. The second is the untitled animated series coming to Nickelodeon that is aimed at younger audiences. Much about the Nickelodeon project remains under wraps, but we do know the basic plot involves young people discovering an abandoned Starfleet starship and taking it out on adventures.
It is unclear whether Mack is referring to the untitled Nick show when he says he’s working on something classified, or if there’s a third animated show in the works. Kevin and Dan Hageman, the team that is developing the Nick series, chimed in with a animated GIF from a CBBC show suggesting Mack should be careful not to reveal too much. Fans will have to decide for themselves whether that indicates Mack’s involvement with the Nick show.
Alex Kurtzman, the producer in charge of the Star Trek Universe, recently offered an update on those Star Trek animated shows. "The Hageman brothers are doing [an animated] show for Nickelodeon, and that will be entirely different from Lower Decks," Kurtzman explained. "I won’t announce the name of the Nickelodeon show, but that’s a really different show. That’s a show that’s for kids, younger. Full CG animation. It’s going to be incredibly cinematic. We just started seeing [storyboards] this week. It looks like, wow. It’s on par with Love, Death, and Robots in terms of beauty and lighting and cinema, so it’s a really different feel, and Nickelodeon has been wildly supportive and I think very excited to bring a new energy to TV, you know, in animation."
While the timeframe for the Nick show’s debut is unclear, fans will get their first look at Star Trek: Lower Decks during the Star Trek Universe on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. Are you excited? Let us know in the comments.
More Nick: Nickelodeon and Imagine Kids+Family Developing Original Live-Action Space Series!
Via Business Wire; H/T: Anime Superhero Forum /@RoyalRubble, Variety; Additional sources: Dark Horizons, TrekMovie.com (II), SYFY WIRE, Den of Geek, ComicBook.
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