“Star Trek” — now for kids too! Nickelodeon and CBS Television Studios are in negotiations for an animated “Star Trek” series from “Trollhunters” and “LEGO Ninjago” writers Kevin and Dan Hageman.
Even though the project in development is being overseen under Alex Kurtzman’s watchful eye, this will be the first of these new “Star Trek” TV projects not intended for CBS All Access. The series, targeted towards younger audiences, will be a major tentpole series for Nickelodeon, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told us.
The Nick cartoon will piggyback “Star Trek Discovery,” “Picard” (working title), the Michelle Yeoh-led “Discovery” spinoff “Section 31,” and animated series “Lower Decks” from Mike McMahan of “Rick & Morty.”
McMahan’s targets more mature audiences.
About two weeks ago, Kurtzman talked both “Discovery” and “Picard” at the Television Critics Association press tour. As for the Patrick Stewart-led series, the current king of the Trekkies said that one will take place “20-plus years” after “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“The question becomes: What has happened to [Picard] in that period of time? Have there been occurrences that force him to reckon with choices that he’s made in his life?” Kurtzman said. “How do you hold on to being the person that everybody loved, when the circumstances around you may have changed so radically? Those are the big questions that we’re asking.”
Read more from Kurtzman here.
Tim Baysinger contributed to this story.