SDCC 2018: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Co-Creator Alex Kurtzman Announces New Miniseries ‘Star Trek: Short Treks’
After last year’s success with Star Trek: Discovery, show co-creator, and executive producer Alex Kurtzman announced that, once again, he is taking the franchise to places it’s never been before. At the series’ San Diego Comic-Con panel, in addition to providing a first look at the upcoming Discovery season, Kurtzman revealed that four new stand-alone short format episodes of the series are in the works.
Dubbed Star Trek: Short Treks, the four episodes will be released on a monthly basis starting this fall. They will be stand-alone stories each with a run time of approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The hopes behind Short Treks is that these short stories will provide an opportunity for viewers to get a deeper understanding of key characters from Star Trek: Discovery as well as the expanding Star Trek universe as a whole.
According to a press release from CBS All Access, “Rainn Wilson will return to play Harry Mudd in a short he will also direct, and Aldis Hodge will star in another as Craft, a man who finds himself the only human on board a deserted ship. Additional episodes include a deep dive into Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory as the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, and Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) journey aboard the U.S.S. Discovery and her friendship with an unlikely partner.”
Kurtzman is excited to bring new stories to viewers in this short-form format. He said:
[row]“There is no shortage of compelling stories to tell in the Star Trek universe that inspire, entertain, and either challenge our preconceived ideas or affirm long-held beliefs, and we are excited to broaden the universe already with Short Treks. Each episode will deliver closed-ended stories while revealing clues about what’s to come on in future Star Trek: Discovery episodes. They’ll also introduce audiences to new characters who may inhabit the larger world of Star Trek.”[/row]
The panel was moderated by comedian Tig Notaro who will also be guest starring as Chief Engineer Reno in the upcoming season. In addition to Kurtzman, the panel also included cast members Sonequa Martin-Green (Commander Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Commander Saru), Shazad Latif (Lt. Ash Tyler), Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly), Anthony Rapp (Lt. Commander Paul Stamets), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), Mary Chieffo (L’Rell) and Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike). They were joined by executive producer Heather Kadin.
What do you think about the new upcoming Star Trek: Short Treks? Are you looking forward to diving deeper into the stories of some of your favorite characters from Star Trek: Discovery? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
