It’s really happening. Patrick Stewart is returning to the Star Trek franchise as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and not for a guest role on Star Trek: Discovery, but as the star of a brand new series!
The 78-year-old actor has signed on for a new series that will air on CBS All Access. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new show will not serve as a reboot of The Next Generation, but rather an entirely new series dedicated to exploring what happens to Picard after his run as Captain of the Enterprise. Alex Kurtzman, who is the showrunner for Discovery and is leading development on numerous future Star Trek series for CBS All Access, is one of the new series’ executive producers, along with Stewart, James Duff, Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Heather Kadin, Trevor Roth, and the son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Rod Roddenberry.
“With overwhelming joy, it’s a privilege to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back to the Star Trek fold. For over 20 years, fans have hoped for the return of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and that day is finally here. We can’t wait to forge new ground, surprise people, and honor generations both new and old,” Kurtzman said in a statement to THR.
Stewart himself made the announcement during a surprise appearance at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas on Aug 4, where he said he was “excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions within him.” You can check out Stewart making his announcement below to a very enthusiastic audience.
The series will air on CBS All Access, but that’s about all we know about it at this time. Its title, plot line, episode count, and air date are all being kept under wraps for the time being, but the important thing to take away from all of this is that Captain Jean-Luc Picard is back!
