Justin Simien, the writer-director behind Dear White People (both the film and the Netflix series), and Tawny Newsome, one of the voice actors in Star Trek: Lower Decks, are developing a new Star Trek series for Paramount+ .
The announcement was made during the Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con by Simien (pictured, left), who moderated, and Newsome (pictured, right), who was on stage.
The new series is intended to be an action-comedy series that, according to Paramount, revolves around Federation outsiders serving on a shiny vacation planet. Moreover, their daily adventures are broadcast to all corners.
Sources have said that the series could have the tone of The Office or Parks and Recreation.
Simien said that watching Star Trek: The Next Generation was a major influence on his writing in his formative years. “Dear White People couldn't exist without Next Generation,” he said, adding that the '80s series taught him about ensembles and having different points of view for characters.
Alex Kurtzman said Newsome became a writer for the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series and impressed him so much that he liked the series the two were writing. “She's a stone-cold killer of a writer,” he said.
Simien, Newsome and Star Trek franchise king Kurtzman will write and executive produce the series. Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth also produce. CBS Studios produces the series.
When released, the series will join a roster of live-action and animated series that also includes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks and the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Simien gained attention with his racial satire Dear White People, which proved to be a hit on the festival circuit. The film was later adapted into a television series that ran on Netflix for four years. He also wrote and directed the 2020 horror-comedy Bad Hair and 2023's Haunted Mansion.
Newsome is an actor-comedian who appeared in the IFC comedy Brockmire and in Netflix's high-profile but short-lived comedy series Space Force. In Star Trek: Lower Decks she is the voice of Ensign Beckett Mariner, one of the main characters.
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