The Newest Star Trek Adaptation Has It's Director And It's A Fantastic Choice
EXCLUSIVE: After breathing new life into high-profile IP like the Spider-Man franchise and Dungeons & Dragons, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are looking to boldly go where no directors have gone before with a very popular franchise. Sources tell Deadline, the duo are coming on to write, produce and are attached to direct a new original Star Trek film for Paramount. They will produce under their GoldDay banner.
As of right now plot details are being kept under wraps but sources say Goldstein and Daley take is a completely new take in the Star Trek universe and is not connected to any previous or current television series, movie, or prior movie development projects. That pitch falls in line with Skydance founder David Ellison recent comments on an earning call where he said the next Star Trek film would not be a sequel in the Chris Pine led series but something different with new actors. While not confirmed sources also add its likely you will also see new characters being featured in this version.
This is, in my opinion, a fantastic choice.
Star Trek is obviously a massive property but it should be even bigger in my opinion. Especially on the big screen. There is a deep lore, lots of cool stories to tell and a pretty huge fanbase. But, unlike Star Wars, it never broke into that next level. And, as much as I liked some of the JJ Abrams ones, they're a mixed bag. A jumpstart was needed.
Goldstein and Daley have put together a really good filmography so far. They wrote 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (best of the Holland trilogy IMO). They also directed one of the better comedies of the last 10 years in 'Game Night' (low bar, I know) and made 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' which was a delight. The first and last entries here I think apply best here. What they did with Spider-Man showed me they can take an existing, highly beloved IP and put their own flavor on it while respecting the original. With D&D, they showed they can take a more niche IP and make it and make it accessible to mainstream audiences while also feeding hardcore fans the fan service they want.
A lot of directors have been floated around for Star trek over the years and this duo obviously isn't as exciting as the Tarantino version. But this, to me, is a good call.