Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have shared new details about the upcoming Star Trek film currently in development, revealing that the project draws inspiration from the Denzel Washington thrillers Training Day and Crimson Tide. The filmmakers aim to explore the institution of Starfleet by focusing on "bad apples" within its ranks, offering a fresh perspective on the long-running science fiction franchise.
Goldstein and Daley, known for co-directing Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Game Night, described their approach to the new Star Trek movie in an interview with Inverse. They indicated that the film would delve into the complexities of Starfleet as an institution, acknowledging that not all individuals within it are idealized. "I would say it’s really kind of a look at the institution of Starfleet and any institution as a whole that has existed for a long time and what that does," Daley explained. "I think the portrayal of Starfleet and the people that work within it have always been generally idealized versions of what the future could be. And while this [script] isn’t a cynical or nihilistic take on it, I think it does acknowledge that there are some bad apples in every institution that can have a strong voice and can really make an impact on that institution and everything it stands for."
Training Day, a 2001 crime thriller, features Ethan Hawke as a rookie LAPD narcotics officer mentored by a corrupt veteran detective played by Denzel Washington. Crimson Tide, a 1995 submarine thriller, also stars Washington as a U.S. Navy submarine captain involved in a tense standoff. The directors suggested that these films provide a thematic framework for examining internal conflicts within Starfleet.
The filmmakers emphasized that the new movie will feature entirely new characters, seeking to create a compelling story that can attract both existing fans and new audiences. "We don’t want to rely on fandom," Goldstein stated. "We don’t want to just hope that there’s enough fans of the original [TOS] or The Next Generation or whatever who will turn out for this. We want to just make a great movie that lives in the world that people are familiar with — some people are familiar with — and that others will discover."
Daley also noted that the film is intended to take place in "almost real time," offering a different narrative structure compared to previous Star Trek installments. This approach, combined with the focus on internal institutional dynamics, aims to present a fresh take on the franchise without compromising its core principles. The success of this film could be crucial for the future of Star Trek on the big screen, as other announced television series like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy are slated to conclude after their next seasons.