For decades, Hollywood has been rebooting recognizable film franchises, hoping to inject fresh life into established properties by introducing them to a new audience. In addition to the obvious financial reasons for these types of projects, there are also opportunities to do interesting things creatively. Some franchises have been around for so long that they feature fully fleshed out universes and mythologies, allowing filmmakers to tell a variety of stories that differ in style and tone. The object of any reboot is to make the IP feel fresh and exciting, and one of the most successful efforts on that front launched nearly two decades ago.
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On May 8, 2009, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek debuted in theaters. The film was the first new Star Trek movie in seven years, hitting the reset button after the disappointment of 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. Serving as a gateway for the next generation of Star Trek fans, Abrams’ film was one of the most notable hits of 2009, although now the franchise is once again facing an uncertain future.
Why 2009’s Star Trek Was a Successful Reboot
When Paramount greenlit a Star Trek reboot helmed by J.J. Abrams (who had just helmed Mission: Impossible III for the studio), the hope was that it would be a critical and commercial success. That’s exactly what happened; Star Trek earned a sterling 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest in franchise history. And at the time of its release, it was also the highest-grossing Star Trek movie of all time, grossing $385.6 million worldwide. That figure seems low when compared to other major Hollywood properties, but it was still an impressive showing for this particular no franchise. No previous Star Trek movie had even come close to $200 million globally, meaning it had a more niche appeal up until this point.
The main reason why Star Trek clicked with general audiences was Abrams’ trademark kinetic sense of energy, which revitalized the IP with some much-needed fresh blood. His approach was more reminiscent of Star Wars than classic Trek (a harbinger of things to come). Some die-hard Trekkies weren’t completely onboard with that direction, but it was just what the franchise needed. Star Trek plays as a fast-paced space adventure that features plenty of action, leaving viewers sitting on the edge of their seats for the duration of the run time. It was the perfect summer blockbuster.
Abrams has a reputation of playing it safe, but Star Trek boldly took some chances that paid off. For starters, recasting the original Enterprise crew with a new ensemble of actors was an incredibly tall task, but it’s one Abrams and Co. knocked out of the park. The Kelvin Timeline cast was a highlight of Star Trek and its sequels; each actor perfectly toed the line of making their role their own while still honoring what came before, and they all had impeccable chemistry with each other. Additionally, it was risky for Star Trek to run with the angle of an alternate reality that wasn’t connected to the Prime universe, but that was another stroke of genius. It gave the filmmakers a clean slate to work with, meaning Star Trek could be accessible to both long-time fans and newcomers just learning about Starfleet.
Star Trek really arrived at the ideal time. In May 2009, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still in its infancy and years away from becoming the pop culture juggernaut fans know today. The Star Wars prequel trilogy had long been concluded, and people were under the impression that there wouldn’t be any new films set in the galaxy far, far away. So, there was a clear void in the marketplace for Star Trek to take advantage of. It’s hard to envision Star Trek being nearly as successful without its high level of quality, but its release window was definitely a contributing factor. It didn’t face much competition because the blockbuster landscape was so different back then.
Despite Kelvin Timeline Success, Star Trek Faces an Uncertain Future
Star Trek gave the iconic sci-fi franchise a shot in the arm, but the forward momentum unfortunately wasn’t destined to last. Sequel Star Trek Into Darkness made more money at the box office ($467.3 million), though it proved to be divisive due to its Wrath of Khan callbacks. 2016’s Star Trek Beyond was considered a fitting celebration for the franchise’s 50th anniversary, but it was the lowest-grossing entry of the Kelvin Timeline trilogy ($343.4 million), effectively ending the series after just three installments.
There were attempts to make a Star Trek 4 starring the Kelvin crew, but nothing came to fruition on that front. By the time Beyond came out, the Star Wars revival was in full swing and the MCU was generating excitement as it built to Avengers: Infinity War. Star Trek went from filling a void to being overshadowed in a span of seven years. After years of development, Paramount decided to pull the plug on Star Trek 4, feeling it was better to once again take things in a fresh direction with another reboot. The talented duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have been hired to direct, but no release date has been set.
In the wake of the Paramount/Skydance merger becoming official, it was reported that Star Trek is a “top priority” for the studio. The plan is for Paramount to lean on its well-known franchises to support its film slate, so Star Trek fans have reason to be optimistic that this new film will hit theaters at some point (hopefully in the not-too-distant future). However, there’s still plenty of work to be done during pre-production (nothing is guaranteed until cameras are rolling), and there’s no telling what shape this new movie will take. Goldstein and Daley’s Star Trek has the challenge of reviving the franchise once again.
2009’s Star Trek had a novelty to it because it was the first time the IP had been rebooted in that way. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s still an appetite for the Enterprise now. Goldstein and Daley made a name for themselves with inventive studio films like Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, but the latter underwhelmed at the box office and never received a sequel. Star Trek is also facing questions on the TV side of things; for the first time in about a decade, no new TV shows have been announced or are in production, and it remains to be seen what happens there. Some Star Trek fans are actually hoping the franchise takes an extended break for now, indicating fatigue might have settled in. It’s an unfortunate situation because it wasn’t that long ago when Star Trek was at the top of the blockbuster world.
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