Jonathan Frakes Says New ‘Star Trek’ Series Is For Hardcore Fans
March 19, 2025
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Ever since “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” was announced, there’s been a sense of concern in the fandom that the upcoming series isn’t for them, that it’s teen romance and all the corniness that comes with it – “Riverdale” in space. But according to longtime “Star Trek” actor and director Jonathan Frakes, “Starfleet Academy” is being made for “the hardcore fans.”
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Collider’s Steve Weintraub hosted a “Star Trek” panel at the Indiana Comic Convention with Frakes and fellow “Star Trek: The Next Generation” alum Brent Spiner and Denise Crosby. With Frakes directing one or more of the episodes, he was in a position to dish on the new series, though he seemed particularly worried about avoiding spoilers.
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker in “Star Trek: Picard.” Jonathan Frakes as William Riker in “Star Trek: Picard.” Paramount
Asked whether “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is geared more toward younger viewers or longtime fans, Frakes responded, “Oh, it’s much more hardcore Star Trek fans. It’s, you know, it happens to be [at] Starfleet Academy, there are young people in it, but the movie stars run the— it’s a show about…” at this point, according to Collider, Frakes trailed off and got a little concerned about dropping spoilers.
The movie stars Frakes refers to are Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti. Hunter plays the captain and chancellor of the eponymous academy, while Giamatti plays a villain with some kind of dark connection to one of the cadets.
Whether or not it was a spoiler that he wasn’t supposed to talk about, Frakes also reveals – kind of like the Defiant of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” – the Starfleet Academy will come with its own starship.
“[Robert] Picardo’s in it, Tig Notaro’s in it … But it has the most massive set of any Star Trek ever. There’s also a spaceship on the show, which I think, I hope that’s not a f—ing secret. I have been known—I’ve had a bad experience with oversharing, and I hope that wasn’t an overshare, but it’s fabulous. The sets are great. The scripts are— they’re funny, which is always helpful on Star Trek.”
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is set in the 32nd century, a millennia later than most of the other series and movies. Frakes says the entire first season has been filmed and the series is expected to stream on Paramount+ either late this year or early 2026.
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