Official Star Trek Auction Marks Unofficial End to Current Trek Era

While not yet official, the announcement of 60th Anniversary Star Trek Universe Auction indicates the end has come for the current era of Star Trek which once that last seasons air will be from 2017 to 2027. The auction is an interesting one as its for charity, likely not include the most valuable items and requires winners to be a local Ontario, Canada resident. You can find the details here or here.

The key part is the auction occurring at all and will include elements from the current era of Star Trek which indicates these production elements are expected by Paramount to no longer be needed. Storage has a cost and this auction is likely the first of many to unload the collection of items created in the last ten years. Up to now the sets, props and costumes for most of the shows had been saved as may have needed for future productions. In addition the Star fleet Academy and Strange New Worlds sets have been struck down (unknown if destroyed) to free the studio filming space for other productions. Lastly, the contract with Alex Kurtzman who ran all of Trek TV these last 10 years, will expire this year and there are no indications of renewal.

When Paramount execs do mention the franchise, it is about the possibility of some future movie but not the TV side of the franchise. Again none of this is officially verified but its hard to ignore the signals that keep point in only one direction which is the franchise being put to pasture yet again for unknown period of time. The promise of a movie will continue as I am sure Paramount is as serious about that as they have been for the last 10 years but the reason a new movie never got made was budget. Post merger with WB, budget is going to be everything to Paramount as they attempt to shed an estimated $80 billion in debt. In short, it will be very surprising if a movie is released this decade. 

Paramount could surprise me and announce something soon but not holding my breath. I do think the franchise is important to them but also think their massive debt means they are laser focused on guaranteed high concept, high reward hits both for movies and TV. Star Trek has always been a slow burn of success and that is too slow for their massive debt load.