'Star Trek' Turns 60 in Rome as Roth Admits Franchise Stands at 'Crossroads'

By Tom Whitfield

Nine hundred and thirty-four fans gathered in London on September 8 to set the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous Vulcan salute — the loudest moment of "Star Trek's" 60th-anniversary year, and, according to a top franchise executive, possibly the last hurrah before a major reset.

Trevor Roth, COO and president of development at Roddenberry Entertainment, told Rome's MIA Market on Wednesday that the property he helps steward is facing decisions it cannot postpone.

"Right now, 'Star Trek' is at a bit of a crossroads, with the end of the current series that are going on, with the fact that it's been a while since a movie has been out and with decisions needing to be made with what the franchise will be," Roth said in conversation with MIA's head of doc content, Marco Spagnoli, a self-avowed Trekkie.

What does the merger change for the franchise?

Roth pointed to corporate upheaval, not creative fatigue, as the destabilizing force.

"In addition to that, we've dealt with a lot of changes on the studio front. Skydance bought Paramount and has now bought Warner Bros., so that too as [raised] questions as to what the future of 'Star Trek' will look like," he said.

The numbers behind the unease are concrete. Paramount Skydance announced earlier this year that it is ending "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" — a series originally picked up at Paramount+ in 2023 — after its upcoming second season. "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" will return for its fifth and final season on the streamer next year. No film has reached theaters in years, though Paramount Skydance executives confirmed a forthcoming feature at CinemaCon this year.

A birthday year staged against a backdrop of uncertainty

The anniversary programming has been extensive:

• A limited U.S. theatrical release of 4K restorations of classic "Star Trek" films, paired with original series episodes
• A tribute to creator Gene Roddenberry on Hollywood's Walk of Fame
• Fan events, screenings and partnerships worldwide
• The September 8 London record attempt, timed to the exact premiere date of the original series in 1966

All of it has unfolded while the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger leaves unresolved questions about the vaults both studios control.

Roddenberry's answer: evolve, again

Roth insisted the company has a plan, though he named none of it. "We have very specific designs in our minds as to what 'Star Trek' will be in its next incarnations," he said, citing the franchise's television history — from the original series through "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager" and "Enterprise" — as proof of its capacity to change shape.

Roddenberry Entertainment, founded by Gene Roddenberry and now led by his son, CEO Rod Roddenberry, is also widening its slate beyond the family IP. Roth said the company is developing new "science-fiction, fantasy and genre entertainment…that are outside the world of 'Star Trek.'"

"One of the reasons we are here at MIA is to introduce ourselves to people around the world who we might want to work with," he added.

Spagnoli pressed him on whether a future installment might put an Italian captain at the helm of the Starship Enterprise. Roth declined to answer. The confidence, in other words, extends to the franchise's survival — not to any specific commitment.

"I think that it is a franchise that has been around for 60 years and will be around for 60 more," Roth said. "But I think that the next steps of what it looks like, and how it addresses all the things that 'Star Trek' needs to be, but in a new universe of economy, of consumers, of viewing habits and such — it will need to evolve, as it always has over the years."

The 12th edition of Rome's MIA Market runs October 19–23.