Amazon scored a big win this week when it announced it has secured exclusive global streaming rights to the upcoming untitled “Jean-Luc Picard” Star Trek spin-off series. The series, which stars Sir Patrick Stewart as Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard, has been highly anticipated since first being announced last year. In the US and Canada, it will only be available on CBS All-Access. The deal with Amazon covers more than two-hundred countries outside of that.
CBS’ last Star Trek series, Star Trek: Discovery was available globally on Netflix. This change of streaming partners is sure to be seen as a victory for Amazon. This is also a win for CBS. Their previous deal with Netflix covered at least a large part of the production costs of Discovery, it can be assumed this is a similar situation.
As for details on the new series itself. It is still untitled and is being produced by CBS TV Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. In addition to Sir Patrick Stewart, it will star Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Michelle Hurd (Blindspot) and newcomer Evan Evagora.
Hanelle Culpepper is set to direct the first two episodes This will make her the first woman to direct a pilot episode of a Star Trek series in the franchise’s 53-year history. Some of the other names attached to the project include executive produces Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth, with Aaron Baiers as co-executive producer.
“There’s only one word that can begin to describe Sir Patrick Stewart as Starship Commander Jean-Luc Picard, and that’s ‘legendary. We are thrilled beyond measure to have him back in command, bringing the optimistic messages of Star Trek to audiences around the world.” Alex Kurtzman
“We’re thrilled to partner with CBS to bring the newest edition of the storied Star Trek franchise to our international Amazon Prime Video customers. With the incredible Sir Patrick Stewart returning as the beloved Jean-Luc Picard, we’re excited we can give ‘Trek’ fans both old and new the opportunity to see him back in action. It’s a terrific addition to our already robust catalog of exclusive Amazon Prime Video content.” Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Licensing for Amazon Prime Video.
“For 50 years, the Star Trek series have been a global sensation, spanning generations and audiences of all ages. It’s an honor to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back for what is sure to be another world-class extension of the historic franchise. We look forward to working with the team at Amazon Prime Video to bring this next chapter of the incredible Star Trek franchise to its passionate international fan base.” Armando Nuñez, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Global Distribution Group.