When is the Star Trek Starfleet Academy release date? A brand new Star Trek series is coming and we're just as excited about it as you are. Especially since we know that this new story will have all the sci-fi adventure we love, but with a coming-of-age twist.
Star Trek is in a pretty good place right now. New Star Trek movies are in development (though Star Trek 4 is still stuck in the mud), and the Star Trek timeline is set to expand with upcoming projects, like Star Trek Legacy and Star Trek Lower Decks season 4, on the way. But we're also about to be introduced to a whole new bunch of what could be the best Star Trek characters, and this time, they're teens. Here's what we know about Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek Starfleet Academy release date speculation
Starfleet Academy is likely to hit screens in 2025, despite originally being scheduled for Spring 2024.
The 2024 release date was announced before the industry strikes hit so, naturally, things were put on hold when WGA and SAG-AFTRA formed their picket lines. Of course, the latter is still ongoing, but the writers are officially back at work and already penning what is no doubt set to be one of the best sci-fi series in Paramount Plus' collection.
"So we are back in the writers room. We are officially going to start shooting next year," said Alex Kurtzman, the head honcho of Paramount's Star Trek division at New York Comic Con in October 2023. "We had so much joy just getting each other through the strike, staying connected, and driven, and coming back into the room and working was so wonderful. We just came back this week as a matter of fact."
If they're shooting across 2024, then it would stand to reason that an early 2025 release date is on the cards, or even a late 2024 slot if we're very lucky.
Star Trek Starfleet Academy cast speculation
We think Starfleet Academy will consist of an entirely fresh Star Trek cast since the setting calls for younger actors.
Officially, nobody's been announced just yet. With so much still unknown about the series, speculation about who might be in the Star Trek Starfleet Academy cast list is pretty difficult, too. But that won't stop us from trying!
The new Star Trek series seems like it may be set in the post-Discovery part of the timeline (more on that later), so this means we could see some returning faces, potentially as lecturers to the new crop of Starfleet Academy students. One name that stands out is Mary Wiseman's Sylvia Tilly. We can very easily imagine her training up young Starfleet cadets.
Speaking of the cadets, the Star Trek Starfleet Academy cast will likely primarily consist of young actors in these roles. These will be the main characters in the show, and we currently have a completely blank slate. As Star Trek Starfleet Academy begins production, we should get the first names of the cast coming through.
On the creative side, Lower Decks' Tawny Newsome will actually be working as a writer for Starfleet Academy, so at least we know that someone with immense Trekkie expertise will be leading the ranks!
What's Star Trek Starfleet Academy about?
The Star Trek Starfleet Academy plot will focus on a group of cadets and their adventures as they come of age while at the famous Starfleet Academy.
No specifics have been confirmed, however, but the most interesting aspect of the potential plot comes from the statement that was released as part of the announcement for the series.
Part of this statement (which can be found in its entirety on StarTrek.com) reads: "For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years." The fact that Starfleet Academy has been closed for a century suggests that the show will take place in the 32nd century as Starfleet and the Federation are beginning to recover following The Burn.
Thanks to Alex Kurtzman, we also know that Starfleet Academy will put its students to the test, and will see the younger generation taking on the oh-so-important responsibility that Starfleet holds.
"I think fans were waiting over 60 years to go inside the chocolate factory and see what's like in there," he said. "And when you're in Starfleet Academy, you're not yet on a ship proper. And so you get to make mistakes, and you get to learn who you are, and figure all that out. I think that this idea that the generation is inheriting – I look at my son and we look at kids now, they're inheriting all these massive, massive challenges. Then the question becomes how do you hold on and rebuild all the hope?"
Is there a Star Trek Starfleet Academy trailer?
As we're still a year away from the beginning of production, it's unlikely that a trailer for the show will be released before late 2024.
We'll be sure and keep you updated with any trailers or teasers that come our way. In the meantime, get those endorphins flowing by re-watching the Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 trailer below. You know you want to.
Where can I watch Star Trek Starfleet Academy?
Star Trek Starfleet Academy will be exclusive to streaming service Paramount Plus upon its release.
Paramount Plus is the exclusive home of the all-new Star Trek series and is also where you can watch Strange New Worlds, Picard, Discovery, Lower Decks, and classic Star Trek series like DS9, Voyager, and TNG.
How many Star Trek Starfleet Academy episodes will there be?
We estimate that there'll be ten episodes of Starfleet Academy since this seems to be the norm among other Star Trek series on Paramount Plus.
That's all we know on Star Trek Starfleet Academy for now. To keep up to date with all things Trek, check out our list of the best Star Trek starships and best Star Trek captains. We've also got a guide to Star Trek 4 if you want to keep an eye on that movie series.
You can also read our interview with Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn. Or, to shake things up, find out which Star Trek captains would have survived a zombie apocalypse, and take a look at our picks for the best TV series of all time.