‘Star Trek’: New Animated Series Featuring ‘Lawless Teens’ Will Boldly Go to Nickelodeon

Hanh Nguyen

Don’t expect a formal captain’s log for the newest “Star Trek” series announced Wednesday by Nickelodeon and CBS Television. A new animated series will explore Starfleet from unexpected quarters thanks to CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment.

Siblings Kevin and Dan Hageman are developing a new “Star Trek” animated series, which will usher in a new generation of younger viewers to the franchise. Debuting exclusively on Nickelodeon, the series will feature CG animation and follow the adventures of a group of “lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship.” Faced with such temptation, these young rebels will use the ship and along the way, learn life lessons and search for meaning and salvation.

“‘Star Trek’s’ mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that’s never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing ‘Trek’ to a younger generation around the world.”

“‘Star Trek,’ Nickelodeon, and the state of animation are doing incredibly ambitious things as of late. We couldn’t be more excited to jump aboard,” said the Hagemans.

Brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman have won an Emmy for their Netflix series “Trollhunters.” They’re also co-created “The LEGO Movie,” wrote and executive produced “LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” and developed the theatrical “The Lego Ninjago Movie.”

“Star Trek” has flirted with an animated series (pictured above) before that ran from 1973-1974. Despite its short run, it added to the franchise’s rich canon.  Another series is already in the works, the animated comedy series “Lower Decks” from Kurtzman and Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”), along with two more animated “Short Trek” installments.

Beyond the animated projects, the “Star Trek” universe is rapidly expanding. Currently, CBS All Access is airing “Star Trek: Discovery” starring Sonequa Martin-Green. A series starring Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard has at least one script finished. Also, “Discovery” writers Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt will write and act as showrunners for the highly anticipated Section 31 spinoff starring Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role as Mirror Universe Philippa Georgiou.

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