Noah Hawley’s Canceled Star Trek Movie Would Have Featured A TNG Connection

If newcomers thought keeping track of literally decades of “Star Trek” lore was tough enough, then try falling down the rabbit hole of various projects and productions that never quite made it across the finish line. The franchise is littered with the remnants of movies and shows that, for one reason or another, ended up lost in development hell. Remember all that recent drama and controversy surrounding Quentin Tarantino’s script? For more of a deep-cut reference, Trekkies can point to that unmade Gene Roddenberry series tentatively titled “Phase II.” But with “Alien: Earth” currently tearing it up over at FX, it’s worth revisiting series creator Noah Hawley’s idea for a “Trek” movie that simply wasn’t to be.

Back when his “Alien” prequel series was just a hopeful pitch, the “Fargo” and “Legion” mastermind had his sights set on a much more hopeful and optimistic universe. His “Star Trek” film received all sorts of coverage picking apart what could’ve been back when it was in development, but very little information was actually reported on what it would’ve been about, how it would’ve connected to the J.J. Abrams movies (if at all), or even when it would’ve been set in the series timeline. All of that would ultimately be moot as Hawley and Paramount couldn’t quite push the project over the finish line, but we’re finally getting some answers to those pressing questions.

In a recent interview with Men’s Journal (via Gizmodo), Hawley finally shed further light on what his “Trek” feature would’ve been about — and it would’ve had something to do with the most popular android in all of “Trek,” Brent Spiner’s Data from “The Next Generation”:

“It was great. And we had sound stages in Australia. We were on the runway, and we were negotiating with actors. Mostly, what I can say is that it was a really hard loss because we got so close. It was an original story that was not Chris Pine-related, nor was it Captain Kirk-related. I guess the thing that might stick with people is that there was an unboxing of Data, the idea of the android. And that was to become an element in the films.”

“Star Trek” remains at a very fascinating crossroads, of sorts. While Paramount+ continues to be the place to be for all the streaming series, the recent cancellation of a number of shows (including “Lower Decks,” “Discovery,” and even “Strange New Worlds” when it wraps up its fifth season in the years ahead) has left the future somewhat in doubt. “Starfleet Academy” represents the biggest adventure arriving down the line, sure, but what else do Trekkies have to look forward to? It’s been almost a full decade since “Star Trek Beyond” hit theaters as the last theatrical movie, while “Section 31” was essentially dumped on streaming last year. In a sense, “Trek” has never been more successful or prolific than it has over the last several years … but, on the other hand, the lack of any new blockbuster movies comes across as an embarrassing shortcoming for the franchise.

Noah Hawley’s undeveloped movie represents one possible path that the franchise could’ve followed, and his allusion to “films,” plural, certainly suggests his plans were bigger and more expansive than we could’ve imagined. We know that some of the “actors” he referred to included two very recognizable names in Cate Blanchett and Rami Malek in undisclosed roles, at the very least. As for the tone, it apparently would’ve returned to the roots of the series as a more cerebral and thought-provoking piece of science fiction, as opposed to the run-and-gun, whizz-bang action that J.J. Abrams popularized with his two movies. But while name-dropping Data (of all characters) instantly makes everyone’s gears start spinning, it’s important to note that he seems to be suggesting a thematic connection, rather than an overt one to the actual character. Brent Spiner, of course, reprised his role along with many of his “The Next Generation” cast members in the final season of “Star Trek: Picard” … but who’s to say there isn’t more to discover when it comes to android lifeforms in a broader sense?

We’ll likely never get to see what Hawley would’ve envisioned for “Star Trek,” but we’re currently seeing some awfully similar material throughout the debut season of “Alien: Earth.” New episodes air on FX and Hulu every Tuesday.