We’ve got Discovery season 3 on the way and a brand new show in the form of Strange New Worlds in the works, but the sad truth is that CBS can’t go forward with its ambitious plans to expand the Star Trek universe until the entertainment industry resumes following the COVID-19 outbreak. We had guessed this before, but now we’ve had it confirmed that Star Trek: Picard was supposed to enter production on its second season soon, but that’s unfortunately been put on hold.
While speaking to Collider, exec producer Akiva Goldsman revealed that Picard season 2 was supposed to start next month, but he makes clear that there’s no chance of it going ahead on time with the world as it is. This is obviously frustrating for those working on the show – as pre-production has had to be halted, too – but on the upside, Goldsman promises this will be the first Trek project in front of cameras once things get going again.
“We were to start shooting in June, which I guarantee you we will not unless the world opens tomorrow. We had broken the season, we were about halfway through the writing of it. You know, we will start as soon as we can once the world opens, you know? Prep will have to resume, and then we’ll start. We know what it is, and it’s cool. And we’re excited by it, and I feel like we learned a lot from season one. It’s… of the things I have in my life it is the one that is most imminent when the world opens. It’s the one that feels like that’s the thing, at least in my life, that’s going to come back fastest.”
The season 1 finale saw some big changes for both the series’ title character and the general status quo. The ban on Synths has been lifted, which makes the galaxy a brighter place again. Seven of Nine has joined the crew of La Sirena as well, and may be starting a romance with Raffi. And, most importantly, Picard has been reborn in an android body. Sir Patrick Stewart has teased that the consequences of this will be explored in season 2.
Stewart has also revealed that it doesn’t sound like the writers will adjust their plans to reflect the coronavirus pandemic, as the star believes this would be in poor taste. Nonetheless, there will still be “startling events” to come in Picard‘s sophomore run, according to the actor.
It’s all up in the air right now, but if Star Trek: Picard is first up once filming resumes, then it should be with us sometime in 2021. Watch this space for more.