Paramount has struggled to get a Star Trek film together since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond underperformed. Since then, the fourth (and likely final) Abramsverse film has been in development hell. As a result, it appears that the next Star Trek film will once again be an origin story. The reason for this is that it will give newcomers an entry point into the franchise that doesn’t require any prior knowledge. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of nearly 70 years of fans who are tired of seeing Star Trek in neutral.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , the next Star Trek film will be a prequel that will focus on humanity's first contact with aliens and how the Federation was formed. This origin story is rumored to take place primarily on Earth, and (as noted above) the studio sees it as an entry point for new fans.

If plans for this film succeed, it will be the fifth "entry point" in the franchise, joining:

Aside from The Original Series, which didn't have to worry about established canon, these series were touted as a way to introduce new fans to Star Trek without confusing them with decades of canon.