Amazon Prime Video has taken the global rights to the forthcoming untitled Star Trek Jean-Luc Picard series. The SVOD will air the Sir Patrick Stewart-fronted series in more than 200 countries and territories outside of the U.S. and Canada.
The major deal, which was struck by CBS Studios International, comes as CBS All Access’ original Star Trek spin-off airs on Amazon rival Netflix.
The show will air on Amazon globally within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere. It will see Stewart reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: Next Generation, and will follow Picard in the next chapter of his life.
The deal is a boon for the CBS All Access series. Former CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves said that Netflix’s global deal for Star Trek: Discovery in 2016 meant that the show was “100% paid for” before it aired on CBS’ own SVOD service. “The back-end is becoming as big as the front end,” he told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference in September 2016.
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The new untitled Star Trek series, produced by CBS TV Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, will also star Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful), Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace), Santiago Cabrera (Salvation), Michelle Hurd (Blindspot) and newcomer Evan Evagora.
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The Picard Star Trek series is executive produced by Stewart, Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, with Aaron Baiers of Secret Hideout serving as co-executive producer.
Hanelle Culpepper will direct the first two episodes of the series, making her the first woman to direct a pilot or debut episode of a Starfleet series in the franchise’s 53-year history.
“There’s only one word that can begin to describe Sir Patrick Stewart as Starship Commander Jean-Luc Picard, and that’s ‘legendary,’” said Kurtzman. “We are thrilled beyond measure to have him back in command, bringing the optimistic messages of Star Trek to audiences around the world.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with CBS to bring the newest edition of the storied Star Trek franchise to our international Amazon Prime Video customers,” said Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Licensing for Amazon Prime Video. “With the incredible Sir Patrick Stewart returning as the beloved Jean-Luc Picard, we’re excited we can give ‘Trek’ fans both old and new the opportunity to see him back in action. It’s a terrific addition to our already robust catalog of exclusive Amazon Prime Video content.”
“For 50 years, the Star Trek series have been a global sensation, spanning generations and audiences of all ages. It’s an honor to welcome Sir Patrick Stewart back for what is sure to be another world-class extension of the historic franchise,” added Armando Nuñez, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We look forward to working with the team at Amazon Prime Video to bring this next chapter of the incredible Star Trek franchise to its passionate international fan base.”