A Star Trek spinoff series centered on Starfleet Academy appears to officially be in the works for Paramount+, with Absentia co-creator Gaia Violo attached.
According to Deadline, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is currently in development at CBS Studios and Secret Hideout, the latter of which was founded by Star Trek franchise producer Alex Kurtzman and has an overall deal with CBS Studios through 2026. Sharing a title with a novel series, multiple comic book series and a 1997 FMV video game, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy "is set among the college of cadets mentored for leadership roles in the United Federation of Planets space force."
Deadline explains that the aforementioned Violo, co-creator of Prime Video's Absentia, is "currently working on a take for the project" and that Starfleet Academy "is believed to be next in the Star Trek development pipeline" behind the planned Michelle Yeoh-led spinoff Section 31, which is "expected to get a pickup soon." Apparently, Starfleet Academywill be pitched to Paramount+ in the near future, with the current plan being to get the ball rolling on the show within the next year.
A Star Trek series focusing on the fabled Starfleet Academy has long been rumored to be in the works. However, such a project actually being in development wasn't definitively confirmed until August 2021, when The New York Times revealed plans for a show "built around the Starfleet Academy" that would be "aimed at a younger audience."
During the recent Star Trek: Strange New Worlds panel, Kurtzman himself all but confirmed another show coming down the pipeline while speaking to Deadline, stating that "there is another one" besides Section 31, though opting to keep "tight lipped" on the details. "We have to think several years out," he said. "We're thinking about knowing we'll want new shows on the air two or three years from now so we have to start planning those now. There's a bunch of things in development now that are starting to take shape and we're super excited about it."
Paramount+'s Star Trek lineup is already fairly stacked at the moment. Star Trek: Discoveryis currently gearing up for the second half of Season 4, with a fifth season already confirmed. Coming hot off the heels of Discovery Season 4B is the premiere of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, which will itself be followed by the debut of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Picard and Strange New Worlds have already been renewed for Season 3 and Season 2, respectively.
The children's animated series Star Trek: Prodigy is currently in the midst of its first season, with a second on the way. Meanwhile, the adult animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks is slated to drop its third season on Paramount+ later this year, with a fourth season already confirmed.