Alex Kurtzman developing several new Star Trek TV shows

The Star Trek TV universe is getting ready to expand.

Star Trek: Discovery‘s newly appointed showrunner Alex Kurtzman has made a five-year deal with CBS Television Studios that includes “expanding the Star Trek franchise for television.”

CBS Television Studios declined to confirm any specific projects, but we hear there are three different Trek concepts currently in development. THR adds that one project might have Patrick Stewart reprising his Star Trek: The Next Generation role as Capt. Picard, though that deal is far from done.

“CBS has also allowed us the great pleasure of reintroducing the world of Star Trek audiences new and old, and we are very excited to keep working alongside them to expand that world,” Kurtzman said in a statement.

Star Trek: Discovery is currently in production on season two for CBS All Access, with Kurtzman tapped to direct the premiere. The show is expected to pick up where season 1 left off, with the USS Discovery crew answering a distress call from the legendary USS Enterprise helmed by Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), who commanded the ship before James T. Kirk.

Kurtzman recently took over the captain’s chair on Star Trek: Discovery after Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg were reportedly fired following budgetary concerns and reports of staff mistreatment. The move, in turn, followed the ouster of original showrunner Bryan Fuller who originally pitched the company on “platforming a universe of Trek shows.” Kurtzman’s producing credits include the J.J. Abrams-led Star Trek films and numerous genre titles such as Fringe, Now You See Me and Sleepy Hollow.

“There is a very short list of writer-producer-directors that every film and television studio wants to be associated with, and Alex and his Secret Hideout team are always at the top,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. “His talent, taste and ability to shepherd a successful project is unparalleled. Alex has done remarkable work for our Studio, dating back seven years to the launch of Hawaii Five-0.“