Justin Simien, known for being at the helm of acclaimed films and shows like Dear White People and Haunted Mansion, has navigated plenty of unexpected twists and turns in his sci-fi career journey. From developing a highly anticipated Lando Calrissian series for Disney+ to now co-creating an untitled Star Trek comedy for Paramount+, the director is boldly going where few have gone before.
Simien shared the behind-the-scenes story of developing the scrapped Disney+ show centered on everyone’s favorite smuggler, Lando, played by Donald Glover in Solo. “We had a full bible, scripts, and concept art in place,” Simien revealed. However, the plug was pulled in favor of reimagining it as a feature film spearheaded by Glover and his brother. The director said learning about the series being shelved from “the trades” was when it truly hit him.
While this setback left Simien grieving the loss of a passion project, he’s bounced back in a major way. Announced at Comic-Con, the filmmaker is now co-creating a new Star Trek comedy series at Paramount+ with actress Tawny Newsome. Blending the iconic sci-fi setting with a sitcom format, very little is known about the untitled project, save for Newsome’s animated Star Trek: Lower Decks voice role credentials and her comedy chops from Space Force.
With a deft mix of humor, heart, and insider industry details, Simien reflected on the lessons of his Lando experience transitioning to the next chapter. “All that I learned creating the bible and developing the characters isn’t actually lost – it’s mine to take forward.” While Star Wars fans may be disappointed not to see Simien’s unique vision for Lando come to life, they can take solace knowing his talents will soon boldly go where many entertainers have gone before – into the final frontier of the Star Trek universe.
