Noah Hawley’s Star Trek Movie Would Have Featured Cate Blanchett & Rami Malek

Hawley noted on “Armchair Expert” that Hollywood is fickle, and that giant, solid, ambitious projects can indeed evaporate before your very eyes. Hawley has had a successful career creating the TV shows “Fargo” and “Legion,” but his success didn’t protect him from the “heartbreak” at the hands of the Hollywood machine. He then mentioned the collapse of his “Star Trek,” and flippantly revealed that he had two major stars attached, saying: 

“Yeah, I mean, I was going to make a Star Trek movie with Cate Blanchett and Rami Malek. Could have had that, America.” 

That was in February 2024, and it was the first time those actors had been mention in connection to a “Star Trek” project. Hawley offered no details whatsoever, though, as to what types of roles they had been in talks to play, what alien species they might have been, or even if they officially signed on or not. Hawley’s vision for a “Star Trek” story would have taken the action away from the familiar, and fans may speculate if that meant he would introduce a new starship, a new captain, or even a new timeline into the “Star Trek” mix. Because his script has remained secret, these details are still undiscovered. 

Hawley went on to note that he was hurt by the folding of “Star Trek,” but felt fortunate that he still had the success of “Fargo” to fall back on. “It can be very disconcerting and undermining of your sense of confidence, your sense of self,” he said. “What ‘Fargo’ has afforded me is a sense of arrival and security.” His “Trek” may have ended, but Hawley landed on his feet. 

Meanwhile, “Star Trek 4” has remained in flux. Matt Shakman was briefly attached to direct, but he also dropped out. As of this writing, the 14th “Star Trek” movie, “Section 31,” is scheduled to air on Paramount+ in the near future, while a mysterious “origin story” film is also in the works. “Star Trek 4” struggles eternally, but maybe the studio will listen to star Chris Pine’s idea about how to proceed.