After years in development, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has finally arrived with two stellar episodes introducing a bold new era of the franchise. Set in the 32nd century, the series follows a new group of cadets and their unconventional Captain/Chancellor (Holly Hunter) as they navigate space politics, college pranks, and coming-of-age growing pains at the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. I recently sat down with co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau to discuss the first two episodes of the series, which Kurtzman also happened to direct. During our conversation, Kurtzman and Landau spoke about bringing the series to life and why the Betazoids were the right species for the cadets’ first diplomatic mission. Kurtzman also spoke about which scenes in Episodes 1 and 2 were the most challenging to bring to life and why it felt right to add a layer of spice and romance into the series. Landau discussed how, after writing the role for Holly Hunter, the Academy Award-winning actress made it completely her own, and revealed the personal Easter egg she was able to add to the series. You can watch our interview in the player above or read the full transcript below.
‘Starfleet Academy’ Co-Showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau on Introducing a Bold New Era of Star Trek

“As soon as we got to the Betazoids, that’s where it really clicked in.”

Star Trek Starfleet AcademyImage via Paramount

COLLIDER: Alex, you directed the first two episodes, and you did such a wonderful job. They’re so cinematic, and they’re such a great introduction to the series. What was the most challenging sequence to bring to life in these first two? ALEX KURTZMAN: It’s a great question, Samantha. There were a couple of them, actually. The one that comes to mind right off the bat is in the second episode, just the choreography of when the Betazoids are there, and there’s the big cocktail party. Because if you notice the shot that starts with the doctor and then moves down from there to the floor, it’s a one-take shot that goes on for a long time and introduces a lot of people. So, getting the choreography of that right was challenging, but so fun to do. Everyone was so game. It was really fun. Action is always challenging, but I’ll tell you, the scenes on the bridge were very challenging to shoot in the pilot, but also very fun, because in order to give it that cinematic feeling that you’re talking about, I wanted to try and do longer takes where I could choreograph as much action as possible in one frame, which meant moving the camera to where the actors are moving, as opposed to doing it in cuts, which is my favorite kind of filmmaking. So, it always takes more time to choreograph those, but it’s so fun when it works. Speaking of the Betazoids, Deanna Troi is my favorite Star Trek character of all time, so I was thrilled when they were such a big part of the second episode, and that we have a Betazoid student. Can you talk a bit about choosing Betazed for the first diplomatic mission, so to speak? NOGA LANDAU: Absolutely. We knew that we wanted the second episode of the show to feel like almost a re-pilot, where we’re saying, “Okay, this is what an episode looks like of the show, where it’s more of your classic Trek moral dilemma, geopolitics, galactic politics, and it’s romantic also.” But we said to ourselves, wouldn’t it be interesting if there was a beloved species that exited the Federation? And so much has changed, and so much has happened to them, and now they would come back, and what would that look like? We tried, in the writers’ room, so many different species, but as soon as we got to the Betazoids, that’s where it really clicked in. That’s where we knew that we had to tell a story about Betazed. We realized the opportunity in having Betazoid students, and that’s where it all just started to come together.
‘Starfleet Academy’s Romance Arcs Allow for “Deeper and Richer Stories”

“If you’re going to do a show about a younger generation, to exclude the idea that they’re having sex is insanity to me.”

Tarima and Caleb sit on the floor and look at one another intimately in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.Image via Paramount+

Speaking of romantic, I love the romantic relationships that you have set up here, and I really appreciate that this show has a sexy element to it, both among the cadets and the professors. Can you talk a bit about adding that layer of spice to the series? KURTZMAN: Star Trek needs it. Why do we have to be excluded from that? Also, it feels like if you’re going to do a show about a younger generation, to exclude the idea that they’re having sex is insanity to me. So, I think we just went full in on it, and it also allows us to tell deeper and richer stories because it always, again, ties back to Star Trek core stuff. In the second episode, you’ve got Caleb, who kind of wants to leave but realizes, “Wait a minute. I’m actually having feelings for somebody who’s connected to a much larger thing, and I haven’t had to think about anybody but myself, but for the first time, I have to be selfless. I do want the Betazoids to come here because I want to see this girl again.” You know? So, it’s actually all tied together with plot in a way that feels very Trek. I love that so much. At Comic-Con, I believe you told Steve [Weintraub] that you wrote this role for Holly Hunter, and honestly, I can’t imagine anyone else playing Nahla. She’s so perfect in this role. I love that she’s Lanthanite. She’s not like any other captain. Once you get to set and she’s taken the role and you’re there, what’s something she did that surprised you and confirmed that she was the right choice? LANDAU: Honestly, Holly does surprising things every day. That’s why she’s Holly. The first time she sat in the captain’s chair, and she just curled up like a cat and put her feet up, we were like, “Okay, this is it. This is how a 400-year-old captain would sit in the captain’s chair. She has sat every single way you could possibly sit for 400 years, and this is what she’s landed on.” It all starts to make sense with her. But I think that’s what makes her special, is you never know what she’s going to do, and you never know what kind of idea she’s going to hook into and tell you something about the scene or the episode that you didn’t even know as the writer. 100%. I love her maternal relationship with Caleb and how it grounds the whole series. Can you tease how their connection will evolve through the season as they sort of fill a role of someone that they both lost? KURTZMAN: It’s a great question because obviously she lost a son, he lost a mother. They step into that place for each other in some ways, but that relationship will get tested. It’ll get tested a bunch of different ways, and ultimately, it will strengthen their connection to each other. But the fact is, she’s not his mother. His mother may still be out there, and what would happen if he were to find her? How would that change their relationship? Especially since she’s the one responsible for putting Anisha away.
Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau Reveal Their Favorite ‘Starfleet Academy’ Easter Eggs

“I also put my parents up on that wall, which meant a lot.”

Jay-Den, Darem, Sam, Genesis and Sam smiling and walking together in their Starfleet uniforms.Image via Paramount+

There were a number of times during all of these episodes where I morphed into the Leo pointing at the TV meme. I love the little mentions of Prodigy or the names on the honor wall. Do each of you have a favorite Easter egg that you slipped in? LANDAU: I’ll tell you what my favorite Easter egg is, and I think everybody’s favorite Easter egg at this point is Harry Kim finally being an admiral on the hero wall, speaking of the hero wall. I also put my parents up on that wall, which meant a lot. I snuck them in there. KURTZMAN: The atrium is the Sato Atrium.

LANDAU: Yeah, that’s a really good one. KURTZMAN: The pavilion is the Uhura Pavilion. There’s also the James T. Kirk wing. I mean, there you’ll see everything. I love that so much. Then, lastly, I know you guys have already been filming Season 2. Have you wrapped filming, or are you close? KURTZMAN: I’m about to go direct the finale, so, yeah, we’re close to being done. The first two episodes of Starfleet Academy are now streaming on Paramount+. Stay tuned at Collider for more interviews and updates.

Release Date

January 15, 2026

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau

Directors

Alex Kurtzman

Writers

Gaia Violo, Gene Roddenberry