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Does Paramount know something about the Kelvin era of Star Trek films that they aren’t sharing?

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Does Paramount know something about the Kelvin era of Star Trek films that they aren't sharing?

As a lifelong Star Trek enthusiast who grew up watching the original series on VHS tapes (remember those?), it’s disheartening to see the current state of the Kelvin timeline films. The reboot trilogy, with its dynamic cast and thrilling storylines, was a breath of fresh air for fans like me. I still remember the excitement of seeing the first film in theaters, the anticipation building as we waited for each subsequent installment.

With each passing week, it appears increasingly uncertain that we’ll get another film in the Kelvin timeline series. Beginning in 2009, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana joined forces with a host of other talented actors to produce an exciting reimagining of Star Trek. Despite some elements showing their age, particularly those excessive lens flares, the film remains well-received by fans.

After the movies “Into Darkness” and “Beyond,” while they had their fair share of admirers, they weren’t as widely acclaimed as their predecessors. The dwindling profits for each subsequent film led to a decline in interest for the movie franchise. However, with the advent of CBS All-Access (now known as Paramount+), there was a shift from producing shorter films towards creating longer series. The reasoning behind this change is that viewers might be more likely to stay engaged for a 12-episode series compared to a single 90-minute film.

While it functioned fairly well for numerous individuals, it wasn’t sufficient to maintain the streaming platform on its own, given Star Trek’s status as CBS’s largest franchise. Currently, there are concerns about the platform being dismantled and sold off, which leaves uncertain the future of CBS and the home where it streams, considering the new ownership that is poised to take over.

The reason Paramount frequently lends out the first 10 Star Trek movies, ranging from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” to “Star Trek: Nemesis,” is due to a mix of their unpredictable nature on streaming platforms and the financial benefits they offer. It appears these films are taken off Paramount+ nearly every other month, allowing another streaming service to lease them in an effort to attract new subscribers.

Each occurrence seems to only affect a specific set of 10 movies, with Star Trek (2009), Into Darkness, and Beyond excluded. One might wonder why this is the case. Perhaps it’s because Paramount considers these other films part of a crucial franchise that they’re unwilling to jeopardize, as there’s always something new brewing for the fourth installment in development.

There might be a reason connected to Hollywood’s typical characteristics. It’s possible that the recent movies from Paramount aren’t attracting enough viewers to justify licensing them. The high price they’re asking for these films could be discouraging potential buyers from acquiring their distribution rights, or it may be that these new films are seen as inferior to their earlier counterparts in terms of popularity, making it risky for any service to consider distributing them.

If Paramount realizes that their streaming service is facing difficulties, which it apparently is, wouldn’t you consider any possible solution to generate revenue? That would involve licensing out their movies. However, if no one seems interested in licensing them, then it might suggest a problem with the demand for those specific films.

Which makes a fourth film all the more unlikely to happen.

A Q Rating, or Score, is used to gauge the likability and popularity of various entities such as brands, celebrities, and more. It’s conceivable, though not definitive, that the recent Star Trek movies might have a low Q Rating, which could account for why they continue to remain on their platform, even with the obvious need for fresh income sources for the platform itself and its celebrities.

As a dedicated gamer, I can share my speculation on why we haven’t seen a fourth installment of this franchise yet. From what I gather, if the theory holds true, it seems that the powers-that-be at Paramount might be hesitant due to concerns about the “tainted” nature of the series, for lack of a better term. If they believe that the new direction for the franchise isn’t appealing or successful, then there’s no incentive to invest in another film. It’s all just theory at this point, but if it’s accurate, it would explain why we haven’t seen any progress on a fourth movie in years.

Currently, there’s a possible explanation as to why a financially challenged streaming platform might not rent out those three movies for a significant profit.

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2024-10-20 01:23

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