Star Trek: Picard Prequel Novel and Comic Book Series in the Works

August 1, 2019

The Hollywood Reporter brings word that a Star Trek: Picard prequel novel and comic book series are currently in the works ahead of the show’s debut in 2020 on CBS All Access.

The prequel projects are meant to help fill the gap between the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis and the Picard series. CBS Consumer Products, IDW Publishing, and Simon & Schuster’s Galley Books are partnering on the projects.

“From the moment we announced this series we’ve seen a groundswell of support from our fan base who are thrilled to have Jean-Luc Picard back on their screens. Having this brand new original backstory play out through both comic book and novel formats will set the stage for the new series in an exciting way while also showcasing the work of our talented partners at Simon & Schuster and IDW,” said Veronica Hart, CBS Consumer products executive VP of global franchise management.

Star Trek: Picard – Countdown is a three-issue comic book series from IDW that will center around a single mission that changed the life of Picard. Written by Mike Johnson and Picard supervising producer Kirsten Beyer, the comic books will run from November to January 2020.

Galley Books will then release Una McCormack’s novel The Last Best Hope in February 2020. The story will lead directly into the Picard TV show, including introducing new characters that will appear in the series.

Star Trek: Picard will tell the next story of Picard’s life, taking place after Star Trek: Next Generation. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Star Trek: Discovery creator Alex Kurtzman revealed in March that it will be “a very different show from Discovery.” He also mentioned that the series will be a “very thoughtful, psychological portrait in a lot of ways… Things have changed for [Picard] and changed him in some ways, and yet he is so deeply and fundamentally still Picard.”

The cast also includes Santiago Cabrera (Big Little Lies), Michelle Hurd (Blindspot), Evan Evagora (Fantasy Island), Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Mr. Mercedes, Penny Dreadful), and Isa Briones (American Crime Story: Versace).