Star Trek Trashed by "Project Hail Mary" Author Who Had Pitch Rejected

Posted in: Amazon MGM Studios, Movies, Paramount+, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: Project Hail Mary, star trek

Star Trek Trashed by "Project Hail Mary" Author Who Had Pitch Rejected

Referring to most modern Star Trek shows as "s**t," Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir shared how he pitched a series idea that was rejected.

Published Sun, 29 Mar 2026 07:37:07 -0500
by Tom Chang
|
Comments

Author Andy Weir has built his own sci-fi empire thanks to the success of works like The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both of which have been adapted to theatrical films. The latter by Amazon MGM Studios from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with the screenplay by Drew Goddard, starring Ryan Gosling. Appearing on the Critical Drinker Podcast, Weir spoke to host Matthew Marsden about one of his influences in Star Trek, how little he thinks of the current Paramount+ regime fronted by Alex Kurtzman, the pitch he attempted at Paramount for a project that was rejected, and what he would change about the franchise.

Project Hail Mary Author Andy Weir Casts Shade on Some Current Star Trek Shows, Reveals Failed Pitch to Paramount

After complimenting Project Hail Mary for its box office performance, Mardsen commented on how it was refreshing for sci-fi audiences who grew up on Star Trek while criticizing other current contemporary efforts. "Yeah, I saw a … I forgot who it was — I wish I could remember who it was who said it, some analyst — he said something like: 'All modern science fiction TV shows and movies have been heavily influenced by the original Star Trek — except for the current batch of Star Trek shows,'" Weir said. "I'm Gen X, so my sci-fi was like original series Star Trek reruns and Lost in Space reruns. And there wasn't really much in the way of [new] sci-fi that was airing — where people are off in space doing cool things — until we got to [Star Trek: The Next Generation]."

After Marsden suggested de-canonizing every project since Enterprise, as both celebrated Starfleet Academy's cancellation, Weir defended some of the Paramount+ content, "Okay, you're a little more severe than I am. I'll give you my opinion, and I'm just a consumer," he started. "I like Strange New Worlds. I think it's pretty good. I didn't hate Enterprise. I thought it was kind of weird. Lower Decks, I thought, was entertaining and fun. All the others, they can go."

The author then revealed his series pitch, "And here's another thing: I pitched a Star Trek show to Paramount, and I was in Zoom with the showrunners with all the shows and spent a lot of time talking to [executive producer Alex Kurtzman]. I don't like a lot of the new Trek. He, as a person, is a really nice guy. But at the same time, those shows are shit. He is a nice guy. But they didn't accept my pitch so, you know, fuck 'em." For more, you can check out the interview.

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!