Captain Janeway is reporting for duty in ‘Prodigy,’ which bows next year on Nickelodeon.
Kate Mulgrew is heading back to the Star Trek universe. The actor will voice star in a new animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, reprising her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway.
The series, announced Thursday during New York Comic Con, follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation. The CG-animated series hails from Nickelodeon and CBS Studios, and is targeting 2021 premiere on Nickelodeon.
Mulgrew broke ground as the first woman to lead a Star Trek series with Voyager, which saw her play Captain Janeway from 1995-2001. She briefly appeared as the character on the big screen in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). In her post-Voyager years, she earned an Emmy nomination for Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and appeared on shows such as Mr. Mercedes.
“I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy,” Mulgrew said in a statement. “How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.”
Added executive producer Alex Kurtzman: “This captain was held to a different standard than their predecessors. This captain was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ to the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than this one.”
Kevin and Dan Hageman, known for their work on Croods: A New Age and LEGO Ninjago, serve as showrunners and executive producers.
Star Trek: Prodigy comes via CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers include Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Ben Hibon will direct and co-executive produce and serve as creative lead. Aaron Baiers will also co-executive produce, with Mac Middleton serving as a producer.
Star Trek: Prodigy is the first younger-skewing, animated Trek series for Nickelodeon. It joins the CBS All Access roster, which includes Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and animated Star Trek: Lower Decks. CBS All Access also has the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and is developing a Section 31 series starring Michelle Yeoh.
