In a move that is sure to shock those who have been repeatedly claiming his ouster, Star Trek franchise boss Alex Kurtzman was the subject of a pair of effusive profile pieces this morning — where the most senior leadership within CBS and Paramount+ sing his praises after a successful multi-million-dollar extension of Kurtzman’s already-long-term contract with the company.

Regardless of what you may think of the creative decisions he’s made for Star Trek, it’s clear that Kurtzman is good business for ViacomCBS. George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, tells The New York Times that the writer/producer “can develop for broadcast. He can develop for premium streaming, broad streaming. He understands the business. He’s got tremendous empathy. He’s creatively nimble… [it’s] obvious to me that he’s [CBS’s] future.”

Back in 2018, we reported on Kurtzman’s initial $25 Million, five-year development contract with CBS that was set to run through 2023 — and in today’s reporting, that relationship with CBS Studios has grown. After a successful renegotiation, his new five-year deal with the company — which will run through 2026 — will net the producer a reported $160 Million for his work ahead.

Kurtzman’s massive new payout, through his Secret Hideout production company, was inspired by other giant-sized development deals made by studios with other talent in recent years, reports The Hollywood Reporter today:

The five-year deal was to have taken him through 2023. Sources say Kurtzman — who oversees five (and counting) ‘Star Trek’ shows, among others, for the studio — asked to renegotiate his deal more than a year ago after seeing the overall deals market explode.

Before the pandemic, similarly prolific writer-producers like Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy, Dick Wolf, Mike Schur and the ‘Westworld’ and ‘Stranger Things’ creators scored nine-figure overall deals with both streamers and traditional studios.

Kurtzman now joins the echelon of television’s most valued producers as his work on ‘Star Trek’ as well as other premium content like Showtime’s ‘The Comey Rule’ and the upcoming ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ makes him the most important deal for CBS Studios.

“When you make these investments,” CBS’s chief told the NYT, “you need to know that this talent can actually deliver multiple projects at the same time across multiple platforms.”

The praise for Kurtzman’s work continued in the official press release from CBS Studios, as the CBS and Paramount+ leadership expounded on the producer’s track record — and Kurtzman’s management of the Star Trek franchise was specifically mentioned: “Under the new pact, Kurtzman will remain at the helm of the growing “Star Trek” franchise for the next six years.”

“Extending our valuable partnership with the brilliant Alex Kurtzman and Secret Hideout has been a top priority for CBS and Paramount+,” said CBS CEO George Cheeks.

“Alex’s vision and leadership of the Star Trek franchise and his ability to create artistic and commercial series across all platforms put him in a special class of creative talent. His substantial accomplishments at CBS and the spirit of collaboration we enjoy with his team are greatly valued and we are excited to build on his already impressive slate far into the future.”

“Alex and Secret Hideout have been extraordinary partners who, through their prolific output of high-quality shows, have allowed our studio to grow exponentially,” said CBS Studios president David Stapf.

“Alex’s vision and breadth of interest is unmatched as he and his team have re-ignited the Star Trek franchise with five (and counting) brilliantly unique series, while at the same time creating long-running hit series for both the Network and premium spaces. As an artist, Alex does it all.

Not only is he a visionary who creates worlds, he has that rare skill of being able to write, direct, produce and inspire those who work with him to be the best version of themselves. We are so grateful to be extending our relationship together.”

Kurtzman also gave a statement to THR, rightfully speaking positively about his corporate partners after landing such a lucrative deal.

“CBS Studios has been my home for over a decade because the incomparable David Stapf always finds a way to demonstrate his decency and creative passion, not just for the work we do, but for the many people who do it,” Kurtzman said.

“In David Nevins [who now oversees Paramount+ and Showtime], I’ve found a rare breed executive with auteur taste and the guts to take chances, who’s encouraged us to create premium streaming and cable that pushes boundaries. And over the last year, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of being eyewitness to the steady leadership George Cheeks has brought to CBS.

He’s guided Secret Hideout, and me personally, with thoughtful care and strategic brilliance, as the rules of our business grow and change daily. As Secret Hideout expands its footprint across ViacomCBS, I can imagine no greater partners, and I’m so excited to tell more stories together for years to come.”

While there’s little specifics included in today’s two reports on what Kurtzman is building ahead for the Star Trek franchise — we already know the long-discussed Section 31 series, a Discovery spin-off centered around Michelle Yeoh’s character, won’t be coming for quite a while — there is a brief mention of a Starfleet Academy-based series in the NYT article, something we haven’t heard about since 2018.

Since then, he has produced five shows in the universe initially imagined in the 1960s by Gene Roddenberry, and all will be on Paramount+. They are “Star Trek: Discovery”; “Star Trek: Picard”; “Star Trek: Lower Decks”; “Star Trek: Prodigy,” which will debut in the fall; and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” set for release in 2022. ViacomCBS says “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard” are among the most watched original series on Paramount+.

Also in the works are “Section 31,” starring Michelle Yeoh, and a show built around the “Starfleet Academy,” which will be aimed at a younger audience.

Back in January 2020, Kurtzman told TrekCore about two additional live-action shows in the works at that time beyond the Yeoh spinoff — one of which became the Captain Pike-centric Strange New Worlds, which wrapped production on Season 1 earlier this month.

But there’s still at least one unannounced series still building steam in the Secret Hideout offices, and every report that hits the mainstream press about the future of the Star Trek franchise continues to claim the same.

David Stapf, president of CBS Studios since 2004, agrees that there’s plenty of storytelling diversity that the franchise can find in years ahead, as Star Trek: Prodigy takes the “first series aimed specifically at children” title.

“[Prodigy] obviously builds fans at a much younger generation, which helps with consumer products, but it’s also a smart way to look at building an entire universe.

Anything goes, as long as it can fit into the ‘Star Trek’ ethos of inspiration, optimism and the general idea that humankind is good. So comedy, adult animation, kids’ animation — you name the genre, and there’s probably a ‘Star Trek’ version of it.”

Last fall, Kurtzman revealed that plans for the franchise were “mapped out through 2027”; not hard specifics, but a general roadmap for the years ahead.

While Star Trek: Discovery is still expected to live on on past the just-wrapped Season 4 — and Star Trek: Picard is filming its second (and possibly third) season now — looking ahead to the “second wave” of new Star Trek adventures continues to be a focus for the producer, as he explained to The New York Times.

“If it were up to me only, I would be pushing the boundaries [of the Star Trek franchise] much further than I think most people would want. I think we might get there.

Marvel has actually proven that you can. But you have to build a certain foundation in order to get there and we’re still building our foundation.”

Kurtzman also commented on a recent pitch from Portlandia and Silicon Valley producer Graham Wagner, reportedly centered around Worf, that was “incredibly funny, poignant and touching” — much unlike what actor Michael Dorn’s idea for his long-hoped-for Captain Worf series.

(Just before you run away with this, dear readers: a pitch is just a story idea presented to the producers. This reporting in no way claims the Worf pitch went any further than just a discussion — we may never hear anything about this again.)

All that said, the words “Alex Kurtzman” and “Star Trek” are going to be tied together for a long, long time ahead — and while there may continue to be both hits and misses with the fanbase as the franchise continues down this ever-expanding road, it can’t be said that Kurtzman and the Secret Hideout team aren’t afraid to try new things.

The next few years are about to be filled to the brim with new Star Trek content — if you include the not-announced-but-expected additional seasons of Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds — there are over 100 episodes of new television set to beam down… not to mention that Star Trek movie expected to hit theaters in 2023.

Here’s what’s in the works right now:

• Discovery Season 4: 13 episodes
• Discovery Season 5: 13 episodes [expected, not officially announced]
• Picard Season 2: 10 episodes
• Picard Season 3: 10 episodes [expected, not officially announced]
• Lower Decks Season 2: 10 episodes
• Lower Decks Season 3: 10 episodes
• Prodigy Season 1: 10 episodes
• Prodigy Season 2: 10 episodes
• Strange New Worlds Season 1: 10 episodes
• Strange New Worlds Season 2: 10 episodes [expected, not officially announced]

Hope you don’t have any plans for the next five years.

Star Trek: Lower Decks returns for Season 2 on August 12 in the US and Canada, and on August 13 on Prime Video in certain international territories, while the debut of Star Trek: Prodigy and the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery are slated for the last quarter of 2021.

Star Trek: Picard and the launch of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are expected in 2022, and a yet-untitled theatrical Star Trek film is slated for a June 2023 release.