PARAMOUNT is beaming up a new captain for its “Star Trek” franchise: Noah Hawley, who is best known for TV’s “Fargo” and “Legion.” Hawley will direct the next “Trek” film for the studio, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

It is expected that Chris Pine will reprise his role as Captain James T. Kirk alongside such castmates as Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana, who have been with the film series since J.J. Abrams revamped the franchise in 2009. This fourth “Star Trek” stands separate from one that Quentin Tarantino has been attached to for two years.

Paramount had been developing a fourth installment after 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond” and had hoped to be in production earlier this year. But after developing a time travel-themed script that would reunite Pine’s Kirk with his father (Chris Hemsworth), negotiations with the two actors fell apart in summer 2018. The studio was trying to keep costs contained but the initial deals for the actors playing the Enterprise crew had run out and new, more expensive deals were on the table. Talks never resumed and the project was shelved. (SD-Agencies)