The next new Star Trek series to premiere on CBS All Access will feature the return of Sir Patrick Stewart, in a show focusing on his Star Trek: The Next Generation character Jean-Luc Picard. The show is set to go into production this spring and more details are emerging about the series from Patrick Stewart and the producers.

Everything has aged in the new Picard show

Yesterday Patrick Stewart was on the London red carpet for the gala premiere of his latest film The Kid Who Would Be King, where he talked a bit about his upcoming Star Trek series. Speaking to Red Carpet News, Stewart talked about how the show will approach the issue of aging:

In returning to Star Trek later in the year, the one thing that will be different about this version of Star Trek is that we have simply moved the whole narrative 20 years from when I last wore Jean-Luc’s uniform [Star Trek: Nemesis]. So, everything has aged. When the series gets released you will see things are very different from what they were.

One detail that has previously emerged with regards to the show’s setting is how it will deal with how Picard’s life has been “radically altered” by the dissolution of the Romulan Empire, following the events seen in the Prime Timeline portions of the 2009 Star Trek movie and the destruction of Romulus by a supernova.

On the red carpet, Stewart also talked about his (and fellow TNG cast members’) appreciation of the fan support over the years:

It gives me profound satisfaction to hear from people what an impact my role and the series had on their lives. I have heard truly extraordinary stories about how people were affected by it. That makes me very proud for all of us who were in it, because they were a great company – are a great company!

Addressing the possibility of returning to do another Star Trek feature film, Stewart noted the focus for now is on the show and added some more clarity as to the plans for the series, giving a specific number of seasons planned:

Oh lord, we are set up for possibly three years of this show, so if there is a film, it’s a long way off.

The Picard series has been described as both an ongoing series and a limited series. Last week Stewart stated the show was planned to be highly serialized, saying it would be like a 10-hour movie, but he also noted that there are hopes for additional seasons.

Watch video of Stewart talking Picard show below.

Picard series will be “grounded”

Last week we shared some early details that emerged from Television Critics Association Winter press tour with regards to what the people heading up Star Trek’s future on CBS had to say. Some more details along with interviews have been posted since then, including new comments about the Picard show. Speaking to the press, Alex Kurtzman talked about the approach they are taking to portraying this world of Picard’s 20 years in his future (via IndieWire):

It has to feel grounded, whatever choices we’re making in the future, because I think one of the things that people love about ‘Next Gen’ is that it is a very emotional, thoughtful, grounded piece of entertainment… The easy thing to do is come up with crazy floating skyscrapers and all the cliches of science fiction, and we’ve tried to avoid that, across the board, in the production design and the look of it and the feel of it. It’s all about the personal details that you can connect to now, even though it takes place so far in the future.

Staying Picard amidst radical changes

Kurtzman also discussed how Patrick Stewart has influenced their thinking on how to keep the show true to Picard in a very different future (via ET):

“Patrick was very clear to us in the beginning: He did not want to repeat what he had already done. And by the way, it’s been 20-plus years so he couldn’t possibly be that same person anymore. So the question becomes: What has happened to him in that period of time? Have there been occurrences that force him to reckon with choices that he’s made in his life? How do you hold on to being the person everybody loved when the circumstances around you may have changed so radically? Those are the big questions that we’re asking.

A more character-driven show, coming this year

Speaking to TV Insider, CBS All Access original content chief Julie McNamara gave a brief summary and status update for the Picard show:

It will be very different from Discovery, even more character-driven. Picard was radically affected by the dissolution of the [anti-Federation] Romulan Empire, and this series will explore a different chapter [of his life.] We aim to debut the show toward the end of the year.

Keep up with all the news on the Picard show and other upcoming Star Trek TV shows here at TrekMovie.com.