Star Trek: Discovery showrunners exit, replaced by Alex Kurtzman

The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Star Trek: Discovery showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts have been let go from the sophomore season of the CBS All Access series and will be replaced by executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

“We’ve made some producer changes at Star Trek: Discovery,” CBS Television Studios tells the trade. “The series continues under the creative vision and leadership of executive producer and co-creator Alex Kurtzman. Discovery remains on course for season two in 2019 with new and continuing stories that build on its successful premiere season,” CBS Television Studios tells the trade.

This isn’t the first time that the captain’s chair has gotten a new occupant for Discovery either as it was originally set to be showrun by Bryan Fuller before he departed the series to focus on American Gods.

THR notes that the changing of the guard comes during a pre-planned hiatus after production of the first batch of episodes for the second season. The outlet also reveals that the ouster of Berg and Harberts comes due to reports of a hostile writer’s room with multiple writers on the series reportedly feeling uncomfortable from “abusive” behavior. In addition, the budget for the first five episodes reportedly ballooned beyond expectations and will have an effect on the remaining episodes of season two.

Kurtzman has worked on the series since its inception, and even been part of the world of Star Trek since the first J.J. Abrams movie which he wrote. It was previously reported that he would direct the season two premiere as well.

Star Trek: Discovery follows the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship and new characters while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.