During the Star Trek: Animated Celebration panel at Comic-Con, it was announced that Star Trek: Lower Decks is headed to the big screen on Star Trek Day (Friday, September 8, 2023). The screenings will held domestically and internationally. According to John Van Citters (Vice President, Star Trek Brand Development), more details on their plans for Star Trek Day will be coming soon. He did say:
We’re very excited about the opportunity to put Lower Decks up on the big screen for fans to experience as cartoons are meant to be, on a 70-foot screen, luminescent. It’s going to be great.
During the Star Trek Universe panel at Comic-Con, it was revealed that season 4 of Lower Decks would premiere on September 7th with the first two episodes dropping on the same day. It’s likely these will be what is shown on the big screen. Van Citters also said there will be “other animated celebration elements” as part of these screenings, apparently including the new promotional shorts announced at SDCC.
During the IDW Publishing Star Trek comics panel at SDCC, editor Heather Antos announced they are doing another tie-in to Star Trek: Lower Decks to follow their widely praised Lower Decks comic mini-series from 2022. The new project is titled Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, and it’s a 200-page “choose your own adventure” graphic novel written by Ryan North, who wrote the Lower Decks miniseries, with art provided by Chris Fengolio.
Antos gave some insight into the development of the new original graphic novel:
It may be the most insane undertaking I’ve ever done as a comics editor. And Mike McMahan—the creator of the show—has been just wonderful letting us play with his toys and his children and do incredible things with them.
At the animation panel Antos offered a bit more info:
I will say Ryan is insane. He wrote this whole 200-page script I think in like two weeks and it’s perfect. We were able to play through it and without giving too much away, it’s not your traditional choose your own adventure story. There is a correct path and a way to “win the book.”
The new Lower Decks book is set for release in the fall of 2024. Antos promised more details will be revealed at New York Comic Con in October.
Artisan figure maker EXO-6 is partnering with Mondo and Funko on a new series of Lower Decks maquette statues, shown at Comic-Con for the first time. There are three planned statues: Mariner, Boimler, and Badgey. Each is roughly 5″ tall and made of PVC. The statues come with interchangeable heads and arms as well as accessories, allowing for a number of different poses. No pricing was available but they are set for release this fall.
Hallmark also showed off a mock-up of a Badgey ornament they are releasing in October. The ornament comes in pairs (evil and good Badgey) and will sell for $19.99.
