‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Premiere May Be Delayed; James Frain Cast As Spock’s Father

There may be a delay in the scheduled May launch of Star Trek: Discovery, the upcoming new series for CBS All Access, CBS’ live streaming and VOD service.

The news came as the casting of James Frain (Orphan Black) was announced as Spock’s father, Sarek. First introduced in the original Star Trek, Sarek has made multiple appearances throughout the franchise over the last five decades.

“Production on Star Trek: Discovery begins next week,” CBS said in a statement. “We love the cast, the scripts and are excited about the world the producers have created. This is an ambitious project; we will be flexible on a launch date if it’s best for the show. We’ve said from the beginning it’s more important to do this right than to do it fast. There is also added flexibility presenting on CBS All Access, which isn’t beholden to seasonal premieres or launch windows.”

The network is not confirming a move from the scheduled May launch date, but notes there is more flexibility on timing given it is a streaming platform. Production was already scheduled to begin next week, so there is no delay on that front.

Star Trek: Discovery, set to premiere on CBS before relocating to CBS All Access, will feature a new ship, new characters and new missions. The series will be distributed by Netflix in 188 countries and by Bell Media in Canada.

Star Trek: Discovery is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Bryan Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment.