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Andy Weir Apologizes to Alex Kurtzman After Slamming New Star Trek Shows

The apology underscores how a viral podcast quip can roil a franchise in flux.

Overview

  • Andy Weir, who posted a Facebook open letter Monday, apologized to Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman and said his podcast remarks were jokes that read as mean out of context.
  • On the Critical Drinker podcast last week, the Project Hail Mary author called many recent Paramount+ Star Trek series “shit,” praised Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, and revealed his own Star Trek pitch was rejected after Zoom talks with Kurtzman.
  • Weir said he was trying to be self‑deprecating with his “they didn’t like my pitch so fuck ’em” line and offered to speak with Kurtzman by phone or Zoom.
  • His comments spread widely over the weekend and drew pushback from peers, including Don Winslow, who urged him on X to apologize for taking shots at other writers’ work.
  • Outlets note no public response from Paramount or Kurtzman, and they tie the flap to a pause in new Trek production and Paramount+ confirming Starfleet Academy will end after its already‑shot second season while Kurtzman’s TV deal runs through 2026.