"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" Showrunners Were Inspired by "Harry Potter" and "X-Men"
The creators of the new "Star Trek" admitted that they created the Starfleet Academy with an eye on Hogwarts and Professor X's school.
The series «Star Trek: Starfleet Academy» debuted on January 15, 2026 on the Paramount+ platform.
During the press tour, producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau said that they were guided by «Harry Potter» and «X-Men: First Class» when working on the series. Kurtzman, who directed the first two episodes, noted that it was important for the team to create a sense of a living community, where the viewer feels sympathy not only for the students, but also for the teachers.
«Yes, it's “X-Men: First Class” and “Harry Potter” in general. In “Harry Potter”, we were always attracted by the fact that we loved the teachers as much as the students. It was critical to achieve the same for this series. But it's still “Star Trek”. We look at the template, but we don't copy the details».
Landau added that the very idea of the Starfleet Academy existed long before Hogwarts or Professor X's school, but remained behind the scenes for many years. The authors only took the recognizable image of an «unusual school» and filled it with their own meanings.
«The Starfleet Academy has been part of the mythology long before all these examples. It was talked about, but no one really looked inside. And this, perhaps, is the main charm of the project: viewers have been waiting for the opportunity to see the Academy from the inside for decades».
The plot of the first season, according to the official synopsis, focuses on a group of cadets who go through friendship, rivalry and first love — against the backdrop of an impending threat that could shake the Federation itself.
Critics received the show warmly: the first season received a «fresh certificate» on Rotten Tomatoes with 85% positive reviews. Viewers, however, turned out to be much more restrained — only 35% approval. Not everyone liked the «youth» version of «Star Trek».
The premiere of the second episode of «Star Trek: Starfleet Academy» will take place on January 22. The first season has a total of 10 episodes planned.
The video is available at the following link.
