In the process of filming season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery, The Hollywood Reporter’s Lesley Goldberg is reporting that CBS has canned Discovery’s Executive Producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harbert effective immediately. Long time show runner Alex Kurtzman will take over following a planned production hiatus after episode five. The online publication also reports that executive producer and Kurtzman’s right-hand man Akiva Goldsman did not return for season two.
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This story has been confirmed by Variety and Deadline as well.
Soon after it was reported, CBS issued a statement which reads:
“We’ve made some producer changes at Star Trek: Discovery, 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.”
The outing of Harberts and Berg are said to be due to leadership and operational issues. It is said that both persons were verbally abusing some of the writers and staff and that some had threatened to go t CBS’s Human Resources about the matters.
Sources also said that the premiere episode of season two went well over budget, and that subsequent episode budgets would likely take a hit due to the overspending.
Alex Kurtzman will take over as sole showrunner of Discovery starting with episode six, which comes after an already planned production hiatus. Deadline reports, it is possible for another showrunner to be recruited down the road to help.
Star Trek: Discovery is still slated to premier season 2 sometime in 2019.
Additional Sources: Twitter.com / TrekMovie.com