No./19 The perfect director to captain the Enterprise
Matt Shakman is set to helm the next Star Trek film — here are four of his previous gigs that make him an ideal choice
HOUSE (2007-2012)
Shakman directed five episodes of the Hugh Laurie-starring drama that was, at one point, the world’s most popular TV show. There are obvious parallels between Dr Gregory House and Captain James T. Kirk that should be transferable experience for Shakman: both are true mavericks, who use their cunning and courage to get results; neither are afraid to break the rules, if that’s what it takes; and both have a doctor as a best friend.
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (2007-2017)
There are 43 episodes of this gloriously horrible sitcom with Shakman’s name on it. The ungodly pursuits of ‘The Gang’ aren’t exactly aligned with the high-minded Enterprise, but the set-up is weirdly similar: both Trek and Philadelphia are essentially about workplace dynamics and dysfunctional people learning to work together. The only difference is one workplace is a spaceship, and the other is an Irish bar run by a bunch of sociopaths.
GAME OF THRONES (2017)
Shakman was responsible for two of the biggest episodes from the epic fantasy series’ seventh season: ‘The Spoils Of War’ and ‘Eastwatch’. (The former, in particular, is notable for its record-breaking number of fire burns, with 73 stuntmen burned by dragon fire.) The scale and scope of a big-budget Westerosi shoot will be a helpful training ground for the vast sandpit of the United Federation of
Planets; if Shakman can handle dragons and a marauding Dothraki army, surely a few Romulans would be a cinch.
WANDAVISION (2021)
Shakman was uniquely well-equipped to helm every episode of the MCU’S acclaimed first Disney+ series: as a child actor, he appeared in multiple network sitcoms, of the kind that Wandavision would go on to homage. But it’s his handling of the show’s hard sci-fi edge that puts him in good stead for a Star Trek film.
Wandavision is demonstrable evidence he can handle effects-heavy CGI and flashy showpieces (like Wanda’s climactic showdown with Agatha) which, crucially, never lose sight of the human story. That’s going to be important for the ever-empathetic ideals of Starfleet. THE UNTITLED STAR TREK SEQUEL IS DUE FOR RELEASE IN 2023