Did "Project Hail Mary" Author Mocked "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy"?

The adaptation of novelist Andy Weir's 2021 book, "Project Hail Mary", dropped in cinemas made its theatrical debut a few weeks ago and the film has already made US$ 306.1 million worldwide. On the other hand, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy", which was released later by Paramount suffered an embarasing reception that the producers announced Season 3's cancellation last 23 March.

The Hugo Award-nominated author made it clear why the modern-day Star Trek series fared badly compared to his work. During a recent appearance on The Critical Drinker After Hours, Weir did say, "I don't like a lot of the new Trek [...] Those shows are s**t."

"I'll give you my opinion and I'm just a consumer," Weir explained during the interview. "I like Strange New Worlds. I think it's pretty good. I didn't hate Enterprise. I thought it was kind of weird [...] Lower Decks I thought was entertaining and fun. All the others, they can go."

Weir continued by saying:

"And here's another thing: So, I pitched a Star Trek show to Paramount, and I was in a Zoom with the showrunners with all the shows [...] I spent a long time talking to [Star Trek producer] Alex Kurtzman. I don't like a lot of the new Trek, but I have to say he, as a person, is a really nice guy. I feel a little bad for him, but at the same time, those shows are s**t. He is a nice guy, but, you know, they didn't accept my pitch. So, you know, f**k 'em [laughs]. Nah, I don't know."

To note, the comments read as being a lot more inflammatory than Weir's actual tone, which felt like he was being more jokey than aggressive. Either that, or Weir possibly realized in real time his comments could catch on, especially as "Project Hail Mary" continues to dominate the box office, and he tried to soften it. In any case, the sentiments are out in the wild, and not everyone is happy with them.

Weir later decided to publish an open letter to Alex Kurtzman on Facebook as an apology. The writer explained that he didn't think before speaking, and tried to clarify his stance on what was said.