Andy Weir Apologizes to Alex Kurtzman for 'Star Trek' Criticism

Author Andy Weir publicly apologized to Alex Kurtzman for his comments about Paramount+'s 'Star Trek' series. Weir's comments, which went viral after media outlets picked up his remarks from a podcast, expressed his dissatisfaction with the current productions of the franchise. Weir had mentioned that, although Kurtzman is a nice person, he considered those shows to be 'shit'.

Weir also clarified that he did enjoy 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' and 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'. The author admitted that his words were taken out of context and that he was trying to be funny, but that in retrospect it sounded disrespectful and mean. In addition, he expressed his regret for having said 'but they didn't like my pitch so fuck 'em', recognizing that out of context, the phrase could be misinterpreted.

In his public apology, Weir wrote on Facebook: 'I'm posting to apologize about stuff I said on the Critical Drinker's podcast. I feel like my quotes were taken out of context as salacious sound bytes. I hope you saw the other parts where I said how much I like you as a person and what a nice guy you are'. Weir added that he was trying to be self-deprecating, but that he forgot to watch his words because he has a film in theaters. Also, Weir offered to speak with Kurtzman in real time, even to receive constructive criticism.

On the podcast, Weir had commented that, in his opinion, modern science fiction series are heavily influenced by 'Star Trek', except the current ones. He mentioned that he liked 'Strange New Worlds', that he enjoyed 'Enterprise' and that 'Lower Decks' seemed entertaining to him.

The author of 'Crime 101', Don Winslow, responded to Weir on X, congratulating him on the success of 'Project Hail Mary' and 'The Martian', but criticizing his comments about the work of other writers. Winslow wrote that Kurtzman is a visionary writer, creator, and producer, and that Weir owed him an apology. Weir, for his part, acknowledged the influence of the original 'Star Trek' series on modern science fiction.

Meanwhile, 'Project Hail Mary' continues to lead the box office, with a global gross of $300 million, becoming Hollywood's most successful film this year.