Bryan Fuller named showrunner of new 'Star Trek' series

After garnering critical acclaim with "Hannibal", screenwriter and television producer Bryan Fuller has landed his next mission as the showrunner and co-creator of CBS' new "Star Trek" series.

Fuller will serve as executive producer alongside Alex Kurtzman on the reboot of the sci-fi classic, reports variety.com.

A long time fan of science fiction, Fuller began his career writing for "Star Trek: Voyager" (1997-2001) and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1997).

"My very first experience of 'Star Trek' is my oldest brother turning off all the lights in the house and flying his model of a D7 Class Klingon Battle Cruiser through the darkened halls. Before seeing a frame of the television series, the 'Star Trek' universe lit my imagination on fire," Fuller said.

"It is without exaggeration a dream come true to be crafting a brand new iteration of 'Star Trek' with fellow franchise alum Alex Kurtzman and boldly going where no 'Star Trek' series has gone before," he added.

Kurtzman is optimistic with Fuller's involvement.

"Bringing 'Star Trek' back to television means returning it to its roots, and for years those roots flourished under Bryan's devoted care," said Kurtzman.

"His encyclopaedic knowledge of 'Trek' canon is surpassed only by his love for Gene Roddenberry's optimistic future, a vision that continues to guide us as we explore strange new worlds," he added.

The creative plan is for the series to introduce new characters and civilisations, existing outside of the mythology charted by previous series and the current movie franchises.

"Star Trek" will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman's Secret Hideout banner. Kurtzman, Fuller and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers.