Britney Spears’ Movie Was The Prototype For Anson Mount’s Star Trek Show (No, Really!)
Image credit: Paramount+
Published Aug 5, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.
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Britney Spears' movie, Crossroads, was Anson Mount's first lead movie role, and the teen girl road trip flick is a surprising prototype for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Since 2018, Mount has played Captain Christopher Pike, the original Starship Enterprise commander. Anson's reinvention of Pike in Star Trek: Discovery was so beloved that fans clamored for him to lead a spinoff, which became Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
In 2002, Crossroads premiered in theaters, intended to be Britney Spears' crossover vehicle into feature films. Spears was arguably the biggest pop star in the world. An MTV and pop culture staple, Britney's first two albums sold millions worldwide. Crossroads' story was developed by Spears, with the screenplay written by Shonda Rhimes and Tamra Davis tapped to direct. Spears played Lucy, with her co-stars Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning cast as Kit and Mimi.
On the surface, Crossroads' tale of three high school-aged girls driving cross-country to California with Anson Mount, who plays Ben, seems to have nothing to do with Star Trek. Yet as ScreenRant's profile cover story with Mount reveals, Crossroads contains elements that would become prevalent in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which premiered on Paramount+ 20 years later.
Britney Spears’ Crossroads Was The Surprising Prototype For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Image credit: MovieStillsDBA remarkable aspect of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that Captain Pike's bridge crew is mostly female. Captain Pike surrounds himself with and values talented and capable women, including his First Officer, Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), hotshot helmsman Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), and Communications Officer Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding).
Anson Mount told ScreenRant that this was also the case with Crossroads twenty years prior. Along with its mainly female cast, Crossroads' creative forces behind the camera were also primarily women. Mount explains:
"I have nothing but great memories of making that film. Honestly, it was a great time because we had a team of extremely professional, extremely talented, extremely nurturing women. We had a wonderful female producer, a wonderful female director. Shonda Rhimes wrote it. She was there the whole time. Obviously, I was with a female cast. I felt completely taken care of the entire time. And those young ladies were all just a joy to be around."
Coincidentally or not, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows the model established by Crossroads. When Captain Pike calls a ready room meeting, he's also joined by his female Chief Engineer, Commander Pelia (Carol Kane), Security Chief La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). All hold equal stature to their male colleagues, including Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), and Scotty (Martin Quinn).
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' executive producers and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers stacked their production team with talented writer-producers like Kathryn Lyn and Dana Horgan. Strange New Worlds' stunning costumes are designed by Bernadette Croft, and the show's resplendent music is composed by Nami Melumad. Directing episodes are visionaries like Jordan Canning, Sharon Lewis, Axelle Carolyn, and Dr. Valerie Weiss.
Given how Strange New Worlds is acclaimed by fans and critics, the Anson Mount-led Star Trek prequel series distilled a formula for success that evaded Crossroads. Britney Spears' lone theatrical star vehicle was only a moderate financial success in 2002, and bombed with critics. When Crossroads began streaming on Netflix in February 2024, however, the coming-of-age chick flick was reassessed, found a greater appreciation, and a new audience.
Crossroads’ Cast Is Deeply Star Trek Coded
Britney Spears has not appeared in Star Trek or asserted herself as a fan of the final frontier. However, Crossroads' cast contains a handful of actors who went on to portray iconic characters in Star Trek movies and TV shows.
When Crossroads was released in 2002, only Kim Cattrall had Star Trek acting credentials. Cattrall, who plays Lucy's biological mother Caroline in Crossroads, was originally in the running to play Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan before the role went to Kirstie Alley. Almost a decade later, director Nicholas Meyer cast Cattrall as the Vulcan traitor Lt. Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Crossroads was only the start of Zoe Saldana's amazing career, which saw her become the highest-grossing actress in Hollywood. Before appearing in James Cameron's Avatar and as Gamora in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers movies, Saldana rebooted Lieutenant Uhura in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek trilogy. Saldana has since won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Emilia Perez.
Since Anson Mount's Captain Pike is from Star Trek's Prime Timeline, and Zoe Saldana's Uhura lives in the alternate Kelvin Timeline, Crossroads can be looked at as the first crossover between the two universes, seven years before J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot. Mount and Saldana would later work with Bruce Greenwood and Celia Rose Gooding, the Pike and Uhura of their respective realities.
Justin Long has a minor role in Crossroads, and he has a Star Trek-adjacent acting credential. Long played Brandon Wheegar in Galaxy Quest, the beloved 1999 space adventure that's a loving ode to Star Trek: The Original Series. Not only do many Trekkers consider Galaxy Quest an unofficial Star Trek movie, but also one of the best.
Of course, Anson Mount has portrayed Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, a few episodes of Star Trek: Short Treks, and in five seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Mount's Pike is arguably the most beloved Captain of the modern, Paramount+ generation of Star Trek.
Yet, tracking Anson Mount and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' achievements backwards, the road leads back to Britney Spears' Crossroads over twenty years earlier.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+.
Stardate 47988.1 · Crew Assessment
The Final Frontier
Trivia Challenge
🚀ShipsEnterprise!
⭐CrewMake it so
☠EnemiesResistance is…
⚡TechWarp speed!
📖LoreLive long…
ENGAGE →
01
The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series?
ANCC-1701-D BNX-01 CNCC-1701 DNCC-74656
✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager.
✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager.
NEXT →
02
Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character?
AData BSpock CTuvok DSarek
✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise.
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03
Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called?
AThe Temporal Accord BGeneral Order One CThe Omega Directive DThe Prime Directive
✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols.
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04
“Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called?
AThe Borg BThe Dominion CThe Romulans DSpecies 8472
✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.”
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.”
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05
Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him?
AWilliam Shatner BAvery Brooks CPatrick Stewart DScott Bakula
✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard.
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06
Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called?
ATranswarp Drive BWarp Drive CSlipstream Drive DSpore Drive
✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive.
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07
At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called?
AThe Prometheus Trial BThe Omega Simulation CThe Corbomite Maneuver DThe Kobayashi Maru
✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario.
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08
In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain?
AKhan Noonien Singh BGeneral Chang CQ DGul Dukat
✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Mission Complete Your Starfleet Record
/ 8
Are you an Admiral — or still a cadet on deck-scrubbing duty?
↻ RE-ENGAGE
Release Date 2022 - 2027-00-00
Network Paramount+
Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman
Writers Onitra Johnson
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