“Star Trek 4” appears to be nearing the start of production, as Paramount’s head of cinematography shared an update on progress. The last series of “Star Trek” films started in 2009, when J.J. Abrams rebooted the characters from the era of the original series into a new timeline. Chris Pine was chosen to play Captain Kirk, leading the films with the support of new iterations of classic characters such as Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldanha) and Bones (Karl Urban).
However, as the new Star Trek series progressed, declining box office receipts and muted critical reaction ruined the future of the Star Trek franchise on the big screen. The last film in the rebooted Kelvin Timeline Star Trek series was 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond, but since then further development of the Star Trek franchise has stalled due to countless rumors of new plans and scripts in development. One of the confirmed rumors was that Quentin Tarantino wrote the script for the new Star Trek movie. However, this project was also shelved, and instead it was confirmed that Paramount would be promoting Star Trek 4 as a sequel to Star Trek: Beyond, with most of the original Kelvin in talks to reprise his roles.
Now, in an interview with Variety, Paramount studio head Brian Robbins has given fascinating information about “Star Trek 4.” Robbins confirmed that JJ. Abrams is still involved in the development of the franchise, and the project continues to move in the right direction to begin production. He also stated that he is “thrilled with where we are going creatively” with Star Trek 4, indicating that the film may be a slight departure from what it was before. Check out his full comments below:
“We’ve been deep into [Star Trek 4] with JJ Abrams, and it feels like we’re getting close to the starting line and excited about where we’re going creatively. I’m a research nerd, and what the data tells me is that the audience wants [the cast of the first three films] in this movie.”
For fans of Abrams’ modern Star Trek films, this news will be a welcome relief after more than fifty delays. Now attention can completely switch to what stories “Star Trek 4” can explore and what inspiration it can draw from previous “Star Trek” content. However, there will also be a large number of Star Trek viewers who would be happier to see new characters and a new setting appear in the next movie, like Chris Pine as Kirk, as well as iterations of iconic characters in a wider cast. , were met with mixed reviews when they last appeared on screens.
In any case, the release of Star Trek 4 will come with considerable pressure and could determine the long-term future of the Star Trek series on the big screen. Robbins’ comments indicate that production could begin later this year. If so, Star Trek 4 could be released closer to the end of 2023, which would mean that almost a decade has passed since the release of the previous part of Star Trek: Beyond. With such a long break between installments, Star Trek 4 will have to revive the momentum and enthusiasm for the franchise while remaining on its own two feet, giving way to the new adventures of Captain Kirk Pine and the crew of the USS Enterprise to once again attract the attention of viewers.
