The latest release date for the fourth installment of Star Trek is set for December 22nd, 2023. The new date was set after being pushed back six months from the originally planned date in the summer. Almost everyone, including Pine, Urban, Pegg, and Saldana, showed their eagerness to see the script and be a part of the Start trek 4. However, the filmmakers have not yet locked anyone for the film. The delay naturally makes it difficult for us to ascertain if the studio can release the movie on the target release date.
However, the script is almost final, and Shakman has already delved into the process of assembling the cast and crew. Therefore, we can say that it is the closest Star Trek 4 has made since its initial announcement in 2016. In simpler words, the movie is off the ground and becoming a sure thing for fans. There is still a year and a half left to the release, which is sufficient time to get the crew back in theaters on time.
There are multiple factors that delayed Star Trek 4 release over the years. The main reasons include actor negotiations, studio trepidation about the franchise, and a constant shuffle of directors. Star Trek 4 was initially announced in 2016. The original concept teamed up Pine’s Kirk in a time-traveling quest with Chris Hemsworth, playing Pine’s father. It was already revealed in 2009’s Star Trek’s prologue. However, the project went down the hill as Paramount tried to renegotiate. At that time, the deals were already there for Pine.
On the other hand, Hemsworth commanded much more than the set budget. As a result, both actors walked away from the project in the end. In his latest press talk for Thor: Love and Thunder, Hemsworth informed the listeners that the deal “fell apart” at the time. However, if Abrams called him again at this time, he would willingly jump on board again.
Although the cast is not final yet, we will most likely see the same actors playing their usual roles in the upcoming series. Chris Pine as Kirk, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Zachary Quinto as Spock, John Cho as Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and Karl Urban as McCoy. Actor Anton Yelchin dies in 2016, who played Chekov in the series. The series is set in the Kelvin Timeline. It re-established Star Trek after the original saga featuring Captain Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise’s crew. They ended their long-term theatrical reign. While the series took a new direction to honor the Prime Timeline and simultaneously went in a new direction.
J.J. Abrams was the director of the first new Star Trek film with the Star Trek of 2009. It became a smashing hit for Paramount, making 385 million dollars worldwide. At the same time, it revamped the series for the viewers.
The sequel hit the screens in 2013 (Star Trek into Darkness). It was another direction by Abrams. The flick took some critical but managed to make a robust box-office hit worldwide with 467 million dollars. The franchise’s third installment was released in 2016 (Star Trek Beyond). It was another story that Justin Lin directed for Star Trek fans. Lin is also the famous director of the Fast & Furious franchise. However, he failed to make the same impact with the third Star Trek movie compared to the previous ones. The third part of the saga made 343 million dollars worldwide. It was less than the first and second parts of the Star Trek series. Even though the film had a bigger budget of around 35 million dollars.
The dull performance of Star Trek ‘Beyond’ was a blow to Paramount. As a result, the studio became skeptical about the future of the Star Trek franchise. It began to explore several options of directors, including Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley. To raise the bar of the movie concept, Paramount teamed up Chris Hemsworth with Pine. Chris Hemsworth played Pine’s father in the initial film. In addition to the negotiations and alterations in cast and crew, creative visions also fell through on several occasions. The franchise was lost in space due to these factors. Finally, the studio secured Matt Shakman, the WandaVision director, to take the wheel. Now, Paramount has set a 2023 theatrical date for the fourth entry of the franchise.
We hope the team will find good momentum to keep the franchise going.
