Star Trek‘s Chris Pine says he was caught off guard when he heard that Paramount hired a new screenwriter for Star Trek 4.
While promoting his new movie Poolman in an interview with Business Insider, Pine was asked about the status of the fourth and final installment of J.J. Abrams‘ Kelvin timeline series after Paramount announced Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant) was penning the new script.
“I honestly don’t know,” Pine said. “There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it’s always been with Trek, I just wait and see.”
Pine has every right to remain to question Star Trek 4’s status. The last installment, Star Trek Beyond, was released eight years ago and received disappointing box office results. Since then, the development of Star Trek 4 suffered numerous setbacks with director changes, script issues, and negotiations with Pine and the cast falling apart. In 2021, Matt Shakman (WandaVision) was announced as the new director for Star Trek 4 with production announced a year later without the Kelvin cast’s knowledge. Shakman eventually departed the sequel to take on director duties for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.
What other Star Trek movies are in development?
While Pine awaits a Star Trek 4 script in his hands, Paramount is in early development on a reboot separate from the Kelvin timeline by writer Seth Grahame-Smith and director Toby Haynes. Additionally, the studio recently completed work on the Michelle Yeoh-led Star Trek: Section 31 where the Oscar-winning star reprises her role as Philippa Georgiou from the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. The Paramount+ exclusive movie does not have a release date.
Star Trek 4 does not have a release date.
