Why Star Trek 4 Is Taking So Long
Star Trek 4 has suffered multiple delays over the years due to myriad factors, including actor negotiations, a constant shuffle of directors, and studio trepidation about the franchise. Set in the Kelvin Timeline, which re-established Star Trek after the original series featuring Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise ended their decades-long theatrical reign, the series picked up in a new direction that would both honor the Prime Timeline while boldly going in a new direction. The new crew includes Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Karl Urban as McCoy, John Cho as Sulu, and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Actor Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov, died in 2016.
J.J. Abrams directed the first new Star Trek film with 2009's Star Trek, which went on to be a hit for Paramount, pulling in $385 million worldwide and reestablishing the series to viewers. The sequel, 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness (also directed by Abrams), took some critical hits but had a strong global box-office showing with $467 million. The third entry, 2016's Star Trek Beyond, was another story, replacing Abrams with director Justin Lin of the Fast & Furious franchise and failing to make the same impression as previous entries, making $343 million worldwide. This was less than the 2009 film despite being built off of a bigger budget of about $35 million.
Related: The Kelvin Timeline's Cast Is Star Trek 4's Secret Weapon
The lackluster performance of Star Trek Beyond put Paramount in a position of not really knowing what to do next with the franchise, exploring several options with varying directors, from Quentin Tarantino to Noah Hawley, as well as a high-concept version that would team up Pine with Chris Hemsworth, who
Read more on screenrant.com
