Star Trek 4 has been shrouded in mystery since it was officially announced that Chris Pine and the Kelvin timeline gang are returning. It hasn’t been any better for the cast, as they are in the dark about the sequel. There have been few updates on the film, including what the story will be about and what to expect from the characters, but now that’s changed, as Paramount’s main boss gave an exciting update on the fourth installment.
Paramount CEO Brian Robbins spilled the latest information about Star Trek 4 while being interviewed by Variety. Robbins provided a rundown of what is happening with the studio, from Top Gun: Maverick’s phenomenal success to its promising future. As part of Paramount’s future, Robbins proclaimed it will be “focused on our franchises.” It appeared the Star Trek Beyond sequel is part of that plan, as the movie executive revealed where Star Trek 4 currently stands in development:
We’re deep into [Star Trek 4] with J.J. 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.
It seemed Paramount is ready to put its full attention and resources toward the next Star Trek film. Robbins’ words were a nice vote of confidence for the sci-fi franchise after years of development hell and setbacks. Now all the cogs appear to be in motion as J.J. Abrams and his team are hard at work on the next installment. Hopefully Star Trek fans will get news of a script or start date on top of the information they already know about Star Trek 4.
Paramount and Team Star Trek are super excited about the film, but the cast may be reserving their excitement until the official word comes out. Initially, the actors were left out of the loop despite reports of them signing on for Star Trek 4. Since the announcement, they have been open about their status with the film, including the uncertainty over the start date and not having read a script yet. Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine, already has a few suggestions to secure the franchise’s future before the next installment drops. But having these people back for a new film will be bittersweet, as this will be the first of the ‘new’ Star Trek films without co-star Anton Yelchin following his death in 2016.
Star Trek 4 is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 22, 2023. In the meantime, you can watch Star Trek by subscribing to Amazon Prime. You can stream Star Trek into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond by getting a Paramount+ subscription. There are also multiple popular Star Trek TV shows to occupy Trekkies’ time. If you want to keep up with every Star Trek 4 update, just check back with CinemaBlend for more developments.