The recent announcement that the JJ Abrams Star Trek trilogy, (starring Chris Pine as Captain Kirk) would be getting a fourth installment has taken everyone by surprise. Not least the cast themselves, reportedly. And now, of course, the cast are already being asked in interviews about something they currently know very little about.
JJ Abrams directed Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), with the third installment, Star Trek Beyond (2016) being directed by Justin Lin. The cast includes Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Karl Urban as Bones, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov.
At the premiere of The Adam Project, Saldana was asked about Star Trek 4 by Entertainment Tonight and she responded; “We’re excited and obviously it’s bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time and one of us is no longer with us, with Anton’s passing.” Anton Yelchin tragically died in an accident aged just 27, a month before the release of Star Trek Beyond in 2016.
Saldana continued; “But we honestly feel that going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to really keep him (Yelchin) alive, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Because he was such a fan and he was such a devoted artist to the craft and also to Star Trek. So it would be great to go back to work again and get to be together with the gang.”
A fourth Star Trek film starring the rebooted cast was planned after Beyond. However, it’s been reported that Pine became too expensive for the project, and plans for the film – which would have seen Kirk travel back in time to meet his father (Chris Hemsworth) – were shelved. With Pine now having starred in two Wonder Woman films and Hemsworth still being in the MCU, their pay cheques must still be substantial, so negotiations will probably take some time.
Hemsworth’s small role in the prologue of Star Trek (2009) was his first break into Hollywood. Saldana is one of the biggest box office stars in the world, having been part of the Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, and Marvel franchises, as well as Star Trek. She is in the top two highest-grossing movies of all time.
In 2019, the documentary Love, Antosha directed by Garret Price was released, chronicling the life and career of Anton Yelchin. The Star Trek cast and crew are featured prominently, reminiscing about their friend and colleague Anton.
If you think you have what it takes to become a Trekkie before Star Trek 4 is released, brush up with our Star Trek timeline.