Paramount is looking to revive one of its classic franchises on the big screen. A new report has detailed where things stand regarding the studio’s movie slate following its merger with Skydance Media. Of particular interest are updates concerning valuable IP under Paramount’s roof, as the new owners look to complement successful series such as Sonic the Hedgehog and A Quiet Place with other franchise fare. And the studio is apparently looking to boldly go where they’ve gone before.
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According to The Wrap, while there hasn’t been a new Star Trek film in nearly a decade, that could change in the near future: “Star Trek is the immediate priority as far as tentpole films are concerned,” said a “top talent agent” quoted in the Wrap article. It’s unknown if a new movie would also bring about a “fresh start” for Star Trek on TV, as there are multiple existing series that are still ongoing.
Prior to the release of 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, there were plans in place for a fourth installment in the Kelvin Timeline reboot that launched with J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot. However, perhaps partially due to Beyond‘s muted box office performance ($343.4 million worldwide, the lowest in the rebooted series), development on Star Trek 4 has stalled. The project has cycled through multiple filmmakers, including The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman. In 2024, The Flight Attendant co-creator Steve Yockey was brought onboard to write a Star Trek 4 script.
While the movie lingers in development hell, the current Star Trek film cast remains committed to getting the film off the ground. Spock actor Zachary Quinto remains hopeful Star Trek 4 will eventually happen, highlighting the franchise’s ability to tell a wide variety of stories (he pointed out the original cast was making films into their 50s and 60s). In contrast, Zoe Saldana emphasized Star Trek 4 needs to happen sooner rather than later if the Kelvin Timeline cast is to return.
Though Star Trek is a top priority for Paramount’s film division, details are slim on what its approach will be. The studio could opt to hit the reset button again and go with a full reboot starring an all-new cast, creating an easy entrypoint for newcomers as the franchise gets a fresh start. Making a legacy sequel with the Kelvin Timeline ensemble is another plausible option. While the Kelvin Timeline films themselves were polarizing at times (see: Star Trek Into Darkness‘ infamous handling of Khan), most fans were in agreement that the cast was always a highlight, as the actors put their own spins on the classic characters while also honoring what came before. A compelling argument can be made that they deserve to carry another Star Trek film.
Both routes have their pros and cons. Paramount is likely hoping Star Trek can re-emerge as a viable film series, and that might be easier to accomplish with a younger, relatively unknown cast. Similar to Marvel targeting younger actors for its X-Men reboot, Paramount would be able to keep Star Trek production costs in check — which is arguably a must. The franchise never broke box office records during the Kelvin Timeline’s heyday, so there’s no guarantee a new film will be a huge draw in this new post-pandemic theatrical landscape where even Marvel movies underwhelm.
That said, recasting the Enterprise crew is a risky proposition; the fans would once again have to buy into fresh faces bringing life to beloved characters, so it might be easier to just bring the Kelvin Timeline actors back and showcase that crew in a different part of their lives. It’ll be interesting to see what happens (maybe the filmmakers will create entirely new characters for a fresh spin on the mythos) but it’s exciting to know Paramount is committed to Star Trek.
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Image Courtesy of Big Finish Productions. -
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