Star Trek 4 Writer Offers Update

Star Trek 4 is still “on track,” says writer Lindsey Beer. The Star Trek Beyond sequel has been in production limbo for years, cycling through scripts and directors. SJ Clarkson and Matt Shakman had separately attached to direct different versions at varying times. Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet came aboard the most recent version of Star Trek 4, writing a screenplay for Shakman to film. However, Shakman left Star Trek 4 to helm Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. Paramount Pictures still hasn’t named his replacement, leaving Star Trek 4‘s future uncertain.

Well, not that uncertain, at least to Beer. Beer stepped away from Star Trek 4‘s development to direct Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, which premiered at Fantastic Fest before its debut on Paramount+. However, she tells Collider that the Star Trek film is still coming along. “It is, it’s still on the tracks,” Beer says. “I love that project, and it was another one that I had to hop off of to direct this movie, and that was a hard thing to do. But I love that everybody involved with that project.”

When will Star Trek 4 be released?

Paramount scheduled Star Trek 4 for release in 2023 with Shakman directing. After Shakman dropped out, Paramount removed the project from the release schedule. Shakman told The Wrap that he had “a great time working on Star Trek for a little over a year” but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return to Marvel again after his experience on WandaVision.

Paramount originally announced Star Trek 4 ahead of Star Trek Beyond‘s theatrical release in 2016 with J.D. Payne and Patrick McCay writing and plans for Chris Hemsworth to return as George Kirk, Captain James T. Kirk’s father, whom Hemsworth played in the opening of 2009’s Star Trek. He would join Chris Pine and the rest of the cast from Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. Clarkson became attached to the project as director, with J.J. Abrams producing. However, Hemsworth and Pine, who plays Captain Kirk, dropping out during contract negotiations halted those plans.

After that, reports surfaced that Quentin Tarantino had pitched a version of Star Trek 4 that would have been like “Pulp Fiction in space.” Paramount also began developing a Star Trek movie written and directed by Noah Hawley. However, Paramount backed away from both projects and instead hired Star Trek: Discovery writer Kalinda Vasquez to pen a script for Star Trek 4, then replaced her with Beer, Robertson-Dworet, and Shakman’s take on the film.

Star Trek 4 is still without a release date. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines begins streaming on Paramount+ on October 6th.