'Star Trek 4': Simon Pegg Hopes to Start Filming Early 2019

Simon Pegg is currently out supporting his newest film, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, but he expects to soon be back on the engineering deck of the USS Enterprise for the fourth Kelvin timeline Star Trek movie.

Pegg was a guest on Larry King Now where he spoke a bit about the next Star Trek movie after King asked if he was in the film.

"Yeah, as long as they want what they call the "Kelvin cast," it's the sort of rebooted version of the [William] Shatner era, and I am Scotty, as far as I know. I met the new director, SJ Clarkson, who is the first female director of a Star Trek film, which is exciting, and she is just brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. I can't wait to work with her."

While Pegg is pretty sure he is in the movie, he's a bit less sure about when the movie will start filming, though he's hopeful that it will be sooner rather than later.

"I don't know," Pegg says. "As far I know, we're sort of in soft prep at the moment. I would imagine next year at some point. Hopefully early next year."

Those comments are similar to previous remakes Pegg made about Star Trek 4 currently being in the prep stage.

"As far as I know, we are pushing ahead," Pegg says. "We are in prep, I think, for it, but then there's so much to do before we start shooting, like making sure everybody is available."

According to recent reports, Pegg's hopes for an early 2019 start date may come true. Paramount Pictures is reportedly looking to begin shooting on the next Star Trek movie as early as January and is considering London and Atlanta as possible filming locations.

The production is also said to be eyeing Black Panther and The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira for one of two major new female characters in the film.

Star Trek 4 will reunite the cast that includes Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Pegg. The film is also expected to see Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as George Kirk, Captain James Kirk's father, who died in the opening scene of 2009's Star Trek when he rammed the USS Kelvin into the time-displaced Romulan vessel the Narada.

Are you excited for Star Trek 4 to begin production? Who do you think the new characters will be? What role will George Kirk play? Let us know what you think in the comments!

The first three Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies - Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond - are all available now on home media. Star Trek 4 still does not have a release date.