'Star Trek 4': Simon Pegg Offers Progress Update

Star Trek film star Simon Pegg has offered a small update on the status of Star Trek 4. While things are looking promising, he indicates that they're still int he very early stages of the film's creation.

Speaking to Hey U Guys primarily about his new film Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Pegg says that everyone involved is still just preparing for Star Trek 4 to being shooting.

"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, Paramount Pictures is looking to begin shooting on the next Star Trek movie in January and is considering London and Atlanta as possible filming locations.

Pegg notes that they still need to confirm that everyone is available to film at that time, and this may be a real issue. Zoe Saldana, who plays Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, also plays Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie is expected to begin filming in early 2019 as well, though director James Gunn's recent firing may have some effect on those plans.

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, but Gurira is also in negotiations to star in Godzilla vs. Kong, which begins filming in early October. Depending on how long those shoots last and when and exactly how she'll be needed for, this may keep her out of the Star Trek sequel or alter production plans further.

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.

The SJ Clarkson-directed feature will be the fourth film in what has come to be known as Star Trek's "Kelvin timeline," the alternate timeline caused by the Narada's trip backward in time as seen in 2009's Star Trek. That film was followed by Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013 and then Star Trek Beyond in 2016.

The fourth Star Trek film was announced shortly before Star Trek Beyond opened in theaters. However, Paramount went silent on the film for over a year after Star Trek Beyond underperformed at the box office. Paramount saw some leadership changes at the executive level and reconsidered its box office strategy and now Star Trek 4 is back on track.

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 production start or release date.