The long-gestating Star Trek four seems to have once again been shelved.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has removed its untitled fourth cutting-edge Star Trek movie from its release schedule. This information comes one month after director Matt Shakman departed the project. The latest big-screen entry in the Trek franchise was formerly slated to bow in theaters on Dec. 22, 2023.
Paramount rebooted the venerable sci-fi franchise in 2009 with the movie Star Trek, directed and produced by J.J. Abrams. Abrams returned to direct and produce the reboot’s 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams additionally produced Into Darkness’ very own sequel, 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, though did not direct it. Instead, the Trek threequel changed into helmed by Justin Lin.
Star Trek four Has Had a Troubled Development
In 2018, Paramount tapped S.J. Clarkson to direct its fourth Star Trek reboot movie. The movie infamously hit a main improvement snag later that year when stars Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth reportedly exited the challenge over pay disputes. In early 2019, Star Trek four changed into reportedly shelved altogether because of Clarkson additionally departing the challenge. Clarkson left Star Trek four to direct HBO’s deliberate Game of Thrones derivative Bloodmoon, which itself failed to materialize. As of April 2021, Star Trek four appeared to be lower back on track, with Paramount courting an untitled Star Trek movie for June 9, 2023. Three months later, the studio tapped Shakman to direct the movie, with Abrams additionally showed to be returning as producer. By the cease of the year, however, the new Star Trek movie have been behind schedule to Dec. 22, 2023.
Nevertheless, Paramount successfully showed this past February that this new movie could certainly be Star Trek four, saying the return of series stars Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg (though this statement reportedly stuck the cast members themselves off guard.) However, in August, Shakman left Star Trek four in choose of directing the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot movie for Marvel Studios following Jon Watts’ departure from that project.
“Matt Shakman is an exceedingly gifted filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek movie,” Paramount stated in an official statement on the time. “We are grateful for his many contributions, are enthusiastic about the creative vision of this next chapter and look forward to bringing it to audiences all around world.”
