Paramount has moved the release date of Star Trek 4 to December 2023. The fourth iteration in the new Star Trek franchise was originally slated for release on June 9, 2023 with WandaVision director Matt Shakman on directing duties. The project has long been delayed through contract disputes and underwhelming box office of the last entry, Star Trek Beyond, putting the franchise in an odd position. The tragic death of star Anton Yelchin in 2016 also weighed on the franchise pushing forward.
The reboot cast consists of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Simon Pegg, who have all starred appeared in the franchise thus far, beginning with 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Beyond (both directed by JJ Abrams), and the most recent effort, 2016's Star Trek Beyond, directed by Justin Lin. Initially, director Noah Hawley was developing a fourth film in the series up until last year, but his idea was ultimately cut, which would've seen a new cast introduced with a new direction for the franchise. Since that time, WandaVision's Shakman was hired to direct, with scripting chores from Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Now comes the news from Variety that Paramount is again delaying Star Trek 4, shifting six months forward to December 22, 2023, giving it a prime holiday spot, rather than a prime summer spot. It's unclear if the original cast will be returning for the film and details are scarce in terms of what the film will actually be about. With multiple Star Trek shows currently on streaming, the competition will be fierce in capturing audience attention on the feature side, which hopefully this delay will help the filmmakers accomplish.
There's been a lot of back and forth in regards to how the Star Trek franchise would continue on the theatrical side. Initially, there was talk that a team-up film with Chris Pine's James T. Kirk and Chris Hemsworth's George Kirk, James' father, would be the story for the fourth film. However, that idea seems to have been pushed aside as the project changed creative hands multiple times since. Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek is another take proposed, which would've had a "gangster" angle to it, according to the director. As it stands, there's no indication of what the fourth film's cast, story, or direction will look like.
While Star Trek Beyond was a bit of a box office disappointment, the cast has always been a strong selling point for the newly rebooted franchise. Abrams did a solid job of setting up the new series, although subsequent sequels have seemingly been a bit disjointed. Hopefully, Shakman has a unique, fresh, and fitting take on the property, which will push it forward while still honoring the camaraderie of the stellar cast. Ultimately, what Star Trek 4 needs is someone that understands the appeal of the property and how best to continue it with the audience's expectations firmly in check.
Source: Variety