Since 2016, it has been quiet around the Star Trek heroes of the so-called Kelvin timeline. Now the work on part 4 of the sci-fi series has been confirmed. We have compiled all the latest information.
“Do it like that!” fans of the alternate Enterprise crew impatiently call out to the producers at Paramount. They’ve been doing this since 2016, when the third and so far last film from the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek was released.
After several false starts, the time has come: Star Trek 4 is in the works. In the time until the movie comes out, here’s everything you need to know about it:
- Theatrical release
- Movie title
- Plot
- Cast and creative
- 4 discarded plans for the movie
When will Star Trek 4 be released in theaters?
The fourth film in the Kelvin timeline currently has no official release date. That wasn’t always the case: earlier attempts had release dates that are now in the past. Without time travel, that’s no longer going to happen. We don’t expect a release before 2026, and it’s likely to be significantly later.
Another Star Trek movie that looks even further into the franchise’s past has since been released as a streaming title on Paramount+: Star Trek: Section 31, starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh.
Does Star Trek 4 have an official title?
No, the Kelvin sequel does not yet have an official movie title. In all likelihood, the numerical working title is just a placeholder. After all, most Trekkies tend to think of Star Trek IV – Back to the Present when they hear the keyword Star Trek 4. All previous sequels in the series also had no numbers in their titles:
- Star Trek (2009)
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
- Star Trek Beyond (2016)
What will Star Trek 4 be about?
The plot of Star Trek 4 is currently still being kept under a Paramount force field. However, it is already clear that the fourth film will be the last adventure of the alternate crew of the starship Enterprise. It remains to be seen whether we will see a classic war with Klingons or perhaps a time travel story.
During a panel appearance in 2024, movie star Chris Pine spoke out in favor of smaller Star Trek films with a modest budget and a good story, made for those fans who are also interested in the franchise. “I’m tired of trying to please people who don’t want to see what we’re doing,” said Pine. If it were up to him, they would also shoot on film instead of digitally.
Who is in the cast and who is part of the creative team?
So far, no cast members have been officially confirmed. The main cast of the USS Enterprise crew is expected back:
- Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk
- Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock
- Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura
- Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy
- John Cho as Lieutenant Sulu
- Simon Pegg as Scotty
Sadly, Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov is no longer on board. The actor died in a tragic traffic accident just one month before the release of Star Trek Beyond.
Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant) is sitting on the script for Star Trek 4, according to Variety. No one has yet been appointed to the captain’s chair of director. At least not anyone who is currently still in it. As always, the whole thing is being produced by Paramount and J.J. Abrams’ production company Bad Robot.
The now canceled plans for Star Trek 4
The plans for the long-awaited Star Trek sequel, which have since been disintegrated, are piling up so much that movie star Pine has already called the series “cursed”.
Approach 1: S.J. Clarkson (Madame Web) was to implement a script by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, who are now showrunners of the Lord of the Rings series. It would have brought back George Kirk, played by Chris Hemsworth.
Approach 2: Quentin Tarantino approached Paramount with an idea of his own, which might have even become the first FSK 18 Trek. Mark L. Smith, Lindsey Beer, Drew Pearce and Megan Amram would be hired for a writers’ room.
Approach 3: Fargo creator Noah Hawley was to implement his own idea as writer and screenwriter before Paramount Pictures got a new president in the form of Emma Watts, who had different ideas.
Approach 4: WandaVision director Matt Shakman inherited a script written by Lindsay Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, which was rewritten by Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires. Shakman abandoned the command in August 2022.
