It’s safe to say that the fourth entry in the ongoing big-screen Star Trek saga has had something of a troubled development history – but it looks like the new film is finally moving forward.
Almost six years on from the last feature film in the franchise, 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond, it’s been announced that Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and co will be reuniting for a new adventure – with the news confirmed at Paramount’s 2022 investors event.
In the time since the last movie was released, various big-name creatives – including Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley – have been linked with the director’s chair. But in the end, it’s WandaVision’s Matt Shakman who will take the reins for the new instalment, with a script from Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires (rewritten from an earlier draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet).
Although not many precise details have been revealed about what to expect from the new film at this stage, it will no doubt come as a welcome relief to Star Trek fans that after years of speculation another big-screen outing is finally a goer.
Read on for all the information we have so far, including the release date and everything we’ve heard about the cast and plot.
Star Trek 4 release date
With the possibility of a new movie now finally official, the first thing Trekkies will want to know is exactly when they can head to their cinema to be reunited with Spock and Captain Kirk.
And the good news is that an official release date has already been revealed, although there’s still well over a year to wait. Paramount currently has Star Trek 4 slated to be released in cinemas on Friday 22nd December 2023 – which marks an interesting change from the spring/summer releases given to the last three films in the franchise.
That said, given that production won’t start until later in 2022, it’s possible that various factors could yet conspire to push that release date back – should anything change, we’ll report it here.
Star Trek 4 title rumours
We’ve not heard anything regarding a name for the next film yet – so it’s still anybody’s guess as things stand.
That said, it seems unlikely that the film will be released under the name Star Trek 4 – it’s far more likely that it will be given a subhead, like Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond before it. When we hear any rumours of a possible title, we’ll post all the latest info here.
Star Trek 4 plot
We’re sure that the plot will be kept pretty firmly under wraps until the film’s released, but it looks like JJ Abrams has plans to take the franchise in some new directions.
Speaking at Paramount’s 2022 Investors Events in February, he said “We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new Star Trek film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take Star Trek into areas that you’ve just never seen before.”
He added: “We’re thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we’re talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can’t wait for you to see what we’re cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper.”
Star Trek 4 cast
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The good news is that Paramount has detailed its hopes that Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña and John Cho will all be reprising their roles from the earlier three films – although it claims that no official deals are in place yet.
There’s also bound to be some new stars joining for the film – including the strong likelihood of a new villain – but it’s all quiet on the casting front so far. We’ll update this page should any more information become official.
Star Trek 4 is scheduled for release on Friday 22nd December 2023. If you’re looking for something to watch, check out our TV Guide or check out our Movies hub for all the latest news and features.
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