While the Star Trek franchise has been thriving on television lately with multiple shows, the same can’t be said about the films. Fans have been waiting for concrete details on the follow-up to 2016's Star Trek Beyond. It was announced last year that a new Star Trek movie is dated for 2023, but nothing major has been revealed since then. It appears even the franchise stars haven’t heard much about a sequel, and Simon Pegg recently got very honest about what’s currently happening with the sci-fi film series.
The Mission: Impossible 7 star gave Collider a mini update on what’s happening with Star Trek 4. Unfortunately, Simon Pegg is just as in the dark about the sci-fi film series' status as viewers are. The studio appears to be keeping producer J.J. Abrams and writer Matt Shakman in the dark as well. Pegg opened about how current circumstances like COVID have continued to hinder the franchise’s future, saying:
I don't know much. I've met Matt briefly and seems like a great guy. I love the work he did on WandaVision. It's always waiting with these things, because the world is an uncertain place. COVID's thrown everything into a spin. There's so many factors that have to align in order for these things to happen. I'm just quietly waiting for news basically. And I texted J.J. the other day and said, 'Tell me what's happening.' He's just like, 'We're waiting for news.' I'd love to see more adventures in the Kelvin universe. Obviously, any chance I get to work with those actors is... I'll leap at it, albeit it's going to be a little sad this time, but stay tuned.
According to Simon Pegg, J.J. Abrams hasn’t heard any news either on the sequel’s status. That’s a big deal, as Abrams has been steering the beloved franchise since the reboot premiered in 2009. So it appears Paramount Pictures has put the film series on hold for now. At least, Simon Pegg is willing to do another film with his cast members. As Pegg alluded to, it might be hard since it's unclear if Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pine are still involved. As the actor mentioned, it will be sad as co-star Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov, passed away shortly before Star Trek Beyond premiered.
Simon Pegg isn’t the only Star Trek star waiting to hear about the next film. Zachary Quinto, a.k.a. the film series' Spock, was just as open to returning for another film with the original cast if everyone is available. Much like Pegg, Quinto was unsure about the franchise’s status as he hadn’t heard any news from Abrams. So, everyone’s open to another film, and the ball is in Paramount’s court right now.
It is currently unknown if the untitled Star Trek film will follow the Kelvin universe or give a new take on the sci-fi multimedia empire. Until viewers get more updates, they can catch any current and upcoming Star Trek shows, including Picard, along with other great shows on Paramount+ to get their fix.
