Beam me up again, Scotty. Nearly six years after Star Trek: Beyond, it looks like we’re getting a fourth installment in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek series - although, according to star Chris Pine, he didn’t have any idea it was happening.
In an interview with Variety, All the Old Knives actor Chris Pine reacted to the recently announced fourth film in the new Star Trek series. Apparently, even Captain James T. Kirk didn’t know that the film was coming. He said:
I think everybody was like, 'Did you hear about this?' [Laughs]. We're usually the last people to find out, but I do know we're all excited. Whenever they want to send us a script, we're ready for it. We haven't seen a script. I don't know anything about it.
Major movie studios often greenlight films before assembling their casts, so it’s not too surprising that Chris Pine would have heard about the fourth Star Trek movie through the grapevine. Fortunately for Trekkies Paramount Pictures has expressed an intent to recruit not only Chris Pine, but also the franchise’s other stars like Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and John Cho.
Chris Pine may not have seen a script for the new Star Trek movie, but it’s not like J.J. Abrams could produce another sequel to the iconic space opera without its main protagonist. The Wonder Woman actor starred as Captain Kirk in all three of the movies in the Star Trek ‘Kelvin Timeline,’ a.k.a the J.J. Abrams timeline. It’s unknown if the new film will be a direct sequel to Star Trek Beyond or a reboot, but if it’s the former, it would have to include the iconic Kirk. And it’s not like the character couldn’t return - the ending of Star Trek Beyond found Kirk turning down a promotion to retain his position as captain of the USS Enterprise.
Chris Pine has plenty to do while he waits for the script to Star Trek 4. His latest film, All the Old Knives with Thandiwe Newton, will be released this April, and he’s on tap to star in Olivia Wilde’s second directorial feature Don’t Worry Darling with Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. Chris Pine will also return to the sci-fi/fantasy genre in the film adaptation of the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons, although his role has yet to be made public.
You can rewatch Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond with your Hulu subscription, or check out the original television series with your Paramount Plus subscription. If you’re already caught up, you can take a peek at these upcoming movie releases set to hit theaters and streaming services this year while you wait for the fourth Star Trek movie to hit theaters sometime in 2023.
