Paramount Pictures' next Star Trek film has lost its director.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, WandaVision director Matt Shakman has exited the still-untitled Star Trek 4. This news comes following confirmation that Shakman is in talks to helm Marvel Studios' upcoming Fantastic Four reboot film -- a development that has evidently created a scheduling conflict for the director.
"Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn't align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film," Paramount said in an official statement. "We are grateful for his many contributions, are excited about the creative vision of this next chapter and look forward to bringing it to audiences all around world."
Star Trek 4 Has Had a Long Development
In April 2021, Paramount announced that a new Star Trek feature film would hit the big screen on June 9, 2023. The following July, Shakman -- known for his work on Marvel Studios' Disney+ original series WandaVision -- was tapped to helm this new big-screen entry in the venerable sci-fi franchise, which would be produced by J.J. Abrams. (Abrams previously directed 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, as well as produced the latter's 2016 sequel, Star Trek Beyond, which was directed by Justin Lin.) At the time, production on Shakman's Star Trek film was expected to begin in spring 2022.
In November 2021, however, Paramount delayed the release of its next Star Trek film to Dec. 22, 2023. In February 2022, the studio effectively confirmed that the new movie would indeed be a sequel to its previous three Star Trek films, announcing the return of series stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg. Interestingly though, this announcement is said to have caught the actors themselves off guard.
Marvel Studios Is Rebooting Fantastic Four
Meanwhile, Shakman's prospective involvement in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four is the latest development regarding the long-gestating reboot. The studio gained the film rights to Marvel's First Family following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced that it was indeed developing a new Fantastic Four film as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. MCU Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts was initially attached to helm the reboot, though ultimately departed the project in April 2022.
Two months later, at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirmed that the Fantastic Four reboot would release in theaters on Nov. 8, 2024 to kick off Phase Six of the MCU. It was first rumored earlier this week that Shakman was in negotiations to replace Watts as director.
Star Trek 4 is scheduled for release on Dec. 22, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter