The long-gestating Star Trek 4 appears to have once again been shelved.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has removed its untitled fourth modern Star Trek film from its release schedule. This news comes one month after director Matt Shakman departed the project. The latest big-screen entry in the Trek franchise was previously slated to bow in theaters on Dec. 22, 2023.
Paramount rebooted the venerable sci-fi franchise in 2009 with the film Star Trek, directed and produced by J.J. Abrams. Abrams returned to direct and produce the reboot's 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams also produced Into Darkness' own sequel, 2016's Star Trek Beyond, though did not direct it. Instead, the Trek threequel was helmed by Justin Lin.
Star Trek 4 Has Had a Troubled Development
In 2018, Paramount tapped S.J. Clarkson to direct its fourth Star Trek reboot film. The film infamously hit a major development snag later that year when stars Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth reportedly exited the project over pay disputes. In early 2019, Star Trek 4 was reportedly shelved altogether due to Clarkson also departing the project. Clarkson left Star Trek 4 to direct HBO's planned Game of Thrones spinoff Bloodmoon, which itself failed to materialize.
As of April 2021, Star Trek 4 appeared to be back on track, with Paramount dating an untitled Star Trek film for June 9, 2023. Three months later, the studio tapped Shakman to direct the film, with Abrams also confirmed to be returning as producer. By the end of the year, however, the new Star Trek film had been delayed to Dec. 22, 2023.
Nevertheless, Paramount effectively confirmed this past February that this new film would indeed be Star Trek 4, announcing the return of series stars Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg (though this announcement reportedly caught the cast members themselves off guard.) However, in August, Shakman left Star Trek 4 in favor of directing the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot film for Marvel Studios following Jon Watts' departure from that project.
"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 at the time. "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."
Source: Variety