Chris Pine took over the iconic role of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 movie Star Trek. This was the reboot of the original series created under the vision of Gene Roddenberry. Pine’s performance was praised by the public so much that he returned to the character for Star Trek Beyond (2016) and Into Darkness (2013). About eight years ago, a follow-up movie was ordered in response to its enormous popularity.
However, there is still little to no knowledge regarding its development. On this topic, Chris Pine responded to certain queries in a past interview that also raised a significant Star Trek problem. This particular issue might be a solid justification for Pine to forego reprising his legendary Captain Kirk role in Star Trek 4.
A Major Issue That Might Deter Chris Pine’s Involvement in Star Trek 4
In Hollywood, all facets of cinematography, from writers and directors to actors, have a distinctive role to play. If a writer is presenting a screenplay, it’s the duty of the director to put in his vision and the actor to perform the role to the best of his capacity. But the same lacked in Star Trek 4, with Chris Pine having no clue about the alleged project.
In an interview with Esquire in 2023, when being questioned about the developments in Star Trek 4, the actor added:
I don’t know anything. (Further) In Star Trek land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything. I know costume designers that have read scripts before actors.
About two years ago, in 2022, J.J. Abrams announced the fourth Star Trek movie (via Deadline). The actors were all taken aback by this announcement. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Pegg were not aware that Paramount was going forward with the project.
Pine mentioned in the same Esquire interview how he was frustrated that the cast was not included in important conversations. Further, he added that this doesn’t promote a great sense of collaboration amongst the cast. But he also acknowledged that this is a common occurrence in the movie industry that he cannot tackle alone as he just doesn’t “have the energy.”
From the Outset, Star Trek 4 Was a Problematic Project
The fourth movie was initially scheduled for a theatrical release on December 22, 2023. Further, it had WandaVision’s filmmaker, Matt Shakman, in the director’s chair. However, Shakman abandoned the project to oversee the Fantastic Four revival in the MCU because of the ongoing setbacks and difficulties. This prompted Paramount to completely withdraw Star Trek 4 from its release schedule.
In the Esquire interview mentioned above, the actor also criticized how Star Trek movies are always pitched against those of Marvel in terms of box office numbers. He added:
I’m not sure ‘Star Trek’ was ever built to do that kind of business. I always thought, ‘Why aren’t we just appealing to this really rabid fan group and making the movie for a good price and going on our merry way, instead of trying to compete with the Marvels of the world.
His statement highlighted that the Star Trek franchise might do better if the movies are more focused on its loyal fanbase, rather than being in a race to compete with the huge box office returns of other franchises, like Marvel. He also brought Star Trek Beyond (2016) into the conversation about how people expected it to earn billions (it earned $343 million worldwide via CBR).
