Skydance has signaled the company wants to prioritize getting Star Trek movies back to theaters now that the merger with Paramount is complete, and we've seen some efforts toward making that happen. We have a Starfleet origin movie on the way, along with reassurance that a fourth Kelvin movie is still in development, despite multiple false starts. Zachary Quinto is doing what he can to try to move things along, though I had to chuckle at his attempt.
Quinto talked to Collider recently, as his medical series Brilliant Minds prepares for its return on the 2025 TV schedule. The actor was asked if the merger would help the chances of a follow-up to 2016's Star Trek: Beyond finally happening, and shared he's actually reached out about that exact thing recently:
I actually just emailed J.J. this week to say, 'Hey, this would be really exciting.' I think fans would be really open to it and really welcome a final movie. We’ve been talking about it for long enough that it seems like time to move it forward. So, I’m beating that drum as much as I can. I think it would be really great to do a fourth movie, and let’s make it happen. There are so many possibilities in the stories we could tell. I think there’s something really wonderful about coming back to characters that we all have a history with, and we all have a real deep connection to, and a fond relationship with. I hope that we can, and I hope that we do.
I get his intention in sending the email, but I can't help but laugh about the idea of Zachary Quinto suggesting the movie happen, as if there haven't been reports about failed scripts involving Chris Hemsworth, and various comments by former cast members on the difficulty in making another Star Trek Kelvin movie. Basically, I'm sure J.J. Abrams appreciated hearing from the actor, though I'm not sure he needed the reminder that many are still waiting on this movie to happen.
Despite that, the upcoming Trek projects rundown does not have a Kelvin movie confirmed to be in production. Even so, many in the ensemble cast remain committed to returning to make one happen, including Zachary Quinto:
I would absolutely love to do another Star Trek movie. I don’t understand why we haven’t done one yet, but hopefully now that the Skydance and Paramount merger is moving forward, Skydance was the financier of all the Star Trek movies that we’ve done so far, and have been great partners in those films, and I would love to revisit it. I think all of us would. It’s been ten years since we made the last movie, and nine years since it came out, and I do think that it would be a really wonderful way to close that chapter of the story and the characters that we’ve all come to love and come to enjoy inhabiting as much as we have. I think it would be really wonderful.
It would be wonderful, provided the right idea finally gets clearance to happen. Another factor is the ensemble cast remains in high demand across Hollywood, whether it be in television or movies. I can imagine it wouldn't be cheap to negotiate a return for Chris Pine, Zoe Saldaña, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and John Cho. That's before casting other known celebrities to play villains and other characters in the movie.
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I just want to make it clear that if I had access to J.J. Abrams email, I'd be sending emails the same as Zachary Quinto. Hell, I think just about every diehard Star Trek fan would, as we're still just as excited about the prospect of this movie happening a decade after the last movie. In that regard, it's good to continue sounding the horn and reminding the decision-makers at Skydance and Paramount this is something worth pursuing, especially as long as the project has been in development hell.
In the meantime, it would be great to see if Star Trek could find other ways to get back in theaters. I've talked about how great it would be to finally see a Voyager movie, and I also wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Kelvin universe expand out and possibly move into The Next Generation era. Not to call anyone out, but James McAvoy is the same age as Patrick Stewart when he started the acclaimed Trek show, so why not have him take on the mantle of yet another one of the actor's iconic roles?
We'll see if we have a firm announcement about when the next Star Trek Kelvin movie is happening in the next year. Sadly, I'm not going to feel confident any idea is happening until I see a picture of the cast on set, but I do hope actors keep sending emails and ideas keep getting pitched!
