The long delay and doubt regarding the production and release ofStar Trek 4is a direct result of the biggest change in J.J. Abrams' reboot movies. Since 2016’s premiere ofStar Trek: Beyond, fans have been waiting for the release of its elusive sequel. After bouncing around different directors and writers,Star Trek 4’s future is still unknown. With numerous reasons why the film has been delayed, it’s easy to wonder why the success of J.J. Abrams' first three reboot films,Star Trek (2009),Star Trek Into Darkness, andStar Trek Beyond, wasn’t enough to ensure the production of another movie.
SinceStar Trek: The Motion Picture,everyStar Trekmoviehas relied on existing TV series to derive movie-worthy casts and stories.Star Trek: The Original Series’cast produced 6 films, andStar Trek: The Next Generationcontinued its stories with 4TNGmovies. Other than featuring the unexplored youth of belovedStar Trekcharacters, J.J. Abrams' Kelvin timeline started from scratch. This kind of obstacle, along with the struggle of scheduling top-billed movie stars, could be one of the reasons it’s been so difficult to produceStar Trek 4.
Star Trek 2009’s Ambitious Straight-To-Movie Plan Is Partly Responsible For Star Trek 4’s Delay
With no TV series to back it up, the Kelvin timeline is on its own
If J.J. Abrams' idea for a rebootedStar Trekhad started as a TV series back in 2009, it may have been easier to have more films made. The major benefit of a TV series, especially shows that run for multiple seasons likeStar Trekshows usually do, is thataudiences get to know the characters, story development, and setting in a much deeper way. Instead of starting with a 2-hour film,Star TrekTV showsoften have 5+ seasons of material. Creating a film series based on recognizable material and well-known characters makes the process faster because popularity is already established.
Star Trek Beyond Ending & Why No Sequel 8 Years Later Explained
Star Trek Beyond set up a sequel for Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and the Kelvin Timeline crew, but it’s 8 years later and we’ve yet to see Star Trek 4.
Star Trek(2009), the first film in the reboot franchise, didn’t have that advantage.Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirkmanned a Starship Enterprise crew that was familiar in name but not visually recognizable. Audiences didn’t have a few or more seasons with them before the movie’s release. Nonetheless,Star Trek(2009) was a success and remains the top-grossingStar Trekfilm. However, J.J. Abrams’Star Treksequels soon found itharder to create original, movie-worthy stories.Star Trek Into Darknessessentially remakingStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khanis proof. Ultimately,Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline was a novelty that didn’t have the same pull as previousStar Trekmovies based upon popular TV series.
Other Factors Behind Star Trek 4’s Long Development & Continuous Setbacks
Box office numbers and an increased Star Trek streaming presence are also to blame
J.J. Abrams' cast is a good one – with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, andZoe Saldana as Lt. Nyota Uhura– but they don’t have as much backing as a TV show-turned-movie’s pre-developed characters. To make matters more complicated, these actors and others who were in the first three Kelvin timelineStar Trekfilms are now even bigger – and busier – Hollywood stars, so it’s challenging to schedule an extended movie shoot with all of them at once.Factor inStar Trek’s growing streaming presence, and it’s easy to see where the franchise’s efforts went afterStar Trek Beyond.
Where To Watch Every Star Trek TV Show & Movie
Every Star Trek TV show and movie is available to watch via streaming, allowing fans the chance to stream new worlds and civilizations.
There are plenty of excitingupcomingStar Trekprojects, and most of them will premiere on streaming platforms, mainly Paramount+. The popularity ofStar Trek: Discovery’s Section 31 story earned Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou her own TV movie, further proving the success of a TV show-to-movie pipeline. J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies were mostly successful, butStar Trek Beyond’s diminishing box office returns are a significant factor ofStar Trek 4’s nearly-decade-long development hell. One can’t help but wonder ifStar Trek 4’s development would have quickened if the reboot films had the benefit of a successful, long-running TV show to back them up.
