The next Star Trek film is due in 2016, but fans want to know exactly when. Could it be on the 50th anniversary? And what about competing with JJ Abrams’ Star Wars movie which was just put on production hold – might Star Wars slip into 2016 and go head-to-head with Trek? TrekMovie has invited Hollywood writer/producer (and release date bingo aficionado) Kay Reindl to take a look at the 2016 landscape. Read the full analysis.
50 Years A Trek?
The speculation about who is going to direct the next Star Trek movie has ended. It’s Roberto Orci, and hopefully he has already put on his fan-retardant flame suit. He did come back to Twitter, so he must have some kind of protection. And according to Paramount, his Star Trek will be released in 2016, but when in 2016 will it come out?
Some fans would love it if the movie was released in September, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the franchise. But seeing as how the highest grossing movie released in September is Crocodile Dundee, which came out in 1986, it seems highly unlikely that Paramount would sacrifice box office just for the sake of nostalgia. The overwhelming majority of people who saw the two JJ Abrams Trek films have no idea when exactly Star Trek premiered on TV, and the only goal for the studio is getting those people back into the theater. Paramount are still likely to use the 50th anniversary as a marketing hook regardless of the date they choose because it adds a uniqueness to the film.
Star Trek’s first episode “The Man Trap” aired Sept. 8, 1966 – does the next Trek film need to be released in September to be part of the 50th anniversary?
Disney 2016 Jedi Mind Trick?
The injury to Harrison Ford on the Star Wars set has added a potential new wrinkle to 2016, as JJ Abrams was rumored to have asked Disney to push the release of the film from December 2015 to May 2016. Every Star Wars movie has been released in May but since the last one came out in 2005, the summer movie landscape has changed. Chief among these changes is that Disney now owns Star Wars and Marvel. And they have already reserved May 2016 for Captain America 3. Couldn’t Disney just push the Captain America movie and give Abrams the time he needs to revive Star Wars? Well, no. Because in July, Disney will be releasing an as yet untitled Marvel film. There may even be another Marvel film coming out later in 2016. Star Wars is a property, while Marvel is a studio. So the influence on Disney is going to be greater from Marvel.
Paramount would likely want to avoid having Star Trek and Star Wars released close to each other, so a Star Wars in May 2016 release could be a big factor in their calculations. However, it looks like Paramount won’t have to worry about that. Just today, Disney announced that they are indeed halting production on Star Wars: Episode VII in order to accommodate Ford’s recuperation, but the film is still “on track” to wrap in the fall and be released in December 2015.
Harrison Ford’s injury is slowing the Star Wars production – but not the release date
Box Office Bingo
Studios have always reserved release dates for their big tentpole films. But since Marvel arrived on the scene, release date bingo has heated up. Because Marvel has planned out movies through 2028, the other studios have to set release dates for their untitled films, too. That’s what DC has done with Man of Steel, which is the launchpad for their other properties. In 2017, for example, DC is planning to release three films. So movie schedules are already taking shape years in advance, way before there’s even an idea for what the movie will actually be. It’s like the gold rush with capes.
Given all of that, where does Star Trek go in 2016? First of all, let’s take a look at the top box office average per film per month (based on top 10 domestic opening weekends for each month…
As you can see in the above chart, May, July and November are the biggest months for movies. Most of the Marvel films have released in those months. The fallow months are and have been (for quite awhile) January, February, August and September. Since the studios don’t make many smaller films anymore, those months are dumping grounds. You’re not going to isolate your blockbuster in a month when people have gotten out of the habit of going to the movies.
The Treks of Summer
Prior to the JJ Abrams movies there were three Star Trek films released in June (which used to be a bigger movie-going month), three in November (which used to feature midlevel films the studios don’t make anymore) and four in December. The three June films are Wrath of Khan (’82), The Search for Spock (’84) and The Final Frontier (’89). The lackluster box office for that last film may have changed Paramount’s mind about summer releases for Star Trek, as the next five films in the franchise were all released in the fall or winter. The last Next Generation film to be released was Nemesis in December of 2002, where it grossed a paltry $43 million and almost put an end to the movie franchise (it certainly ended the TNG-era and put the Trek films into a hiatus).
When they brought the franchise back, Paramount initially stuck with the pattern and set the release for the first JJ Abrams Star Trek film on Christmas 2008, but later they moved it up to May 2009 in hopes of bigger box office. After that worked out, Into Darkness was also released in May, although that one was initially set for 4th of July weekend in 2012. However, delays on Abrams’ Super 8 made that date undoable. Bad Robot and Paramount could have got Into Darkness ready for a Holiday 2012 release, but instead they chose May 2013, indicating that the studio has deemed the summer as the best fit for the renewed Trek franchise.
So, let’s take a look at how the Summer of 2016 is shaping up
| Summer 2016 Wkd | Films [Sci-fi/Action/Comic Book Bolded] |
| May 6th | Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (WB) Captain America 3 (Disney) |
| May 13th | Universal R-Rated Comedy (Uni.) |
| May 20th | |
| May 27th (Memorial Day) |
X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox) Alice in Wonderland 2 (Disney) |
| June 3rd | Sausage Party (Sony) |
| June 10th | The Amazing Spider-man 3 (Sony) |
| June 17th | Finding Dory (Disney) How to Train Your Dragon 3 (Fox)) |
| June 24th | |
| July 1st (4th of July wkd) |
Independence Day 2 (Fox) Tarzan (Disney) Angry Birds (Sony) The BFG (Disney) |
| July 8th | Marvel Untitled (Disney) |
| July 15th | Untitled Bourne (Uni.) Ice Age 5 (Fox) |
| July 22nd | King Arthur (WB) |
| July 29th | Untitled Planet of the Apes (Fox) |
Yeah, that’s a lot. But there’s no guarantee that all of those movies will stay where they are, either. By the end, like every summer, there will be at least one tentpole film for each weekend. Both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness had to compete against big movies opening in May 2009 and 2013. Yet the 2009 film ended up ranked 7th for the year and even though Into Darkness had to contend with the megahit Iron Man 3, it still made close to what the first film made domestically and outgrossed it by 20% globally. So from Paramount’s perspective, May has worked well for both Star Trek and Into Darkness. I’m sure there are some who will argue that point, but the absolute fact is that a studio does not greenlight a sequel if the previous film didn’t do well enough to warrant it.
Summer 2016 kicks off with “Batman v. Superman” on May 6th – will the next Trek follow it soon after?
Beam May Up
Looking at what Paramount has to release in 2016, it is likely that they are looking for summer slots for the Star Trek movie and Transformers 5. It is a good bet that the Transformers film will end up in June – quite possibly in the open slot of June 24th. And with three superhero movies in May, the next Star Trek begins to look like counter-programming. Where Paramount has an advantage is that they aren’t Disney, juggling Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and Disney Animation. They don’t have to lock in a release like Disney or DC do. They can set the Trek film in May and change it if they need to, whether it be for production reasons or for positioning. Frankly, I’d be surprised if they didn’t do just that.
And it’s not just about how crowded the movie palaces will be with superhero films. The theory is that if you can get people to the theater, they will see your movie if The Avengers is sold out. According to the studio logic, a rising tide lifts all films. A big movie gets people in the habit of going to the movies. And if this hadn’t been proven, then they wouldn’t do it. The bottom line is not aesthetics, or creativity, or craft, although the notion that studios don’t care about quality isn’t true. They do, but they have to make money. That’s the bottom line for a corporation, and it always will be. They have a thousand Nate Silvers running numbers that lead them to these decisions.
So in the end, my bet is the next Star Trek film will be released on May 20th, 2016. With shooting set to start in the spring of 2015 (according to Bob Orci), making that release date is very doable. And for those fans that want to see the film celebrate the actual 50th anniversary of Star Trek in September 2016, there is always the DVD/Blu-ray release.
For now we will have to wait and see, but Paramount shouldn’t wait too long to make their choice.
Start lining up now for May 20th, 2016?
POLL: Predict!
What’s your best guess at a release date. Discuss it in the comments below and vote in the new poll.
[poll id=”726″]
Kay Reindl is a TV writer/producer who’s written for Millennium, Twisted and Beware the Batman. A long-time Trekkie, she has not technically defended Star Trek Into Darkness to the death, but will if pushed. Follow her on Twitter: @KayReindl.
September 2016 would be ideal in regard to commemorating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.
But, since Hollywood doesn’t give a flying fig about things like that, who knows?
If they want to wait to release the 50th Anniversary movie of Star Trek in September 2016, that would be fine with me. September 8, 2016 will mark 50 years ago when the first STAR TREK tv series debuts on NBC in 1966.
However, I would like to hear how early they will begin filming this movie.
The article actually says shooting starts in the spring of 2015. May 2016 sounds right
You’re forgetting Prometheus 2 set for 2016
Why wouldn’t Paramount want to avoid going up against SW? Because if SW is sold out people will go and see ST? Nah,not everyone would do that,not with so many other movies to see. And May 2016 is great,release it then. lol
J-R!
Just like JJ and the last two Trek films: ANY reason for a delay.
Just NOT a deadline person, bless his artistic heart.
@4 I think it was announced RScott is doing The Martian for March 2016 instead of P2 (as was thought)
Re ST3s release – I guess if SW7 has to move to May2016 that would mean ST3 would have to be a late release Nov or Dec as happened in 2002 with Clones/Nemesis as I couldn’t see Paramount releasing Trek the same summer as Wars (with Marvel also moving Capt America which is probably going to move anyway to avoid BvS)
heres how Late 2016 looks so far:
November
• Trolls (Fox) – 11/4
• Untitled 2016 Event Project (Uni.) – 11/4
• Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (WB) – 11/18
• Untitled Disney Animation (Nov. 2016) (BV) – 11/23
December
• Alvin and the Chipmunks 4 (Fox) – 12/16
• Untitled Star Wars (BV) – 12/16
• Untitled Illumination Entertainment (2016) (Uni.) – 12/21
Plus theres the small matter of Avatar 2.
If SW7 is moved to May 2016 then the planned Untitled SW would no doubt move to 2017(maybe May to coincide with the 40th ann) so maybe ST3 could slot in 12/16.
However if SW7 remains December 2015 ST3 will probably go for the 5/20 slot.
Also if they release ST3 in May they could get the DVD out for Sept for the 50th
It all depends on if SW7 gets moved or not. if it doesn’t ST3 = May. If it does ST3 = Nov or Dec
Whatever, as long as they continue to make Star Trek movies! For all we know, Star Trek 3 may be the last one…
All the late night news including Disney owned ABC are reporting that Ford’s injury will necessitate a filming delay that Disney spokespeople have been quick to point out will not effect its scheduled release date.
Much hay has been made of supposed reputable surveys indicating this or that of the general public’s view of STAR TREK. well here’s something from The Authorized Biography of William Shatner: SHATNER: WHERE NO MAN
http://www.beyondspock.de/interviews/print/shatner_where_no_man.php
“…another independent study of the general public conducted by sampling techniques and reaching more than one thousand people was reported by STAR TREK fans in an ad in the Hollywood trade papers appealing to Paramount:
80% of the general public said they would see a new STAR TREK movie if it had Shatner and Nimoy, but only 40% said they would see it if either Shatner or Nimoy were not in it. (And many added that at most they would see it once, while if both were in it most would expect to see it several times.)” — Sondra Marshk and Myrna Culbreath, SHATNER: WHERE NO MAN, Chapter 8 ‘Kirk Meets Spock: The Spark’
The bottom line is not aesthetics, or creativity, or craft, although the notion that studios don’t care about quality isn’t true. They do, but they have to make money. That’s the bottom line for a corporation, and it always will be.
An informative article, and I enjoyed it, but I’m tired of hearing this line of reasoning about the poor, struggling studios needing to make money.
The studios have always made money, or they’d not have stayed in business. Money may always have been the bottom line, but I don’t think that it’s always been the only line. Which is what seems to be now, and shamelessly so.
There used to be a sense of studios wanting to put out some meaningful films once a year or so as a point of pride, to compete for Oscars and keep the brand name respectable. These days, the major studios seem as dispassionate about their investments as a hedge-fund manager. If the foreign market wants a movie about turd sandwiches tomorrow, by God that’s what the studios are going to make tomorrow. And plenty of them.
And even the action movies used to be more respectable. They used to be much more balanced with drama, comic relief sequences, and have a “theme.” Today, it’s wall-to-wall action and I can’t tell you what the movie was about the next day. And don’t bother dismissing my complaint as mere get off my lawn curmudgeonliness, because I’m just not having it. The overall caliber of movies has declined in the 21st Century.
@9. Disinvited: The book you are quoting is from 1979. Shatner and Nimoy may have been the deciding factors for Star Trek’s success back then. That time is long gone.
I’m not even sure it would make much of a difference with the general public if they swapped out all the characters and just made a generic scifi action film that happens to be set in the Star Trek universe.
I bet the release will be in May, followed by a DVD release along with a parade of sales on existing Trek DVDs, the week of September 8th.
Very comprehensive analysis on the part of the author — kudos.
A May 2016 release date, which seems the earliest reasonable possibility, means that there will be a seven year gap between ST(2009) and ST(2016). Until the Abrams movies, the average time it took to release any three Star Trek movies was four or five years. The release dates of STII through STIV took place within about four years, and STIV had the most impressive box office of any ST movie until ST(2009).
It seems to me that we are dragging out the timeframe, for whatever reason, for the release of these new movies to such an extent that whatever audience goodwill the previous film created is diminished.
Some of the most successful movies from a box office standpoint, such as Iron Man, were released with only a two-year gap between films. Counting “The Avengers” as an Iron Man movie, four Iron Man films were released between 2008 and 2013, a period of five years.
Star Trek is losing momentum unnecessarily each time a new film is released. This might have been because of calendar issues, or not, but somehow, somewhere down the line, executives have forgotten that time is a great eraser of memories and, in summer blockbusters, possibly goodwill.
#12. DIGINON – July 7, 2014
It’s important because TMP which set the mold as far as big budget Trek was concerned, has been claimed in these parts to have been a niche market and that Trek has never been successfully marketed to the general public worldwide before. This establishes that the general public at that time was more than familiar with Trek and willing to pay for the Kirk/Spock dynamic on screen.
And I hear people like yourself making claims, but no one is making a cogent argument as to how successfully marketing to a worldwide market with its mish-mash of cultures in 1979 is vastly different than doing the same in 2016.
The next movie should start something like this:
Space.
We hear the beeping sound of the sonar of space ship.
Voiceover: “Computerlog of the Starship Enterprise. Stardate 61362.3, Captain Data. We are enroute to the planet Vulcan to take Ambassador Picard back to his duties after taking part in a conference on Deep Space Nine…”
Then a big Enterprise F comes into view…
And then an epic adventure begins that spans both universes and sees the return of not only Picard, Data and maybe Riker but also the JJ-verse crew and the return of Prime Spock an a resurrected Prime Kirk – who could be the main villain in the movie.
Um, I don’t remember ANY Trek films being released in October (at least in the United States). TVH was released November 26, 1986; First Contact, November 22, 1996. Generations was also a November release. TMP, TUC, Insurrection and Nemesis were December releases.
You sure you didn’t confuse October with November?
From what I see, the only real area for 2016 as of now with no real gigantic competition would be in June, 2016, either early or mid month. With what’s set in that timeframe, Star Trek could make a killing.
The studio could easily slide in it on May 20th if they are that hard up on a summer release….that is 2-weeks after Captain America 3 and Batman/Superman film.
I see no issues there.
However, I understand that Trek fans want that September release – but it really is a bad time to do, if you want old and new Trek fans to see it, then the Fri/Sat/Sun weekend is all the time there is to see it.
Schools (secondary and colleges) are back in full swing by September – and for a huge production as Trek…. there is no holiday in and around September or a true monetary incentive to move it that late – Summer’s officially over by September anyways.
I voted the same as you, Harry.
Really it should be the week of Sept 8th. I know it’s not blockbuster season, but just as a one off. Mind you, that would presume that the film would be a great ride of nostalgia and tribute to 50 years of Trek. I think I can say now that after viewing Into Darkness the next picture will not remotely rise to those expectations, not with Orci in charge. Shame. I would have liked a Skyfall or Day of the Doctor for the franchise I have supported for my entire life. That’s how you do a 50th.
Counter programming eh? Star Trek will get eaten alive by Marvel and DC in May.
Does it matter? If the film is good, it will make money whenever it is released. Wouldn’t release it the same weekend as a DC or Marvel film but really, who cares if September is usually bad – a good movie will draw an audience. Now if we can just get a good movie…
Who cares about Star Wars…
Regardless of what that film does, I think the best slot for Star Trek 3 is April. First big movie of the year.
Look how well Cap 2 did. Even releasing earlier like the Lego Movie… That did huge business.
I HATE all this worry over Star Trek, what is wrong with us?? Star Trek is a huge deal and doesn’t need to worry about Star Wars or any of the other movies coming in 2016.
Each will need their space to perform to the best of their abilities and I say April for Trek.
16. Admiral_Bumblebee – July 7, 2014
The next movie should start something like this:
Space.
We hear the beeping sound of the sonar of space ship.
Voiceover: “Computerlog of the Starship Enterprise. Stardate 61362.3, Captain Data. We are enroute to the planet Vulcan to take Ambassador Picard back to his duties after taking part in a conference on Deep Space Nine…”
Then a big Enterprise F comes into view…
And then an epic adventure begins that spans both universes and sees the return of not only Picard, Data and maybe Riker but also the JJ-verse crew and the return of Prime Spock an a resurrected Prime Kirk – who could be the main villain in the movie.
I share your enthusiasm for TNG but I would much rather see it return to TV as a miniseries for the 50th anniversary with a tie in to the Abramsverse films a la Marvel films and Agents of SHIELD. TNG is much more successful on TV for me.
24,
he,he – I Agree!:)
#21 ” I would have liked a Skyfall or Day of the Doctor for the franchise I have supported for my entire life.”
I thought Skyfall was so disappointing. Little hints of things they should have got right but missed the mark. Mainly the villain. And destroying the classic Aston Martin. Killing M. Bond is so dreadfully serious now. The style, the suave, the gadgets, the amazing stunts, everything that was signature Bond was missing. Now it’s just another Bourne movie. Bond has lost it’s unique identity and is now run-of-the-mill and that is it’s ultimate sin. That’s no way to celebrate the 50th anniversary I my book. As long as Trek continues to remember it’s roots, as it has in the last two movies, we’ll be just fine.
Late third, early fourth quarter is fine by me. I’m fairly certain that if Trek 3 gets sandwiched amongst better known properties, it’s going to be buried, even in the unlikely event Orci creates the greatest sci-fi movie ever. And I still don’t want a release anywhere near Avatar 2.
Harrison Ford is only delaying production a couple of weeks….but as Ford’s injury was originally reported as a sprained ankle, when in fact he was being airlifted off set, we have no way of knowing when production will restart until it restarts…
@14. Hat Rick
“Star Trek is losing momentum unnecessarily each time a new film is released.”
Agreed that ST is losing momentum big time, but not just because of calendar issues, but also the fact that BR team are masters in the arts of procrastination!
ST09 was delayed from December 2008 to May 2009
STID was delayed from June 2012 to May 2013
In any event, there is no way that Paramount will release the movie in May 2016 against Superman, X-Men & Captain America. April, June or August seems to be the best options so far.
29. Ahmed
Perhaps they paid BR too much and they just got lazy.
9. Disinvited
Not too biased.
Releasing the movie in May 2016 would be dumb. It’s already crowded. It’s going to be the most jam-packed May release period in history. Not only do you have the blockbusters, there are always the underdog, sleeper hit comedies that take big bites out of the box office pie. June/July look to be busy as well, as their will no doubt be more big movies announced for that summer, like a possible “Fast & Furious 8”. I don’t know if 2016 is going to be feasible. I would say 2017 could be more likely.
It will be interesting.
I wonder if they will consider the ST Vegas Con (in August) when determining a release date?
We all remember how well STID was received…
May 2009 and May 2013 were crowded, too. That didn’t stop Paramount from releasing Trek movies in those months. Remember how Trek ’09 nearly beat “Angels vs. Demons” in its second weekend?
Besides, either DC or Marvel will blink, either CA3 and BvS will move, probably to the Jun 24 date. (They’d better blink soon before Transformers 5 takes that date.)
Trek can stand the heat, it’s proven that already with the last two movies. Trek has “legs’ as they say and even with seemingly top-notch competition, it will still survive just fine. The studio will not miss the opportunity of marketing this movie for the 2016 50th anniversary of TOS.
#22 “Star Trek will get eaten alive by Marvel and DC in May.”
Nah. Trek had no problem dispatching Wolverine and it will have no problem with Spidey or Batman and Superman. It will have to divide the tickets at first, but Trek will stay in the theaters longer and enjoy more repeat business. No worries.
@34 yes May 2009 ST went up against Wolverine (XMen 4 at the time), Angels&Demons (Da Vinci 2) ,and Terminator 4 (starring Bale post TDK)
and ST blew them all away domestically and ww only lost out to A&D.
STID had to compete with IM3, F&F6, HO3, & Gatsby and did well beating HO and Gatsby..
That..being..said….BatmanvSuperman & XMA will be the most dangerous adversaries Star Trek has ever faced.
7 Khan! 2.0, “Also if they release ST3 in May they could get the DVD out for Sept for the 50th” …
“Yessssss [rubbing hands with greedy glee, as perhaps a Paramount executive might] … those Trek fans will buy the DVD, the Special Shatner/Nimoy DVD we’re planning* … the special re-release of the BluRay DVD set we just released in Summer 2014 — now in Infrared DVD*!! … and [fill in the product] … and [fill in other products] …
“BWAAAHHAHAHAhaaaa, our Star Trekkie marketing power is mighty in 2016” [twirling moustaches]
*ONLY IN JOKE. Don’t start a rumor off of this.
Holy Hortas, can Hollywood overthink things or what??
Just tell a good story and release the film when it’s ready — any time in 2016.
As for “Universal R-rated comedy,” coming out May 13, 2016,I think I’ve seen repeated previews for that movie. That and “Sausage Party.” ;-)
I wonder how popular “Angry Birds” will be, as I’ve seen no Tshirts or other AB merchandise being worn/shown lately. Isn’t it “over”? And what a stupid concept. But I said that about the Lego movie too.
Release date could be April 8th [if that’s a Thursday] — six months before the 50th Anniversary — but that’s probably too arcane. Only the most devoted Trekfans would even know that.
A Spring 2014 release fits with their previous pattern and will allow them to market the very hell out of any DVDs or other tie-in products for September’s 50th ST Anniversary.
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I love her joke about Orci’s flame-proof suit, LOL. Maybe he can use Spock’s volcano suit ….
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11 Cygnus, “get offa my lawn!” You may find this of interest. I read it and said, “EXACTLY!” Now I enjoy the humor in Marvel movies, and the attractive actors, but they [and Man of Steel] all sort of blend together in my mind.
These SFX spectaculars [I’m not just pointing fingers at Marvel, “Man of Steel” fits this too] keep trying to top themselves [MORE explosions! MORE death-defying leaps! MORE cities razed!] and are beginning to bore with their sameness.
http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/marvel-movies-look-visual-guide.php
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33 Yanks, yes, good points, and they’d dang well better not forget ComiCon that year either.
“The studio will not miss the opportunity of marketing this movie for the 2016 50th anniversary of TOS.”
Personally, I’m far from convinced of this. The last two films, if anything, were anxious to distance themselves from TOS’s legacy (relax, “This isn’t your father’s Star Trek,” now go chug a brew), so why would the studio want to even mention an anniversary date that highlights the age of the property and is of importance only to those who will see it at least once without being prodded in any event, and thus are not the audience the film is being pitched to?
“the only goal for the studio is getting those people back into the theater”
That rules out the truefans, so not September. My guess is June or December, depending on Star Wars.
If Trek misses the 50th, it will be because there is no Trek in production on TV.
Perhaps it will be OK to meet Trek’s REAL 50th – in 2019.
After all. Star Trek is mainly about the movies these days, right TrekMovie?
Oh wait, that would be the 40th (Since, STTMP).
Going by the chart in the article, I wonder if releasing the film on Thursday, September 8th, 2016 would actually do the film some favors.
Maybe by lowering the expectations, and even the budget, they could be slightly more niche-y and have a story that isn’t as reliant on the cliches of Hollywood blockbusters as the last several have been. Maybe it could be more like a problem-solving movie instead of one about blowing stuff up. I finally got a chance to see Europa Report. That was pretty cool. I’d add that to my usual list of films I think should influence a Star Trek film (alongside Close Encounters, ET, Star Trek IV, The Abyss, Contact, Master and Commander, Gravity).
I think that May is more likely to be the release date for the third movie and be in keeping with the first two. Whether it is the best time – not so sure.
September 8, 2016 is still a good option, even though it does seem a bad time financially for movies released then. However, the fact that the whole of 2016 would be Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, and needs to be organized with various events, that are affordable, if not free, and 2016 being advertised as being the year of Star Trek, 50 years on, starting now – releasing the film when there is less competition coming from the other big blockbusters to get “bums on seats” might work in Star Trek 3’s favour.
It could be seen as the ultimate film to end the Summer film season – leave the best till last and a great way of starting the new semester, etc, spreading hope and warmth that continues to shower northern hemisphere folk through the cold, dark winter months…
Also a great way to bring in the Spring/Summer season downunder.
Who knows – perhaps the theme and story of the next movie might allude to this
Just musing here, without trying to repeat anything I have read here or elsewhere.
Marja – As soon as I read the writer’s comment about the fan-retardant suit, I immediately thought of Spock’s volcano suit, although I suspect it might need to be made of even tougher stuff, given the harshness of many a fan.
Marvel/Disney just proved that you can buck trends. They released Captain America 2 in early April. They sort of got the whole summer movie season off to an early start. It was a risky move but it turned out to be good for them and for summer box office in general.
What did Cap 2 make? Something like $700MM+ worldwide? I think it might still be the highest grossing movie of the year so far. And the character (on his own) wasn’t a guaranteed big draw.
But you know what? They made a GREAT movie and marketed it well. Win!
Do those two things…and launch Star Trek 3 in April.
Definantly May.
Anyone who thinks anything else is ignorant of the reality of release seasons/dates & wallowing in nostalgia.
The movie would be the focus of marketing then the DVD/Bluray could be the centrepiece of the September celebrations/releases.
Star Trek 6 the 25th anniversary movie was not released in September.
September would be Death at the box office, anyone pushing for a September release is oblivious to reality & just living in their own world where Star Trek is made just for them.
40. Marja – July 7, 2014
The homogeneity of the comic-book movies is as much an issue for me as anything else. If there was only one movie that was like that, it wouldn’t bother me at all. But the flood of them seem indicative of the studios being run more as mindless, soulless factories these days. If one is good, ALL is better.
And, it fits perfectly with what that studio exec (wish I could remember her name) said about the studios being like chickens with their heads cut off since their DVD revenues dried up. Apparently they’ve gone into auto pilot mode and are just greenlighting clones of whatever has worked in the past.
And I seriously hope that people get tired of them while the studios have dozens of them in various stages of production. The fact that they’ve greenlighted these things through 2028 tells you better than anything else how creatively and entrepreneurially bankrupt they’ve become. Although, there will be a new crop of 10 year olds every year for whom these kind of movies are new, and they obviously won’t know what they’re missing in terms of quality. I really liked Battle Beyond the Stars when I was a kid; I just watched it again recently for the first time since then, and I was shocked at how stupid and shamelessly derivative it is. It’s basically just a collection of every sci-fi movie cliche and device from the good sci-fi movies which preceded it, all stitched together around an unbelievably insipid premise.
So, what do I know. Maybe the formula will keep working for decades to come. More Spiderman, Superman and Batman reboots, Transformers 12, 13, 14, 15….
Thanks, Ahmed, for your comment agreeing with me about the lengthy delays between ST(2009) and ST(2016).
Of course, I remain optimistic that things will unfold as they should, as a certain Vulcan science-officer-turned-diplomat once said.
There was a long delay between ST:NEM (2002) and ST(2009) that had many Trek fans on pins and needs. I remember being very disappointed by the box office for ST:NEM some time after I saw it, although of course I still liked it (and still do). Box office affects my thinking about the movie only to the extent that it gives me pause as to whether it could have been better — assuming the wisdom of the commons. Box office is, of course, never determinative of my opinions on the artistic or related merits of any movie.
Seven years is a long time. My first postings on TrekMovie.com were around the time that TrekMovie itself was established, when it became clear that a Star Trek movie was definitely in the works. So that must have been around 2007 or so. I well remember posting “spy” photos of on-location filming for ST(2009) at California State University, Northridge in 2008; they’re still available on this site.
The 2002-2009 drought as made more tolerable by the fact that ST:ENT was still on the air, until 2005. Now there are no more new ST TV productions.
As I search my memory for those days of yore, it seems to me, then, that the interminable drought of good news regarding a new Trek movie — viz., 2002 and 2007 or so — is still far less than the the timespan between ST(2009) and ST(2016), and, indeed, only a year or so longer than the mini-drought we had between ST(2009) and STID (four years).
I think that, beyond a certain length of time (say, two years), the passage of time itself makes the passage of time more onerous; that is, each month of delay is comparatively more significant than the month immediately prior.
If there is to be another four-year delay between any two Trek movies from now on, I’m not sure I could really handle it very well. I’m not sure how I was able to handle the delay between ST(2009) and STID.
If ST(2016) does not do well in the box office, then I think we may see another drought, which I, for one, do not welcome. Quite to the contrary.
Clarification: Just checked and TrekMovie.com was established, as The Trek XI Report, on July 15, 2006. (Wikipedia.) I can’t remember if I posted as early as 2006 on this site.