Two months ago, producer J.J. Abrams and Paramount Pictures announced plans to go into production later this year on a Star Trek film that reunited the Kelvin Universe cast. Since then, we have heard from various members of that cast who have expressed excitement about doing another film and have had some meetings about it, but they were taken by surprise by the announcement with nothing firm yet on their schedules. The latest to join this chorus is Zachary Quinto, who expects to return to the role of Mr. Spock, but he just isn’t sure when.
Quinto waiting
Zachary Quinto is back in LA, but instead of a Hollywood lot, he is at the Geffen Playhouse starring in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. The actor spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the play, of course THR had to ask about the next Star Trek film. According to the report, Quinto was also “blindsided” by Paramount’s announcement in February, but he was still “confident the film will happen.” However, Quinto indicated he has doubts Abrams can get production going in 2022, telling THR:
I don’t know that we will do it this year. I don’t know when it will happen. And I always maintain that I would love to do it… But until I get something concrete — ‘We’re shooting this day, here’s your script, get ready’ — I’m in a wait and see pattern. I’m not really attached to it in any way until I have much more definitive certainty that it’s actually happening.
Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek Beyond
In March, co-star Karl Urban expressed his concern over a scheduling conflict, and Quinto noted even with everyone interested in doing the film, getting their timing aligned is the biggest hurdle:
There’s so many different platforms for content. And where that content’s coming from and how it’s getting made, and how it fits into people’s schedules and other commitments and stuff is always the hurdle. But I hope that we’ll get to assemble the crew one more time. It’s a great ensemble and we love each other. And I think I can speak for everyone and say we’d love to find a way to come back and do another one.
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, there is a bit of a “Star Trek 4” crossover with Quinto’s new play as Matt Shakman who has been tapped to direct the movie is also the creative director of Geffen Playhouse. Last month Chris Pine revealed he has met with Shakman to discuss the film, and like Quinto, he has yet to see the script. If the project moves forward but the production doesn’t start by the end of this year, it will be hard for Abrams and Paramount to meet the December 22, 2023 release date.
Zachary Quinto and Calista Flockhart in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (Geffen)
Keep up with all the news on Star Trek 4 and upcoming Trek films at TrekMovie.com.
Seems to be another failed promise on a Star Trek movie. That’s just reckless PR to say the least.
such a waste of an amazing cast
Quinto is so-so at best.
Told you so….is anyone really surprised?
This is hilarious, because they are getting the script done and haven’t nailed down the filming date, all of you naysayers act like you are being proven right on this. LOL, we’ll see.
I think making this film is a done deal, even if it falls say 6 months behind the original target.
But by all means, enjoy your “I told you so” temporary moment in the sun, because it’s going to be just that — temporary. ;-)
Writing a script hardly qualifies a movie for being in production. For every film completed there’s a hundred finished scripts waiting. Maybe it will get made, maybe not, but until casting starts it’s just a promise.
And on the other end of the spectrum, Star Trek: The Motion Picture went into production long before the script was finished. That would be a cautionary tale, I think.
And a couple years prior to TMP with TITANS, they had a start date and no script. Kelley was on Tom Snyder joking about how everybody else has scripts and no startdate/greenlight.
I would have loved to have seen that crazy Titans Trek movie. Kind of sounded like the Trek version of the whole Jodorowsky’s Dune thing…in fact, someone should do a documentary on the Titans movie attempt!
I’ve read all but one page of the Kaufman treatment for TITANS — and man, it was a real letdown, especially after all these years of wondering about it, and even suggesting a way on trekbbs that Par could do it as a TREK prequel 20 years ago, with Capt Robert April (that was around the time I came up with a pretty hefty outline for a trek reboot using BALANCE OF TERROR as the Enterprise’s first mission under Kirk’s command, before he knows Spock, and therefore the whole Rom/Vul reveal would have had a lot more weight to it.) I have only read the same synopsis everyone else has of the TITANS story the two writers cooked up before their contract ran out, and that sounds only marginally better than the Kaufman version.
It was way off the mark character-wise, so clearly Kaufman was just using Trek as a vehicle for his own SF ideas — but I found it surprising that those ideas didn’t exactly grab me, either, given how much esteem I hold his BODY SNATCHERS remake. Also love THE RIGHT STUFF and RISING SUN.
I gotta say, in terms of unmade Trek scripts, the one I was most impressed with was John Black’s original version of THE MENAGERIE 2parter … or at least the second part of it anyway, which I all I got to read. Although it contains pretty much everything seen in the aired version, there was a whole subplot (which really comes to the fore in act 4) with Kirk and the part that would become Mendez that fell out, and I felt it was so important it made the whole thing not so much a Spock-centric story at all, instead being about Kirk’s situation, and I thought it read like it could be one of the best Kirk/dilemma stories.
FROM THE FIRST DAY TO THE LAST is what it was called, and I think the story is that with the way GR messed with it and cut Black out completely was the last straw for the story editor, who left the show at that point (after feeling compromised because he had promised writers they wouldn’t be rewritten but then realizing GR was going to rewrite everybody.) Black also pitched a TREK movie in the mid 70s, a kind of space ecology thing about races using a black hole as a garbage can for all their bad stuff and having it blow up into an all-consuming force that was eating its way across various star systems.
It’s pretty weird to have such a strong response to only having read half of a story — and I have to say my view is a minority opinion, everybody else thinks the aired MENAGERIE eps are better. It has really good continuity too, namedropping the mining station on Rigel XII from MUDD’S WOMEN as well as the location of Pike’s Rigel fight, which reinforces that Talos is not far away, and also not far from the starbase, so issues of jumping halfway across the galaxy are also avoided. There are also cute little touches, like describing the plant-ons in the corridor walls as Ruggduits, for sfx guy James Rugg, and Harlan Ellison is actually mentioned in one descriptive non-dialog section!) though the inference in dialog seems to be that Kirk’s Enterprise is not physically the same ship as Pike’s.
If you can dig it up, it’s worth a read. ‘Kirk has a decision to make’ is one of the main things David Gerrold said made for a good Trek story, and in this one, he has one helluva decision to make … and it quite probably the wrong call, one that could have bitten the universe in the ass later (and if it had stood, I am sure Harve Bennett would have bitten off it for his Trek tenure.)
My personal fave unproduced Trek script is Bob Orci’s Star Trek 3.
Can you please share the link for the Orci script? I thought is sounded rather hokey, but all I had to go by was a brief summary of the story.
Very interesting — thanks! I will try to find that.
I think the bulk of fans won’t believe this film is happening until the actors are all on a set in costume together reading their lines in front of a camera. Until that happens, many will remain skeptical and for good reason!
It’s obvious Paramount wants to make another Star Trek movie. But yeah it’s clearly easier said than done at this point. It’s been ridiculously messy trying to get one off the ground for years now and it could be years more until it finally makes it on a screen, but we’ll see!
This is already the longest period between Trek films since TMP. Even between Nemesis and the 09 movie was about six and a half years. This movie will already be a year longer than that if they actually get it made by December 2023. And yeah it could be even longer.
But everything about this latest process sounded messy the minute we learned the cast didn’t even know they were in the movie until the investor’s event they already announced an opening date for. No one should be surprised it wasn’t going to be potential problems with that…well no one but Paramount apparently.
Problem is I never said it’s in production…I actually conjectured that they are likely running a bit late with the script, and I acknowledged they might have to push back the movie by 6 months.
It’s the previous five+ movie announcements that have crashed and burned that have people skeptical of this announcement. Having the lead actors all say they were not even signed for the movie before it was announced has not inspired confidence.
There may well be another Kelvin movie on the way. It may be in theaters (or streaming or whatever) in 2023 or 2024 or 2025 or (pick a year)…or there may never be another Kelvin movie. Neither outcome would be a surprise now.
And not to belabor the point, but when the actor who is second lead in the film they pretended was locked down with a cast and starting date months ago tell you he still doesn’t even know when or if it’s going to happen,then how are the rest of us suppose to read that? We been down this well before. Can you blame people for reacting the way they are at this point?
If he said something like, “Me and the rest of the cast are all officially signed on. We start shooting in November. I read the script and it’s fantastic! Best Star Trek movie ever conceived! Go team!” then there would be a different response. Until they start talking like that, then yeah.
Right now, it’s exactly what it’s always seem to be with this freaking movie and a lot of ‘It’s definitely happening this time…we think’. It’s funny but frustrating at the same time.
Pine, Quinto, and Urban have all said variations on what you cite there. I think Zoe Saldana and Simon Pegg have recently said they don’t know what is going on too.
Television Trek is where my interests are. Here’s hoping that Strange New Worlds is the great show we all hope it will be, that Picard Season 3 is great, and that Prodigy and Lower Decks continue to delight.
I do want to see another movie but yeah it’s not the end of the world if another doesn’t happen since, for me anyway, Star Trek has always been more about the TV shows. A former poster used to say this quote around here a lot and that is the movies are the desert but the shows are the main course! And yeah, I am hoping Picard season 3 and SNW will win me over! PRO and LDS both did first season in!
But if we do still get a movie out of it, I’ll be there opening weekend like I have been for every film from TUC through Beyond!
People’s commitment to rooting against this happening so they can be proved right is…odd. But at the same time this is why films don’t generally make big announcements until they are farther along. So much can happen that will either derail a film or cause huge changes to be made, either to the cast/script or the schedule.
I’m really comfortable in my current level of “If it happens that’s cool, if it doesn’t I won’t be bothered.” Star Trek tv is pretty sweet rn tbh and I’ll give another movie my full attention but I’m not exactly gasping.
No one is ROOTING against the movie is happening, people are simply cynical because Paramount has been shooting themselves in the foot over and over again.
They have made five movie announcements in over five years! How crazy is that? Imagine it this way: You had a best friend or a brother and one day he tells you he met the girl of his dreams and think he’s going to marry her! Only to dump her a few months later but then calls you up a year later to tell you met another great girl and this is definitely the one! He’s so in love they will get married in a year only he breaks it off with her 5 months later. Now imagine if he did that three more times and he keeps calling you to break the wonderful news? How would you feel by then?
That’s why people are very very cynical. Paramount keeps getting engaged only to break it off again and again. Yes, they are serious at the time but until you make a firm commitment and people are finally walking down that aisle, some won’t believe it until they get to that point.
I will say in this situation Paramount at least got far enough to pick out a ring this time even if they do end up postponing the wedding date, so there is still hope. ;)
Except the problem with that logic is that that was the former Paramount corporation before the merger, whereas the new leadership has pretty replaced everyone running the studio.
Perhaps they will be as inept as the “previous corporate managers/execs,” but given it’s an entirely different team at the top, I don’t think you can say yet that this is the same old issue just because the old team followed that pattern. That’s like saying the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl year because they win it on average every 2.5 years, while ignoring that Tom Brady is no longer there.
That still doesn’t mean a movie is guaranteed if they can’t get everyone on the same page. The cast still hasn’t even seen the script and it doesn’t sound like any of them are even signed on yet (which is really the biggest issue). Quinto’s words made that pretty obvious when he says and I quote “I’m not really attached to it in any way until I have much more definitive certainty that it’s actually happening.”
That’s what people are responding to.
Such a bizarre statement from one of the main cast members of a film they already announced and said was happening over a year ago. All of this stuff seem like it should’ve been done months ago. This new team seems just as inept as the old one IMO.
Maybe it will all work out, but it’s not the first time I’ve said this either.
I really don’t disagree with anything you said here.
Cool!
“People’s commitment to rooting against this happening so they can be proved right is…odd.”
I humbly disagree with Tiger on this one. I do sense some literal joy from a couple fans here in this comments section with their “I told you so” remarks. Maybe that’s my perception, but in reading the remarks I do sense that some people are rather enjoying this …my opinion. (And I have no problem with them having that opinion, BTW…IDIC)
That is still a difference saying people don’t want a movie to happen at all! Of course they do, they are Star Trek fans, why wouldn’t they?
But it’s almost comical how ridiculous it’s gotten to get ONE movie made lol. One! All Phil said is what he’s been saying for literally years now. He’s not surprised over what Quinto said. And honestly no one should be lol.
OF COURSE another Star Trek movie is going to happen at some point. I don’t think anyone is doubting that. It’s the ridiculous announcements about a movie they clearly A. not sure they even want to do or B. hasn’t even worked out all the issues before they announce it to the world to make sure it will happen. In this case it’s B. Why do they keep doing this??? Especially after what happened in 2018 (which is four years ago already).
Want people to doubt or snicker less? Sign up a cast, write the script, confirm a budget, hammer out a shooting date everyone can get on board and THEN announce it and maybe people wouldn’t be shaking their heads when they do.
I mean the only thing I disagree with you here is when you say, “Why do they keep doing this???” Because “they” have completely changed now — different people. Perhaps they will behave the same way as the past f-ups did, but maybe they won’t and we will hear news by this summer that filming starts at the end of the year. We don’t know, and I don’t think it makes sense to say this is the same pattern as before, because it’s an entirely different team leading the studio. That’s all I’m really saying.
OK that’s fine. But for 99% of people out there, this is inside baseball stuff. Most people just know Paramount makes Star Trek movies and that every so often they see a headline stating a new film has been green lit just to hear nothing else about it…until another announcement shows up somewhere.
And you’re right, we don’t know. But it’s just odd neither do Quinto the way he talks about it. It’s even more strange since it was reported all the actors were in negotiations and he doesn’t sound like he’s signed on or even in discussions about it yet. I just don’t get it like most of us don’t. If you really want to make the movie, then why not just call everyone six months ago and figured it out then? Why wait until you announce it to the world to let the actor’s know if they are involved or not? It’s just weird lol.
But hopefully it will work out! I like to see another movie before the next American Presidential election at least.
I’ve never said there won’t be another Trek movie. There’s no joy in pointing out that despite what JJ says, there are just other activities in the movie making process that need to mesh up in order for his words to inspire some confidence that he’s actually doing what he says he’s doing.. So far, he’s oh for however many production announcements he’s made that everyting is full speed ahead.
So, things are what they are at the moment.
I can see why they told investors that Trek was still on the schedule. They’re just trying to maintain investor confidence. The problem now is mainly scheduling to get the cast all together at the same time. Pretty much all of the cast is busy, booked with other projects. If Chris Pine had to choose between Trek 4 or Wonder Woman 3? My money would be on WW. If Par can’t get the cast all together? Look for another reboot with lesser known actors who aren’t all booked up or are hungry for work. I still wouldn’t be surprised if Paramount pivots and makes a SNW film. The sets are built, the cast is in place and they have the production team. I’d guess the hardest cast member to book is Anson Mount. He’s a new father and he values his family time. (From listening to his podcast) They can still use lesser known actors and make a reboot film in Mississauga, Canada, where SNW is filmed. Minor set redressing and bring in a new Kirk and Spock and make a movie. Pine wants Trek 4 to be made in California, which would require the sets to either be built or rebuilt. Like I said previously, I’m just not that invested in the Kelvinverse anymore due to all the shenanigans with on/off announcements.
I’m not. At this point, I’d be pleasantly surprised if this film ever gets made. I mean, Quinto can only “hope” it happens. And even if it does, there’s no chance of it coming out in 2023.
Aren’t you tired of being right Phil? This is what, the 100th time TPTB have been telling us there’s a movie in the works and the reality is nothing’s happening…
Yep….and it seems to really hack a few people off when it’s pointed out that nothing is happening.
No script, no shooting schedule, no commitments from cast (by which I mean committing to filming for a block of time and not taking offers that would conflict with those commitments), on a special effects laden film, but a delivery date 20 months from now. Seems … unrealistic.
In this day and age, definitely. But Star Trek II started filming in Sep/Oct 1981 and was released the following June. I actually wouldn’t mind a Star Trek movie that isn’t so hyper-focused on special effects and instead relies on the cast and crew to tell the story with effects used only where absolutely necessary (i.e., don’t spend a fortune on things like CGI Krall henchmen.)
That was a very different era. People went to the movies more often than they do now (in the summer when I was out of college I would often go three times a week) and there as a market for modestly budgeted movies that could be made quickly. In addition to ST II, E.T. and Poltergeist also came out that summer and each of them was modestly budgeted. And Mel Brooks’ two best movies, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were released only ten months apart.
“Hell, I was born here, and I was raised here, and dad-gummit I’m gonna die here! And no sidewinding, bushwhacking, hornswoggling cracker-croaker is going to ruin my biscuit cutter!”
We got no script, no shooting schedule, how we going to get out of this one?
Well, if history repeats itself, TMP had released date locked for December 1979. Wise basically delivered an unfinished film to the theatres. Not having a locked down script, or signed contracts with the cast? I don’t see how they can make that release date without another debacle like TMP…
The year is 2057. Trekmovie.com publishes a new article stating that Star Trek 4 has once again been delayed. JJ is quoted as stating that he remains optimistic that the movie will be released before the end of the century.
Love it!
All they’d need to do is scrape some old Gene L. Coon DNA up from his old papers this month and clone him — by 2057, he’d be in his mid-30s and probably getting near prime writing time, and could probably solve all the writing problems (am certain TMP would have turned out much differently if Coon had been around to save it … look at THE QUESTOR TAPES, the best stuff (with the John Vernon character at the end) is clearly his, not GR’s. Makes me tear up every time (sometimes I put the DVD on just to watch the end sequence.)
Hee! Good one.
Perfect! The Enterprise finds itself a burnt out alternate Earth to rescue its sole inhabitant, Keith Richards, who is living on a diet of cockroaches and Stoli. Keith, reluctant to leave because he has nobody to tour with. Spock, in a rare moment of empathy, pulls out his Vulcan harp and jams with Keith. Uhura, inspired by Keith and Spock, brings the house down with a searing rendition of Gimme Shelter. Scotty, finds Keith’s holograms of Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts. After Scotty repairs Keith’s virtual band members holo-emitters? Spock thinks that “it’s only logical” that Keith resumes his Rolling Stones Warp Drive Tour, playing at a Starbase or planet near you. At the end of the tour, a bootleg recording of the Stones last show, finds its way to the Klingon home world. Kor, impressed with Keith’s playing and longevity, asks him to become the Federation’s envoy for upcoming peace talks on Organia’s homeworld. Keith, takes it all in stride, agreeing to the Klingon Commanders request. When asked why Keith would agree to such a position? Keith lights a cigarette, scratches his head and says: “I’ve always wanted to try gagh, I’m getting tired of eating all those dead bugs! Besides, I’ll fit right in, I don’t look that much different than your average Klingon..”
After Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty beam Keith with his Fender Telecaster, down to Organia, Spock turns to Kirk and McCoy.
“A most fascinating individual”
McCoy, incredulous, replies to Spock “Fascinating? That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. My medical scanner didn’t know what to make of that man’s bloodstream.”
Kirk just smiles and says, “He’s the Human Riff,” and turns to leave the Transporter Room.
Spock and McCoy follow Kirk, in a rare moment of unity, turn to each each and whisper- “Human riff??”
We cut to the Enterprise leaving orbit and we find Spock in his quarters, tuning his Vulcan harp to open G. Slowly, we realize he’s mouthing, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction..”
Raising his eyebrow, Spock puts his Vulcan harp down.
“Fascinating….”
The likelihood is high I’ll be dead by then, so I’ll have “I told you so” inscribed on my tombstone…
Who are the head honcho hacks at Paramount that announced a film release date before nailing down everyone’s schedule AND commitment?
Most people (in the private sector) would be fired for such a bone-head move!
Maybe they did it to gauge interest. A really positive response would make it easier to get financing. I don’t recall there being much interest at all outside of Trek fandom, so it may not have worked, hence the uncertainty as to whether this thing even gets made at all now.
Probably the same ones that announced Star Trek 4 before Star Trek Beyond was even released and had already contracted Pine and then wanted him to take a pay cut (when Beyond underperformed at theaters) to portray Kirk in Star Trek 4.
These people have a history of bone-head moves.
This was a talking point thrown out at a conference call. Movies get scheduled, and rescheduled all the time. Another Paramount production, The Tigers Appretice (a Michelle Yeoh feature, BTW) recently got slotted in a couple days prior to the unamed Trek sequel. And the Star Wars movie is still slotted in the same date. So what’ll happen is they’ll push Trek out and slot in some low budget clunker in in it’s place.
Yep this sounds about right! 😂
What is it with Paramount? NBC has taken Star Trek old and new into a brave new world with half a dozen new series in the last few years. Paramount can’t even get one movie going in the same time! The way things are going, we will be lucky to get a new movie in time for the 60th anniversary!
Give it up Paramount and pass all of Star Trek over to CBS TV. I’m sure they could make it so!
I think you mean CBS, but yeah totally agree with you.
Say what you want about Kurtzman and the new shows, but they have their stuff in order. Discovery started off very rocky production wise but it’s been smooth sailing in the last two seasons. I still think the show itself is ‘meh’ but they have no issues getting the show out. Same goes for all the other shows. When SNW comes around next week in America we will have FIVE Star Trek shows airing in this year. That’s a crazy but remarkable feat!
Meanwhile over at Paramount we may get another Star Trek film around the same time Disney puts out Avengers 8. Fingers crossed though!
Agreed! Kurtzman seems to be a pretty savvy businessman. Like it or not, Paramount+ has really dialed in Star Trek as a business.
Don’t say it with such enthusiasm or it’ll be mistaken for praise.
You are right – NBC LOL! – showing how old I am!
First of all it was CBS, not NBC…
Second, they used to be separate companies but not anymore. CBS and Viacom remerged into ViacomCBS and were renamed Paramount Global only a few months ago. So they can’t hand over anything to anybody because they are the same company now… Maybe a different department…
Thanks for your forensic Analysis of my typo. (I think I had it right by the final sentence!)
Yeah you are right, it is CBS and they are together but they still operate as separate ‘departments’. I’d say CBS’s ‘department’ would be a better bet now, wouldn’t you?
There is no logical direction to take.
The next trek movie will be risky.
Major studios especially right now don’t like taking risks.
Last movie underperformed bigly.
Six years have now passed.
Kelvin franchise is good as forgotten at this point.
They’d have to semi-reboot it even if they do another kelvin film.
Doubt JJ Abrams has any sort of involvement in a physical sense. He’s barely been involved since Into Darkness.
The games up I say.
Can they make a film that isn’t the 4th villain hellbent on revenge in a row in the Kelvin Timeline. That also doesn’t in some way reference or remake or borrow elements of the Wrath of Khan.
I wouldn’t say the Kelvin franchise is forgotten but there is no hype for it anymore and probably what the real fear is.
Everything you said is right though. It IS risky at this point. When the last one failed which my guess is Paramount thought would be a slam dunk, that really changed everything from that point on. They even green lit another film with Noah Hawley that we know didn’t have them at all. So they were already willing to try something new.
I really don’t mind seeing at least one more movie with the Kelvin cast if only to give them closure. But frankly I’m still a bit surprised they are using them again when they can probably start over with a much cheaper set of actors, make the budget much lower and begin anew. It will already be 7 and a half years since we last saw them which is already a long time in movie franchise culture today IF the movie comes out next year. But as Quinto just made clear that’s looking more and more iffy by the day especially since it’s clear none of them are even signed on yet. And Karl Urban already said it’s going to be hard for him to work on it because he’s working on The Boys around that time.
It just proves (once again) this may be more smoke and mirrors. Again, we’ll see, but I been saying that since 2017 lol. Either get serious and make a movie Paramount or stop jerking both the cast and fans around.
One more misfire and I think that I am done with Star Trek. At this point I am looking at any day now for Paramount to cancel this movie or to go silent for months and then announce the cancellation. I do not have any faith in their management skills or in their ability to get a Star Trek movie out of pre-production and into actual filming.
I want to be more optimistic about the next movie but it still sounds like it’s in the holding pattern like the previous films were, so I don’t blame anyone for feeling skeptical about it. Everyone is talking it up but the reality is there is still not a finished script and it doesn’t sound like they have signed up any of the cast yet, which is frankly bizarre. You don’t need to have a finished script to sign them so what is the hold up?? If that was the case MCU wouldn’t be able to make half its movies.
I honestly feel Paramount is still afraid to just pull the plug for whatever reason. It can still happen obviously but if this film does end up being cancelled, I think they just need to put them on the backburner and reassess what they want to do with them long term. This movie is feeling like it was announced to keep investor’s interested in the studio more than anything.
If they are afraid to spend the money then maybe they have to go lower in future films and just gear them toward Paramount+. Still show them in theaters, but just at a smaller level for loyal fans to see it and then promote it at P+ for the rest. And frankly if the next film under-performs like Beyond did that is probably the future for the franchise anyway.
paramount, take a risk and stop copying ‘khan’.
Sorry to be a grammar Nazi, but it’s “Woolf.”
I don’t think we need two different Spocks and Uhuras co existing at the same time. I love the cast for the movies but I think it’s going to be confusing for SOME to see two different enterprises with similar crews.
Comic book movies/shows seem to have no problem with that. You’ve got the same character being played by different actors on TV vs. the movies.
You’re not implying that Star Trek audiences are less intelligent than comic book audiences, are you? ;-)
Marvel tries not to do that on big screen and tv.
DC a bit of a mess because of it.
With Strange New Worlds about to come out, am I the only one who isn’t that thrilled about this?
With so much star trek on P+, perhaps we no longer need a released film. As much as I do want to see the Kelvin crew return, there’s enough trek now to get my fix.
Abrams and Paramount are BS artists. It’s all for the shareholders. They don’t give a damn for the actors or the fans. They just want to keep the investors interested so they throw them a bone every few months to keep them from moving on to another rotting carcass. And as usual the suits think they’re the smartest ones in the room and think they have everyone fooled…
I’m surprised I’m saying this but I just don’t care if this film ever gets made. Other than Into Darkness, I’ve enjoyed the Kelvinverse movies. I like the cast and I would go see the film on opening night. I’ve done that since TMP in 1979.I’ve always felt that Star Trek’s best home is on TV. As I approach my ’60’s I find that I’d rather watch a movie or TV show at home. I have a 75″ TV, a good sound system and I can decide when to watch. I can turn the volume up or down, hit pause, rewind a scene if necessary and I can make my own popcorn. Also, after paying $20-$30.00 for admission and some popcorn? Show me some coming attractions and start the film. 20 minutes of commercials before the coming attractions come on is annoying. If they eventually release this film and I have my choice of watching at home or theatre on opening night? I’ll happily pay $30.00 to watch it at home, on my schedule. I’m more excited for SNW. Even before I see a single episode I’d rather see a SNW movie over a Kelvin film. After all these rug pulls that Paramount has played about making Trek 4? I’m not excitedly anticipating this film like I was for the other Kelvin films. ZQ has pretty much said the same thing. He’s not going to get too excited before he sees a script and a contract to sign.
If this film actually does gets made, it’s probably going to be on Paramount+ six weeks after it hits theaters anyway. My guess that’s the reason they are pushing harder for a film now is due to P+ mostly, to give that site as much new content as possible. So if you can wait six weeks, then you are set.
But the days of waiting 4-6 months for a movie to arrive on home distribution are long gone.
I wish I could see Zachary Quinto’s Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf; I bet he’s brilliant in it!
(But I live on the other coast, and I have several conditions that make me an especially bad risk for Covid, so I won’t be riding in planes or sitting in theaters for … quite awhile yet.)
There’s no rush. Not many care.
(IMO)
I’m sad to say that I believe Strange New World’s has made the Kelvinverse dunsel.
It’s got the Enterprise (a better blooming one at that), it’s got Spock and Kirk will make an appearance in Season Two, you have Uhura (who seems adorable), and Mount is easily as compelling as Pine was at Kirk.
So why do you need the Kelvinverse? For John Chi’s Sulu? Pegg as Scotty? Because that’s all that’s left.
I grew to enjoy Pine as his own thing, and Quint is miraculous as Spock…his casting was as astonishing as recasting Brando’s role in the Godfather with Robert Deniro. But is that enough?
The last film underperformed. Trek films have historically been hit and miss…they batted what, about .400?
Paramount BADLY wants Trek to do Star Wars numbers, or even Transformers numbers…but is it worth gambling another $150,000,000 on with a fandom that’s become so ungrateful that it’s as likely as not to hate it?
I think getting Hemsworth could get it done. It’s funny how Marvel has done so well with actors who are Trek leftovers. Saldana, Hemsworth and Cumberbatch were gems waiting to finally be fully appreciated by a mass audience.
It’s a huge crapshoot, but I found myself no longer needing to revisit it.
The crazy thing is Disney did all that while pleasing no one on the Star Wars front. They made a ton of money making movies nobody liked but paid to go see, except for Solo that one lost money.
I really wish they would make a movie with a new set of characters and premise. But listening to people here they are convinced that only TOS characters can draw any interest in the theaters. I don’t believe that at all since TNG movies all made money too minus Nemesis. But yes TNG was already a big thing obviously. But if fans really believe only TOS and to a lesser degree TNG characters can turn out interest in movies, it tells you why Star Trek is not a real movie franchise and probably why end of the day it does better as a TV franchise because it’s a much stronger brand and really where it thrives.
You mentioned Marvel and some of the actors who did both Marvel and Star Trek. Sure, all those actors you cite are pretty big but same time, if none of them were involved in the MCU, that franchise would still be huge (and frankly actors like Hemsworth became big because of the MCU and not the other way around). Because UNLIKE Star Trek, Marvel has been a huge movie brand even before MCU existed. Those movies always made money, certainly the good ones. MCU came along and blew the doors wide open but it also did something that Star Trek hasn’t done on the big screen yet and that is turn out the casual or new fans who are just pulled in by the brand alone. That’s how so many movie franchises thrive today. They are no longer movie star or even character driven. People watch them because they simply care about the universe as a whole. For hardcore Star Trek fans, it is about the brand as a whole to us. You couldn’t have ten shows and over 30 seasons of Star Trek and counting. But for non fans the ‘brand’ basically pushes them away as seen as too nerdy and cerebral even though the movies themselves have mostly been action spectacles.
And thats always been the OTHER problem. Paramount knows they can’t get in a bigger audience doing stories like The Inner Light or The Visitor. They know the films has to speak to the masses but then they lose the loyal fans who turn their nose up at it when it’s too much pew pew over story. It’s why the TNG films and the Kelvin movies were a mixed bag with hardcore fans. It was more about spectacle and less about substance.
But that will probably always be the case with the films no matter who is in it. But it’s also why six years on we are still waiting for another one because the movies are just in a more complicated situation than the shows. Pretty ironic considering a decade ago people were convinced it was the movie franchise that would carry Star Trek into a new era of content and fandom. Not quite. ;)
When adjusted for inflation, TOS movies made a lot more $$ than TNG movies.
Which never surprised me since four out of the six TOS films, that was the ONLY Star Trek around at the time and literally nothing else. With the TNG movies, we were getting new episodes of Star Trek weekly (for free) throughout every single film’s run, some as much as 50 episodes a year. It’s not going to have the same drive; especially for casual fans.
It’s actually another reason why I don’t think they should go too big on the next Kelvin movie now that we are back to having multiple shows on again. It’s not like the old days when the first three films were the only game in town and fans getting their fix with a big movie every few years for new content. This board even makes it clear some people are actually fine not to see any new films now that we have Star Trek on TV again with multiple new shows.
I just don’t see the next film making a ton of money due to so many factors, this being one of them and should’ve gotten one out when it was just Discovery at least.
Not all of us are fans of the Star Trek on Paramount+. I do not like Anson Mount as an actor nor was Picard my favorite character on TNG. The “new” Kirk totally does not resemble the “old” Kirk. At least Abrams attempted to cast someone that resembled the original Kirk. Just not a fan of this new Trek nor do I like animated Trek or any other franchise (Spiderman, Star Wars, etc) either so including these films is another option for Star Trek fans.
Trust me, I definitely know that lol. I sometime even question if I’m that much of a fan of the new shows and I watch them religiously like the old shows. Yes, a lot of them are divisive in the fanbase for sure. But I have to believe they are all at least popular with most people since they keep getting renewed.
And I’m not suggesting the new Kelvin movie will fail or anything. I think it will do fine AS LONG AS they have a more modest budget this time and the movie is actually good. But the days people think it can do a billion dollars and all of that are long gone. When 09 and STID came out, there was tremendous hype I don’t think I seen for a Star Trek film since TMP. Abrams was the big golden boy at the time. It was also a lot of hungry Trek fans who wanted their franchise back and something that feels fresh they haven’t been given with the last Trek movies and shows.The films all got pretty strong reviews, especially the first one. And even with all of that the movies still basically did a little over the broke even margin at the BO given their ridiculous budgets. They are given budgets the size off Transformer movies but made less money than the Hangover movies which those averaged around $60 million a movie. That’s just not sustainable.
And that was well over a decade ago now and it’s safe to say the films are just divided in the fanbase today as a lot of the new shows are, at least with hardcore fans. I’m pretty convinced new fans love the movies. But most of them stopped caring by the time Beyond showed up and I really question how many will be convinced to show up in the theaters with such a long passing. I feel even a lot of hardcore fans will just wait until it comes to Paramount+ to watch it if they haven’t loved the previous films much and generally happy with the shows.
But the film can definitely do well and even be a decent size hit if it surprises enough people. Either way it should still be budgeted under $150 million at least. In reality probably closer to $100 million like Beyond should’ve been but that’s probably unrealistic I guess.
I agree with you on the size of the budget of the film. Less CGI and more interaction between characters. Some of the better memories of the original series were not the special effects but the verbal exchanges between Spock and Mccoy. I do believe that the film side can be profitable with a lower budget and a good script. I think that STID turned off a lot of fans who like me were expecting something original and not a remake of a previously successful Star Trek movie (TWOK). Reversing roles and adding a few new scenes does not significantly alter the movie enough to call it original. If you think that today’s Trek fans will simply wait until it becomes available on P+, then they must be vastly different from Marvel and Star Wars’ fans who both watched the movies in theaters and on Disney+ when the movies became available.
The problem is you can only go pew, pew and blow up the Enterprise and have another comic book villain be on a quest for revenge. After 3 films they have to do something else. While at the same time not losing the audience who wants an action movie full of spectacle, sexiness etc. Can they get both the original high brow Trek audience that wants science and logic and exploration and the Star Wars shoot em up audience? Can they make a film that doesn’t lift elements or remake the Khan story?
can they do something as good as TVH?
NICE photo of quinto. i think it will be a nice thing to see an older quinto playing spock.
I’m in no hurry for another JJ-verse film (so long as SNW lives up to expectations).
Still think it will happen more or less on time. The actors never ever get told anything on the JJ movies until the last moment then they figure the schedule out! The script will be something which comes in due course. Paramount are not in a great hurry as the global cinema audiences are slowly returning they still have plenty of time to get going …….I think this movie will land in very late 2023 as expected!
Star Trek Into The Multiverse. co starring Tom Hardy, Eric Bana, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Patrick Stewart . It’ll be Marvelous