Zachary Quinto Says ‘Star Trek 4’ Doesn’t Feel Real But He’s Ready To Play Spock When J.J. Abrams Calls

It’s been a couple of months since Paramount Pictures removed the “Star Trek 4” project from their 2023 schedule. And now another member of the Kelvin-era cast is expressing skepticism about a follow-up to 2016’s Star Trek Beyond.

Quinto will get excited when Star Trek 4 gets real

After Paramount and producer J.J. Abrams announced in February the Kelvin cast would reunite for a fourth movie, Zachary Quinto (Spock) was the first to raise questions about the project being able to meet the announced timetable to start shooting this year. Now that director Matt Shakman has left the project and Paramount has removed it from its Christmas 2023 release slot, Quinto is expressing even more skepticism, telling the UK’s Independent:

I have no idea if—or when—it will ever come together at this point. I think it’s better for everybody’s mental well-being to just trust that a lot’s happening and when the phone rings, and J.J. says, ‘Hey, we’re actually really going to do this,’ then I’ll show up. But until then, I have a lot of other stuff going on and a lot of stuff to turn my attention to.

Quinto’s comment that he trusts “a lot’s happening” behind the scenes could be related to co-star Zoe Saldana’s recent comments about how the delay in the project is more than just a matter of scheduling. For now, like Quinto, Trek fans are waiting to see what Abrams and Paramount do next as we head into the longest period between Star Trek movie releases since the film franchise launched in 1979.

Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek Beyond

Quinto on stage in London and in new audio drama

Quinto is in the UK to make his West End debut in Best of Enemies playing Gore Vidal opposite David Harewood as William F. Buckley Jr. on Monday (14 November). The play opens at the Noël Coward Theatre on November 28 and will run through February with previews starting this week.

Quinto can also be heard in his latest Audible project, the audio drama thriller The Method.


Keep up with all the news on Star Trek 4 and upcoming Trek films at TrekMovie.com.

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Any feature length Trek movie in the near future will most likely be coming from Secret Hideout (sorry, haters). I’d certainly like to see another Kelvin era feature, but until a production house steps up with a decent story and a budget of 100-120MM, Paramount isn’t interested. They have other franchises vying for limited resources where there’s much better potential ROI.

Yep. the sad truth is in the movies all Paramount cares about is Tom Cruise and for TV/Streaming Yellowstone is very quickly taking over priority from Trek.

Hmm, I’m pretty sure they have franchise movies coming out in the next two years for Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, Scream, A Quite Place, Sonic, Spongebob and TNMT, and they just made a big splash with a new Stallone TV series and their Afghan War TV series. ?????

Well obv I wasn’t being literal when I said they will only make Tom Cruise movies from now on but lets be real, he is the money maker. When was the last time a Transformers movie made any kind of serious impact?

And when I speak of Yellowstone, I am not talking of a singlar series. They will have multiple ones. The latest starring Harrison Ford.

Last time I commented on an article on the new Kelvin movie I was trying to be funny, but ended up pissing people off, so I am going to sit this one out (at least in terms of specifically talking about the Kelvin movie). :-)

I seem to remember that. Dry humor doesn’t always translate in print…..

Star Trek XIV: In Flanders Fields

It’s dead, Jim.

Ha! …was on the cusp of writing that.

You can tell the cast are starting to get annoyed with the questions. I think they know as well as we do that a fourth Kelvin movie just isn’t going to happen.

Get Nick Meyer give him $100-120M budget…job done!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately Paramount thinks the only way non Trekkies will care about a Star Trek movie is if they turn it into another theme park ride for teenagers like the JJ verse movies and I don’t see Meyer wanting to make that kind of movie or even could.

Would love to see another one from him but Meyer is from a bygone era that these movies have moved on from long ago.

Star Trek: Time After Time

and in 12 days!

No Star Trek film is guaranteed to be a success. You need a studio that knows the property and supports it financially, it doesn’t hurt to start with a great script something most of the Trek films struggle with. And then lock down a good director.

JJ verse has been dead since Beyond. Let it stay dead please and give us real Star Trek again since we’re finally getting it on TV with Lower Decks, SNW and Prodigy. Maybe even Picard season 3 will bring us real TNG again like they been promising. Fingers crossed!

If we do get another movie before 2030, give us new characters in a post Nemesis era back in Prime universe. Think outside the box a little.

RIP JJ VERSE 2009-2016 🖖

Yep. There are just too many problems with another Kelvin movie. Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana would cost way too much for a movie that is not going to pull in MCU numbers or money. Anton Yelchin is sadly no longer with us. We already have a new Kirk, Spock, and Uhura on the small screen and we don’t need audience confusion.

It’s still hilarious Chris Pine is considered a ‘star’. His latest movie, Don’t Worry Darling’ is another stinker both critically and financially. I watched it on HBO Max and man it was bad. I like him as an actor but Hollywood is a weird place paying a guy millions of dollars to be in movies that probably make the same money if he wasn’t in them at all.

But another reason why the next movie is dead because Paramount finally figured that out. Why pay someone all that money for a movie that can be another stinker just like the last one?

Unless the movie just did something completely different from the others it was probably going to do what Beyond did or even worse. Too many Trekkies stopped caring about them or would just wait to watch it on Paramount+ a month later.

JJ verse squandered what should’ve been a new line of movies and spin offs that could’ve went for years.

I always hate to say this but there is a sad truth that trek fans have to accept. And that is that Trek will never be a blockbuster franchise that makes the billion $$$ category. There is nothing wrong with Trek of course but that is just not it’s strong suit. Trek is not a “pew pew” “bang bang” franchise like Star War or the MCU where its all action or conflict or battles, etc.. At it’s heart Trek is at it’s best when it is the total opposite.

Truth be told, Wrath of Khan was kind of lightning in a bottle. It captured the heart of TOS but still had the submarine like battles of wartime movies and some faint hints of mysteries and such. And the longer Trek keeps trying to capture lighting in a bottle the longer they will fail. Other franchises like, say, Back to the Future, knew they got it right and said, ok we’re done now.

I’m not saying Trek should be done in the movies, but they SERIOUSLY need to rethink things. Come up with a formula that is not bang bang action, won’t cost too much, but can still capture the interest of general audiences. Good luck!

In full agreement. Like make a Star Trek movie for actual adults and where it doesn’t have to cost $150 million because it’s not going to be Transformers.

And that’s the problem. Transformers makes a billion dollars because it’s literally aimed at kids or adults who played with the toys as kids with tons of over the top CGI action and they will go to watch that noise over and over.

Everything about the Transformer movies lines up with popcorn blockbuster filmmaking today like the MCU does. Works for both kids and adults and the more action, one note villains and silly jokes you throw in them it gets you to another hundred million dollars. And sell a crap load of merchandise too.

As hard as they tried with JJ verse they can only kiddify them so much to make more money and why it ultimately failed. The name Star Trek just scare most kids away. It’s just too adult. We have stuff like Lower Decks and Prodigy that aims younger but you’re not going to make a billion off of that either. And it still needs to be big in your face action which those shows aren’t (not counting the Crisis Point movies which of course is a send up of how ridiculous the movies are. They gotta have a scene of a sovereign class ship coming out of the water in Crisis Point 3 🤣).

None of the TOS or TNG movies were huge hits but they still made money. But only fans cares about those movies. I think TVH was really the only big crossover for non fans too.

Paramount is just in a tough spot. Maybe in another few years they will come up with a new idea with new characters that will make them enough money and satisfy both fans and non fans but good luck with that. 😂

That’s the other issue with Star Trek. Its just not a franchise that’s geared towards toys. What kid wants to buy a bridge set where your action figures just sit in a chair the whole time and push buttons and explore stuff? Toys mean action and stuff and Trek isn’t that.

depends on how the ‘dungeons/dragons’ movie does with him in the lead.

and ‘don’t worry…’ did well for a medium budget movie at box office

That’s fine but tell me one movie he’s been in as a lead that’s actually made real money? And Wonder Woman doesn’t count.

He’s been a ‘star’ for over a decade now. What is his big movies at this point people can say that guy is a Star?

I think he’s a decent actor but he doesn’t sell tickets. But fewer actors really do these days.

Not everyone agrees with you. There are those including myself that like the Kelvin movies and would like another. As you said, you have the TV shows to watch. Give us the movies.

You’re more than welcome to the movies. The problem isn’t us. The problem is these movies just aren’t feasible. They cost too much for the minimal returns Paramount gets at the box office. Sure maybe years and years down the line they could make money but thats a tall ask.

I believe Star Trek AND the Kelvin movies can be made for less. If the TV shows can be made withe a cost effective budget then so can the movies. What Star Trek needs are writers with an imagination rather than a limitless CGI budget Star Trek did not need or have CGI for its success in the beginning. Yes CGI is fascinating and adds to the visual aspect but could be toned down for cost. As far as the salaries of the actors go. In my opinion and to be frank, I do not keep up with who is A,B,C or however actors are graded but it seems to me that Saldana and Urban are the more notable ones right now and would command higher salaries. But then what do I know?

I agree with everything you just said. But who is going to pay for the A lister salaries for people like Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana and the like? I mean trying to get Helmsworth and Pine on board is rumored to be a reason one of the last attempts failed. This can’t just be a passion project of the studio and the fans. Everyone needs to be on board.

I know a lot of fans still like these movies but it’s not enough of them to make them a hit anymore.

And I’m just not saying that, Paramount is saying it too right? The only reason they stopped making these movies is because of money man, that’s it. There is no other reason. The entire cast is begging to do another one because it’s a nice paycheck obviously. They had a director, working on a script and it all still fell apart.

Why? Because they know it can bomb. That’s the only reason. And I want another movie too bro. But JJ verse is obviously not pulling in the money. What makes me angry instead of just coming up with something NEW and cheaper they have wasted six years trying to figure out a way to make another Kelvin movie. We should’ve had two more movies by now. But they squandered it because they want a billion dollar franchise from movies that never even made half that.

As long Paramount stay with that mindset you’re only going to get the shows man. Star Trek does better on TV for a reason because you can still be successful just catering to the fans. Not so much for the movies.

You don’t like any of shows? Seems like if you like those then SNW is a decent trade off. What’s wrong with that one? And Spock cries way less on that one. 😆

Kind of surprising too since it’s some of the same people who wrote for the dreadful Discovery. 🙄

trek 4 should be tng.

I think there is a high probability that this will be the case, given that the tng actors having been talking it up quite a bit that they want to do more. Maybe if season 3 is a success they will green light a new tng film?

Are you kidding, homeboy? Star Trek: The Geriatric Generation will be the next big thing?!

it won’t have box office appeal of a OS or even kelvin era movie

Totally agree! To each their own but I know that I will not wish to see it.

Agreed. TNG has only ever had 1 truly good movie.

At that point, I feel like we should revert back to calling it Trek XIV, because its no longer the fourth Kelvin film. Unless you mean you think it should be Kelvin TNG. If so, that’s definitely intriguing, but simultaneously dangerous territory haha.

Kelvin TNG should get Necar Zadegan for Deanna Troi. First thing I thought of when I saw her in Stardust City Rag in Picard season one.

Same here! I’m kind of slow with faces anyway, so when she first appeared I was very very confused.

Honestly we should have never been calling it Star Trek IV. It’s a complete insult to Voyage Home no matter what universe it takes place in.

Unfortunately, the TV shows aren’t really suitable to be moved to the big screen. Discovery never got a loyal following large enough to push for a movie. And Picard, even if considered viable would not really be a path for the future. SNW is still too new right now. Don’t think that the two animated shows were conceived for movies.

So the options are either the Kelvin line or something new, maybe with some familiar faces in the cast. But who? Janeway and Riker? Probably not. Seven and Pike maybe (everything can happen in Trek)

I don’t agree (anymore) that a successful Trek movie must be a teenager joyride. If the Maverick movie taught me one lesson, it’s that a movie targeted at adults can be veeery successful, too.

There’s only one way for ST4 to make the cheddar. Bring in Cruise as Captain of the Kelvin Excelsior. on a ‘mission’ to search for the Enterprise-A that has gone missing. only to find its gone through a portal into another universe.. (yep you guessed it, the Primeverse. cue Cruise facing off against TWOK era Shatner)

There would be precedent in theory at least. Eddy Murphy, Robin Williams, and Tom Hanks have all been linked to having possible Trek roles in the past.

It’s dead, Jim.

Though there is some unfinished business perhaps for the Quinto Spock. He began his journey by punching Kirk and matured as a character by punching Khanberbatch many times, but not so much punching by Spock in Beyond Star Trek. A fourth and final film could complete the journey of Punchy Spock — maybe punching God, to borrow from the original films.

God would be ST5, in ST4 he slugs Eddie Murphy

Perhaps they should take the advice from the TV Division when they were trying to come up with a new series…”Let’s Just Do STAR TREK!” Which is what we got with “Strange New Worlds”…we got a TREK series that went back to the roots of “Star Trek”…

How hard is it to come up with a film that “seeks out new life, new civilizations and to boldly go where no man had gone before”? Most of the films DON’T follow that credo. We have had origins, personal stories (Look how half of those turned out!), reunions…just give us a damn STAR TREK film!

Perhaps it’s time to dust off “Planet of The Titans”?

No its time to dust off Roddenberrys JFK Trek II

I’d say yes except replace Spock with Gary Seven

I don’t know many Star Trek fans who are itching for a movie of any kind. Although I would show up for it, I’m happier with Star Trek on TV. Not to mention that two TOS reboots running at the same time really thins out interest even among the fans (especially if you’re a TNG+ era Trekkie).

I’m not at all. Sure like you I’ll watch it because I’m a fan but they done nothing for me after watching them once. I never seen any Kelvin more than twice. I only seen STID once at the theater. Never again bro… never again.

I’m also a hardcore TNG era fan. If I only had TNG, DS9, VOY, LDS and PRO I don’t need anymore Star Trek. This would keep me happy. 👍

But I do like SNW a lot it’s actual Star Trek again and has TNG/VOY vibe too. It’s sadly the only TOS era Trek I’m enjoying outside of TOS (which I like but not love).. So it’s a nice cherry on top.

But JJ verse just feels like Star Wars version of Star Trek with a side of Marvel. And I grew a huge Star Wars fan. But if I want to watch Star Wars I watch Star Wars.

When I want to seek out new life and new civilization it’s certainly not happening in JJ verse. 🤣🙄

TV is where Star Trek can just be Star Even when it’s bad Star Trek. The movies are just over stuffed action CGI nonsense and the same plot every movie.

Give me more LDS and PRO! And hopefully we get a better 25th century show when Picard is done. If Janeway or Seven is in it too, even better! 😎

I recently bought a 70″ 4K TV and have been rewatching some movies in my collection to see if any warrant an upgrade; I tried watching a couple of the Kelvin movies today.

I made it about 20 minutes in to STID before switching to something else. The opening sequence in Nibiru was a real microcosm of that whole movie: characters behaving stupidly, putting the ship in ridiculous situations (underwater?) and everybody was just running around trying to look busy without doing anything. It’s easily the low point of the Kelvin movies for me.

STID fared better. It was still marred by bouts of stupidity and Quinto to me showed very little chemistry with anybody but the tired revenge plot notwithstanding, I thought it did the best job of recapturing some of the feel of Star Trek and Kirk’s arc was actually pretty good here.

So if there is another Kelvin movie I wouldn’t mind seeing the cast again but I do hope first and foremost that they get a competent writer who can come up with a good story, some decent character development and maybe a splash of Trek values without falling into the trap of just agreeing to any idea JJ Abrams has, however stupid it may be.

It’s funny you say that because STID was the first movie I watched when I bought my projector and I felt the same way. It *looks* cool but that’s about it. Nothing about the movie makes any actual sense. And honestly I am so sick of Spock of all people being the most emotional character in the Kelvin universe!

The ship underwater reminded me of Space Battleship Yamato. And the Nibiru scene the opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark.

That’s actually an example of why there’s no movie on the horizon. Sure, it was a cool looking visual, but it was completely pointless. The studio is (likely) telling any production house interested in making Trek that there’s no more blank checks for pointless CGI. So, as long as JJ (possibly) has right of first refusal, and insisting on a 200MM budget, we find ourselves waiting.

Bro I still laugh thinking JJ put a Starship under water. Like WTF???

Ok, I can gulp down the stupid if we get some techobabble reason for being there… couldn’t even TRY to make an excuse for it. COULDN’T EVEN BOTHER!! 😂😂😂

It’s literally ‘hey we set our Titanic size starship in the ocean of this primitive pre warp planet which no one can still explain how it got there without the locals seeing this monster coming out of the atmosphere into the water (one of the more clever theories is they waited for them to all go to sleep first 😴) because, well, because, um, it makes it easier to break the prime directive once they spot it coming out of the water?

This is what happens when you give the the most advanced ship to a 20 something who didn’t even finish the academy and been hanging out in bars longer than they been in space. 🤣

It’s more funny today because fans thought JJ was a Star Trek fan who cared about things like canon, story, logic and/or common sense.

Nope! And people wondered why the Trekkies bailed on them?

BECAUSE THESE MOVIES ARE SOOOOO DUMB!!! 😂😂😂

worse it pays lip service to the idea of Boldy going, finding strange new worlds, treating them for laughs before going back to the usual ‘pew pew’ action for the rest of the film

Will they? Won’t they? Will they? Won’t they? Will they? Won’t they?

I don’t care anymore. Kill JJ-Trek once and for all. Give us an episode of SNW or something that wraps up the entire timeline as some aberration and move Trek on as it works best, an episodic TV show as Roddenberry created it to be.