The Star Trek reboot initiated by JJ Abrams produced three films between 2009 and 2016. However, nothing has come of the planned fourth part to date. Although the project has been announced several times over the past seven years, it has repeatedly fallen apart. Why did Star Trek 4 fail?
That’s exactly the question we asked Matt Shakman, who was supposed to bring the hotly anticipated Star Trek sequel to theaters this year. Shakman is currently on a promotional tour for the new Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which he is directing and executive producing.
Matt Shakman turned his back on Star Trek 4 because a very tempting Marvel film was around the corner
Shakman (WandaVision, Game of Thrones) was announced in July 2021 third (!) director for Star Trek 4 committed. SJ Clarkson (Madame Web) and Noah Hawley (Fargo) were previously set to direct the film. A new theatrical release for December 2023 has been set. In August 2022, Shakman left the project. What happened?
In the interview he explains:
I love Star Trek. I grew up with The Next Generation and later fell in love with the original series. JJ Abrams has created a magnificent world in his films and introduced an unparalleled cast. We really have a lot of work into the story [von Star Trek 4] plugged in. There were a few things that were very important to me.
Paramount
The Enterprise crew from the JJ Abrams films
Ultimately, production continued to be delayed, which meant that Shakman had to choose between two big blockbusters.
Films have their own momentum and timing. At [Star Trek 4] Everything went a little slower than planned. Then another film came my way that was very similar in many ways. It was also about a brand that has its origins in the 1960s and follows a lot of similar ideas – all inspired by the space race and looking at the stars.
This is the new Fantastic Four film that brings the superhero team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The project has been in pre-production for some time. After the actors’ strike has ended in Hollywood, the cast will be announced shortly so that the film can be released in cinemas on May 2, 2025.
After the failed Star Trek 4: When and how will the science fiction series continue in the cinema?
Following Shakman’s exit from Star Trek 4, studio Paramount dropped the sequel from its release schedule. At the moment it is very unlikely that the film will be made one day. Basically the project is back at the beginning. The focus of the franchise has also changed.
CBS/Paramount
Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery
The next Star Trek film will be made exclusively for the Paramount+ streaming service. It’s Star Trek: Section 31, which brings back Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), known from Star Trek: Discovery. The project was originally planned as a spin-off series. Now it will be a streaming film – a first in the Star Trek universe.
There have also been other Star Trek projects in the past, most notably one that was based on an idea by Quentin Tarantino. However, none of these films have taken concrete form. While the franchise is flourishing in the series sector, Star Trek in the cinema remains a construction site that is making no progress.
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