News

It's generally understood how every element of a film contributes to its overall effect, and that changing even the tiniest detail can make or break a particular moment. Even so, sometimes it takes some experimenting to see just how and why something may or may not fit into the overall fabric of a movie, because you never know until you try. This principle can be trickier when attempting to experiment with a franchise, especially one as long-running and well-established as "Star Trek." Yet J.J. Abrams managed to stretch "Trek" past its usual parameters when he mounted his 2009 reboot/legacy/alternate "Kelvin" timeline feature, giving the franchise a much-needed burst of new aesthetic energy while retaining many of its core principles. After all, who ever thought that a Beastie Boys song would fit neatly into "Trek?"

It's in this spirit that the two follow-up films, Abrams' "Star Trek Into Darkness" and...

It's difficult to imagine a version of "Star Trek" wherein the central starship was not called the Enterprise. And "Enterprise" is, of course, a fantastic name for a starship living in an egalitarian, utopian future of togetherness and global unity. For one, the name is conceptual; it's not named after anything on Earth, eschewing any geocentricity. "Star Trek" can too often be geocentric, concerned more with the plight and personal details of humans and Earth than of its alien characters or their respective homeworlds. "Enterprise" ensures an element of neutrality.

Also, an "enterprise" is a grand thing to undertake. The name implies that the ship is on an active mission. The ship is not called the USS Complacency. Additionally, the abstract noun "enterprise" doesn't bear any kind of jingoistic underpinnings. Had the ship been called, say, the USS Freedom or even the USS Independence, it would feel markedly American. Not...

Exclusive: Jd Payne and Patrick McKay have named Kevin Jarzynski to be Head of Development & Production for their newly formed 10:40 Pm Productions. He will be tasked with overseeing the company’s television and film slate, while Payne & McKay ready a third season of Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

It is a natural move for Jarzynski, who spent the past eight years as a senior development and programming executive at Amazon Studios, where he played a pivotal role in overseeing the studio’s largest tentpole series, working closely with showrunners and EPs Payne and McKay. Jarzynski was instrumental in developing the project, and was on the ground with the duo during production in New Zealand and London.

10:40 Pm Productions is based at Amazon MGM Studios, with an exclusive TV deal there.

Jarzynski was also a frequent collaborator of Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films,...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whether or not we ever actually see a new "Star Trek 4" at this point remains to be seen. J.J. Abrams rebooted the legendary sci-fi franchise for the big screen in 2009 with a brand new cast and a brand new timeline, dubbed the "Kelvin Timeline." That cast, led by Chris Pine's Captain Kirk, has been waiting in the wings since 2016's "Star Trek Beyond" for another go-around. If/when that happens, Zoe Saldaña has one request for her return as Uhura.

During a recent conversation with Variety, Saldaña discussed the potential "Star Trek 4," which is being written by Steve Yockey ("The Flight Attendant") last we heard. While plot details remain under wraps, Saldaña explained that she wants to see her character, Uhura, take on a "leadership role" on the Enterprise, or within Starfleet in general. Here's what she...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

As any Trekkie will be able to tell you, the registry number of the U.S.S. Enterprise is Ncc-1701. In "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," a new Enterprise was built with the registry of Ncc-1701-a, establishing canonically that starships can keep the same name and designation over multiple generations. Indeed, on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the registry number was Ncc-1701-d, replaced by the Enterprise-e in "Star Trek: First Contact" in 1996.

Although it's not explicitly talked about in "Star Trek," the presence of a registry number adds a great deal of canonical depth to the franchise. In the future, starships will still be numbered and cataloged like modern-day naval vessels while also being overseen by a navy-like military. Starfleet, however -- unlike modern military bodies -- devotes its strict military system to exploration and study, not war or conquest.

Although Sebastian Stan has taken on the role of a lifetime with The Apprentice, he still holds a light for some of the roles he didn’t get.

The Golden Globe nominee, who portrays Donald Trump in the Ali Abbasi-helmed film, recently revealed that he was up for starring roles in Star Trek (2009) and Green Lantern (2011) years before playing the twice-impeached president.

“There were a couple of things I didn’t get that I really desperately wanted,” he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “But Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams; that was one of the first I got very close to. I remember I was really, really close, and I remember I had a screen test with [Abrams] at Paramount, and my manager had me do a separate photo shoot where I would try and replicate all these William Shatner pictures just to send to him, see how much I looked like him,...

Sebastian Stan is a key member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to his ongoing role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, a character he’s been playing since 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.” But the actor recently confirmed on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that he tried to break into other Hollywood franchises before landing the Marvel gig, one of which was “Star Trek.”

“There were a couple things I didn’t get that I really, desperately wanted,” Stan said. “Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams was one of the first things that I got very close to. I was really close and I had a screen test with him at Paramount studios and my manager had me do a separate photoshoot where I would try and replicate all of these William Shatner pictures just to send to [J.J.] to see how much I look like him and stuff. Didn’t get it.

Ghostbusters films haven’t been doing mega box office numbers – but there are more on the way. A few thoughts on a new way forward for big movies.

Over the weekend, a little sliver of news popped out regarding the future of the Ghostbusters big screen franchise. It’s been radio silence there for a few months, but finally, the confirmation that Sony intends to carry on with the series of films.

Gil Kenan, who along with Jason Reitman has been the creative driving force behind 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, told The Direct that “we definitely are continuing the conversation of telling big Ghostbusters stories on the big screen. And stay tuned. There’ll be more. There’ll be more about that later.”

On the surface, that’s an unsurprising story. But dig a little deeper, and there might be a way forward for...

The erosion of the original promise of streaming TV continues. This time around, it's Paramount+ removing some of the pillars of its back catalogue, with TrekMovie.com reporting that every "Star Trek" movie made between 1979 and 2002 have abruptly left the streamer, apparently not for the first time. All six movies starring the cast of "Star Trek: The Original Series" are now gone from Paramount+, as are all four movies from "The Next Generation" era.

Of course, this disappearance isn't quite as egregious as the decision of streamers like Max and Showtime to remove newer original content that has no other streaming home, but it still feels surprising given how regularly Paramount+ bills itself as the streaming home of all things "Star Trek." When the platform first launched as CBS All Access, "Star Trek: Discovery" was one of its first original series, and its rebrand in 2021 has only made the streamer...

Star Trek was on the verge of something unique with Noah Hawley at the helm. Originally brought in after the failings of Star Trek: Beyond, Hawley was given the reigns to create a new Star Trek film. Everything seemed to be going fine to boot, yet eventually, executives at Paramount didn't like how "original" his idea was and took the project away from him.

We're still left a little uncertain about the premise of the film, but there were rumors that it would feature a brand new cast of characters. That may have been a tough enough sell, but apparently another major obstacle for him to get past was the alleged storyline. It would feature a virus that carved it's way through the Federation.

As this was either pitched right before, during, or after the Covid-19 pandemic, that angle was always going to be a hard sell. The plot had...

There was a significant gap (over two years) between the first and second seasons of Prime Video's Invincible animated series, but we had been assured that the wait for season 3 wouldn't be as long, and that's now been confirmed thanks to a leaked teaser.

Invincible will return to our screens on February 6, 2025 - and there will be no pesky mid-season break!

We have no idea how long this promo will stay up (and wouldn't be surprised if an official version was released fairly soon), but it finds a now 19-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) meeting with Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) in a café in a similar set-up to the season 2 teaser with Allen the Alien.

Cecil is not happy (for a change) with Mark taking a lengthy break from crime-fighting, and tells the young hero that he needs more training if he hopes to face the oncoming Viltrumite threat. It's a fun teaser,...

A fourth Kevin-verse "Star Trek" film has been in development hell for so long, there is a Wikipedia page devoted to its suffering. "Star Trek Beyond" was released in theaters in 2016, and in the intervening time, a follow-up film has been set up, torn down, handed to a new director, set up and torn down again, handed off again, and so on for several iterations. The overriding idea for "Star Trek 4" has been to somehow get Captain Kirk in the same room with his deceased father, mostly because the actors playing those characters -- Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth, respectively -- are such big movie stars. 

But the fates have persistently denied production from commencing in earnest. Firstly, there were wild reports that Quentin Tarantino would make a "Star Trek" film of his own, although he wanted it to be a new rebooted version of the "Star Trek" mythos,...

The streaming channel that has billed itself as the "home of Star Trek" isn't really the home of Star Trek. Things began to change when Paramount+ cancelled Star Trek: Prodigy in April 2023. Now, the channel has removed all ten of the classic Trek movies, six from The Original Series era and four from The Next Generation era.

So where can you find these movies now? On MGM, which requires a subscription which is $6.99 per month after a 7-day free trial or $58.99 per year. If you'd prefer, you can still rent the movies on Amazon Prime Video, but generally, one of the purposes of paying for a subscription to a streaming channel is so you don't have to spend extra money to watch the series or movies you love.

All three of the J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline movies are still available on Paramount+, and Star Trek Beyond is available on Netflix until October 31st.

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days isn’t just a great way to save big on everything from teeth whiteners and designer bags to luxury beauty. Movie lovers can also save on new films such as Beetlejuice and Deadpool & Wolverine, family-friendly bundles, Prime Video channels and more.

Now through Oct. 9, enjoy deals on movies starting at $4.99 and under, including family-friendly films such as Despicable Me 4, Haunted Mansion, the live-action Little Mermaid and more; and Halloween-ready thrillers such as Saw, the Halloween trilogy. You can also save up to 50 percent off on movie bundles such as Beetlejuice 1 and 2, the Deadpool trilogy (which includes the new Deadpool & Wolverine), the Jack Ryan five-film collection, the Hotel Transylvania and Trolls trilogies, both Mean Girls films, all of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films and many others.

Take up to 50% off Movie Bundles at Prime Video

The two-day fall sale...

When it comes to pop culture franchises, Star Trek has proven to be as timeless as they come. As they tell morality stories, there's simply no going out of style. They're like Sesame Street like that. If you have a point to your story, you're always relevant. The only difference is, instead of Elmo hating on a rock, it's Khan hating on a Kirk.

With a franchise able to adapt and expand as it needed, it's quite easy for actors to develop and change with it. In a franchise like the MCU, you'd be hard-pressed to pull off a story where Peter Parker is in his 70s swinging around Manhattan while being a broke, freelance photographer. In Star Trek, an older character could absolutely still be a vital part of the story.

It's something that as fans we all know. Yet, it's something that the actors seem to know as well.

No matter who you ask, most fans will tell you that they are largely unsatisfied with the direction of the Star Trek franchise. Whether they're unhappy with the direction of some shows, or the lack of sincerity in others, or even the dark tone that some writers are desperate to "explore", many fans will tell you that the franchise as a whole isn't where it should be.

That's not wholly unfair either, as it's a lack of overall interest in the Star Trek brand that saw a long-awaited show in Star Trek: Section 31, get shrunk down to a single, 90-minute film that went straight to streaming. This isn't a direct shot at the entire franchise, as shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can still pull in the viewers, but they're just about the only ones.

No other show has been able to pull in viewers, routinely, across 10 weeks.

Franchises are both the lifeblood and bane of Hollywood’s existence. When everything clicks, a series can keep consumers intrigued for years if not decades — James Bond, Batman, Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, Superman. But sooner or later, fatigue sets in and the complaints begin (i.e., what happened to originality?)

The 2024 summer box office was a rare exception. For the first time in recent memory, “franchise” no longer was a dirty word, says one top studio executive. Those big brands helped push year-to-date domestic grosses to more than $5.4 billion as of the weekend of Sept. 6-8, which is still down about 13 percent compared with a year earlier but better than expectations for this point in 2024.

The reversal in fortune began after a rough May that saw The Fall Guy, a potential franchise newbie, spin out at the box office, followed by the blowout of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ($172 million...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds technically got its start on Star Trek: Discovery. The second season of Discovery brought Captain Pike [Anson Mount] aboard the starship as the interim captain and made searching for Spock [Ethan Peck] as part of the season's mission. The resulting fan fervor brought Strange New Worlds to life, and now in its third season, it remains as popular as ever. In fact, it ranks at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of all of the Star Trek series. [via Slashfilm]

This shouldn't come as a surprise as the series has been extremely popular since its debut and has easily nabbed renewals each season. Strange New Worlds has already been renewed for season four, and season three hasn't even premiered yet. And the long waits between seasons doesn't seem to matter to fans.

There is a question as to whether the series will continue past five seasons as...

Actor Simon Pegg played the role of Montgomery Scott in J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek franchise, led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. After the success of the first two installments, Abrams did not return alongside the writing team but remained on board as a producer. As a result, Pegg and screenwriter Doug Jung were tasked with writing the third installment.

Simon Pegg plays Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek movies (Credit: Paramount Pictures).

During an interview, Pegg spoke about the themes and subjects the third installment Star Trek Beyond, hoped to explore. The actor-writer highlighted how the story was meant to mirror some relevant modern socio-political issues. However, despite the noble intentions behind the script, the film ultimately failed to impress viewers, becoming the franchise’s worst entry.

Simon Pegg Revealed How Star Trek Beyond Was Meant to Have a Strong Social Message

Simon Pegg first...

The last "Star Trek" feature film to hit theaters was "Star Trek Beyond" back in 2016, and there has been talk of another sequel in its continuity ever since. "Beyond" was the third film to take place in a parallel "Star Trek" universe, wherein Captain Kirk was played by Chris Pine, and the U.S.S. Enterprise was many times bigger than it was in the original timeline. "Star Trek 4" was being kicked around at the same time Paramount was gearing up for the launch of CBS All Access, later Paramount+, a streaming service that would debut "Star Trek: Discovery," the first new "Star Trek" TV series since 2005. 

It seems, however, that "Star Trek 4" remained in the "kicked around" phase for years. Back in 2016, /Film reported that "Star Trek 4" would be a time travel story that sent Kirk back in time to meet his father, played by Chris Hemsworth...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

From low-budget romps to high-energy blockbuster films, Star Trek has become one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time. While Trek has decades worth of TV, film, and animated iterations that might rival Star Wars, it also has its own unique legacy and long-time, passionate cult following (and merch).

In the past few years, the Trek television universe has become one of the highlights of original programming on Paramount+.

It’s easy when writing about Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to place focus on it rivaling the budget devoted to any TV series, ever. But what are showrunners Patrick McKay and Jd Payne delivering that makes the continuation of the Jrr Tolkien mythology worthwhile? Season 2 has just arrived on Prime Video, and a viewing of the first three episodes shows a storytelling ambition that points to a deep love of Tolkien mythology that gives the show a template different from Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning Lotr trilogy. And also a storytelling runway that can stretch as long as the one that powered Game of Thrones and its spinoffs. Here, McKay and Payne take a deep dive into the mix of Middle-earth storytelling and spectacle, and their deep love of Tolkien’s world creation.

Deadline: You guys have been writing partners for 25 years. How did that begin,...

Chris Pine will star in his first Italian-speaking role in ‘The Kidnapping of Arabella’.The 44-year-old actor signed on to the drama/tragedy which is being written and directed by Italian filmmaker Carolina Cavalli and will act as a sequel to her 2022 picture 'Amanda’.The movie - which is being produced by Elsinore Film and Fremantle’s The Apartment - follows Holly (played by Bendetta Porcaroli) who is convinced she is the wrong version of herself until she meets a seven-year-old girl who makes the young woman change her mind.Cavalli had previously said she was excited to explore the idea of "lonely people" coming together in the film, which is set to enter production this week in northern Italy between Veneto and Emilia Romagna.She told Variety: "I think lonely people who come together to solve a problem have already solved the biggest one, and this is what makes me happy about this story.

Universal’s movie adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked” is flying into theatres this year and brings with it a flurry of stars including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh. But those stars aren’t the only ones who may shine bright in the film as the movie’s trailer displayed a dazzling array of designs that could mean it’s set for Oscar attention. In particular, it could be a key player for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Paul Tazewell is on costuming duty here. He was nominated for Best Costume Design in 2022 for another musical, “West Side Story.” Although he lost to Jenny Beavan for “Cruella,” musicals are often nominated in this category. Along with “West Side Story,” movie musicals such as “Cyrano,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “La La Land,” “Cinderella,” and “Into the Woods” have...

Chris Pine and J.J. Abrams collaborated to introduce the suave Starfleet captain James T. Kirk to a whole new generation of fans with the Star Trek films. Beginning in 2009, the reboot saw Pine play the iconic character along with Zachary Quinto playing the role of Spock. The duo starred together in three films.

While a fourth film has been in development for a long time, with many directors changing, Pine mentioned that he heard rumors about the fourth film being the last of the franchise. However, the actor also mentioned that Paramount was making a mistake by ending the franchise and was looking at its fandom the wrong way.

Chris Pine Opened Up About The Star Trek Films Ending After The Fourth One Chris Pine in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek | Credits: Paramount

While the Star Trek franchise has been leading on the small screen, with multiple successful spinoff shows,...

It has been 8 years since Star Trek Beyond hit theatres, whose financial failure stalled the production of the next movie in the franchise. While the third installment in the rebooted version of the franchise garnered a decent critical reception upon its release, despite making $334M at the box office, it was a financial letdown following its $185M budget.

A still from Star Trek Beyond | Credit: Paramount Pictures

But even though the film’s failure was responsible for stalling the production of the fourth entry in the Kelvin timeline series, Rihanna was more than thrilled about contributing to the Chris Pine-led flick.

Rihanna Was Beyond Ecstatic To Sing for Star Trek Beyond Rihanna in This Is What You Came For | Credit: Calvin Harris/YouTube

Arguably one of the biggest musical icons of the 21st century, Rihanna has been pretty vocal about her love for the Star Trek franchise. Thanks to her father,...

Prime Video obviously forked out millions and millions for the TV rights to “The Lord Of The Rings,” and in their adaptation, produced the prequel story, “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power.” Created and developed by genre writers J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay(“Star Trek Beyond,” “Godzilla vs. Kong”), they return as showrunners for season two.

Read More: Summer TV Preview: Over 35 Must-See Series To Watch

Despite receiving a fairly mixed reception from critics and audiences in its debut season, “The Rings of Power” remains Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched series to date, surpassing even the success of “Fallout.”

The initial teaser trailer introduced more of Tolkien’s Second Age, demonstrating Sauron’s ascending evil presence as he continues his vengeful quest for power.

Continue reading ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Trailer: ‘The Rings of Power’ & Dark Lord Sauron Return August 29 at The Playlist.

The plot of Justin Lin's 2016 film "Star Trek Beyond" is a little convoluted. It seems that a century before the film began, a starship called the U.S.S. Franklin crash-landed on a distant planet called Altamid. The captain of the Franklin, Captain Balthazar Edison (Idris Elba), was already fleeing the influence of the Federation, as he didn't like the organization's peace-loving ways, resenting that they would sign treaties with former enemies like the Xindi and the Romulans. Captain Edison used ancient technology found on Altamid to prolong his life indefinitely, but it also mutated him into a strange alien monster. Now calling himself Krall, the former captain sought more and more Altamid technology that would, once he had enough of it, allow him to attack the Federation in a destructive fit of revenge.

At the beginning of "Beyond," the Enterprise heads to Altamid to investigate a mystery there,...

Exclusive: The Disney+ and Hulu Korean spy drama Tempest has added John Cho (Star Trek), Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer), Alicia Hannah-Kim (Cobra Kai) and Jacob Bertrand (Cobra Kai) to its cast, Deadline has learned. They join the previously announced leads Gianna Jun and Gang Dongwon.

Disney+ and Hulu tease “assassinations, political games, conspiracies and spies will collide” in 2025 when Tempest premieres in the United States. Production is currently underway in Seoul.

From writer Chung Seokyung, Tempest follows Seo Munju (Gianna Jun), a highly accomplished diplomat and former ambassador to the United States, and Sanho (Gang Dongwon), an international special agent shrouded in a veil of secrets, as they race to uncover the truth behind an attack that threatens the future stability of the Korean peninsula.

Details regarding who Cho, Gorham, Hannah-Kim and Bertrand will portray are under wraps.

Tempest is directed by Kim Heewon and co-directed by Korean martial arts director Heo Myunghaeng (The Outlaws 4). The series is produced by Imaginus, Showrunners, Studio AA and Action School.

Cho can next be seen in the upcoming sci-fi horror film Afraid opposite Katherine Waterston which opens on August 30. He is best known for his portrayal of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek (2009) and its two sequels Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016) and Harold Lee in the Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg hit comedy Harold & Kumar franchise led by Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). His recent credits include HBO’s The Sympathizer, The Afterparty for Apple TV+, Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop and Fox’s The Exorcist for TV. His film credits include Don’t Make Me Go (2022), The Grudge (2019) and The Graduates, which he also executive produced.

The Tempest reunites Cho and Gorham, who starred in the ABC series Ugly Betty.

Gorham most recently starred in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer. Before that, he had series regular roles in Netflix’s Insatiable, USA’s Covert Affairs and The WB’s Popular. He is best known for his portrayal of Henry Grubstick in Ugly Betty opposite America Ferrera.

Hannah-Kim most recently starred as Sensei Kim Da-eun in seasons 5 and 6 of Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid story starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. Hannah-Kim co-starred in the drama series alongside Bertrand. Cobra Kai was No. 1 on TV globally in its debut week on Netflix with nearly 15M views. Since then, its viewership doubled its viewership for Season 6A. Before that, she recurred in Max’s Minx.

Bertrand is currently starring in Netflix’s Cobra Kai as Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz, a role he’s portrayed across the show’s six seasons. His prior credits include lead roles in Max’s Batwheels, Disney Channel’s The Swap and for Nickelodeon, Jinxed and Marvin Marvin.

Paramount’s free streaming service Pluto TV has revealed its August highlights. Pluto TV is boldly going where no streamer has gone before, becoming the first service to offer the entire Star Trek film series for free!

Pluto TV has long been home to a galaxy of science fiction entertainment, and now all of the cinematic adventures of the Star Trek Prime Universe (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) and the Kelvin Universe (Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto) are beaming up to your favorite device. Also joining Pluto TV in August are Alien Nation by Dust and three new channels from Fox.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies,...

Since 2016, "Star Trek" has seen some dramatic ups and downs. The two Kelvin-verse "Star Trek" movies made by J.J. Abrams in 2009 and 2013 were big hits, catching a mass audience's eye with their high-octane action and sexy young casts. Justin Lin's 2016 sequel "Star Trek Beyond" wasn't as big a hit as Paramount would have liked, however, and the future of the "Star Trek" film franchise was thrown into question. It didn't help that "Star Trek: Discovery" launched in 2017 (as the flagship series for the CBS All Access streaming service), bringing the Trek franchise back to the "Prime" timeline. 

"Star Trek 4," as it has been nicknamed, has ping-ponged a lot during its development. Multiple directors passed through the project, and the film was even once removed from Paramount's development slate entirely. In January 2024, however, it seemed that the project was back on. 

Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), previously captain of the U.

The Star Trek reboot introduced the adventures of the legendary Spock and Kirk to a whole new generation. The reboot was initiated by J.J. Abrams, who did not return as director to the third film Star Trek Beyond. Despite the film earning over $343 million and a fourth film in development, several issues reportedly went wrong with the film behind the scenes.

One of them was lead actor Chris Pine, who played James Kirk in the reboot getting a black eye while filming a scene in the threequel. The actor was reportedly punched by Idris Elba, who mistakenly gave him a black eye. However, it did not stop the actor from brushing it off and finishing the movie in true Kirk fashion.

Chris Pine Got An Injury On The Sets Of Star Trek Beyond A still from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness | Credits: Paramount

After J.J. Abrams rebooted...

The Star Trek franchise reached an interesting juncture when J.J. Abrams took over the director’s chair to helm a reboot of Star Trek: The Original Series. Abrams’ 2009 film was a massive success at the box office and spawned two sequels to constitute the reboot trilogy. However, it is interesting to note that despite being commercially and critically successful, many hardcore Trekkies believe that the director could not handle the reboot very well.

A still from 2009’s Star Trek | Paramount Pictures

J.J. Abrams is among the rarest directors who got to try his hands on both Star Trek and Star Wars. But the Trekkies assert that the director’s reboot lacked the signature Star Trek flavor, that was present in the earlier series and films. A Redditor took the example of a particular scene from the 2009 Chris Pine film to explain how the director never cared enough about the franchise’s lore.

Chris Pine took over the iconic role of Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 movie Star Trek. This was the reboot of the original series created under the vision of Gene Roddenberry. Pine’s performance was praised by the public so much that he returned to the character for Star Trek Beyond (2016) and Into Darkness (2013). About eight years ago, a follow-up movie was ordered in response to its enormous popularity.

Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009) || Paramount Pictures

However, there is still little to no knowledge regarding its development. On this topic, Chris Pine responded to certain queries in a past interview that also raised a significant Star Trek problem. This particular issue might be a solid justification for Pine to forego reprising his legendary Captain Kirk role in Star Trek 4.

A Major Issue That Might Deter Chris Pine’s Involvement in Star Trek 4 Chris Pine...

Look, there’s no way around this: August is a slow month for TV, and Netflix isn’t any different. Splashy fall TV is right around the corner, but August seems best designed to catch up on some of the best TV of the year so far that you may have missed.

It’s not a total wasteland, however: “Emily in Paris” returns this month for Season 4 Part 1. The internet loves to make fun of it, but the dreamed is truly one of the best brain-dead shows to watch when it’s too hot to do much of anything else. Lily Collins wears the most amazing outfits! There’s lots of kissing! Why do you think you’re better than it?! Much like other recent Netflix hits such as “Bridgerton,” “Emily in Paris” Season 4 will be divided into two parts, with Part 1 dropping August 15 and Part 2 debuting a month later.

Trekkies might never get their R-rated Star Trek film with Quentin Tarantino directing. The fourth film in J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin timeline of reboot films has been developing since 2016 after the release of Star Trek: Beyond. However, the film has undergone various iterations and missed several deadlines.

Jonathan Frakes, who plays William Riker in the franchise and has directed multiple episodes of original films has reportedly lost all hope on a fourth film. The Star Trek: The Next Generation star reportedly mentioned that if a movie with such big names attached could not get developed, the future of the franchise lay in TV.

Jonathan Frakes Is Surprised Quentin Tarantino Could Not Make His Star Trek Film Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction | Credits: Miramax

Quentin Tarantino has maintained that he would be retiring as a director after helming his tenth film. The filmmaker has finished nine films and his farewell to Hollywood is still under development.

The Star Trek franchise has had a long history since its original series back in the 60s. Hit follow-up shows like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine followed in the 80s and 90s. The franchise also started dabbling in the theatrical space with films that followed the narratives of the original series and The Next Generation.

The crew of USS Enterprise in 2009’s Star Trek | Paramount Pictures

By the late 2000s, J.J Abrams rebooted the franchise 2009’s Star Trek featuring a new cast and a story set in an alternate timeline. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto co-led the film with Eric Bana as the villain. The film had the infamous torture scene of Bruce Greenwood’s Pike by Bana’s Nero. Greenwood was a dedicated actor and fully committed to the excruciating process of filming it.

Bruce Greenwood Wanted to Go All in For The Painful Torture Scene in...

J.J. Abrams is one of the few filmmakers who has gotten the chance to be a driving force between two of the biggest sci-fi franchises. The filmmaker rebooted the Star Trek franchise with the 2009 film and its sequel while he also continued the Skywalker Saga in Star Wars.

While the director is known for his overreliance on nostalgia in the respective franchises, he reportedly missed the chance to bring in one of the best directors of the Star Trek films back for the fourth film. According to Jonathan Frakes, who directed Star Trek: First Contact and Insurrection, he was not chosen to helm the fourth film in the reboot series.

Jonathan Frakes Wrote To J.J. Abrams To Have A Go At Star Trek 4 Jonathan Frakes in Star Trek: Picard | Credits: Paramount Pictures

There is a reason why many of the Star Trek films have been helmed by cast members of the franchise.

Edgar Wright's horror comedy "Shaun of the Dead" was an unexpected cult hit when it was released in 2004, attracting a small but passionate crowd of snarky cineastes drawn to its clever dialogue and affection for zombies. "Shaun" is a cross between the stylish gore of Sam Raimi -- complete with a "gearing up" sequence straight out of "Evil Dead 2" -- and a brand of humorous, self-reflective quarter-life introspection engaged in by a barely-grown, pop-obsessed man-children. It was a character conceit one might frequently encounter in the films of Kevin Smith. 

Made for only $6 million, "Shaun of the Dead" would make an impressive $38 million worldwide. Moreso, "Shaun of the Dead" very quickly entrenched itself into a new pop canon of nerd classics, making millions more on DVD, and frequently appearing in repertory houses as part of their midnight movie programs. It would spawn two spiritual sequels ("Hot Fuzz" and...

Karl Urban has starred in some of the most memorable franchises and big-budget blockbuster films. While he may not be an A-list movie star, the actor has shown versatility through his diverse choices. His impressive performances in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bourne Supremacy, Judge Dredd, The Boys, and the Star Trek reboot films have made him an interesting actor to watch on screen.

Karl Urban as Leonard McCoy in Star Trek Beyond | Paramount Pictures

Urban played the iconic role of Leonard McCoy in the reboot film series, previously played by DeForest Kelley in the original 60s Star Trek series. The Boys star starred alongside Chris Pine in the films who played James Kirk. Fans have compared their performances to the actors who played their characters before while also praising Urban’s contribution to the franchise.

Fans Look Back Fondly On Karl Urban’s Brilliant Performance in J.J...

Ahsoka Star Rosario Dawson Was Forced To Choose Between Star Wars and Star Trek - Main Image

Live-action Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson almost never made it to the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Instead of taking on the role of one of Star Wars’ most iconic Jedi, the Daredevil actress was planning to play a recurring villain in Paramount’s Star Trek series.

In a new interview, Dawson revealed that she was primed to play a villain in a season of Star Trek: Picard. However, she had to turn down the role due to her casting as Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian Season 2.

Rosario Dawson chooses Star Wars over Star Trek

Speaking at the 2024 Boston Fan Expo, via The Telegram, Dawson revealed that she had to choose between Star Wars and Star Trek. Despite being a huge Trekkie, Dawson decided to chase the Star Wars role instead, a choice that has...

The inciting incident in J.J. Abrams' 2013 sci-fi revenge thriller "Star Trek Into Darkness" was an act of terrorism. In a swift montage, audiences were introduced to a character names Thomas Harewood, a Federation citizen with a sick young daughter, Lucille (Anjini Taneja Azhar) dying of an incurable ailment. Thomas, at his wit's end, was approached by a mysterious man named "John Harrison" (Benedict Cumberbatch) who claimed to have a miracle cure, and he will administer it ... in exchange for a fatal, violent errand. 

"Harrison" will later reveal himself to be the cryogenically unfrozen supervillain Khan Noonien Singh, and his miracle cure was an injection of his own genetically enhanced blood. Harewood's violent errand was to carry out a destructive suicide bombing on the Kelvin Memorial Archive. Harewood killed 42 people, including himself, and sent a message to a Starfleet admiral, alerting Kirk (Chris Pine) to the situation and getting the film's mysterious plot going.

In J.J. Abrams' 2013 feature "Star Trek Into Darkness," Alice Eve appeared as Dr. Carol Marcus, a science officer who came to the U.S.S. Enterprise to examine a shipment of photon torpedoes. Working with Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban), she finds that the torpedoes were used as covert coffin-shaped tubes, intended to smuggle cryogenically frozen compatriots of the villain Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch). She would also eventually play a key role in stopping the evil machinations of her vengeful father, Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), who aims to pilot a wicked warship called the U.S.S. Vengeance on a mission of destruction.

The character of Carol Marcus had previously appeared in Nicholas Meyer's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," wherein she was played by actress Bibi Besch. In that film — set in the original "Star Trek" timeline, recall — Dr. Marcus was an old flame of Admiral Kirk (William Shatner...

The long-standing debate of Star Trek v. Star Wars is a tale as old as time with two polarizing fandoms touting their respective space adventure sagas as the superior one. But the truth is, Star Trek walked so that Star Wars could run.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) | Disney/Lucasfilm

As stupefying as it may sound (especially for fans of the Jedis), the intergalactic franchise sired by George Lucas – which today stands tall and mighty as one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons – indeed reaped the benefits sowed by Star Trek. And that’s coming from the creator himself.

Star Trek Laid the Groundwork for Star Wars to Flourish

The Gene Roddenberry-created universe of Andorians and Romulans has been a worldwide spectacle ever since the first film dropped in the ’70s. The sci-fi franchise has come an incredibly long way in the interim, expanding its tentacles into 13 movies and 12 shows,...

Sofia Boutella is an iconic actress who found her breakthrough role in 2014 when she portrayed the role of Gazelle in the 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service. Jumpstarting her career, Boutella went on to portray the role of Jaylah in the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond.

‎Sofia Boutella in Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire | Netflix

Well, the actress found much fame in the role of Jaylah but the Star Trek franchise had so much chaos within their own films that the franchise took a pause. In an interview, Boutella revealed that she would love to return to the role of Jaylah in a heartbeat if given the chance!

Sofia Boutella Would Return In A Heartbeat

Starring alongside notable stars like Chris Pine, Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, and, Karl Urban, Sofia Boutella found much fame and worldwide love for her portrayal of Jaylah. An alien who doesn’t need anyone...

The interstellar universe of Star Trek has been a narrative of explorers and adventurers traveling the vast expanse of galactic space in search of new worlds, new species, new cultures, and identities. With a whole array of movies and series serving as a blueprint for the sci-fi universe, the otherwise empty expanse never feels so empty anymore even with the constant threats of having to encounter unknown alien entities.

Chris Pine as Capt. James Kirk in Star Trek [Credit: Paramount Pictures]With Star Trek: The Original Series, the world first launched into an inquisitive exploration of what the universe had to offer beyond the scope of this galaxy. As the years rolled on, the ambition of mankind evolved parallel to the ambition of the motion picture and television industry. To keep up, the sci-fi franchise also progressively elevated its search for new worlds and new adventures.

But after half a century,...

Actor Karl Urban is one of the few names lucky enough to be associated with two of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. Urban is primarily known for his role as Billy Butcher in the Amazon Prime series The Boys. However, Urban played Leonard McCoy in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies before the show’s success.

The Boys star Karl Urban played Dr. Leonard McCoy in the Stark Trek movies (Credit: Amazon Prime Video).

During an interview, Urban revealed that Abrams had also managed to sneak in a cameo of him as a stormtrooper in the galaxy far, far away. Abrams who directed two installments in the Star Wars sequel trilogy featured Urban as a Stormtrooper in the final installment of the Skywalker saga and the actor could not be more stoked about it.

Star Trek Actor Karl Urban Talks About His Stormtrooper Cameo in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker...

A happy surprise on Friday — gleaned from a soggy copy of the Santa Monica Mirror left in the curbside box — was news that we almost have a spanking new science fiction museum in these parts. Called Sci-fi World: The Experience, it occupies the old Sears department store premises in downtown Santa Monica. The grand opening was set for Memorial Day but slipped a bit over staffing and city permit and code issues, according to the Mirror. But, hey, this is Santa Monica. I once waited a year for a gas line inspection.

The 30,000-square-foot Sears building is only about one-eighth the size of the former mid-Wilshire May Company, which now houses the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Still, it was a handy place to buy appliances,...

Exclusive: James Van Der Beek (Pose) has signed on to star in Sidelined: The Qb and Me (fka The Qb Bad Boy and Me), the upcoming Tubi Original based on Wattpad’s breakout YA novel The Qb Bad Boy and Me by Tay Marley, which has to date amassed over 31M reads.

Van Der Beek joins a cast led by Siena Agudong, which also includes Noah Beck and Drew Ray Tanner. Other new additions to the ensemble of the film, on which we were first to report, include Deborah Cox (Station Eleven) and Jake Foy (Allegiance).

Sidelined tells the story of Dallas (Agudong), a burdened but headstrong dancer, who is determined to get into the best dance school in the country — her late mother’s alma mater. However, that dream is suddenly derailed when the cheeky yet secretly grieving football star, Drayton (Beck), crashes into her life with a unique story of his own.

In 2022, Paramount announced that filming on the new Star Trek movie would begin at the end of that year, with all of the main actors expected to return to work. The last film in the series was released in 2016, and due to its poor box office performance, the franchise went on hiatus.

All the while, Paramount was trying to figure out what to do next. Among other things, the studio wanted to give Quentin Tarantino a chance to make his own R-rated Star Trek film. It never went into production, but details about the movie are still emerging.

Tarantino Expressed His Desire to Make a Star Trek Movie in 2015

In late 2015, Quentin Tarantino was asked if he would make a Star Wars movie. The director said that Star Trek was closer to his heart. In his opinion, many episodes of the classic TV series can easily be expanded to fit the length of the movie.