For a franchise dedicated to boldly going forward, Star Trek’s most promising big-screen saga just found itself back at square one. While Star Trek TV has been flourishing the past few years, the film trilogy that brought the saga back to life has withered on the vine. That’s the Kelvin Timeline, the alt-universe reboot that began in 2009 with J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. The film and its two sequels earned respectable box office numbers and a loyal fandom, one that’s been wondering about future films since Star Trek Beyond in 2016.
Paramount seemed keen to shake the cobwebs off the Kelvin saga, especially after the studio’s recent merger with Skydance. Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, the studio’s new co-chairs, affirmed that Trek was “a priority across the company,” with development beginning on Star Trek 4 in August. Abrams was even in talks to return and produce the film, with screenwriter Steve Yockey reportedly working on a script. As quickly as those plans were taking shape, however, it seems like they’ve been shelved just as fast.
A Variety profile details all the changes taking place at Paramount-Skydance, most spearheaded by CEO David Ellison. Apart from his aggressive pursuit of another merger, this time with Warner Bros., and dubious plans to “embrace AI,” Ellison wants novelty for Star Trek, not more of the same.
The studio has therefore reportedly “moved on” from the prospect of Star Trek 4, which would have brought back Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and the rest of their Enterprise crew. Paramount instead seems to be putting its energy into a “fresh” Trek movie. Updates on that film have been few and far between, but Deadline recently reported that it would feature “brand new characters.” Abrams is still producing, and he’ll work alongside fellow producer Simon Kinberg, Andor director Toby Haynes, and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith.
The Star Trek franchise will also keep rolling on the small screen, as Paramount is working on a handful of shows destined to stream on Paramount+. The franchise is definitely still a priority for Paramount, but a trip back to the Kelvin universe won’t be a part of it. That’s a shame for fans who’ve been quietly manifesting a reunion for this particular Enterprise crew for nearly a decade, but only time will tell if boldly leaving this storyline behind pays off.
