Chris Pine Is Frustrated About The Lack Of Updates On Star Trek 4
30 years after "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" first boldly went where the franchise had never gone before, the likes of James T. Kirk and Spock returned to the cinema in a big way. Director J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" premiered in 2009, giving audiences a glimpse into the early days of their favorite characters in the newly-established Kelvin timeline. Based on audience reception and box office returns, it proved that the "Star Trek" brand could thrive at the movies, prompting a couple of sequels to release in the following years.
The first "Star Trek" 2009 sequel reached the big screen in 2013 in the form of "Star Trek Into Darkness": a strong continuation that features numerous returning cast members from its predecessor as well as some new additions. Though some would argue it's not as strong in the story department as the previous film, most fans still seemed to enjoy it, and it made a decent chunk of change. Thus, "Star Trek Beyond" debuted in 2016, and while it's an entertaining watch, it severely underperformed in the financial department.
Nevertheless, a fourth "Star Trek" film is on the way, though production is slow going at this point. In fact, it's taking so long to even get updates that Captain Kirk himself, Chris Pine, is getting a bit frustrated.
The lack of communication behind the scenes is wearing on Pine
Chris Pine spoke to Esquire in March 2022, and during the chat, he touched on the remarkably slow production pace on "Star Trek 4." By the sound of it, he's getting irritated that it's taking so long to hear anything about it, especially by "Star Trek" franchise standards. "I don't know anything. In 'Star Trek' land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything," he said, questioning how someone in his position — one of the series' leads — could consistently be left out of the loop.
He continues: "I would say it's frustrating. It doesn't really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it's how it's always been." Despite this lack of communication, Pine noted that he still harbors a great deal of love for the role of Captain Kirk, the people behind the films, and the Kelvin movies themselves. Be that as it may, he's past the point of going out of his way to try and keep the ball rolling. "To try to change the system in which things are created — I just can't do it. I don't have the energy," he concluded.
As it stands, "Star Trek 4" is supposedly still in active development, but one has to wonder what will come of it. Will it release to keep the story of "Star Trek Beyond" and its predecessors alive? Or will it languish in development limbo until it's eventually canned? Time will tell.