Chris Pine On Whether He’s Still In Star Trek 4
Is the blockbuster actor coming back as Captain Kirk? Chris Pine answers.
This article is more than 2 years old
Chris Pine has certainly made a name for himself in the world of genre film. And though he might be attached to the worst Star Trek film ever made, his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the rebooted Star Trek franchise has been one of the brightest spots in this new era of Star Trek.
However, plans for another Star Trek movie have been up in the air for a while now. There have apparently been multiple potential sequels in some stage of either development or possibly just being pitched to the studio. There was one that would team up Kirk with his father (played by Chris Hemsworth) thanks to some time travel, another one from Quentin Tarantino that would have been a gangster story, and yet another involving Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley. Even though all of these sequels have been teased, nothing has been officially announced quite yet. And Chris Pine has just been waiting for the phone to ring.
Where Chris Pine Is At With Star Trek Now
Apparently, Chris Pine is still just waiting for the phone to ring. The blockbuster actor recently appeared on the Things Are Going Great For Me podcast and was asked about Star Trek 4 and if he is planning to return as Kirk. Pine was generous but also realistic with his response. He referenced the recent restructuring that is going on over at Paramount (the entity that owns Star Trek) as a likely culprit for the series being put on hiatus. “I know that Paramount is coming out of having restructured a bit and kind of a major corporate restructuring,” says Pine. “So hopefully when all that dust settles, something concrete will come out of it and we’ll get to work. I’d love to do it.”
It is unclear if some of the sequels mentioned above would even include the Kelvin timeline cast. There is a possibility that Paramount are trying to develop new Star Trek movies that would not have Chris Pine as Kirk or any other members of the reboot ensemble. It was said that Pine and Hemsworth were asked to take a pay cut for the proposed sequel involving them both, and it is possible that they never reached an amicable contract situation with that.
The Future
Even so, Star Trek Beyond proved that audiences were still on board for this new iteration of the Enterprise crew. Critical and financial response to the third outing in the reboot series was not bad, and Star Trek Beyond is beginning to earn a reputation for being the best of the rebooted films. Chris Pine was well-utilized in that entry and it would be great to see him get a proper sendoff to his version of the character.
But, Chris Pine might not be available (or affordable) by the time Star Trek 4 gets off the ground. Though, it certainly sounds like Pine is eager and willing to jump back into the captain’s chair. Here’s hoping he gets his shot. Pine will be seen next in Wonder Woman 1984 as Steve Trevor, opening in theaters on October 2.
