Exclusive: Zoe Saldana Not Returning In Star Trek 4 Unless She’s Paid As Much As Her Male Co-Stars
Zoe Saldana is not interested in returning for a prospective Star Trek 4 if she is not paid equivalent wages to her male Kelvin timeline co-stars. According to our trusted and proven sources, the Avatar: The Way of Water actress seems to be tired of not getting the same kind of pay given to Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, and the rest of the male-heavy Enterprise crew and is willing to depart the series over it. Given that Zoe Saldana has a whole lot of other projects in the fire, the producers of Star Trek 4 might want to think about this.
The development of the fourth Star Trek feature film with the current cast has been complicated, even by the standards of huge science fiction franchises. However, Zoe Saldana has been one of the key members of this version of the crew of the USS Enterprise since the first Star Trek reboot movie in 2009, and it is a little hard to imagine Star Trek 4 without her. While there are no hard numbers readily available to compare the salaries offered to the various stars, it seems this will be the sticking point of whether we get Nyota Uhura back or not.
The wage gap between male and female stars in Hollywood, even (or especially) those of equivalent fame, is a hot topic in pop culture these days and it is unsurprising it would come between Zoe Saldana and Star Trek 4. Saldana is allegedly one of the more underpaid actresses in Hollywood, only receiving a $100k salary for her part in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. According to various reports, Chris Pratt was paid $1.5 million for the same movie, while Dave Bautista earned $1.4 million.
It is also worth noting in the accountants’ estimation of how much to offer Zoe Saldana for Star Trek 4 that the actress is also currently the lead actress in one of the biggest franchises of all time, including the single highest-grossing movie ever. She is currently starring in the first Avatar sequel, The Way of Water, and is credited to be in as many movies as James Cameron feels like making (as long as the box office holds steady). That might also add some weight to Zoe Saldana’s ability to decline Star Trek 4 if she is not paid on the same level as her peers.
In addition to the Avatar franchise, Zoe Saldana is soon to lead the CIA spy thriller series Lionness, which was developed by Paramount television powerhouse Taylor Sheridan. Between the biggest franchise ever, a leading role in a series from television’s current golden goose, and a final turn as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Zoe Saldana likely does not need Star Trek 4 nearly as much as it might need her.
We shall just have to wait and see whether Zoe Saldana gets a proper paycheck this time, or whether it even happens at all.
