Paramount has major plans for a new movie for the Star Trek franchise, but they might not have their captain as contract negotiations have failed to secure Chris Pine in that role.
Star Chris Pine is now doubtful to return to his roles as Captain James T. Kirk for Star Trek 4, as a report from THR tells us that talks have fallen through.
They were planning for Hemsworth to return as Kirk’s father, repeating his role from J.J. Abrams 2009 movie reboot in what is reported as a time-travel adventure, but that deliberation has stalled. Apparently, both actors and the production companies involved with making the films have backed off from talks. It is now unlikely for both Pine and Hemsworth to return.
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media are trying to follow up on these deals by finalizing contracts for other cast members including Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and John Cho. It’s unclear what they will do with Pine and Hemsworth’s contracts falling through. The studio already selected S.J. Clarkson to direct, making her the first woman to direct a feature film in the franchise.
The report indicates that its all about Pine and Hemsworth asking for salaries akin to their star status after appearing in successful Marvel and DC franchises. looks like Paramount would prefer not to spend money on high salaries with the Star Trek franchise, which doesn’t have the budget of the superhero films and is sticking firm on their numbers.
THR’s report also indicates that Paramount is stalling on their current deals with the actors because Star Trek Beyond underperformed. The film grossed $343 million across the globe and was budgeted at $190 million, and rumor has it that the studio lost money on the film.
Viable sources specify the actors aren’t willing to take a pay cut despite the last film not doing well. Pine already has a deal in place that he signed when negotiating for Star Trek Beyond.
The studios indicate that the movie is not being put on hold despite these complications and that Star Trek 4 remains in development for the cinema.
In time, we learn more about the fate of Star Trek 4 — whether a deal can be reached, they decide to recast the roles or re-write the film entirely. We will report what this means for the Quentin Tarantino’s sequel, when it is known.