In a new interview, Chris Pine revealed that he has been kept in the dark about the next installment of the Star Trek franchise and believes it is ‘cursed.’
Chris Pine has broken his silence about the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, revealing what is going on with the fourth film in the series. The actor, who has played Captain Kirk in three Star Trek films, revealed that he hasn’t heard anything about the long-delayed fourth film from the film’s producers. When asked about the franchise, the actor stated that it “feels cursed.”
Chris first joined the franchise in 2009, when he was cast in the Star Trek reboot. The film, directed by J.J. Abrams, was a huge success and created a huge fanbase. Star Trek: Into the Darkness, the next installment in the franchise, was released in 2013. It was followed by Star Trek: Beyond in 2016, which was the final installment in the Star Trek franchise but underperformed at the box office.
Talking to Esquire in a new interview, Chris talked at length about the Star Trek movies and the inevitable comparison of box-office numbers with Marvel films and said, “I’m not sure Star Trek was ever built to do that kind of business.
Why aren’t we just appealing to this really rabid fan group, making the movie for a reasonable price, and going on our merry way, instead of competing with the Marvels of the world? I don’t know, it just seemed… (pauses) cursed after the last one didn’t make the $1 billion that everyone expected, and then Anton (Yelchin) passed away.”
When asked about the plans about a new script in place for the film, the actor concluded, “I don’t know anything. The actors are usually the last to find out about anything in Star Trek land. I’ve known costume designers to read scripts before actors…
It’s frustrating, in my opinion. It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been. I adore the protagonist. I enjoy the people. I adore the series. But I simply cannot change the system by which things are created. I don’t have the stamina.”
In addition to producing the films, Abrams directed 2009’s Star Trek, in which Pine played Captain Kirk for the first time, and its 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams returned to produce Beyond in 2016, which was directed instead by Justin Lin. S.J. Clarkson was tapped to direct the fourth installment of Paramount’s Star Trek reboot series in 2018.
Later that year, Pine and co-star Chris Hemsworth reportedly walked away from the project due to pay disagreements. Star Trek 4 was reportedly shelved entirely in early 2019 due to Clarkson’s departure from the project.
In addition to producing the films, Abrams directed 2009’s Star Trek, in which Pine played Captain Kirk for the first time, and its 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams returned to produce Beyond in 2016, which was directed instead by Justin Lin. S.J. Clarkson was tapped to direct the fourth installment of Paramount’s Star Trek reboot series in 2018. Later that year, Pine and co-star Chris Hemsworth reportedly walked away from the project due to pay disagreements. Star Trek 4 was reportedly shelved entirely in early 2019 due to Clarkson’s departure from the project.
In August 2022, Shakman stepped down from Star Trek 4 to direct Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. As previously stated, Star Trek 4 was then dropped entirely from Paramount’s release schedule in September 2022. So, while Star Trek continues to have a significant small-screen presence thanks to Paramount+ shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it is unclear when Trekkies can expect to see the USS Enterprise on the big screen again.
Interestingly, Pine is not the first to suggest that Star Trek is “cursed.” Despite its emphasis on science and logic, the sci-fi franchise is no stranger to superstition.
For example, one widely held belief among fans was that the original Star Trek film series, which ran from 1979 to 2002, was cursed and that all even-numbered films (e.g., Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) would be good, while odd-numbered films (e.g., Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek Generations) would be bad.