Star Trek fans everywhere are concerned as news leaks from SyFy.com that Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth may not be appearing in Star Trek 4. Pine has been playing Captain James T. Kirk in the reboot series since 2009’s Star Trek. Hemsworth played Pine’s onscreen father George in the 2009 film. The news first broke in a story by The Hollywood Reporter that says that Paramount has reached an impasse in contract negotiations with both actors. Pine and Hemsworth already have deals with the studio that Paramount wants to renegotiate. The sticking point in negotiations is that Pine and Hemsworth both want top-tier salaries that reflect their status as A-list performers. While both Pine and Hemsworth were relatively unknown in the 2009 reboot, their careers have since skyrocketed, with Pine achieving fame both as Kirk and as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman. Hemsworth is, of course, famous for his portrayal as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Paramount is seeking to renegotiate with the actors because they feel that Pine and Hemsworth are being overpaid for the modest box office gross that Star Trek films bring-in for the studio. 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, for example, only grossed a modest $343 million on a budget of $190 million. Industry insiders say that Paramount may have even lost money on Star Trek Beyond. Despite the setback in negotiating with Pine and Hemsworth, sources say that Paramount is still continuing pre-production for the film. The studio is currently in the process of negotiating deals with other members of the cast, notably Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and John Cho. Last April, S.J. Clarkson was announced as the film’s director. If Star Trek 4 is made, Clarkson will be the first female director in the history of the franchise. Details on the film’s story are being kept under wraps, but it is rumored to center around time travel, which is why the studio wants to bring Hemsworth’s character back to the franchise.
Even though Pine and Hemsworth might no longer be appearing in the series, Star Trek fans still have much to look forward to in the future. The critically acclaimed Star Trek: Discovery returns to the CBS All Access streaming service in January of 2019. Additionally, Sir Patrick Stewart recently announced that he would reprise his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a new series for CBS All Access.
