Jump to:

  • When can we expect Star Trek 4?
  • Star Trek 4 cast: Who's going to be in Star Trek 4?
  • Star Trek 4 plot: What's going to happen in Star Trek 4?
  • Star Trek 4 trailer: Any Star Trek 4 footage yet?

Star Trek 4 has edged a little closer to finally happening, as the movie has found a new writer.

In March 2024, it was reported that Steve Yockey – who developed The Flight Attendant – had been hired to write a new draft of the fourth movie, which is intended to bring back Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldaña.

This is separate from the other two Star Trek movies in the works: a prequel movie directed by Toby Haynes and Star Trek: Discovery spin-off Section 31, which finished filming in March 2024.

Back to Star Trek 4, though, and the long-gestating movie finally looked to be on track in February 2022 when it was announced that JJ Abrams was returning to produce with Matt Shakman directing, to the surprise of the cast as much as the fans.

chris pine as captain kirk in a still from star trek beyond
Paramount

Unfortunately, Shakman left the movie in August 2022 to direct Fantastic Four for Marvel instead. And then in September 2022, Paramount took the movie off the release calendar entirely, but at least it sounds like a director search is ongoing.

In March 2023, JJ Abrams – who has produced all three movies in the reboot trilogy and directed two of them – said that a search for a director is ongoing.

"I will say it's the first time [since the original reboot] that we have a story that feels as compelling as the first one," he told Esquire. Of course, Pine also called the franchise "cursed" so it depends how hopeful you feel like being.

All we really know right now is that Star Trek 4 is in active development at Paramount, even if we don't know exactly when it will be released.

But while we wait, here's everything you need to know about the (potential) return of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek 4.

director jj abrams and the cast from star trek
Paramount

When can we expect Star Trek 4?

Once upon a time, Star Trek 4 was scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 22, 2023.

Of course, that never happened, and as mentioned above, Star Trek 4 hasn't got a confirmed release date as of April 2024. There's no rumours either about when it could reappear on the schedule.

In June 2022, prior to Shakman leaving the project, Paramount boss Brian Robbins did confirm development was under way on the fourth Star Trek. "We're deep into it with JJ Abrams, and it feels like we're getting close to the starting line and excited about where we're going creatively," he said.

zoe saldana as uhura and john cho as sulu in a still from star trek beyond
Paramount

However, in November 2022, star Zachary Quinto told The Independent: "At this point, I honestly have very little attachment to it.

"All of us would like to come back and make another movie, but I’ve learnt to only get excited about things I know are actually real. And there's nothing about a fourth Star Trek movie that feels real right now."

Other people involved seem to have faith in the project moving forward, though, and hopefully a new writer joining is a positive step.

All we can do is watch this space.

star trek
Paramount

Star Trek 4 cast: Who's going to be in Star Trek 4?

Even when Star Trek 4 was originally being released in December 2023, it hadn't been 100% confirmed that the reboot cast would be back.

That being said, during his June 2022 announcement, Robbins did say he knew audience "wants that cast in this movie" – referring to the reboot cast.

So, if it ever does come to fruition, we'd be surprised if it was with a brand-new cast. You can likely then expect the returns of Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Karl Urban (Bones), John Cho (Sulu) and Simon Pegg (Scotty).

Urban certainly seems keen for a return, although he also revealed in March 2022 that, like Pine, he hadn't read a script yet. "I would love to work with those guys again; so much fun, the best hang. We'll see," he enthused.

It all feels very up in the air, as per Quinto's quotes, but that doesn't mean we can't hope.

The initial plan for the fourth movie was to have a timey-wimey adventure that featured Chris Pine's James T Kirk somehow joining forces with his long-dead dad, played by Chris Hemsworth.

Hemsworth opened up in May 2019 about why he stepped away from the movie, saying: "I didn't feel like we landed on a reason to revisit that yet. I didn't want to be underwhelmed by what I was going to bring to the table."

chris hemsworth as george kirk in star trek
Paramount

It's unclear if this new version of Star Trek 4 plans to bring Hemsworth back or if it's gone in a totally new direction, but Hemsworth seems open to a return for the fourth movie.

In October 2022, Rings of Power bosses JD Payne and Patrick McKay teased more about what their original idea for the fourth movie was going to be. "The conceit was that through a cosmic quirk in the Star Trek world, they were the same age," McKay explained.

We also don't know yet whether the new movie will recast Pavel Chekov following Anton Yelchin's tragic death in 2016. "It's bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time, and one of us is no longer with us," Saldaña said in March 2022.

"But we honestly feel that going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to really keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts."

Star Trek Beyond Zoe Saldana as Uhura
Paramount

Star Trek 4 plot: What's going to happen in Star Trek 4?

Right now, we don't have any confirmed plot details for the fourth movie, and it's not clear how closely it'll follow on from the ending of Star Trek Beyond.

The third movie ended with Kirk declining the promotion to vice admiral and staying as the captain of the USS Enterprise. Spock also chose to remain in Starfleet and reignited his romance with Uhura.

As the movie ends, they're all set to continue their mission on a brand-new USS Enterprise after the previous one was destroyed during the movie's events.

star trek beyond trailer grab
Paramount

It means that the fourth movie can go anywhere. But, for Pine, he believes that whatever the plot is, it shouldn't try to compete with Marvel.

"I've always thought that Star Trek should operate in the zone that is smaller. You know, it's not a Marvel appeal. It's like, let's make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek," he said.

"Let's make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great. But make it for a price and make it, so that if it makes a half-billion dollars, that's really good."

star trek beyond chris pine as kirk
Paramount

Star Trek 4 trailer: Any Star Trek 4 footage yet?

You're kidding, right? We'd love to get all timey-wimey ourselves and show you a trailer for Star Trek 4 from the future, but we're stuck in the Mirror Universe.

Audible, 3 months for 99p
Audible, 3 months for 99p
Find out more
Credit: Audible
Buy Alison Hammond's outfits
Buy Alison Hammond's outfits
Credit: mark bourdillon
How to watch Dune: Part 2 at home right now
How to watch Dune: Part 2 at home right now
Best refurbished phones you can buy in 2024
Best refurbished phones you can buy in 2024
Apple TV+ 7-day free trial
Apple TV+ 7-day free trial
Credit: Apple TV
Sign up for Disney+
Sign up for Disney+
Credit: Robert Viglasky/Disney+
Best Seller
PS5 Slim Consoles
PS5 Slim Consoles
Credit: Playstation/Getty Images
Best Seller
Buy Cat Deeley's This Morning outfits
Buy Cat Deeley's This Morning outfits
Crunchyroll 14-day free trial
Crunchyroll 14-day free trial
Credit: Mappa
Best Seller
Bluey-themed family dinners launch at Gousto
Bluey-themed family dinners launch at Gousto
Best Seller
Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile
Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile
Headshot of Ian Sandwell
Ian Sandwell

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
 

Headshot of Gabriella Geisinger

Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance journalist and film critic, and was previously Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. She loves Star Wars, coming-of-age stories, thrillers, and true crime. A born and raised New Yorker, she also loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.