Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto isn’t worried that the fourth movie in the franchise’s Kelvin Timeline is seemingly stuck in development hell.
Created to free the 2009 Star Trek reboot from decades of continuity, the Kelvin Timeline takes viewers back to the beginning of the franchise, with a younger cast portraying new versions of the fan-favorite characters from Star Trek: The Original Series. J. J. Abrams directed the first two installments — Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) — while Justin Lin took over directorial duties for the third movie, Star Trek Beyond (2016).
A fourth Kelvin-set Star Trek movie was announced by Paramount in July 2016. However, since the initial announcement, the movie has struggled to get out of development, going through several different creative teams. Quentin Tarantino, S.J. Clarkson, Noah Hawley, and Matt Shakman were all at one point attached to write and/or direct Star Trek 4. Following Shakman’s departure in 2022, no director is currently attached to the movie, although Steve Yockey is reportedly penning the latest draft of the script.
Despite Star Trek 4’s development struggles, Quinto, who portrays the Kelvin Timeline’s Spock, is nothing but optimistic regarding his future with the franchise. “The great thing is Star Trek is a limitless universe. Look at all the television shows, look at all the stories, look at all the characters and timelines. Anything is possible,” he told Variety during a recent interview to promote his new show, Brilliant Minds. “That’s the joy of the franchise. That’s why it’s lasted for 55, 60 years. I’m open to it. I would love it. I would absolutely love it.”
The actor continued, “There’s no cutoff. The original cast did movies for decades, well into their 50s, 60s. The stories might be different. We might not be running as fast on the other planets, but I think anything’s possible, and I think there’s nothing more fulfilling as an artist then to come back to something after time has passed, and cultivate a relationship with it from a completely different perspective, and a completely new point of view.”
Is Star Trek 4 the only Star Trek movie in development?
At the time of writing, Paramount has three Star Trek movies in various stages of production. Star Trek: Section 31, a feature-length spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery starring Michelle Yeoh, is currently in post-production and set for release on Paramount+ in early 2025. Alongside Star Trek 4, Paramount is developing a prequel to Abrams’ 2009 reboot, with Toby Haynes attached to direct. Seth Grahame-Smith is writing the screenplay for the Star Trek prequel, which will reportedly be set decades before the 2009 film.
All three Kelvin Timeline Star Trek movies are currently streaming on Paramount+.
