After a shaky couple of years, Star Trek appears to be in rude health right now.
The Kelvin Universe big screen movies have, overall, been pretty well received by fans, Star Trek: Discovery is about to launch into what looks like a very exciting second season, CBS have promised to fund multiple new Trek TV projects, Patrick Stewart is returning and Quentin Tarantino’s tantalizing entry into the franchise will probably take flight after he’s done with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Of course, there’s also the as yet untitled Star Trek 4, which appears to be inching closer and closer to production.
Be that as it may, the project’s now suffered a major blow, as The Hollywood Reporter is telling us that both Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth will no longer be going boldly where no man’s gone before. That’s right, both of the A-listers have dropped out of the movie, with the outlet stating that negotiations have broken down, resulting in Hemsworth and Pine walking away from Star Trek 4.
Deals with the rest of the cast – Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and John Cho – are expected to close, but as of now, we shouldn’t expect to see either Chris show up. And apparently, it all comes down to money (obviously).
It’s no secret that Pine and Hemsworth are amongst the most in-demand talent in Hollywood and simply wanted Paramount to pay them what they’d make for a Marvel or DC film. However, the studio isn’t willing to do so, “forcing the actors to take pay cuts as they try to budget a movie that’s following a mediocre performer.” That mediocre performer would be Star Trek Beyond, which sources say Paramount actually lost money on.
As such, they’re now trying to slash the budget of the next installment and that includes lowering the salaries for the cast. It seems that the rest of the actors are alright with this, but Pine and Hemsworth aren’t having it and both parties have now walked away from the table.
Of course, things could always change. Either the Chrises could change their mind and accept a lower salary or Paramount may see their worth and agree to pay them what they want. Then again, the project can always just recast or move forward without them.
Whatever happens, though, sources say Star Trek 4 is still a priority for the studio and will not be put on hold due to this. As such, we expect to get an update on the situation soon and once we do, we’ll be sure to let you know.