According to a new report, Star Trek 4 may be back in business. Paramount has been trying to get another movie off the ground for five years now, developing bold takes on the franchise from the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley, but so far, it’s all come to naught. However, Giant Freakin Robot has now shared that the studio has returned to its original concept for ST4, and is once again moving forward with it, albeit with a major tonal change.
As per the outlet, GFR’s reliable sources have informed them that Paramount aims to make Star Trek 4 the darkest film in the franchise to date. It’s not entirely clear why they’re keen for this, but the intention does add up with the way recent TV series Discovery and Picard have both been darker and more mature than classic Trek. Infamously, though, this approach has been highly controversial with fans, who are eager for a return to the old-fashioned optimistic tone.
Discovery season 3 made a shift towards this, and was better received because of it, while folks are likewise excited for Strange New Worlds, which promises to revive a more Original Series-style spirit. Nevertheless, Paramount is apparently pushing to make ST4 darker than 2016’s Beyond and even 2013’s Into Darkness. This decision might’ve been made because they liked the idea of Tarantino’s R-rated film, even though he’s now likely walked away from the project.
Despite this desire for a darker tone, the premise sounds like it could be a hugely fun buddy cop-type time travel action/adventure. The studio again wants to get Chris Hemsworth back as George Kirk opposite Chris Pine as his onscreen son, James Tiberius. Likewise, William Shatner may cameo as the Prime Kirk in a bid to further connect the Kelvin timeline to the mainstream universe.
Tell us, though, are you interested in Star Trek 4Â going darker? Beam on over to the comments and leave your thoughts.
