Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have been locked in for Star Trek 4

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Despite a few bumps in the road along the way, STAR TREK BEYOND has finally started up production in Vancouver and according to THR one of the the final stumbling blocks was the need to renegotiate the contracts with the cast. Let's backtrack a bit; when the original cast of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, and John Cho signed on for the original film, they had options for two sequels written into their contracts. While STAR TREK was a big success, it did not perform at the blockbuster status that Paramount was expecting, so the cast received only nominal raises for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS.

As STAR TREK BEYOND moved forward, Paramount was again looking to merely give nominal raises based on the cast's original contracts, but according to California law, a personal services contract cannot bind someone for more than seven years. As the original contract was struck in 2007, it was argued to have become invalid by the time 2014 rolled around. Paramount disagreed but as neither side was willing to go to court, they reached a compromise. The actors have all scored better deals with Chris Pine coming out on top with a $6 million payday for STAR TREK BEYOND. As part of the deal, Paramount managed to secure contract options for both Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto to return for STAR TREK 4, ensuring the no matter what happens with the rest of the cast, we'll at least be getting Kirk and Spock.

Obviously this doesn't mean that STAR TREK 4 will happen, that will depend entirely on how STAR TREK BEYOND performs, but it's nice to know that Paramount still see's a future in Star Trek. STAR TREK BEYOND is slated for a July 8, 2016 release.