Star Trek 4: J.J. Abrams says story is the most compelling one since the first movie

It’s been seven years since the release of Star Trek Beyond, and in that time, we’ve seen the release of multiple Star Trek TV shows, including Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds… but no fourth movie. Paramount can’t seem to get Star Trek 4 off the ground, but when the project does finally launch, producer J.J. Abrams believes it will have quite the story to tell.

In Esquire‘s recent Chris Pine profile, J.J. Abrams offered a quick Star Trek 4 tease: “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.” The first Star Trek reboot was quite a lot of fun and still stands as the best-reviewed film of the franchise, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Abrams added that they’re still searching for a new director since the departure of Matt Shakman, who ditched the project in favour of Fantastic Four.

Whatever this “compelling” story is, it hasn’t yet been shared with Chris Pine. “I don’t know anything,” Pine said. “In Star Trek land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything. I know costume designers that have read scripts before the actors.” Pine admitted that this is a little frustrating and that “it doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been.” Still, Pine “loves” the character, the franchise, and the people he works with.

While each of the three Star Trek reboot movies has been successful, Star Trek Beyond grossed $343 million worldwide; not terrible, but nowhere near the blockbuster level of a Marvel movie. Chris Pine believes that they shouldn’t be aiming for those kinds of numbers. “I’m not sure Star Trek was ever built to do that kind of business,” Pine said. “I always thought, ‘Why aren’t we just appealing to this really rabid fan group and making the movie for a good price and going on our merry way, instead of trying to compete with the Marvels of the world?’“

The fourth installment of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek franchise started to take shape even before the release of Star Trek Beyond, with Chris Hemsworth said to be returning as George Kirk, father of James Kirk. But talks with the stars broke down, and the project was put on hold. Then, when the sequel was announced again, the cast was said to be blindsided by the news as they hadn’t been told. After Matt Shakman left, Paramount Pictures pulled the film from the schedule, leaving Star Trek 4 in limbo ever since.

What type of story are you hoping to see with Star Trek 4?