Chris Pine has recently expressed a certain degree of frustration concerning the Star Trek film franchise, citing a lack of information that has also upset fans of the movies.
Star Trek is a science fiction media franchise that has been at the forefront of the genre since the debut of the eponymous first series in the 1960s. Paramount has been its most recent steward, but Star Trek 4 has experienced several delays with little word on when it will finally hit theaters, if ever, much to the chagrin of Pine.
In a recent interview with Esquire primarily focused on his role in the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which showed Pine in action with a great Super Bowl spot, the Hollywood star briefly discusses where things stood as related to his understanding of what was going on with Star Trek 4. “I don’t know anything,” Pine explained during the interview. “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… It’s all par for the course with “Star Trek.”
Pine went further in outlining his feelings towards the Star Trek projects. “I would say it’s frustrating. It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been," he said. "I love the character. I love the people. I love the franchise. But to try to change the system in which things are created — I just can’t do it. I don’t have the energy.” While Pine hasn’t been in the loop, the creative switching behind the scenes on film projects for the Star Trek franchise has been the source of much discussion, with a wide range of creatives being involved at one point or the other, including famous filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who Pine shares a good relationship and mutual respect with.
Commenting on the last Star Trek film’s poor performance compared to expectations, Pine remarked that the whole thing "felt cursed," prefacing this by saying, “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 sentiment rings true because swaths of the Star Trek timeline that have not been explored on-screen could serve as a wellspring of motivation for a fan-centric project.
One possibility is that Star Trek 4 has fallen down the priority line at Paramount in favor of the series and other franchise content. This is possible considering the last film underperformed. Furthermore, the company seems to be pushing for more profit from the streaming sector, expanding its market share and announcing a Paramount Plus subscription price increase for the first time. The creative slowdown behind the scenes and reduced prioritization could mean that fans must wait a long while before the next entry in the Star Trek reboot franchise is released.
Star Trek (2009) is available on Paramount Plus.
Source: Esquire
