Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew might be headed back to the big screen with directorNoah Hawleytaking over at the helm.
According toDeadline, Hawley is in final talks to write and direct the fourth installment of the big-screen Star Trek series thatJ.J. Abramslaunched in 2009. Abrams will serve as co-producer and will release the film through his production company, Bad Robot.
Hawley is best known for writing, directing, and running the small-screen Coen Brothers adaptationFargoand the X-Men spin-offLegion, both of which aired on FX. Hawley’s first feature film, the Jon Hamm and Natalie Portman dramaLucy in the Sky, debuted early this year. In addition to his movie and TV work, Hawley is also a best-selling novelist.
Despite previous reports, Abrams’ fullStar Trekcrew is expected to return for Hawley’s sequel. Previously, the fourthStar Trekinstallment stalled after Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the new films, and Chris Hemsworth, who appeared in Abrams’ reboot as Kirk’s father,ended negotiations with Paramountafter the studio tried to cut their salaries.
The proposed wage cuts stemmed from the underwhelming performance of the third film in the series,Star Trek Beyond, which hit theaters in 2016.Beyond, which was directed by frequent Fast and the Furious helmer Justin Lin and was co-written byStar Trekstar Simon Pegg, received positive reviews from critics but didn’t make quite as much money as Paramount had hoped, forcing the studio to “hold the line” on the sequel’s budget.
Judging by Deadline’s report, it looks like the dispute between Pine and Paramount is over, although it’s not clear if Hemsworth is still in talks to appear in the movie, or if Hawley is going to start over with an entirely new script and concept.
Definitely not returning forStar Trek 4is S.J. Clarkson, who had previously been announced as the film’s director. Clarkson, who has directed episodes ofThe Defenders,Jessica Jones,Succession,Orange is the New Black, and many other television shows, would’ve been the first female director of a big-screen Star Trek adventure.
TheStar Trek 4revival comes at a watershed moment for the Star Trek franchise, which has seen renewed momentum on television. In addition toStar Trek: Discovery, which is about to launch its third season, CBS All Access is prepping a number of other Star Trek series, including theStar Trek: The Next GenerationsequelStar Trek: Picard.
