Star Trek is still making Matt Shakman’s movie, but should they?
Matt Shakman was tapped to direct Star Trek 4, featuring the return of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, and the rest of the living crew members of the last three Star Trek films. The fourth film, which would be the first since 2017’s Star Trek: Beyond, was going to be a big to do, with Chris Hemsworth rumored to be involved, reprising his role as James Kirk’s father.
The film didn’t have a signed cast, however. The cast was announced, but outside of Pine (allegedly), no one had a contract in hand. There was also no confirmed script for the longest time. Then it came out that Karl Urban would be unable to begin filming the fourth film, as he was going to be on-location with The Boys at the same time.
Then Shakman left the project. To say this film is cursed is an understatement but it gets worse; Shakman believes they’re still working on the project he left, with Shakman telling Collider;
"“I think what they’re still working on is a version of what I have been working on for the time that I was involved.”"
It may be best to start Star Trek 4 from scratch
It seems rather unwise to continue the failed project as is, especially if they’re using elements of the previous film idea. Aside from the returning cast, everything else, from Hemsowrth’s involvement to the ideas there around, should be reconsidered and ultimately, scrapped.
Sometimes the best way to move past a roadblock is to find a new path, and this previous film clearly had too much bad karma attached to it. The film was never going to get off the ground and personally, I believe that’s why Shakman left the project for Fantastic Four because he saw how mismanaged the film was.
Find new voices, and new leaders, and let’s take a brand new shot at the film.