New Star Trek 4 director says he's such a fan he's "kind of reverential about it"

If there's one thing the fourth and final chapter in the Kelvin timeline Star Trek line of movies has going for it, it's that a Star Trek fan, Toby Haynes, will be directing the film...should it actually get made. Haynes is a huge Trek fan and even directed the episode Black Mirror that harkened back to Star Trek: The Original Series, "USS Callister." That episode went on to be nominated for seven Emmys, winning four, including Outstanding Television Movie of 2018. "USS Callister" was also nominated for a Hugo and a BAFTA. That says a lot about the quality of the episode so to have someone who knows Star Trek is a big plus.

According to The Hollywood Reporter [via Trekmovie], Haynes wanted to direct the Black Mirror episode so badly, he begged the producers to give him the job so they wouldn't give it to a big-name director.

"“I’m probably a bigger Star Trek fan than [Black Mirror creator] Charlie [Brooker] is. As a kid, I was a super-geek for all things sci-fi on TV, particularly Doctor Who. I knew the original ‘60s Star Trek show very well. I was such a fan that I’m kind of reverential about it, so I was happy to play fast and loose with this version. I knew stuff that Charlie didn’t know, which is why we put Michaela Coel in a red outfit. Michaela had to be in a red outfit because she’s the first of the crew to get killed.”"

- Toby Haynes

Haynes brought some of William Shatner's acting skills into the mix for the "USS Callister," saying it came from a place of love. And obviously, his style of directing worked.

"“It comes from a place of love. Clearly, Daly is such a fan that he is mimicking the way that his hero speaks. It was also a very fine balance about how Shatner-y we were going to get. We brought in a voice coach. We worked it very carefully. Jesse would say, “You let me know if you want to turn the dial up on Shatner.” We did it one or two times where he went full Shatner, like when he says “Fire” in the opening. That’s straight out of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. I love those movies. I’m quoting my heroes. So it comes from a place of love. We’re not punching down, we’re punching up.”"

- Toby Haynes

Now Haynes will get what could essentially be a dream job if Star Trek 4 actually makes it into production. The movie has had its fair share of stops and starts so there's not really any way of knowing if this is truly the beginning of the actual movie or if it's just another shortcut to the end. Though Trek fans will tune in if the movie does make it to the screen, some aren’t holding their breath after eight years of wondering. Whatever the case may be, the producers of Star Trek 4 have made one extremely smart decision by handing over the reins of the final chapter in the series to Toby Haynes. There's little doubt he'll make a movie Star Trek fans will appreciate.