For several years, Paramount Pictures has played with the prospect of another Star Trek sequel. After a slew of scrapped ideas and announcements, the production company is finally ready to start real groundwork on the project.
Last week, J.J. Abrams surprised shareholders at Paramount Investor Day and shared the news on Star Trek 4. Though the message was familiar, the news came as a surprise. Just a year earlier, the director’s plans for a different Star Trek sequel resulted in an all-out cancellation.
Giant Freakin Robot, a media and pop culture outlet got the following comment from a source who asked to stay anonymous.
“Paramount is no longer in the business of making Star Trek movies. They see it more as a television property and aren’t willing to invest in future Star Trek movies anymore. If one of the shows on CBS takes off that could change, but those shows aren’t generating enough interest.”
CBS’ Celebrity Big Brother finally took off this year, in part due to a recent spike in entertainment betting. Last night, its third season finale caught the attention of more than 3.4 million viewers—surpassing that evening’s totals for The Amazing Race.
Still, cable viewership across the board is down tremendously. Meanwhile, Paramount Plus has more than doubled its subscription base since 2020.
The company may be looking to tail the strategies of both HBO and Disney by releasing blockbuster films directly to streaming platforms. And Star Trek 4 could be the ideal debut.
At the shareholders’ event, J.J. Abrams said the following about the project:
“We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new Star Trek film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast.”
Nonetheless, sci-fi fans should be wary to bet on a 2023 release date. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original cast was left uninformed of this new development in the Star Trek universe.
Representatives for the stars have since stated they will consider negotiations though, on such short notice, Paramount may have to pay a steep price if it wants to meet Abrams’ deadline.
Even so, it seems that a Star Trek sequel is surely on its way. It may not be on the timeline we expect but the studio seems too attached to let this project go.
Betting lines for Star Trek 4 are active across several real money sportsbooks, so be sure to shop the odds before you bet!
Character To Appear In Star Trek 4
- George Kirk +150
- Lieutenant Saavik +250
- Pavel Chekov +750
- Ambassador Sarek +150
- Sybok +1000
Odds Courtesy of Bovada
Sources: Giant Freakin Robot, The Hollywood Reporter