Eight years after it was announced, Star Trek 4 gets yet another creative shake-up

Chris Pine in Sar Trek
(Image credit: Paramount)

We’ve been burnt a few times already but, yes, it appears Star Trek 4 is aiming to get back on track – thanks to a new creative hire.

Variety reports that Steve Yockey, who can count everything from Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch to Supernatural on his resume, is writing the script for the project, which aims to bring back Chris Pine’s Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew back for the "final chapter" in their saga.

It’s been a long road to get here, though. First unveiled in 2015, Deadline reported – after years of breakdowns in talks and creative shuffles – that production would begin in 2022.

2022 came and went, with WandaVision director Matt Shakman leaving the project and heading back to Marvel to helm Fantastic Four

Pine updated fans last year, telling ComicBook.com he hadn’t seen any scripts, which was a far cry from writer Lindsey Anderson-Beer revealing an interview with Collider that Star Trek 4 was "still on the tracks." 

Now, after years of hold-ups and creative teams coming and going, it appears Star Trek 4 might be moving again. Fingers crossed.

It’s not the only Star Trek movie in town, however. Andor and Black Mirror director Toby Haynes is behind the camera for a new Star Trek movie – and sources close to Variety believe that the project, described as an "origin story of sorts for the main timeline of the entire franchise" could enter pre-production this year.

Next up for the series is Star Trek Discovery season 5, set to be the show’s last. It will stream on Paramount Plus from April 4. For more, check out the new TV shows coming your way very soon.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.