Trekkies, do not lose hope; we repeat, do not lose hope! Star Trek 4 has received a significant and positive update. According to Variety, Zoe Saldaña is set to return to the fourth Star Trek film as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. The development of the project was halted after Star Trek Beyond (2016) failed to meet Paramount’s expectations. Beyond was made on a staggering $185 million budget but managed to collect only $343.5 million globally, resulting in a loss of over $50 million for the studio.
The first two Star Trek films were successful, featuring Saldaña, Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Karl Urban as Lieutenant Commander and Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy, Simon Pegg as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, John Cho as Helmsman Hikaru Sulu, and the late Anton Yelchin as Navigator Ensign Pavel Chekov.
Saldaña is reportedly excited about her return. She has also shared what she expects from the upcoming Star Trek instalment, with particular interest in Uhura’s relationship with Spock.
“She’s a xenolinguistics master, but I would like her to do something else. I’m curious to see her relationship with Spock and how that has evolved.”
However, the Avatar actress has not yet read the script for Star Trek 4, indicating that the development of the forthcoming entry has not progressed further. It was once slated for release in December 2023, but that window has passed. Paramount has yet to announce when the fourth film will hit theatres.
Matt Shakman was supposed to helm Star Trek 4, but multiple delays forced him to leave the project for MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which stars Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Even without a fully completed script, Zoe Saldaña’s willingness to return to Star Trek 4 is a positive sign. It suggests that the actress still has faith in the project. She clearly loves the character of Uhura and the franchise’s lore. However, the stakes are higher than ever, as much depends on the film’s box office performance. If it fails to perform well financially, Paramount may shelve future feature adaptations for good. Stay tuned for more updates.