Ever since the box office disappointment of Star Trek: Beyond, the brand has been languishing in development hell. As Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth had a falling out with Paramount over a pay dispute, the universes of Star Trek headed to television and garnered the franchise a hit with Discovery. Still, the long rumored Star Trek 4 went totally stagnant. With small inklings that they might get something together with the Kelvin Timeline cast returning to the Enterprise, the entire thing seemed to fall apart again as nothing has made it to the official slate for release. Now, with Emma Watts taking charge over the franchise at Paramount Pictures, there seems to be several different ideas they're currently working on.
The first is the long rumored Noah Hawley script. This version of Star Trek appears to still be a consideration for the studio. However, the plot apparently centers on some type of virus which will obviously not be a great idea considering what's going on in the world right now. It's said that this first version has been put on pause while things begin to die down.
The second film that's being discussed is the project that Quentin Tarantino was supposed to direct. He's officially stepped away from being involved in Trek and this idea has been handed to Mark L. Smith to continue developing and adapting. The movie would be based on an old Star Trek episode that took place in a vintage 1930's setting.
The third Trek idea that was on the table was the return of the Kelvin reboot cast which would see them traveling through time to change the events of the past. This seems like a strange idea to have another fourth entry in Star Trek be about time travel aboard the Enterprise. As of now it looks like the cast has mostly moved on and doesn't hold any water. Plus, with the death of Anton Yelchin it might seem weird to continue on.
No matter what we're sure that Star Trek will live again in cinemas. Considering most movies are being pushed back relentlessly due to the virus, they have plenty of time to decide.
-CG