Star Trek 4 may finally take flight, as the film has just landed a new screenwriter.
The follow-up to 2016's Star Trek Beyond has faced numerous setbacks in recent years, including director Matt Shakman's departure in August 2022 to direct Fantastic Four for Marvel, leading Paramount to remove the film from its release calendar the following month.
Meanwhile, screenwriter Lindsay Anderson Beer revealed in September 2023 that she had to "hop off" the project to direct Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, though she did also promise that the JJ Abrams-produced film was "still on the tracks".
It looks like this is now finally the case as The Flight Attendant creator Steve Yockey has been brought on board as the new screenwriter, according to Variety.
Related: New Star Trek movie confirmed – but not the one you expected
While specifics of the storyline remain under wraps, the publication has reported that Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot still intend to deliver this final chapter for the crew first introduced in the franchise's 2009 reboot.
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This includes Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, alongside Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Bones and John Cho as Sulu.
Pine himself seemed a little less optimistic about returning to the USS Enterprise when asked for an update last year, though, having called the franchise "cursed".
Related: Star Trek confirms new Starfleet spinoff show from Discovery boss
"After the last one came out and didn't do the $1 billion that everyone wanted it to do, and then Anton (Yelchin) passed away, I don't know," he told Esquire. "It just... feels like it's cursed."
Elsewhere in the Star Trek universe, it was announced earlier this year that JJ Abrams is producing a new prequel movie set decades before the 2009 reboot.
Andor and Doctor Who director Toby Haynes will helm the project, while The Lego Batman Movie's Seth Grahame-Smith is writing the script.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
