Paramount Pictures announced Star Trek 4 is happening, with the original cast in negotiations to return. However, it looks like the actors weren't even notified the project was happening.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Pine and other cast members were supposedly unaware a fourth instalment was in production. Their sources even claim that Paramount revealed the news in order to recoup interests from investors for its streaming service.
Star Trek 4’s Pine, Saldaña, and Rest of Cast Were Surprised by Announcement
It's reported that the reveal caught the entire ensemble by surprise. The actors were even uninformed that filming for the sequel would begin before the end of 2022.
Most, if not all, teams for the franchise’s primary players — who include Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña and John Cho — were not aware that an announcement for another film was coming, much less that their clients would be touted as a part of the deal, and certainly not that their clients would be shooting a movie by year’s end.
THR is also noting that Paramount sprouted this announcement for the purpose of gaining Wall Street investors. Additionally, the company is also driving hype and content for its streaming service, with a Knuckles show and Halo TV series forthcoming.
Following this news, Chris Pine and his representatives are the first to enter casting negotiations. The sequel will be directed by Matt Shakman, the filmmaker behind Marvel’s Wandavision, with J.J. Abrams returning once again as producer.