star trek 4 interview

Kirk Thatcher Talks ‘Star Trek IV,’ Working With Leonard Nimoy, and Getting to Write Scotty’s Computer Joke

Thatcher also talks about how you don’t have to be a ‘Star Trek’ fan to enjoy the movie and playing the punk on the bus.

Multihyphenate Kirk Thatcher has been involved with a vast range of iconic movies and television over the past 40 years. From his first job, on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi no less, Thatcher has been crafting beloved stories that reach into all corners of fandom as a writer, director, producer, actor, and visual effects coordinator. Though much of his career centers around his work with Jim Henson on the Muppets franchise, Thatcher has also worked on projects like Star Trek , Gremlins , Spiderman: Homecoming , and many more. Recently Collider's own Editor-in-Chief, Steve Weintraub sat down with Thatcher to discuss his work on the highly acclaimed smash hit MCU television special, Werewolf by Night .

During their conversation, Weintraub made sure to get the scoop from Thatcher on his work on Star Trek , particularly Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Having hit theaters in 1986, Star Trek IV, a.k.a. the one with the whales, is widely beloved and considered one of the best feature films in the franchise. The movie sees Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ), Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ), and the whole Enterprise crew on a mission to the past — San Francisco, 1986, to be exact — to prevent a future catastrophe. Thatcher served as an associate producer and also had a cameo in the movie as the now iconic "punk on the bus." Thatcher recently made a cameo, reprising his role as "the punk on the bus" in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard which also heavily featured time travel to prevent a future disaster.

One of the reasons Star Trek IV is so beloved is that it's almost a romantic comedy wrapped up in a Star Trek movie. Weintraub asked Thatcher if he had any idea the movie would be such a hit while they were making it, and while he was quick to say "well, you never know," Thatcher pointed out that he was drawn to the same thing that has given the movie such staying power, its comedy. "What I liked about it was the humor," Thatcher told Collider. "I loved Star Trek growing up. I was a huge Trek fan, and I liked the fun between the characters." Thatcher continued:

"I knew it was special and that it was fun. But you never know, I didn't know that the punk was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I mean, it was a fun little gag. It was more like an Easter egg, like, "Oh, that was associate producer." It wasn't like, 'This is going to be this huge moment.'"

RELATED: New ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Trailer Reveals the Return of Moriarty and Lore

Kirk Thatcher On Working With Leonard Nimoy and Star Trek IV 's VFX

In discussing Star Trek IV , Thatcher explained that when he was hired by Leonard Nimoy, he was brought on to make sure the effects were good so that Nimoy could focus on the story. As Thatcher put it:

"He said, 'I want you to deal with all the technical stuff with effects and sets, and all that, because I want to focus on the story.' He said the thing that made Star Trek resonate, in his mind, was the relationship between Kirk, Spock, and Bones — and the other characters — but that triumvirate, which was not revelatory at that point, but he said, 'I want to focus on those relationships, and I want the effects, and I want it to look good, but I don't want to have to worry about that. So that's why you're here.' I got all this responsibility to make decisions on stuff as long as he approved it. Because he really wanted to focus on telling that story. It was an amazing job, and he gave me a lot of freedom to do that."

As he continued on Thatcher explained that Nimoy knew early on that this was not like the Star Trek movies they'd made so far. "I think Leonard knew that it was going to be different. I think he knew that II was for the Trek fans, diehard sci-fi fans. III was kind of him cutting his teeth, and it had a classic bad guy." He went on to say, "I was on a panel with [Nick Meyer] about Star Trek IV , and he said, 'It's the only Star Trek that doesn't have a villain,' a Star Trek movie. I mean, you could say a V`ger's the villain in the first one, but there's no bad guy. The bad guy is human ignorance, and so it was very Star Trek in that way."

Thatcher went on to say that working on Star Trek was an "amazing job," particularly thanks to the faith Nimoy had in him at such a young age. He explains that he got to do a little bit of everything while working on Star Trek IV :

"I got to write dialogue and got to play the punk, and did a computer voice, the computer at the beginning where it says, 'Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide.' That's me and I wrote those questions. I was 23, and the fact that Leonard just gave me this sort of carte blanche to do stuff. He knew I was a science nerd, and Harve Bennett, too, was the producer, and the writer of all the Star Trek -era or the 23rd Century stuff. They just were like, 'Hey, do you want to do this because it's just gobbledygook, but it has to be Star Trek .' I'm like, 'Sure.' I know, it's kind of amazing. I don't know what star I was born under, or what pheromones my brain, my head, gives off, but they were trusting me. They trusted me way more than the studios do now, I will say. You work for Disney, they're so all over you about everything and I'm like, 'God, I was spoiled with Jim Henson.'"

You Don't Have to be a Star Trek Fan to Enjoy The Voyage Home

Star Trek IV serves as an excellent entry point for the now massive Star Trek franchise because "you didn't have to be a Star Trek fan" to enjoy it and that's what makes it such a successful movie. Thatcher explained:

"You could have just a tertiary knowledge of like, "'Oh, Kirk and Spock, and they're in space,' and still enjoy the movie. Whereas Khan , Wrath of Khan II , which is a great Star Trek movie, [but] if you don't know who that is, you're like, 'Why is this guy with his shirt open yelling and so over the top?' And I think that was it. It was a great movie, not just a great Star Trek movie."

Another boon to the movie's success is the fact that the characters are sent back in time. Most of the Star Trek timeline is set in the future, with the Vulcans not making first contact on Earth until 2063, and the events of The Original Series taking place another 200 years after that. But Star Trek IV sends Captian Kirk and company back to 1986, which is a little more fathomable for a wider audience. As Thatcher put it, the time travel elements of Star Trek IV made it more "relatable." He said:

" The time travel element, going back to the time that it was filmed in, really helps because, again, that made it relatable. 'Oh, they're in today, there's a punk.' It was much more relatable, and there's a sea park and all the things we have in our world. But the sense of humor, Nick Meyer is very dry, cutting, like, 'Judging by the pollution and content of the atmosphere, I believe we have landed somewhere in the latter half of the 20-' Just these little digs at our society, I think made it super popular. While we were filming it, I don't think anyone knew this was going to be the breakout movie. I just thought they thought this is a fun movie with great character stuff in it."

The Staying Power of Star Trek IV 's Comedy

During their conversation Weintraub pointed out that it's the little moments of Star Trek IV also add to the film's staying power, making it such a beloved movie among Star Trek and sci-fi fans. Thatcher revealed that the particular joke they're discussing — a moment when Scotty tries to talk to an Apple computer because that's how you interface with a computer on the Enterprise — is one that he contributed to the film. As he puts it:

"I wrote that gag, that he talks to the mouse, because I had just gotten an Apple 512 Mac, and so the whole thing was, they said, 'Well we're going to have the design thing done on a Macintosh because it's a graphic computer.' I said, 'Well, then Scotty should sit down,' — because I'm a Trek fan — I said, 'He should talk to the computer because he doesn't know. He'd just be like, 'Hello computer,' it doesn't do anything.' And then Alex Henteloff goes, 'Well use the mouse.' So he thinks it's a microphone because they look like a microphone. So that was my gag that got in the movie, and Leonard loved it."

Werewolf by Night is available to stream on Disney+. You can watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home right now on Paramount+ and check out the trailer down below.

Chris Pine Left a Little Confused Over Star Trek 4 Development: 'I Guess I Was Wrong'

Chris Pine has been discussing the long-awaited arrival of Star Trek 4...

• Chris Pine is surprised by new writer for Star Trek 4 , advises to "wait and see" on future of the movie.
• Kelvin Timeline, introduced by J.J. Abrams, has unclear future with different scripts in development.
• Positive news from Roddenberry Entertainment COO suggests a new Star Trek movie is in the works.

Star Trek star Chris Pine has commented on the long-gestating development of a fourth movie in the Kelvin Timeline, revealing that he was surprised to learn a new writer has come aboard as he “thought there was already a script.” That new writer is Dead Boy Detectives and The Flight Attendant’s Steve Yockey, whose involvement was announced back in March. For Pine, he advises that we all just “wait and see.”

“I honestly don't know. There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it's always been with "Trek," I just wait and see.”

Star Trek was rebooted for the big screen by director J.J. Abrams back in 2009, with the new “Kelvin timeline” introducing younger versions of the iconic characters James T. Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew at the beginning of their Star Fleet careers. Two sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016), have since been released, with a fourth movie having been in development ever since. Different scripts with very different storylines have been written, but at present, it is unknown what direction Star Trek 4 will take...or if it will ever actually happen.

Zoe Saldaña Is Eager to Return for Star Trek 4: 'I Still Have Hope'

Thankfully, there has been some positivity from Roddenberry Entertainment COO Trevor Roth regarding Star Trek 4 , who recently revealed that there is “a plan” and that there is now “every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future.”

“I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount's intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what's going on there. There's every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future. There's a lot of secrecy around what's going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place. And we're very excited to see it return to the big screen.”

Chris Pine 'Did Do Little Nods to Shatner' in the Reboot

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In his interview with Business Insider , Pine discussed stepping into William Shatner’s shoes to take over the role of James T. Kirk in the franchise, explaining how he felt much more comfortable in the role by the time Star Trek Beyond rolled around.

“It's interesting. Karl Urban decided to go head first into McCoy because Karl loved "Star Trek." With Spock, you have to do Spock-like things, plus Zach [Quinto] kind of looked like Leonard [Nimoy]. And then Kirk is a tricky one. You are the lead of the band of characters, so you don't want to occupy too much space. It's fine if they are doing a thing, but you don't want to. And J.J. [Abrams] never asked me to do a thing, though I did do little nods to Shatner because it was fun. But I would say I felt most in his shoes in the third movie. By that point, I think I mellowed into it and didn't feel like I was trying too hard.”

Chris Pine can next be seen in the comedy Poolman , which he directed, produced, co-wrote, and leads. Poolman is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 10, 2024.

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Chris Pine was surprised by new Star Trek 4 update

"As it's always been with Trek, I just wait and see."

Speaking in an interview with B usiness Insider , the Dungeons & Dragons star revealed that he was surprised by the news that The Flight Attendant creator Steve Yockey had joined the project as a new screenwriter (via Variety ).

"There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot," he said.

When asked if he would ever consider reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk for the films, the actor added: "I honestly don't know. As it's always been with Trek, I just wait and see."

Related: Whoopi Goldberg reveals why she joined Star Trek The Next Generation

Pine first starred as Captain Kirk (originally played by William Shatner) in 2009's Star Trek , before reprising the role for 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond (2016).

A follow-up for Star Trek Beyond has reportedly been in the works since the film's release nearly eight years ago, but it has since faced numerous setbacks.

Director Matt Shakman departed the project in August 2022, causing Paramount to delay the film indefinitely and removing it from their release calendar . Screenwriter Lindsey Anderson Beer subsequently left the movie in September 2023 in order to direct Pet Sematary: Bloodlines .

Related: Chris Pine's new movie Poolman confirms UK release date

However, Beer insisted that a fourth S tar Trek was "still on the tracks" despite lengthy delays, with Variety's report in March confirming that Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot were still involved in the film.

Paramount is yet to confirm any further details about the film, however it's likely that Pine will be returning for the fourth instalment alongside fellow stars Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Karl Urban (Bones), John Cho (Sulu) and Simon Pegg (Scotty).

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Reporter, Digital Spy Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career. 

Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.

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Star Trek 4 Development Details And More

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J.J. Abrams rebooted the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, and since then, the three films in the new Kelvin timeline have been a smashing success. Altogether, the first "Trek" reboot, 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness," and 2016's "Star Trek Beyond" have grossed more than a billion dollars at the global box office. They've also done fairly well critically. With all that love, it seems pretty obvious that Hollywood would want to get "Star Trek 4" to theater screens at warp speed.

However, the road to "Star Trek 4" has not been a smooth one. In fact, it's been filled with starts and stops, various creatives coming and going, and a release date that keeps getting beamed all over the place. What do we actually know about the fourth installment of the "Star Trek" reboot series, and what will it look like when it finally makes first contact? Read on for everything we know so far about "Star Trek 4."

What is the release date for Star Trek 4?

"Star Trek 4" has been in the works for a long time ... a really long time. In June 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) had signed up for "Star Trek 4." But Pine and Chris Hemsworth (who was said to be returning as Kirk's dad) allegedly left a potential fourth project over pay disputes in 2018, and in 2019, it was announced that the film had been shelved. Eventually, the project started moving again and earned a release date of June 9, 2023, but that got kicked back to December 22, 2023 ... before vanishing from the release slate completely.

We have reason to believe "Star Trek 4" is still in the works, however. Speaking with Collider , former director Matt Shakman (who left the project to direct "Fantastic Four") said, "I think what they're still working on is a version of what I have been working on for the time that I was involved." In August 2023, Quinto added his own take on the likelihood of a fourth outing. "I think there's a lot of other stuff, creative things. It's complicated," the actor remarked (via TrekMovie.com ). He continued, "I don't know if and when it will happen ... And if coalesces again and we come back and we're able to do it, wonderful. If not, we had a great run."

In a September 2023 piece on the end of the Writers Guild of America strike, Variety reported that Paramount was looking to polish a "Star Trek 4" script. Another promising nugget of info emerged around this time, when writer-director Lindsey Anderson Beer, who co-wrote a prospective "Star Trek 4" script, told Collider , "It's still on the tracks." So, "Star Trek 4" isn't dead in the water, and with the 2023 Hollywood strikes ended, a major obstacle is gone. But that's pretty much all we know.

What is the plot of Star Trek 4?

At this point, no plot details for the upcoming fourth "Star Trek" movie have been revealed. Some proposed paths forward have been rumored to involve alternate timelines, or even another reboot — especially Tarantino's attempt — but they've all fallen by the wayside. For now, we can probably assume "Star Trek 4" will take place after the events of 2016's "Star Trek Beyond," which was directed by Justin Lin of the  "Fast and Furious" franchise .

In "Star Trek Beyond," Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise see their beloved ship crash on the planet Altamid after an ambush by a pre-Federation human soldier, Idris Elba's Captain Balthazar Edison. When Kirk and the gang discover Edison's plans to use an ancient bioweapon to destroy the Federation, they're forced to stop him — without the help of their ship. That film also explores the death of Leonard Nimoy's Ambassador Spock, as well as relationship troubles between Spock and Uhura.

One story we know "Star Trek 4" won't be exploring is a reunion between Captain Kirk and his father George, courtesy of time travel. Chris Hemsworth briefly played George Kirk in 2009's "Star Trek," but turned down a chance to reprise the role in a bigger story in 2018. "Star Trek 4" also won't tie into any of the current "Star Trek" TV series, like "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" or "Star Trek: Lower Decks." Those series take place in a universe separate from the Kelvin timeline.

Who is starring in Star Trek 4?

You'd expect a "Star Trek" movie set in the Kelvin timeline to feature the return of the ol' gang, right? Why, yes, you would. However, nothing has been easy about getting "Star Trek 4" off the ground, and that includes bringing back the original cast. In 2018, Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth reportedly walked away from the project over pay disputes. In February 2022, when producer J.J. Abrams announced that "Star Trek 4" was finally moving ahead, new behind-the-scenes drama erupted. While Abrams said the original stars were returning, none of the actors had officially agreed to the project.

In March 2022, Pine told Variety about his reaction to the "Star Trek 4" announcement: "I think everybody was like, 'Did you hear about this?' We're usually the last people to find out, but I do know we're all excited. Whenever they want to send us a script, we're ready for it." Karl Urban had a similar stance, telling the U.K.'s Radio X (via TrekMovie.com ) in May 2022, "I have heard that it is happening, but I've been hearing that for the last three years ... All I know is they are developing it, they're writing a script, and I know 100% that we all want to come back and do it. So I think it's all just a matter of logistics and timing at this point."

Sofia Boutella — who played Jaylah in "Star Trek Beyond" — also expressed interest in returning, saying (via Fandom Spotlite ), "I would love to see [Jaylah] evolve with all of the guys ... I would do it in a heartbeat." However, Zachary Quinto seems a bit wary of the whole thing. During a November 2022 interview with The Independent , the actor said, "At this point, I honestly have very little attachment to it. All of us would like to come back and make another movie, but I've learnt to only get excited about things I know are actually real. And there's nothing about a fourth 'Star Trek' movie that feels real right now."

Will Star Trek 4 recast Chekov?

One of the most classic and beloved "Star Trek" characters, Pavel Chekov was memorably played in the first three Kelvin timeline movies by Anton Yelchin. Yelchin was killed in a car accident in June 2016, just one month before the release of "Star Trek Beyond." His passing has definitely been felt by both fans and his "Star Trek" cohorts.

In March 2022, when the movie was still moving forward under director Matt Shakman, Uhura actress Zoe Saldaña told Entertainment Tonight about the project. "Obviously, it's bittersweet," she remarked, "because we are coming together for a fourth time and one of us is no longer with us with Anton's passing, but we honestly feel that going back and keeping the 'Star Trek' family together is a way to really keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts because he was such a fan. And he was such a devoted artist to the craft and also to 'Star Trek.'"

Of course, that particular version of "Star Trek 4" is no longer moving forward, but if you think Saldaña's comments indicate that Paramount won't be recasting the part of Chekov, you're probably right. In a 2016 interview with Postmedia Network , shortly after Yelchin's death, producer J.J. Abrams explained, "I would say there's no replacing him. There's no recasting. I can't possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better."

Granted, emotions were high when Abrams said they wouldn't replace Yelchin. However, there's been no indication in the years since the actor's death that a new Chekov will show up on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Who is directing Star Trek 4?

Perhaps the main reason that "Star Trek 4" hasn't happened yet is that Paramount Pictures is having a difficult time finding a director. For a moment, it looked like Quentin Tarantino was going to boldly go where he'd never gone before. J.J. Abrams was super excited about Tarantino's time-traveling concept of sending Kirk and co.  to a world of 1930s gangsters, similar to the classic "Trek" episode "A Piece of the Action." Screenwriter Mark L. Smith of "The Revenant" fame was set to pen the script, but sadly for Trekkies who wanted to see Spock quoting Ezekiel 25:17, Tarantino's vision never came to pass.

Then, it looked like S.J. Clarkson was going to make history as the first woman to helm a "Star Trek" movie. But after Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth left the project in 2018, the movie was subsequently shelved. Noah Hawley of "Fargo" fame was also working on a "Star Trek" movie — one that would've been about a brand new group of heroes — but Paramount eventually stepped in and shut things down because it wouldn't have featured the famous Enterprise crew.

The closest that "Star Trek 4" has come to happening was when Matt Shakman took the captain's seat. After he directed the entirety of the smash hit MCU series "WandaVision," the world was Shakman's oyster, and he intended to shepherd the newest entry in the "Star Trek" universe to theater screens. However, Marvel Studios was keen on working with Shakman again, and after director Jon Watts decided to step away from 2025's "Fantastic Four," the folks at Marvel asked Shakman to come back to the MCU — which he did. As a result, at the moment, "Star Trek 4" is floating through space without a captain.

Where to watch the previous Star Trek movies

While we all wait for news about "Star Trek 4," it might be a good time to go back and revisit previous installments in the "Star Trek" reboot series. If you want to watch the film that started it all and introduced us to new versions of Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and the rest of the Enterprise crew, you can stream 2009's "Star Trek" on Paramount+ . You can also rent it for $3.99 on Google Play ,  Amazon Prime Video , Apple iTunes , Vudu , and YouTube .

If you're ready for the 2013 sequel where Benedict Cumberbatch definitely doesn't play Khan Noonien Singh, you can stream "Star Trek Into Darkness" on Paramount+ . You can also rent it for $3.99 on Google Play , Apple iTunes , Vudu , and YouTube . Amazon Prime Video offers it for $4.29. If you're looking for the third film, where our heroes learn the true power of the Beastie Boys, you can stream "Star Trek Beyond" on Paramount+ . You can also rent it for $2.69 on Google Play and $3.99 on Amazon Video , Apple iTunes , Vudu , and YouTube .

'I Still Have Hope': Zoe Saldaña Believes Star Trek 4 Will Finally Get Made

Star Trek franchise star Zoe Saldaña addresses the long-gestating fourth film of the Kelvin Timeline.

Some fans have completely given up on Paramount ever getting Star Trek 4 off the ground, but at least one star of the franchise is still holding out hope.

After playing Uhura in three Star Trek movies, Zoe Saldaña would be expected to return if the long-gestating fourth film gets out of development hell. The project has had multiple false starts already in the past, though Paramount execs have continued to insist that the movie will one day see a release. In a new interview for The Playlist's podcast, The Discourse , Saldaña spoke about the hope she has that the movie will come together. While mentioning how the biggest difficulty might be getting everybody's schedules aligned, Saldaña also noted her confidence that the franchise itself will be just fine whether or not Star Trek 4 ever really comes to be.

The Complete History of the Klingons in Star Trek's Next Generation Era

" I still have hope . I had a wonderful experience through and through and through the three times that I was a part of that team,” she said. “I know that they’re always trying to sort of aim to wrangle everybody together , but I also know that Paramount is working on a new sort of fresh take on Star Trek , which I think is such a wonderful franchise that should live for a very long time, whether or not us as the original remake cast can come back . I don’t know, but I certainly hope so."

Zoe Saldaña Wants to Make One Last Star Trek Film

In a previous interview with ComicBook.com, Saldaña had also teased, "I don't know if it's from the before or the after, but that they really still hope to grab all of us veterans and bring us back for one last round. Listen, I know it's a lot to wrangle a whole bunch of people with busy schedules. But, working with J.J. Abrams, and for J.J. Abrams at Bad Robot was always just a wonderful and beautiful experience for me. So, if I get to do that one last time, I would be so grateful."

Section 31: First Image of Michelle Yeoh in New Star Trek Movie Released

The latest development on Star Trek 4 saw The Flight Attendant co-creator Steve Yockey brought on board to pen the screenplay . There are also active plans to make other movies in the world of Star Trek beyond the fourth movie featuring Saldaña and her co-stars. A separate film was announced earlier this year with Star Wars: Andor director Toby Haynes tapped to direct with Seth Grahame-Smith ( Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ) writing the screenplay. This film has been described as a prequel to the Star Trek reboot films, but it would be set decades earlier, making it unlikely to feature any of the same cast members.

Source: The Playlist

Star Trek (2009)

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time

“I thought there was already a script”: Chris Pine Was Confused by Latest Star Trek 4 Update After Matt Shakman Left Franchise for Fantastic Four

T he Star Trek franchise has been on the brink of uncertainty for quite some time now. Even lead actor Chris Pine has no clue whatsoever about the progress of the upcoming project. In fact, he even thought once that the franchise might be “ cursed .”

Upon hearing the news that a new writer is jumping onboard the Star Trek ship, Pine was shocked to know that there hasn’t been a finished script. Like everyone else, he would just “ wait and see .”

Chris Pine Remains Clueless About The Progress Of Star Trek 4

During a conversation with Business Insider , actor Chris Pine was asked if he would reprise his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. He responded:

“ I honestly don’t know. There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it’s always been with ‘Trek,’ I just wait and see .”

Star Trek 4 Meets an Icy Grave, Removed From Paramount Release Schedule as Star Wars Fans Mark Victory After 55 Years of Intense Rivalry

The latest writer to join the team and work on the long-gestating project is Steve Yockey. He is known for his works on Supernatural and Doom Patrol , as well as Max’s The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives .

In his interview with Esquire , Pine admitted being clueless about the project. “ In Star Trek land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything ,” he said, before adding, “ I know costume designers that have read scripts before the actors .”

That’s quite a surprise since he’s playing a captain role and he does not have premium access to the script. Indeed, the actor finds this frustrating.

“ It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been. I love the character. I love the people. I love the franchise. But to try to change the system in which things are created—I just can’t do it. I don’t have the energy .”

Star Trek 4: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and the Returning Cast For Paramount’s Upcoming Banger

Pine is content to wait for the go-signal. Because of this system within the Star Trek universe, the actor could not help but think that the franchise “ feels like it’s cursed .”

Matt Shakman Reveals Why He Chose Fantastic Four Over Star Trek 4

To the surprise of fans, Matt Shakman dropped Star Trek 4 to work on Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four . When asked why he chose to rejoin the MCU, he told The Wrap :

“ Movies have different journeys and momentums and schedules are a little bit mercurial, and so when the ‘Fantastic Four’ opportunity came up, it was just too hard to pass up, and to go back home to Marvel, a place that I worked on ‘WandaVision’ at, with those people who are wonderful collaborators .”

“I certainly hope so”: Zoe Saldaña is Still Optimistic for a Star Trek 4 Reunion With Chris Pine After Clearing the Air About Her Marvel Return

He might have made the right choice because after the director left, Star Trek 4 remains hanging by a thread. With everything that’s happening within the project, it is understandable why he chose to move on to another more promising assignment.

Star Trek films are available to watch on Netflix and Paramount+.

After Rumored Setbacks, Star Trek 4 Has Taken A Huge Step Forward

Hopefully this time the project will live long and prosper!

It’s been too long since Star Trek graced the big screen. The last time Trekkies watched the USS Enterprise go into warp speed in theaters was back in 2016 with Star Trek Beyond . Since then, Paramount has been trying to bring back Chris Pine ’s Captain Kirk and his crew for one last hurrah, but setback after setback has been rumored to bring down the project. However, the latest news about Star Trek 4 brings some revived hope for another galactic adventure.

Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions have reportedly found a new screenwriter for Star Trek 4 in The Flight Attendant creator Steve Yockey. Per the news that comes from Variety , Yockey will pen the script for what’s expected to be the final installment of the saga starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban , John Cho and Simon Pegg . It’s a huge step forward for the long-gestating project, but it should be noted that this report signals Star Trek 4 is still in early development over at Paramount.

Steve Yockey started his career in Hollywood as a writer for television shows like Awkward , Scream and Supernatural before developing HBO’s The Flight Attendant from the novel of the same name. The series starring Kaley Cuoco was cancelled after two seasons, but was critically-acclaimed throughout its run and earned Cuoco numerous accolades, alongside other aspects of the production.

Upcoming Star Trek TV Shows: What's Ahead For The Sci-Fi Franchise

Yockey has another series coming soon to the 2024 TV schedule with Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives . The supernatural detective comedy is based on the DC Comics property by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, and is set to premiere for those with a Netflix subscription on April 25.

Over the years, there’s been numerous writers and directors attached to the next Star Trek movie, from Madame Web ’s S.J. Clarkson previously in talks to direct back in 2018, to Fargo ’s Noah Hawley being attached to write and direct back in 2019. WandaVision ’s Matt Shakman was last involved for a year before he decided to leave the project to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four movie . According to Shakman, while he very much enjoyed his time working on Star Trek 4 alongside J.J. Abrams, returning to Marvel Studios to revive the comic book crew, was “too hard to pass up.”

This step forward for Star Trek 4 comes just a few months after rumors came out that Paramount was thinking of rebooting the franchise again . A couple of months ago, it was also reported that Andor ’s Toby Haynes will direct another Star Trek movie based on a script by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ’s Seth Grahame-Smith .

While we know very little about the direction of Star Trek 4 , here’s hoping the main cast led by Chris Pine will in fact come back once more! Check out our ranking of all the Star Trek movies as we imagine what could be in store for the iconic Starfleet crew!

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Star Trek 4 Lands New Writer With HBO’s The Flight Attendant Creator

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

The stuck-in-development Star Trek 4 has set a new course to the big screen with a critically acclaimed HBO showrunner.

Variety reports that Paramount has enlisted Steve Yockey to write the fourth and final installment of J.J. Abrams ‘ Kelvin timeline series. Yockey is the co-creator of the successful HBO Max series The Flight Attendant, and his previous credits include Supernatural and MTV’s Scream television series. Additionally, Yockey is the showrunner of the upcoming Netflix series Dead Boy Detectives , a spinoff of DC’s The Sandman .

Star Trek 4’s struggles to the big screen

Yockey’s hiring is the latest development in the never-ending saga of Star Trek 4’s struggle to make it to production. Producer Abrams announced the fourth installment before the release of 2016’s  Star Trek Beyond  with the plan to bring back  Chris Hemsworth  to play George Kirk. Following Beyond’s box office underperformance, Star Trek 4 suffered numerous setbacks with director changes, script issues, and negotiations with Hemsworth as well as Captain James. T. Kirk actor  Chris Pine  falling apart. In 2021, Matt Shakman ( WandaVision ) was announced as the new director for Star Trek 4 with production announced a year later without the Kelvin cast’s knowledge. Shakman eventually departed the sequel to take on director duties for Marvel Studios’ upcoming  Fantastic Four  reboot.

Despite the false starts, Paramount remains committed to bringing the Star Trek franchise back to theaters. Previous Star Trek 4 writer Lindsey Anderson Beer confirmed that the project was “still on the tracks” before Yockey’s hiring. Additionally, the studio is in early development on a reboot separate from Star Trek 4 by writer Seth Grahame-Smith and director Toby Haynes.

On the small screen, production has wrapped on the  Michelle Yeoh -led  Star Trek: Section 31  where the Oscar-winning star reprises her role as Philippa Georgiou from the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. The synopsis reads, “Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, [Georgiou] also must face the sins of her past.” Section 31 co-stars Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sam Richardson, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, and James Hiroyuki Liao. The  Paramount+  exclusive movie does not have a release date.

Star Trek 4 does not have a release date.

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A classic star trek movie alien returns in discovery season 5 episode 8.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery’s breen go too far beyond other enemy alien ships, when star trek: discovery ends, i'll miss tig notaro's jett reno the most.

Warning: This Article Has SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

• Meet Hy'Rell, the Efrosian librarian in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 8, "Labyrinths".
• The Breen are after ancient power to create life, putting Discovery in danger.
• Efrosians were last seen in the movies Star Trek IV and Star Trek VI.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" introduces Hy'Rell (Elena Juatco), who hails from an alien species last seen in the movies Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Written by Lauren Wilkinson and Eric J. Robbins and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, "Labyrinths" brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery to the Eternal Gallery and Archive for the final clue to the Progenitors' treasure . However, the Breen, guided by Moll (Eve Harlow), are hot on Discovery's trail and want the ancient power to create life.

On X, Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49), who was a renowned researcher for Star Trek: Picard season 3, posted about Hy'Rell in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", identifying the alien librarian and guide as an Efrosian . Hy'Rell has the same ridges on her brows and hairstyle as previous Efrosians seen in Star Trek IV and Star Trek VI . Check out Hillebrand's post below:

As verified by Memory Alpha , an Efrosian helmsman played by Nick Ramus appeared on the USS Saratoga in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Kurtwood Smith played the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Check out a preview of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" from The Ready Room hosted by Wil Wheaton below:

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Brought Back Many Classic Aliens

Discovery has more callbacks to star trek lore.

The Efrosian Hy'Rell joins an exciting list of classic Star Trek aliens appearing in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Two of Star Trek: Discovery season 5's new major characters hail from species known from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) is a Kellerun while L'ak (Elias Toufexis) is Breen who made history as the first of his species to remove his helmet and have a three-dimensional character. Other DS9 species seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 include the Ferengi bartender and his Lurian barfly in the USS Discovery's bar.

Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century feels more like Star Trek than ever before.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase", which introduced the ancient humanoids who seeded the galaxy with life. In Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, the ancient humanoids are called the Progenitors, and the scientists who found the Progenitors' treasure include a Trill, a Romulan, a Betazoid, and a Denobulan. Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere also introduced Fred (J. Adam Brown), a Soong-type android similar to Data (Brent Spiner). With the new addition of an Efrosian, Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century feels more like Star Trek than ever before.

Source: X, Memory Alpha

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery showrunner explains that shocking Season 4 finale cameo [Exclusive]

Discovery just honored a real-life Trek fan who’s making a huge difference in the real world.

The President of Earth has arrived.

In a moment both surprising and tender, the last scene of the Season 4 finale of Star Trek: Discovery reveals a surprise guest star in a brief but pivotal cameo. Ahead of the release of the episode, “Coming Home,” Inverse chatted with Discovery showrunner and writer of the finale, Michelle Paradise. Here’s what she had to say about Season 5, the casting of the President of Earth, and why the Discovery universe is always expanding. Spoilers ahead!

Earth re-enters the Federation

At the very end of the Discovery finale, after a huge crisis with Species Ten-C is averted and Earth and Ni’Var avoid destruction by the massive Dark Matter Anomaly , the United Federation of Planets welcomes Earth back into the fold. Previously, in Season 3 of Discovery , we learned that 32nd century Earth had left the Federation and become more isolationist. This was a shocking twist , and Michelle Paradise tells Inverse that this specific story, which began in the 2020 episode “People of Earth,” was always designed to be concluded this year.

“Earth was always going to be the cornerstone of Season 4,” Paradise says. “When we came into Season 3, we came into a world where the Federation was kind of torn apart. And the Earth was part of that. We always knew from that point it would be a two-season arc and that bringing Earth back in would be the completion of that arc. So, it felt really important to us to get to that in the last few episodes.”

Book (David Ajala) and Reno (Tig Notaro) have become integral to Discovery , and representative of the ever-expanding pool of characters.

Will Earth’s return to the Federation mean that Discovery Season 5 could feature more terrestrial action? Will many of our characters — like Tilly, Gray, or Book — return to the show not just on the starship Discovery itself, but perhaps on Earth?

“I don’t want to spoil anything about Season 5,” Paradise says . “What I will say is what I find wonderful about doing this show is that whenever you bring someone in, they're in this universe now. They’re always a part of this world. You know, for example in Episode 4 this season we send Tilly to Starfleet Academy. But she comes back in the finale and has a crucial role to play. And that’s true of any character that’s been part of our world.”

And that includes, apparently, one new character played by a very important person.

Stacey Abrams leads Earth in Star Trek

Stacey Abrams, Earth President.

After all the nail-biting at the Galactic Barrier, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Federation President Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) greet the President of Earth. And the President is played by none other than Stacey Abrams, former Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives and current 2022 Gubernatorial candidate in the state.

Abrams is a lifelong Star Trek fan, and in 2020 appeared on the official Star Trek Podcast, the Pod Directive , in conversation with Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins. Abrams has been credited with spurring a huge increase in voter registration in Georgia, and her progressive activism and humanist viewpoints feel right at home in Star Trek, making her appearance as the President of United Earth aspirational and touching.

“There was never anyone else in consideration for the role,” Paradise says. “And, again, we also knew that Earth was the linchpin in our finale. We all live here on Earth, so we knew we needed a person for the face of that. Once Alex [Kurtzman] and I talked about it, we were just both so excited by the idea that we couldn’t think of anyone better.”

Stacey Abrams in the Star Trek Discovery Season 4 finale.

Paradise and the Discovery team reached out to Abrams because “we knew that she was a fan of Discovery and of Star Trek in general.” Abrams agreed to do the cameo, but she also insisted that Paradise and Kurtzman not tell her “too much” about the plot of the season “because she’s a fan and wanted to watch it.”

In the final scene, Abrams tells Captain Burnham that there’s still “a lot of work” that needs to happen to unify the Federation. This kind of thinking echoes Stacey Abrams’ own career but also, as Burnham says, gives “hope for tomorrow.”

For Paradise, the goal of bringing Abrams in wasn’t to “break new ground” for the franchise, but instead to do something that felt right in the context of the world today.

“We weren’t looking to make history,” Paradise says. “We approached it from a very organic place of, ‘What do we need from this character?’ Stacey Abrams, what she’s done, what she continues to do, the values that she embodies, all of that feels like who we wanted representing this moment.”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 is streaming on Paramount+.

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Published Jul 1, 2014

INTERVIEW: 4-Time Trek Guest Star Steve Rankin

You’ve done a lot of Star Trek . How did you land your first job, as Patahk?

RANKIN: I’d just moved from New York to Los Angeles. That was 1989 and I was literally there a week and had gotten two movie parts. And then, probably about a month later, Junie Lowry Johnson cast me in Star Trek . She’d become a fan of mine from a couple of other things she’d cast me in, and so she brought me in for Star Trek . Patahk was the first thing I auditioned for, and I got it. I’d known Jonathan Frakes from being in New York for years and Gates McFadden and I had mutual friends from the theater. So it was wonderful being on that set and to work with them. A funny story: most of my scenes were in sickbay and on an exterior set of a planet. But Jonathan said, “We’re going to go to the bridge and you’re going to sit in the captain’s chair.” So we go to that set, but it’s dark in there, in this big hangar. Jonathan gets on the phone and he goes, “Hey, it’s Jonathan Frakes. Can someone give us some lights over here?” And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, some lights went on. So he said, “Sit in the chair.” I sat down in the chair – and forgive me for what I’m about to say here – and he said, “How does it feel?” I said, “It feels good.” He says, “It makes you feel like you’ve got a big d—k, doesn’t it?” I said, “Yes, it does.” (Laughs)

You then played the first-ever good Cardassian ever in the DS9 pilot. Was that an offer or did you have to audition again?

RANKIN: I auditioned. David Carson was the director and he subsequently cast me in something else, actually. I think I’d auditioned for something larger and they said, “No, but really like you and we want to put you into the pilot. Maybe you’ll come back later.” And they told me I was playing the first good Cardassian, so there was that possibility of coming back, though it didn’t happen. That makeup was the longest, the most arduous... They didn’t really have it down yet. It was a new race, relatively, that they’d been doing, so it was a looooong makeup. It was great to do, though. David Carson was great. It was very exciting to be in a pilot.

You then returned to DS9 as Yeto, a Klingon stealing a symbiont. What do you remember of that?

RANKIN: That was with me and Tim Russ, who was making his first appearance as a Klingon on DS9 . John Glover was the guy who hired us to go steal the symbiont. Working with Tim was great and we became very good friends at the time. He’s a stargazer and, while we were shooting the show, he invited us to go out in the middle of the Los Angeles lake bed, which is a dried-up lake, to stargaze, because there’s no light pollution. All these telescope geeks came out of nowhere and brought various different powered telescopes to look at constellations and things. It was a really, really lovely night.

How did you enjoy playing a Klingon?

RANKIN: We had elevator shoes on in order to look incredibly tall. We were hired guns, these Klingons. We were the heavies. So it was interesting because we were scavengers. We were thugs, basically, brought in to rob something. Tim and I thought it was very, very complex, though because we were stealing this thing out of a woman’s body.

And then, near the final episode of all the Star Treks , for the Enterprise episode "Demons," you played Col. Green, a character from The Original Series …

RANKIN: The gentleman who’d played Green (Philip Pine), God rest his soul, had passed away by then. So I played Col. Green in “Demons,” and that was really cool to do. I’d been a huge Star Trek fan. I knew the original show. My parents would even sit and watch it with me. And I got to wear Green’s pointy sideburns and have that whole outfit on. That was a very, very cool thing to do, but Col. Green was one of the worst men in the universe. They made me up, got my hair dark, gave me the pointy sideburns.

Let’s bring everyone up to date. You’re in the film version of Jersey Boys…

RANKIN: Clint Eastwood directed me in that, and I had a nice little role in it. Jersey Boys is one of the greatest from-poverty-to-stardom stories in rock n roll history. They were playing for tips at the Jersey Shore and a week later they were on American Bandstand . Two weeks later they were on Ed Sullivan and, three weeks later, they had three number-one hits in a row, “Sherry” being the first one. They were hooked up to the mob, and Frankie Valli was doing petty crimes with Tommy DeVito, the guitar player from the band. He was hooked up to Gyp DeCarlo, and Gyp DeCarlo was hooked up to a guy named Bebe Rebozo, who worked in the Nixon administration. Frankie Valli did his first breaking and entering with Tommy DeVito and was called in by the cops, and so I’m the detective who pulls him in and questions with a telephone book, beating him in the head. It’s a true story. And Clint was just amazing. Eighty-two years old and just as hip and great and wonderful and low-key as you’d hope. He was nothing like you’d imagine the guy being. It was a great experience.

And you actually have a separate connection to Jersey Boys …

RANKIN: I do. I have another career as a theatrical fight director. So, I staged the fights in all of the Jersey Boys productions all over the world. So I actually played a character in the movie version of the play that I’d staged the fights for. And my being in the film is just a coincidence. I had to go in audition and read.

You’ll be in Vegas in a few weeks for Creation’s big event and, as part of that, you’ll be performing with the Enterprise Blues Band? How big a kick do you get out of doing that with Vaughn Armstrong, Casey Biggs and some of the other guys who often join you (including Richard Herd, Ronald B. Moore and Ethan Phillips)?

RANKIN: We just have fun. Vaughn has written songs about all of our experiences being on Star Trek , with very specific language about very stupid things that happened. This started years ago, probably 12 or 13 years ago, when Vaughn came to me and said, “I’ve got these songs I’ve been writing because I go to these conventions and I don’t know what to do.” He said, “Bob Picardo sometimes suddenly starts singing songs, and that gave me the idea to start writing songs.” So, Vaughn’s songs were very basic when we started with them. I said, “Listen, you need to the chorus here and do this…,” and so we worked for a long time on the early songs that he wrote. Then he got the hang of it. Once we added Casey, we really were able to do a range on some of the tunes and focus on how to do it. So the three of us are the core. Casey has written a couple of tunes and I’ve brought in a couple of songs that are not Star Trek songs, but that seem to fit in with what we’re doing. It’s just a blast. We have a good time. We laugh, we sing, and it’s great to be able to share it with the fans.

Last question. You’re walking down the street and someone recognizes you. Which of your credits are they most likely to reference?

RANKIN: If I’m at a sci-fi convention, it’s one of my Star Treks or The X-Files and also Ray Butts from Space: Above and Beyond . If I’m walking down the street, the average non- Star Trek person always seems to remember from this movie I did called Blue Streak , which was with Martin Lawrence. That movie seems to run all the time on television, so it is in people’s consciousness. People come up to me and go, “Blue Streak!” It’s great to be recognized for that because it was my first major role in a motion picture. Not a bad thing to be recognized for.

Visit www.Creationent.com for details about the upcoming Creation Entertainment Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas.

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Allison Russell to Follow Hozier Opening Stint With Headlining Tour of U.S. Theaters

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Allison Russell already had a fairly full year set out ahead of her, with the opening slot on a Hozier tour that continues in arenas through the end of September. Now she’s announced she will quickly follow that with a headlining tour of theaters, with Kara Jackson as her opener, beginning a month after she gets off the road from the Hozier outing.

Popular on Variety

Spotify and artist pre-sales are underway, with the official on-sale scheduled for Friday. More information on pre-sale availability and VIP packages can be found here .

Russell appears on Hozier’s new EP, singing the song “Wildflower & Barley,” a number they perform together each night on his tour. In kind, he appeared on her “Returner” album, lending harmony to the song “Requiem.”

Russell was just named as a nominee for artist of the year at the Americana Honors & Awards, which take place in Nashville in September. (The singer will not be on hand, as she will be in the middle of a three-night stand with Hozier at L.A.’s Forum at the time.) That nomination comes on the heels of this year’s Grammys, where Russell was nominated for four awards and picked up a win for best American roots performance.

Russell spoke with Variety last year about her acclaimed “Returner” album — read that interview here — and about the “Demons” music video she did with director Ethan Tobman (read here ).

Headlining tour dates:

Oct 25 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT+

Oct 26 – Royale – Boston, MA+

Oct 28 – Webster Hall – New York, NY+

Oct 30 – Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA

Oct 31 – 9:30 Club – Washington D.C.+

Nov 02 – The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL

Nov 03 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN+

Nov 05 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO+

Nov 06 – The Commonwealth Room – South Salt Lake, UT+

Nov 08 – Egyptian Theatre – Boise, ID+

Nov 09 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR+a

Nov 11 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA+

Nov 12 – The Belasco – Los Angeles, CA+

Nov 15 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX+

Nov 16 – Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall – Fort Worth, TX+

Nov 17 – The Scoot Inn – Austin, TX+

+-With Support from Kara Jackson

Previously announced tour dates:

# -Supporting Tyler Childers

*-Supporting Hozier

^-Supporting Sarah McLachlan

May 14 – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park – Wilmington, NC*

May 15 – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach – Virginia Beach, VA*

May 17 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD*

May 19 – Broadview Stage at SPAC  – Saratoga Springs, NY*

May 21 – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, NY*

May 22 – Darien Lake Amphitheater – Darien Center, NY*

May 23 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON 

May 24 – Old Dutch Church – Kingston, NY

May 25 – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – Camden, NJ*

May 27 – CFG Bank Arena – Baltimore, MD#- 

May 28 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN*

May 29 – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI*

May 31 – Pine Knob Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI*

Jun 01 – Railbird Music Festival – Lexington, KY

Jun 04 – Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY*

Jun 05 – Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY*

Jun 07 – Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY*

Jun 08 – Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY*

Jun 19 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON ^

Jul 24 – Maine Savings Amphitheater – Bangor, Maine*

Jul 26 – Newport Folk Festival –  Newport, RI

Jul 27 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel, NY*

Jul 28 – The Ross Farm, Basking Ridge, NJ

Jul 29 – The Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, PA*

Aug 06 – Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB#

Aug 08 – Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC #

Aug 10- Hayden Homes Amphitheater- Bend, OR#

Aug 11-  Hayden Homes Amphitheater- Bend, OR#

Aug 13 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – Maryland Heights, MO*

Aug 16 – Breese Stevens Field – Madison, WI*

Aug 17 – Xcel Energy Center – Saint Paul, MN*

Aug 20 – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB*

Aug 21 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK*

Aug 23 – Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB*

Aug 24 – Rogers Place – Edmonton, AB*

Aug 27 – First Interstate Arena at MetraPark – Billings, MT*

Aug 28 – Ford Wyoming Center – Casper, WY*

Aug 30 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre – Greenwood Village, CO*

Aug 31 – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre – West Valley City, UT* 

Sept 03 – Ford Idaho Center Ampitheater – Nampa, ID*

Sept 04 – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR*

Sept 06 – The Gorge Amphitheater – George, WA*

Sept 07 – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater – Ridgefield, WA*

Sept 09 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA*

Sept 10 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA*

Sept 13 – Tucson Arena – Tucson, AZ*

Sept 14 – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA*

Sept 15 – Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival – Templeton, CA

Sept 17 – Kia Forum – Inglewood, CA*

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• May 14, 2024 | See Captain Sisko Meet A Familiar Face From ‘Picard’ In Preview Of ‘Star Trek’ #20
• May 13, 2024 | Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Episode 508 With New Images And Clip From “Labyrinths”
• May 11, 2024 | Interview: Elias Toufexis On Making Star Trek History Playing L’ak And Nerding Out In ‘Discovery’
• May 10, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Debuts On Nielsen Streaming Top 10
• May 10, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Breens Out On “Erigah” With Commentary From Elias Toufexis Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Interview: Elias Toufexis On Making Star Trek History Playing L’ak And Nerding Out In ‘Discovery’

| May 11, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 7 comments so far

The seventh episode (“ Erigah “) of season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery  was a big episode for guest star Elias Toufexis who plays L’ak. Season 5 is actually his second time on Discovery after playing a Federation prisoner in season 1. Toufexis is also a huge fan of Star Trek and TrekMovie had a spoilery (and nerdy) chat with the actor about the latest episode and how excited he was to make Trek history with the return of the Breen.

I know you are a genuine fan so was it difficult to focus on the work and not like just geek out over everything all the time?

They happen simultaneously. I focus on the work the second the camera rolls. No matter what the character is, I’m doing my job. But as soon as they say “cut” to relight or whatever, I’m walking around the set, I’m picking up props, I’m looking at stuff, I’m literally climbing in the Jefferies Tube on the Enterprise. When I really stepped back just as a fan, I was freaking out, every day. I would look around and go, “I have my own phaser, I have my own ship, this is crazy!” And then I would get back to work. Once the camera is rolling it’s what does my character want to do, am I doing all my lines… all that actor cliché crap.

You did have a unique phaser, what is it? Is it Breen?

No, the Breen guns were different. When I shoot it in the first episode, it just traps them in bubbles… there’s no particular backstory other than what I ascribe to it. I’m just like, “I have the most badass gun,” because it looks really cool.

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham Elias Toufexis as L’ak in “Mirrors” (John Medland/Paramount+)

I know this was your second time on Discovery . When the casting director brought you back, did you know right away you were playing a Breen?

So they offered me the role and the next day they had me go down and get the plaster mold of my head [for the prosthetics]. And I said I still don’t know what I’m playing, and they said, “Oh, we have some concept art.” And the concept art turned out to be a little different than what it ended up being, but I asked, “What is he?” and they said, “He’s a Breen.” And honest to god, my first reaction was “Breen! Wait, they never take their helmets off.” And then I worked it out in my head, I’m going to be the first Breen that takes his helmet off. I’m going to make Star Trek history! And that really got me excited. Now not only am I a character on the show and not only a big bad antagonist, but now I’m making history.

The episode “Mirrors” explored the whole two Breens thing. How did that factor into your performance in the season?

It’s a good question. For me, there were three actually three Breens. There is the unformed. I always think under their helmets, they’re just jelly, completely malleable. So with the helmets on is one form. And if they release their helmets they suck it up a little bit to make this kind of humanoid thing to present themselves, but still gelatinous. And then there is the third form, the forbidden form, which takes focus. It’s an abomination form. I always played it like L’ak is doing it because he doesn’t want to be Breen. He especially doesn’t want to be a prince. He doesn’t want to be forced into this life. He sees it as a life of servitude. Even if he’s a prince and rich, or whatever the Breen do with that, to him it’s just a prison. The helmet is a prison. The gelatinous form is not really him. He even says that. He says, “It’s not me.” I see myself as separate from them. So I take this form even though they look at it as an abomination. He’s also doing it as a kind of “screw you.”

So in “Erigah” you spent the whole episode in a bed. Death scenes are hard enough but you are doing action and emotion and you never get out of bed. Can you talk about how you dealt with that challenge?

[Laughs] That week was rough. It was rough for two reasons. One, even if I wasn’t being shot and they’re shooting stuff around that bed, I still had to do the six hours of makeup. So I’m still doing six hours before I start my twelve hours of lying there. It was uncomfortable. But doing the stuff in the bed, it was okay for the most part. I found it difficult because the prosthetic would bend in these weird ways sometimes. So technically I was trying to find how can I get my head right so it doesn’t have this big extra chin. Then when we did the actual death scene, it was a bit of an emotional challenge because you have to get through that makeup and you have to get through the contact lenses as an actor. You want the audience to empathize with you and it’s tricky. It was hard in episode five with the love stuff to make sure that got through and it did, thankfully. And it was the same when I was dying, but I can’t say enough about Eve [Harlow] and the way she would play the scenes would help me tremendously. When you watch that scene, it’s her that’s bringing all the emotion to it, I just look sleepy. She’s what makes it work.

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham, Wilson Cruz as Culber, Elias Toufexis as L’ak and Eve Harlow as Moll “Erigah” (Marni Grossman /Paramount+)

So much of this episode only works due to the chemistry established with Moll and L’ak. How did you and Eve develop that chemistry?

The chemistry was natural. Eve and I became good, good friends. We became friends pretty quickly. I’m about 10 years older than her so off-camera, I kind of felt like a big brother. And on camera, it was very easy to fall in love with her because she plays it so great, and she’s so pretty. It was very easy for me because she’s such a good actor. So the connection, it had a lot to do with Eve. I would always kind of defer to her performance first. And then her performance reflects onto me trying to get through the makeup. So yeah, I definitely feel that we had that chemistry. And we talked about it a lot. And we ran scenes together a lot. Yeah, we tried to make sure that that love came through. That was our big thing. Make the love come through and make people empathize. And if we did that, then we did our job.

This is a nerdy question, but when L’ak dies, why didn’t he revert back to that gelatinous state?

Yeah, I asked that question. I was like, “When he dies wouldn’t he just fall into it, because the other form takes focus?”  I think it’s just one of those Star Trek things, like “Why didn’t?…” and you just kind of let it go. You explain it away in fan fiction, or whatever. Like, once he took that form, when he died that form stuck… It solidified.

Eve Harlow as Moll and Elias Toufexis as L’ak in “Face The Strange” (Paramount+)

Moll’s last line is “This isn’t how our story ends.” So, is this how your story ends?

You think I’m going to answer that question? [laughs]

This was your second time on Trek, is your agent pitching you for a third? You can do makeup, no makeup…

[Laughs] There’s so many possibilities. I’m never going to say no to Star Trek if something comes around, but I’m pretty much on the bottom of the list now. There’s a lot of other actors they are going to want to use before they come back to me.

Well, there is also the tradition of when they just get to like working with and actor, like Jeffrey Combs, Vaughn Armstrong…

That’s true… Like the actor who played Sarek [Mark Lenard], he was a Romulan, a Klingon, and a Vulcan. So yeah, it’s possible. But the way the business works now is a lot different.

Elias Toufexis

Elias nerding out on Twitter

If you haven’t already, Elias has been sharing what a great time he had as a fan shooting the fifth season of  Discovery on his Twitter/X account @EliasToufexis . For example, he recently showed off an early makeup test…

L'ak from #StarTrekDiscovery make-up test. We originally had those extra ridges on my cheekbones, but we toned that down. Everything else more or less, stayed the same. Long process. pic.twitter.com/3SrmrfypQ5 — ᴇʟɪᴀꜱ ᴛᴏᴜꜰᴇxɪꜱ (@EliasToufexis) May 5, 2024

He also shares behind-the-scenes shot, including this one with a bonus image of him playing Star Trek as a teen…

The picture on the left is me at about 15 years old, on a pretend Enterprise, filming a pretend Star Trek show in my friend's basement. The picture on the right is me years later, on the actual Enterprise, playing a main character on an actual Star Trek show. Life's a trip. pic.twitter.com/PVBwnEAEyy — ᴇʟɪᴀꜱ ᴛᴏᴜꜰᴇxɪꜱ (@EliasToufexis) April 25, 2024

The fifth and final season of Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery also premiered on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season is available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuted on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Note: The interview has  been edited for brevity and clarity.  

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I would have been happy if there had actually BEEN chemistry between L’ak and Moll. Sadly, there was very little. These were not well-written characters, and the actors didn’t gel onscreen.

I disagree just about as strongly as is possible. I felt like their on-screen connection was visible. The way these characters are written almost make me want them to win. To each their own, I suppose.

I disagree. I definitely saw their chemistry and connection. And, as Scott mentions, the way they were written, I cared about their plight.

I’m glad he had fun. His character wasn’t horrible.

It never gets old seeing huge Star Trek fans getting to live their childhood dreams. Whoopi Goldberg, Mae Jamison, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer et al and now Stacey Abrams, Robert Kazinsky, Tawny Newsome, and Elias Toufexis. Makes me smile.

Moll, L’ak and the Breen are saving this season of DSC. we have something new to focus on beside Michael and Book staring at each other crying but trying not to cry….so many emotions! lol