New Star Trek Film: Chris Pine gives Kirk fans little hope
A comeback is becoming increasingly unlikely
Fans have been waiting a decade for a new "Star Trek" movie. Now lead actor Chris Pine has spoken out about the possible sequel, as CBR reports. The Hollywood star was asked at the Sundance Film Festival whether he would once again portray the legendary Enterprise captain James T. Kirk. His answer:
You probably know more than I do.
This is not a definite rejection. However, his words give Kirk fans little hope of a return. After all, his answer implies that there are currently no talks between him and those responsible for the science fiction franchise. Pine has played the captain of the Starship Enterprise in three "Star Trek" films to date. The films are a reboot of the original series from the 1960s, in which William Shatner was seen in the role of James T. Kirk.
A few months ago, it was reported that another "Star Trek" film was currently being planned, which would go in a completely new direction. Apparently, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are to be the screenwriters and directors. With "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" , the two have already breathed new life into a popular franchise. Chris Pine, of all people, played the lead role in the fantasy adventure. All the more bitter for its fans that he will probably not play a role in the "Star Trek" film from the "Dungeons & Dragons" makers. When asked what advice he would give those responsible at the producing film studio Paramount for the new "Star Trek" part, Pine simply said:
Advice? Have fun, good luck, live long and prosper.
The Star Trek movies in the ranking
Details about the plot or the characters of the planned "Star Trek" film by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are not yet known. A start date has also not yet been set. For better or worse, fans will have to be patient until they can see a new adventure from the "Star Trek" cosmos on the big screen. In the meantime, you can watch the previous movies again. But which screen spin-offs are considered particularly successful by critics - and which are not? We show you in the ranking how the individual films fared according to Metacritic.
13: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
With a Metacritic score of 43 (the values range from 0 to 100) , "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" is in last place among the "Star Trek" cinema films. At the center of the fifth screen adventure is the renegade Vulcan Sybock (Laurence Luckinbill) , who takes several ambassadors hostage on the planet Nimbus III. Kirk actor William Shatner directed "Star Trek" for the first and only time. What must be particularly disappointing for him: "The Final Frontier" is considered one of the worst parts of the series, not only by critics but also by fans.
12: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
With this film, Captain Kirk's crew moved from the TV screen to the big screen for the first time. However, the movie debut was not very well received, being perceived as too humorless and lengthy. Directed by Robert Wise, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" tells the story of a mysterious energy cloud that threatens to collide with Earth. Kirk and Co. are tasked with preventing the catastrophe and discover an artificial intelligence called V'ger inside the energy cloud. At Metacritic, the first movie only achieved a score of 50.
11: Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
The score for "Star Trek: Nemesis" is only slightly better. The film has a Metacritic score of just 51. "Nemesis" is the last cinematic outing of the crew from the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In the tenth film in the series, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) must prevent Shinzon (Tom Hardy) from seizing power in the Romulan Empire. The film by director Stuart Baird is much darker than most other parts of the "Star Trek" series and not only failed with critics and audiences, but also at the box office. Budgeted at 60 million US dollars, the sci-fi adventure grossed just 67 million worldwide. A financial fiasco that meant we never got to see Captain Picard and his crew in theaters again.
10: Star Trek Generations (1994)
"Star Trek Generations" served as a transitional film between Kirk's old crew and Picard's new one. Although the two captains actually live in different centuries, they meet here in a dimension in which the laws of time and space are suspended. Together they succeed in thwarting the dangerous plans of the scientist Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell). David Carson's directorial work struggled to tell the story of the meeting of the two captains in a plausible way and the reviews were also mixed, as evidenced by the Metacritic score of 55.
9: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
The title already hints at it: In "Star Trek III", Captain Kirk's former first officer Mr. Spock takes center stage. However, the Enterprise crew must not only find him, but also bring him back from the realm of the dead. The film marks the first "Star Trek" directorial work by Spock actor Leonard Nimoy. Although it was better received than the directorial debut of his colleague William Shatner, it only received a score of 58 on Metacritic.
8: Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
The third big-screen adventure of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" crew is about a planet that seems to allow eternal life. When the inhabitants of the planet are to be expelled, Picard becomes a renegade who has to stand up to his own Federation superiors. Of the four "Next Generation" films, "Star Trek: Insurrection" received the second-best Metacritic score: 64.
7: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Apart from the crossover between Kirk and Picard in "Star Trek Generations", "The Undiscovered Country" is the last screen adventure of the original cast around William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Nicholas Meyer's directorial work focuses on the peace negotiations between the Federation and the hostile Klingon Empire. A worthy final mission for Kirk and Spock, which achieved a score of 65 on Metacritic.
6: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
With the second part, which was also directed by Nicholas Meyer, the movie series picked up speed. "The Wrath of Khan" has a score of 68 on Metacritic and is still considered one of the best films by fans. With the eponymous villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), Kirk has to face one of his greatest adversaries - and pay a high price. The emotional ending in particular remains a highlight of the film series to this day.
5: Star Trek Beyond (2016)
"Star Trek Beyond" is the last cinematic adventure in the "Star Trek" universe to date. It is also the third film in which Chris Pine plays the leading role of Kirk. Directed by Justin Lin, the film sees Kirk's crew crash-land on a dangerous alien planet and fight for survival. Like "The Wrath of Khan", "Star Trek Beyond" also has a Metacritic score of 68.
4: Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
The undoubtedly most popular movie of the "Next Generation" crew is "Star Trek: First Contact". This is not least due to the fact that perhaps the most fascinating antagonists in "Star Trek" history make their first and only appearance in the movies: the Borg. The cyborg collective, which wants to assimilate other species by force, is once again targeting humanity. They want to use time travel to prevent the founding of the Federation. The film, directed by Riker actor Jonathan Frakes, received a score of 70 on Metacritic.
3: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is also about time travel. Kirk and Co. are transported to the year 1986 on a mission to save whales. The film, which was once again directed by Leonard Nimoy, is one of the most humorous parts of the series. Alongside "The Wrath of Khan", it is also one of the most popular adventures with William Shatner and co. Also with the critics, as the Metacritic score of 71 shows.
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2: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
With a score of 72, "Star Trek Into Darkness" fared even better with the critics - even though the film is basically just a somewhat strange remake of "The Wrath of Khan". Instead of Ricardo Montalbán, Kirk's adversary is this time played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The action-packed adventure was directed by J. J. Abrams, as in the previous installment.
1: Star Trek (2009)
J. J. Abrams' "Star Trek" debut made it to first place in the Metacritic ranking with a score of 82. With the film, the director established the so-called Kelvin timeline, which is intended to make the reboot of the original series appear plausible in terms of content. The alternative timeline is created when the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) travels back in time and destroys the spaceship USS Kelvin - which also fundamentally changes Kirk's life.
