The future of the rebooted Star Trek universe is looking somewhat shaky this weekend, with reports that Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth have “walked away from the table” after failing to negotiate satisfactory pay deals for the upcoming fourth film.
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The Hollywood Reporter says that, while returning cast members Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg are all expected to close their deals, negotiations with Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth have “fallen apart.”
Pine plays the lead role of Captain James T Kirk in the series. Hemsworth appeared as his dad George Kirk in the 2009 film, and though his character died heroically at the very beginning, it was assumed he’d be returning in some kind of time travel plot line.
The Hollywood Reporter claims that Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have asked the stars to take a pay cut as they tighten the budget for the new film, but that they have refused, wishing to stick to their exiting deals.
The producers’ concern is said to be based on the slightly disappointing box office performance of the previous instalment, Star Trek Beyond. It was made for $190 million and grossed $343 million, slightly less than the $386 million made by the 2009 reboot.
Star Trek Into Darkness has been the best financial performer in the series so far, pulling in $467 million worldwide. The presence of Chris Hemsworth in a starring role could boost the upcoming film’s box office, which could be another reason pay negotiations are dragging on.
Representatives for the actors have not commented, and though recasting their roles might be one option, it would probably not be a good one, so in all likelihood, you’ll soon be reading that the producers have given in to their pay demands.
The still-untitled fourth Star Trek film will be the first in the history of the franchise to feature a female director. S. J. Clarkson, who is set to take the reins from Justin Lin, has worked extensively in TV, directing episodes of Jessica Jones and Dexter, amongst others.
