Draft:Untitled Star Trek Beyond sequel

An untitled Star Trek Beyond sequel is an upcoming American science fiction film written by Lindsey Beer & Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Josh Friedman & Cameron Squires and Steve Yockey. Based on the television series Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, it is intended to be the 15th feature film in the Star Trek film franchise and the 5th of the franchise's reboot films.

Development of a new Star Trek film after Star Trek Beyond (2016) went through several iterations: a direct sequel, to be directed by S. J. Clarkson, was cancelled by January 2019 due to failed contract negotiations with stars Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth; Mark L. Smith wrote a script based on an idea by director Quentin Tarantino, but the latter chose not to pursue the project in January 2020; and Noah Hawley was hired to write and direct a new film, but it was placed on hold by Paramount Pictures in August 2020. Beer and Robertson-Dworet then wrote a new script which Matt Shakman signed on to direct in July 2021. Friedman and Squires were re-writing the script by November, and negotiations for Pine and other previous Star Trek actors to return began in February 2022. Shakman left the film that August. Yockey was hired by the end of March 2024, when the film was planned to be the "final chapter" in the main reboot film series.

Development
While promoting the release of Star Trek Beyond (2016), producer J. J. Abrams revealed that a fourth film in the Star Trek franchise's reboot series would see Chris Hemsworth reprising his role of George Kirk, father of Chris Pine's James T. Kirk, from the prologue of the first reboot film, Star Trek (2009). Paramount Pictures officially announced the film in July 2016, with J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay set to write the screenplay. In December 2017, Quentin Tarantino approached Abrams and Paramount about an idea he had for a new Star Trek film, and a writers room was hired consisting of Mark L. Smith, Lindsey Beer, Drew Pearce, and Megan Amram. Smith was chosen to write the film's screenplay at the end of the month, based on Tarantino's idea. S. J. Clarkson entered talks to direct the Beyond sequel in April 2018, but contract negotiations with Pine and Hemsworth ended in August with the pair leaving the project. The film was cancelled by January 2019 and Clarkson moved on to other projects. In January 2020, Tarantino said he would not direct his proposed film.

Noah Hawley was hired to write and direct a new Star Trek film for Paramount in November 2019, based on his own vision for the franchise. This project was "very close" to production beginning in August 2020 when it was placed on hold by new Paramount Pictures president Emma Watts, whose top priority at the studio was to figure out the direction of the Star Trek franchise. Watts had several options, including Hawley's film, a new Beyond sequel attempt, and Tarantino's project with a new director. In March 2021, Paramount set Star Trek: Discovery writer Kalinda Vazquez to write a new Star Trek film, based on her own original idea, while a separate script was developed by Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The studio scheduled the latter film for release on June 9, 2023, and hired Matt Shakman to direct it in July. Work was expected to move at "warp speed" ahead of a filming start in early-to-mid 2022, with Abrams producing. In November 2021, the film's release was pushed to December 22, 2023. The script was being re-written by Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires. Abrams and new Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins announced in February 2022 that the main cast from the previous three Star Trek films would return, including Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott, Karl Urban as Leonard McCoy, Zoe Saldaña as Nyota Uhura, and John Cho as Hikaru Sulu. The announcement came as a surprise to the actors as negotiations had not yet begun for their return.

Shakman left the film in August 2022 after joining the Marvel Studios film Fantastic Four (2025), and it was removed from Paramount's release schedule soon after. In January 2024, the studio was revealed to be expanding its Star Trek film slate to have multiple films in development, inspired by the success of the multiple Star Trek series on the streaming service Paramount+. The in-development Star Trek 4 was described as the "final chapter" in the main film series at that time. Steve Yockey was writing a new draft of the script by the end of March 2024.

Release
The untitled Star Trek film does not have a release date. It was previously scheduled for release on December 22, 2023, until Shakman's departure.