10 Upcoming Movies That Are In Big Trouble

The third entry in the J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek films, Star Trek Beyond, hit cinemas way back in 2016, yet despite positive reviews was a box office disappointment, grossing less than either of its predecessors.

Since then, Paramount has struggled to get a fourth film off the ground, enough that there's even a damn Wikipedia page about Star Trek 4's development.

The studio has burned through directors and pitches for the next movie, though last summer announced that WandaVision director Matt Shakman would be helming the film.

Back in February it was formally "confirmed" that the main cast members would all be returning, even though it was later revealed that Paramount had made the announcement before negotiations with the cast had actually started.

Further complicating matters is that the script and budget haven't yet been nailed down, and due to Paramount pre-emptively announcing the cast's involvement, it gave the cast massive bargaining power to command greater salaries, which may further bloat out the budget.

This is an issue given the box office disappointment of Beyond and Pine's recent declaration that he hopes Star Trek 4 is a lower-budget affair that doesn't need to make a billion dollars in order to succeed.

Pine's absolutely right, but it's tough to imagine studio executives agreeing, and so it's entirely possible that Star Trek 4 ends up another over-budgeted Trek movie desperately chasing the Marvel crowd rather than just doing its own thing.

In a theatrical era where $100 million tentpoles have largely gone away and audiences are far more selective about the spectacles they watch on the big screen, that tension could very well be Star Trek 4's undoing.

In any respect, that announced December 22, 2023 release date seems "optimistic," to be kind.