Director: Justin Lin is undertaking his first ever Star Trek film, following billion-dollar successes with The Fast and Furious (entries 3 through 6). He takes over command of the Enterprise from J.J. Abrams, who directed both 2009’s Star Trek, and its 2013 sequel Into Darkness, but has since been busy with a certain other Star-themed franchise. Roberto Orci, who co-wrote both rebooted entries, had previously been in line to write and direct.
Writers: Simon Pegg (who also appears in front of the camera, as Scotty) has co-written the script with Doug Jung, rewriting an earlier draft from Orci. Paramount was not entirely happy with Orci’s draft, according to Pegg. “I think the studio was worried that it might have been a little bit too Star Trek-y,” he has said, inadvertently attracting the ire of certain die-hard Trekkies.
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim, Lydia Wilson, Deep Roy.
UK Release Date: Star Trek Beyond is currently due to be released on July 22, 2016.
Trailer: The first teaser trailer arrived back in December, and like the reboot's original trailer, features 'Sabotage' by The Beastie Boys as a soundtrack.
Plot: No official synopsis yet, but Lin has teased that the Enterprise crew will finally embark on the famous five-year mission. “They haven’t really gone on their five-year mission,” Lin told Deadline, "so what we experienced in the TV show hasn’t been touched on yet. That sets up an opportunity for exploration and the deeper you go, the more you are examining humanity.” It will also focus on “creating whole new worlds and species.”
The first teaser trailer (above) appears to show the Enterprise come under attack from an unknown alien adversary, and the crew finding themselves adrift on a mysterious planet.
In writing the script, Pegg has said his approach was to “make a Western or a thriller or a heist movie, then populate that with Star Trek characters so it’s more inclusive to an audience that might be a little bit reticent.”
Shooting: Has taken place in Vancouver; Squamish, British Columbia; Seoul, South Korea; and Dubai, UAE. Filming began in June 2015, and according to Simon Pegg’s official Twitter feed, wrapped in October 2015.
Music: Michael Giacchino will be returning to write the score for Beyond. Giacchino announced the news on Twitter: “So thrilled to be working with Justin Lin and the rest of the Enterprise crew on Star Trek Beyond! Let’s boldly go!”
Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine): The Captain is back, having briefly died at the end of Into Darkness, before being revived by Khan’s regenerative blood. He appeared, alongside his co-stars, in a series of cheeky charity videos for Omaze from the set of the Enterprise.
Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto): Zachary Quinto will continue to portray Spock for at least another movie. Rumours had swirled that he was ready to quit the role, before Quinto promptly signed a deal taking him right up to Star Trek 4. Of course, we won’t see another cameo from Future-Spock, as Leonard Nimoy sadly passed away in February 2015, aged 83.
The Enterprise crew are back
All the key crew from the first two films will reprise their roles: Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Karl Urban as Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, Pegg as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott. John Cho as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Ensign Pavel Chekov.
An unfamiliar villain
Idris Elba is a new addition to the Star Trek cast. Details are scarce on who his currently-unnamed character will be, though we do know he’ll be a villain. Pegg has confirmed that he will not be Klingon. In a recent interview, Elba said his character goes on an “interesting, complex journey”, teasing: “You’ve never seen me play a character like this…” The first trailer appeared to suggest that Elba will be almost unreocgnisable under heavy alien prosthetics.
A newcomer in the lead
Sofia Boutella – so far best known for her ass-kicking turn in Kingsman: The Secret Service – has been cast in a “lead role”, according to Variety. No word yet on whether that is goodie or baddie, though some leaked photos appeared to suggest she will be a new species of alien.
New term, new uniforms
Leaked set footage from ScreenCrush revealed a new-look Star Fleet uniform. The dashing new get-up includes leather jackets and a sober blue colour scheme, though at least one actor was spotted donning the original red tops from the first films.
Will the Enterprise crash onto a planet?
Unofficial set photographs from Dubai show a ship (with Federation insignia) in the crater of what appears to be a dramatic crash-landing. Is the Enterprise doomed to repeat its fate from the end of Into Darkness and make another emergency landing? The teaser trailer seems to support this thesis.
It’s birthday time
The release date is no accident: Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016. Gene Roddenberry’s original TV series first debuted back in September 1966, and Star Trek Beyond will form the centrepiece of numerous Trekkie-friendly celebrations throughout the year. It’s safe to expect that Beyond will feature at least one affectionate nod-and-wink to the original show.