Chris Pine, who performed James Tiberius Kirk within the “Star Trek” reboot timeline (higher recognized to Trekkies because the Kelvin Timeline), is aware of from first-hand expertise simply how ill-advised that technique was. “I am undecided ‘Star Trek’ was ever constructed to do this type of enterprise,” he advised Esquire in March 2023 (by way of Selection).
To the actor’s level, 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness” stays the property’s highest-grossing movie ever with a worldwide take of $467 million. “Star Trek Past” wanted to hit the same mark or larger to justify Paramount’s spending. That may’ve been laborious sufficient even when “Darkness” hadn’t ticked off Trekkies one thing fierce with its white-washed rehashing of “The Wrath of Khan.” That “Past” additionally had the misfortune of debuting on the heels of quite a few summer season releases that had managed to bomb with each critics and basic audiences (“Alice By the Trying Glass” and “Independence Day: Resurgence” being two such examples) did not do it any favors, both.
It is a disgrace, too. “Past” was largely heralded as an admirable marriage between the optimistic and progressive sci-fi storytelling that had characterised old-school “Trek” and the extra spectacle-oriented method favored by the sooner Kelvin Timeline movies. Had it value half or maybe two-thirds of what it did, it could’ve been a monetary success. Even in 2016 {dollars}, $110 million may nonetheless get you a sci-fi film as visually spectacular as “Passengers.” (Take a look at that — we managed to defeat the “Say One thing Good About ‘Passengers'” problem with out breaking a sweat!)
As a substitute, Paramount method over-spent on “Past” and the film was unable to recuperate its prices, “solely” grossing $343 million. That the studio additionally jumped the gun and introduced “Star Trek 4” forward of the movie’s launch was solely extra egg on its face.