Chris Pine should return to the Star Trek franchise, but I don't think he should necessarily return as Captain James T. Kirk. Chris Pine began his journey into the final frontier in JJ Abrams' Star Trek (2009), playing a character many thought would only ever belong to William Shatner. Pine brought Kirk's humor, bravery, and selflessness back to life after Shatner's last on-screen appearance as the good captain in 1994's Star Trek: Generations. Pine went on to star in two more reboot films, Star Trek: Into Darkness in 2014 and Star Trek: Beyond in 2016.
Since then, Chris Pine hasn't reappeared in any Star Trek timeline, neither movie nor TV show. However, in his time back on Earth, Pine has dipped his toes into other areas of the entertainment industry by writing, directing, and producing projects. In 2023, Pine wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his film Poolman. All of this happened as the sequel to Star Trek: Beyond was being handed back and forth between creative teams. I think Chris Pine should head one of those teams and make the elusive sequel a reality.
Chris Pine Should Come Back To Star Trek As A Director
Poolman Proved Pine's Willingness And Ability To Direct A Movie
Although Poolman was not a critical or commercial success, it indicates Pine has a future behind the camera. He seems to enjoy the art of filmmaking, from behind-the-scenes details to playing the starring role. To me, Pine's first movie as a director isn't measured by quality, but rather by his willingness to make it in the first place. After decades of acting, it's nice to see such a familiar face take on other roles in the industry and wear different creative hats. Despite Poolman's poor reception, Pine now has experience leading a film project.
Since we know Chris Pine wants to make a low-budget Star Trek movie to please long-time fans, now is the perfect time to see that dream come to fruition. Even if the original crew of JJ Abrams' reboot film doesn't return, Pine could still try his hand at a Star Trek film in the near future. Since the franchise's first-ever streaming movie, Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek: Section 31, is set to premiere in 2025, the possibilities for Pine's creative journey into Star Trek are endless. Both film and TV projects are potential avenues for a Pine-led project.
Chris Pine Was The Millennial’s Captain Kirk
An Entire Generation Has Chris Pine As Their Captain Kirk
Chris Pine was, and still is, extremely popular as Captain Jim Kirk. He had all the charisma that William Shatner brought to the role, plus he added even more complexity to the character by showcasing personal struggles. Chris Pine's Star Trek movies have also fared well at the box office, bringing in millions of dollars for Paramount Pictures. Numbers dwindled over the three films, but none of them were disappointments. Thanks to a young, millennial audience, Pine is still very much associated with Star Trek.
|
Chris Pine Star Trek Film |
Opening Weekend Earnings |
Total Box Office Earnings |
|---|---|---|
|
Star Trek (2009) |
$75,204,289 |
$257,730,019 |
|
Star Trek: Into Darkness |
$70,165,559 |
$228,778,661 |
|
Star Trek: Beyond |
$59,253,211 |
$158,848,340 |
The viewers who grew up with Chris Pine's Captain Kirk are now a huge part of the modern box office. Knowing that Pine is behind a Star Trek project would positively influence the audience and generate a lot of interest in the project. The nostalgia tied to the reboot films would be a huge factor in a new film's success. With a Star Trek prequel film set largely on Earth reportedly in the works, I think a Chris Pine low-budget sequel to Star Trek: Beyond could be the perfect counterbalance to a franchise that's being split in a lot of different directions.
