Last week, Star Trek fans were thrilled to hear the news that Sir Patrick Stewart would once again be sitting in the captain’s chair as Jean-Luc Picard. Captain Picard led the USS Enterprise during its ongoing voyage on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-1994 and instantly became a favorite among the loyal fanbase.
Just six days later, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting more news for Star Trek fans, but this time it is of the opposite variety. Since its successful 2009 reboot, Chris Pine has played the iconic James T. Kirk to mostly positive reviews. Pine’s Kirk saw the same brashness and humor that the character is famous for. Pine was also signed to play Kirk in the still untitled Star Trek 4.
Chris Hemsworth has played a smaller part, appearing as James Kirk’s father George in the first film. The character died, but death is a small thing to overcome in the Star Trek universe.
In the real world, however, money is not as easy to look past and that is reportedly the main sticking point between Paramount Pictures and Pine and Hemsworth. After the commercial success of its return, each successive sequel in the rebooted franchise has met with diminishing returns. Due to this, the studio is asking the two stars to accept restructured deals resulting in pay cuts. Unsurprisingly, both men turned the offers down.
Hemsworth’s role is a small one that can be rewritten, but losing Pine can ultimately turn out to be a crushing blow for Star Trek. The good thing is that Zachary Quinto has consistently received rave reviews as Spock and if necessary, the crew of the Enterprise will still be in good hands.
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