star trek into beyond cast

Full Cast of Star Trek Beyond - Every Actor & Character In the Movie

With the future of Star Tr e k ’s Kelvin Timeline reboot movies in a seemingly-continuous limbo, here’s a list of every character who appeared in the most recent entry from 2016: Star Trek Beyond .

Around the early-to-mid 2000s, the Star Trek franchise was stagnating. Following Enterprise ’s cancellation and the box-office bombing of Paramount’s then-newest Trek film, Star Trek: Nemesis , the studio decided it was time for a change. 

A reboot was conceived under the leadership of J.J. Abrams who went on to direct two movies, 2009’s Star Trek and its 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness .

The third entry into this rebooted series, Star Trek Beyond , opened on July 22, 2016, to less-than-stellar financial results.

Every Character & Actor in Star Trek Beyond

Many fans argue that Star Trek Beyond is the strongest movie in the Kelvin Trilogy. It featured a quick-moving narrative, solid character beats, and even a Beastie Boys song or two. 

Here are all the characters that had a part to play in the threequel and their corresponding actor.

Chris Pine - Captain James T. Kirk

Chris Pine’s Jim Kirk opens the film feeling the weight of the mission. The USS Enterprise has been exploring deep space for two and a half years, and everything is starting to feel a bit rote for the Starfleet captain.

Little does he know that a trip beyond Starbase Yorktown will result in him and his crew getting way more than they bargained for.

Zachary Quinto - Commander Spock

Everybody’s favorite half-human, half-Vulcan science officer returns, marking Zachary Quinto’s third time in Spock’s pointy ears.

Gravely injured during the first act and stranded on an uncharted planet with the rest of the Enterprise Crew, Spock must rely on the medical expertise of Dr. McCoy to survive.

Karl Urban - Dr. Leonard McCoy

Karl Urban returns as the irascible Dr. McCoy, who is teamed with Spock for much of the film as they try to find a way to reunite with the crew in between sarcastic zingers.

During the final conflict of the film, Bones and Mr. Spock man the controls of one of Krall’s drone ships to help take out the rest of the villain’s massive fleet.

Zoe Saldana - Lt. Nyota Uhura

The Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy superstar Zoe Saldana comes back for another round as Lt. Uhura, who begins the film on the outs with her boyfriend, Spock.

After the Enterprise is destroyed and the crew is taken prisoner, Uhura must fight for her life against Krall and his forces, patching things up with her Vulcan suitor in the process.

Simon Pegg - Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott

In Star Trek Beyond , Simon Pegg’s Scotty uses his engineering genius to escape the crumbling Enterprise in a photon torpedo tube.

Once on the surface of the planet Altamid, Scott meets a fellow strandee named Jaylah, and the two join forces to help get the wreck of the long-lost USS Franklin up and running again.

John Cho - Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

John Cho’s Lt. Sulu, the Enteprise ’s helmsman, shares the bulk of his screentime with Saldana’s Uhura as the two try and free themselves from their captivity.

Sulu gets to put his piloting skills to the test when he’s called upon to fly the outdated Franklin off of its resting place on Altamid.

Anton Yelchin - Ensign Pavel Chekov

By the time of Beyond , the wide-eyed whiz kid Chekov has developed into a highly competent Starfleet officer, who pairs up with Captain Kirk throughout the movie’s second act.

The film is dedicated to actor Anton Yelchin, who tragically lost his life in a freak accident shortly before the theatrical release. The cast has spoken on many an occasion about how difficult it would be to make a fourth movie without him.

Idris Elba - Captain Balthazar Edison/Krall

An ex-MACO for the United Earth Military, Idris Elba’s Captain Edison fought in multiple conflicts with the Romulans as well as the Xindi.

But when the Federation was founded, his military skills and knowledge had no further use, and he felt abandoned by the very governing body he used to fight for. 

When his ship, the USS Franklin, crash-landed on Altamid, Edison took control of the planet’s technology, becoming the devious and disfigured villain known as Krall.

Sofia Boutella - Jaylah

Sofia Boutella’s Jaylah became marooned on Altamid as a young girl after her parents were killed by Krall.

In Beyond , Jaylah has taken up residence in the hull of the USS Franklin , a Federation vessel that went missing around the time of Captain Jonathan Archer’s missions in the mid-2100s.

Joe Taslim - Anderson Le/Manas

Joe Taslim plays Anderson Le, one of Edison’s crewmembers who was mutated into the evil Manas by Altamid’s energy transference tech.

Lydia Wilson - Jessica Wolff/Kalara

Much like her crewmate Le, Lydia Wilson’s Jessica Wolff survived on Altamid by becoming Kalara and serving as one of Krall’s underlings.

Sara Maria Forsberg - Kalara’s Translated Voice

Upon arriving in Yorktown to lure the Enterprise into Krall’s trap, Kalara is fitted with a universal translator collar which converts her alien speech into something more understandable. Sara Maria Forsberg provides the voice of the universal translator.

Deep Roy - Keenser

Deep Roy plays Scotty’s pal and fellow engineer Keenser in all three Kelvin timeline films. In Beyond , a caustic sneeze from Keenser helps the crew melt a lock to get out of a jam.

Melissa Roxburgh - Ensign Syl

An Enterprise crewperson, Melissa Roxburgh’s Syl hides a deadly weapon called the Arbonath in her cranial cavity thanks to some quick thinking on the part of Jim Kirk.

Shohreh Aghdashloo - Commodore Paris

The commanding officer of StarBase Yorktown, Shohreh Aghdashloo‘s Paris was actually added to the movie during reshoots. Some fans have also theorized that she’s an ancestor of Tom Paris from Star Trek: Voyager . 

Greg Grunberg - Commander Finnegan

Greg Grunburg, a longtime staple of J.J. Abrams-affiliated productions, plays Finnegan, an officer stationed in Yorktown’s command center. Fun fact: Finnegan is the alternate reality version of the character by the same name from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Shore Leave."

Danny Pudi - Fi’Ja

Community ’s Danny Pudi makes a cool (cool, cool, cool) cameo as Fi’Ja, a would-be assailant of Scotty’s who is put down by Jaylah.

Kim Kold - Zavanko

Savanko, another alien who tries to attack Mr. Scott on Altamid, is played by Danish bodybuilder Kim Kold.

Fraser Aitcheson - Hider

Fraser Aitcheson plays Hider, the third alien who comes after Scotty and is quickly dispatched by Jaylah.

Douglas Chapman - Sir Olden

Sir Olden, a Starfleet science officer portrayed by Douglas Chapman, is on the Enterprise when it’s brought down by Krall’s swarm ships.

Anita Brown - Tyvanna

One of the Enterprise ’s bridge officers, Anita Brown’s Tyvanna evacuated the ship once it was attacked.

Doug Jung - Ben

Doug Jung wrote Star Trek Beyond ’s screenplay alongside Simon Pegg. He also made a brief appearance in the movie as Ben, Lt. Sulu’s husband.

Dan Payne - Wadjet

A red-shirted Enterprise operations officer, Wadjet, was portrayed by Dan Payne.

Shea Whigham - Teenaxi Leader

Boardwalk Empire ’s Shea Whigam lent his voice to the Teenaxian who appeared in Star Trek Beyond ’s opening scene

Jeff Bezos - Alien Starfleet Official

Jeff Bezos (yeah, that Jeff Bezos) made an easy-to-miss cameo under heavy alien makeup as a Starfleet officer.

Carlo Ancelotti - Yorktown Doctor

Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian football manager, also made a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as a doctor on Starbase Yorktown. He reportedly got the role because he’s friends with Zoe Saldana.

Will Star Trek Beyond Get a Sequel?

Ever since Beyond was released in cinemas in 2016, various attempts at making another sequel have been announced and subsequently shelved.

As the main cast members are typically quite busy, it would be something of a Herculean task to get all their schedules aligned so that they could work on a fourth Kelvin timeline film.

Anything’s possible, however, with Paramount's top brass claiming that they wish to move the Star Trek franchise back into features alongside its healthy TV presence.

Star Trek Beyond is available for purchase where ever movies are sold.

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• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

Star Trek Beyond - Full Cast & Crew

• 68   Metascore
• 2 hr 2 mins
• Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise encounter an alien warrior race when marooned on a distant planet after the destruction of their spaceship.

Star Trek Beyond

• View history

After stopping off at Starbase Yorktown, a remote outpost on the fringes of Federation space, the USS Enterprise , halfway into its five-year mission, is destroyed by a powerful, unstoppable wave of unknown aliens. With the crew stranded on an unknown planet and with no apparent means of rescue, they find themselves in conflict with a new ruthless enemy who has a well-earned hatred of the Federation and what it stands for.

• 1.1 Prologue
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.3.1 Under Roberto Orci
• 4.3.2 Under Justin Lin
• 4.4 Filming
• 4.5 Continuity
• 5.1 Marketing
• 5.2 Posters
• 5.3 Box office
• 5.4 Reception
• 5.5 Merchandise gallery
• 6 Awards and honors
• 7.1 Credits
• 7.4 Second Unit
• 7.5 Dubai Unit
• 7.6.1 Uncredited
• 7.7.1 Unconfirmed
• 7.8 Stand-ins
• 7.9.1 Unconfirmed
• 7.9.2 Companies
• 7.11.1 Graphic references
• 7.11.2 Balthazar M. Edison's personnel file
• 7.11.3 Diagnostic wrap display
• 7.11.4 Public transporter menu
• 7.11.5 Starbase Yorktown memorial wall (unseen material)
• 7.11.6 Spock Prime's holophoto – Senior staff of the USS Enterprise -A
• 7.11.7 Spock Prime's obituary
• 7.11.8 Unreferenced material
• 7.11.9 Deleted graphics references
• 7.12 External links

Summary [ ]

Prologue [ ].

Kirk offering a piece of the Abronath as a gesture of peace

In early 2263 , on the planet of Teenax , Captain James T. Kirk is negotiating a treaty between the Teenaxi Delegation and the Fibonan Republic who are long-term enemies. He presents a piece of an ancient weapon as a gesture of goodwill, but the Teenaxian leader asks where it comes from. When Kirk says the Fibonans acquired it a long time ago, the Teenaxians accuse the Fibonans of stealing the artifact . The Teenaxians (who turn out to be quite small creatures compared to Humans), attack Kirk. As a result, he flips open his communicator and urgently asks Montgomery Scott that he be beamed up. He is eventually evacuated to the USS Enterprise , accidentally taking two Teenaxians with him. Walking down a corridor in his torn uniform, Kirk is followed by Spock and Leonard McCoy . Kirk asks his first officer to log the artifact in the ship's archive vault . " Jim, you look like crap, " McCoy says. Kirk sarcastically thanks the doctor. When McCoy asks the captain if he is all right, Kirk replies, " Never better. Just another day in the fleet. "

Act One [ ]

The crew of the Enterprise anticipate shore leave

The Enterprise arrives at Yorktown

The stardate is 2263.2. It has been nine hundred and sixty-five days since the USS Enterprise began its five-year mission . The Enterprise docks at Starbase Yorktown , an extensive deep space colony containing a large city, to replenish dwindling supplies while the crew takes shore leave . Struggling to find continued meaning in his duties as captain, and becoming increasingly affected by thoughts of the death of his father, George Kirk , Kirk applies for a promotion to vice admiral .

Spock learns that Spock Prime has died

Meanwhile, Spock and Nyota Uhura deal with a time-out in their relationship; Hikaru Sulu reunites with his husband Ben and their young daughter; and Montgomery Scott struggles to keep the ship operational. Spock is also distraught to find that his alternate reality counterpart has recently passed away.

Kalara rescued and brought to Yorktown

An escape pod is found drifting out of a nearby nebula and its occupant, Kalara , claims her ship is stranded on the planet Altamid , which is located past the dangerous, unexplored nebula that will block communications with Starfleet . In a meeting with Yorktown's commanding officer Commodore Paris , Kirk volunteers the Enterprise for the rescue mission, and they get through the nebula with some difficulty, and eventually arrive at Altamid, which Spock finds to be a sparsely-populated class M world. Not long after arrival, the Enterprise comes under attack from a swarm of thousands of small, heavily-armed alien ships. Kirk orders a counterattack, but the Enterprise is overwhelmed by the enemy's sheer volume and strength; the ship's phasers , navigational deflector , and warp nacelles are destroyed within minutes.

The swarm cripples the Enterprise

With the Enterprise crippled and helpless, several of the attacking ships breach the hull, and a boarding party commanded by the swarm's leader, Krall , boards the ship. They make their way to the ship's vault, and on the way there Krall captures and drains the life force from several Enterprise crewmen, leaving them as withered husks. Scott attempts to restore power to the ship's impulse drive by feeding it from the warp core , but Krall orders the swarm to resume its attack. They destroy the neck section of the Enterprise , separating the saucer and engineering hulls, and leaving the saucer powerless due to Scott's modifications, leaving no way of switching over to the saucer's reserve power without a separation . Spock and Dr. McCoy are in a turbolift car that is ejected into space and subsequently captured by a swarm craft, but they managed to get into the craft and overpower its occupants.

Krall boards the Enterprise

Krall arrives at the ship and attempts to get to the vault to take the artifact from the Enterprise 's mission from Teenax. However, Kirk gets to the artifact first and gives it to Ensign Syl before ordering the crew to abandon ship. As the separated engineering hull begins to disintegrate, most of the crew escape in escape pods , only for the swarm ships to capture them and drag them back to the planet. Seeing this, Scott fires himself out of the ship in a advanced long-range torpedo casing.

Kirk on the bridge in the last moments of the Enterprise

Kirk goes to separate the saucer from the neck but Krall attacks him before Kirk can initiate the separation. Uhura goes on to separate the saucer and gets left behind with Krall in the neck section while Kirk is on the saucer side.

The Enterprise 's saucer burning up

Kirk reaches the bridge, which by now is occupied only by Sulu, Chekov , Kalara, and a few other crewmen. However, Chekov reports that the saucer is too badly damaged to keep in orbit, and will crash within minutes. Kirk orders the remaining crew to abandon the ship by Kelvin pods once it enters the atmosphere (though everyone except for himself, Chekov, and Kalara are also captured), and is the last person to leave the Enterprise . Moments later, the saucer crashes into a mountain range, and what remains of it crash-lands in a field, embedding itself into the earth.

Act Two [ ]

Scott, who has landed elsewhere, is saved from some of the planet's unruly inhabitants by an alien scavenger named Jaylah and taken to her makeshift home, which he discovers to be the wreckage of the USS Franklin , which went missing almost one hundred years prior . Meanwhile, the swarm craft hijacked by Spock and McCoy crash-lands on the planet, badly injuring Spock and forcing McCoy to perform some very hasty surgery in order to save his life.

" God, you're getting delirious. "

After discovering that the alien artifact originated from the planet on which they had crash-landed, Spock reveals to McCoy that he is reconsidering his place in Starfleet after Spock Prime's death. The two are then attacked by the swarm only to be saved by Scott, who has repaired the Franklin 's transporter system.

Meanwhile, Kirk and Chekov force Kalara to admit she lured the Enterprise into a trap, claiming that Krall promised to return her crew to her in exchange for the Enterprise and her own crew. With their tricorders having insufficient range to locate the rest of the crew, the trio board the crashed saucer in order to use its sensors. Kirk pretends to go to retrieve the artifact in a corridor and Kalara turns on him and reveals that her "crew" never existed; she's been in league with Krall from the very start. Fortunately, Kirk had seen through her, and Chekov rescues him as more of Krall's troopers arrive. Outnumbered and trapped, Kirk ignites the fuel tank for the saucer's maneuvering thrusters , which allows them to escape, but also causes the saucer to flip over, killing Kalara and the troopers, and causing the fuel tanks to explode, leaving the mostly-destroyed saucer as all that remains of the USS Enterprise .

" You gave your girlfriend a tracking device? " " ...That was not my intention. "

Meanwhile, Krall demands the artifact, threatening to kill Sulu if he does not get it. Syl relents and gives Krall the artifact, which he reveals to be the final component of a weapon called the Abronath that attacks organic tissue and which he intends to unleash on Starbase Yorktown. Krall then tests the weapon on Syl, dissolving her completely in the process.

When the group consisting of McCoy, Spock, Scott, Kirk, Chekov, and Jaylah has ascertained the location of the captured crew through Uhura's vokaya amulet, the group formulates a plan to infiltrate Krall's base. Jaylah is initially fearful of this, remembering the death of her family at the hands of Krall and his people, but Scott and Kirk are able to persuade her to help out.

Act Three [ ]

Spock, Jaylah, and McCoy beam into Krall's base

As Krall departs for Starbase Yorktown, Kirk, McCoy, Spock, and Jaylah rescue the crew before repairing the Franklin and also setting a course for the starbase. Spock and McCoy beam aboard an attacking drone ship and discover a way to disrupt the drones' cohesion, allowing the Franklin and the starbase to destroy much of the drone fleet using discordant noise on a very high frequency (VHF), provided courtesy of Jaylah's collection of "classical" late 20th century music.

After a brief battle between the swarm and Yorktown's defenses, Krall still manages to board the starbase despite the Battle of Yorktown , which eventually culminates in the Franklin intercepting his ships in a maneuver near the starbase's central control complex.

Krall's original identity: Captain Balthazar Edison

As they look for him, Uhura learns from the Franklin 's video logs that Krall's original name was Balthazar Edison and that he was born Human . Before his sudden disappearance, Edison had been the captain of the Franklin . He had been declared missing in action by Starfleet, and had ended up crashing onto Altamid, which was a former mining colony of an alien species known as the Ancient Ones, who had left drone equipment and other technology behind. Edison, and at least two of his crewmates, had used the remains of this technology to prolong their lives, and to build new military vessels. However, the use of the life-extension technology had also rendered the former members of the Franklin unrecognizable as Humans because they acquired some of the biological attributes of the other species they lured for their consumption.

Once Krall/Edison is on board the Franklin , he steals a command division Starfleet uniform and reverts to a mostly Human appearance after draining the life force from several more Enterprise crewmembers, healing the injuries he suffered when his ship was crushed.

Kirk fights Krall to save Yorktown

Krall/Edison prepares to deploy the bioweapon, leading to a chase through the base. Kirk confronts Krall/Edison in the life support hub, and they fight in anti-gravity and weightless conditions in the life support section of Yorktown. Krall/Edison expounds his theory that Humanity needs to be in a state of conflict in order to progress, and that the Federation has stifled this process by bringing about peace in large areas of the galaxy. The fight ends with both Krall/Edison and the Abronath bioweapon being ejected into space, where the Abronath devours him.

Kirk is rescued from suffering the same fate by Spock and McCoy in their hijacked drone. Kirk tells Spock he doesn't know what he would do without him, causing him to contemplate his decision to leave Starfleet.

Spock finds Spock Prime's photo of himself along with his crewmates from his reality

Commodore Paris closes the unsolved cases of the fate of Captain Edison and the crew of the USS Franklin . She commends Kirk for his actions and informs him that his promotion to the admiralty is assured. However, Kirk respectfully declines the offer, his experience having rejuvenated his spirit to be a Starfleet officer, stating that "admirals don't fly". Remaining a starship captain, Kirk allows McCoy to lead him to a gathering where McCoy has planned a surprise birthday party for his friend. At a loss for words, Kirk instead raises a toast to the late starship Enterprise and to their fallen comrades. Spock allows himself a look at some of Ambassador Spock's personal effects and finds a photograph of him and his prime reality comrades on the bridge of their Enterprise .

Kirk's surprise birthday party

Reminding himself of his earlier discussion with Dr. McCoy, Spock elects to live as his alternate self did and remains serving in Starfleet. Kirk offers his condolences on Ambassador Spock's passing to his friend, which Spock accepts and begins to renew his relationship with Uhura. A despondent Jaylah, also present at the gathering, has consumed a large number of alcoholic beverages, which she had been told would "take her edge off", but is clearly not having much of an effect. Hoping to boost her spirits, Scott presents Jaylah with an acceptance letter into Starfleet Academy , courtesy of a few strings pulled by Kirk, who also warns her that Starfleet has many rules but not to follow all of them.

The crew looks at the construction of their new starship

As Kirk and Spock look out of a massive window, they view the construction of a new starship. Considering the perils that had befallen the Enterprise and her crew since they were first assembled five years earlier, McCoy questions whether or not they really should go back out into space. As the starship finishes construction, its primary hull proudly displays her name and registry : USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) . Kirk, Spock, Scott, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura can be heard taking turns paraphrasing Zefram Cochrane :

Log entries [ ]

• Kirk: " Captain's Log , Stardate 2263.2. Today is our 966th day in deep space , a little under three years into our five-year mission . The more time we spend out here, the harder it is to tell where one day ends and the next one begins. It can be a challenge to feel grounded when even gravity is artificial . But, well, we do what we can to make it feel like home. The crew , as always, continues to act admirably despite the rigors of our extended stay here in outer space. And the personal sacrifices they have made. We continue to search for new life forms in order to establish firm diplomatic ties. Our extended time in uncharted territory has stretched the ship's mechanical capacities. But fortunately our engineering department, led by Mr. Scott, is more than up to the job. The ship aside, prolonged cohabitation has definitely had effects on the interpersonal dynamics. Some experiences for the better, and some for the worse. As for me, things have started to feel a little episodic. The farther out we go, the more I find myself wondering what it is we're trying to accomplish. If the universe is truly endless, then are we not striving for something forever out of reach? The Enterprise is scheduled for a reprovisioning stop at Yorktown , the Federation 's newest and most advanced starbase . Perhaps a break from routine will offer up some respite from the mysteries of the unknown. "
• Edison: " Captain's log... I don't remember the stardate. All distress calls unanswered. Of the crew , only three remain . I WON'T ALLOW IT! The indigenous race abandoned this planet long ago. They left behind sophisticated mining equipment and a drone workforce . They have some sort of technology that prolongs life . I will do whatever it takes for me and my crew. The Fed-Federation do not care about us. You'll probably never see me again. But if you do... be ready. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" To perfect eyesight and a full head of hair. "

" You guys break up? What'd you do? " " A typically reductive inquiry, doctor. " " You know Spock, if an Earth girl says, uh, 'it's me, not you', it's definitely you."

" I am Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of the USS Enterprise . And you have committed an act of war against the Federation. " " Federation?! Federation is an act of war. "

" Your captain... why did you sacrifice yourself for him? " " He would have done the same. And if he made it off that ship, he will come for us. " " I am counting on it, Lieutenant Uhura. "

" Yeah, I say it hurts less when it's a surprise. " " If I may adopt a parlance with which you are familiar, I can confirm your theory to be "horseshit". "

" Come now, Montgomery Scotty. "

" Leaving me behind will significantly increase your chances of survival, Doctor. " " Well that's damn chivalrous of you, but completely out of the question. " " It is imperative that you locate any surviving crew. " " Here I was thinking you cared. " " Of course I care, Leonard. I always assumed my respect for you was clear. The dialogue we have had across the years has always... " " It's okay, Spock. You don't have to say it. " [McCoy and Spock are surrounded by three of Krall's drone ships] " Well, at least I won't die alone! " [Spock is beamed out from behind McCoy] " Well that's just typical."

" This is where the frontier pushes back. "

" You're part of something bigger now, lassie. Right? Dinnae give up on that. 'Cause we'll sure as hell never give up on you. That is what being part of a crew is all about. "

" What happened to you out there, Edison? " " Ed-i-son? I have to say, Kirk, I missed being me. We lost ourselves, but gained a purpose! A means to bring the galaxy back to the struggle that made Humanity strong. " " I think you're underestimating Humanity. " " I fought for Humanity! Lost millions to the Xindi and Romulan wars. And for what? For the Federation?! To sit me in a captain's chair and break bread with the enemy! " " We change. We have to. Or we spend the rest of our lives fighting the same battles. "

" You lost. There's no way for you to make it back there! Give up! " " What, like you did?! I read your ship's logs, Captain James T. Kirk. At least I know what I am! I'm a soldier! " " You won the war, Edison. You gave us peace! " " Peace... is not what I was born into. "

" You... can't stop it. You will die. " " Better to die saving lives, than to live with taking them. That's what I was born into. "

" To the Enterprise ... and to absent friends. "

" You really want to head back out there, huh? "

" Space. The final frontier. " " These are the voyages of the starship... " " ... Enterprise . Its continuing mission... " " ...to explore strange new worlds... " " ...to seek out new life... " " ...and new civilizations... " ...to boldly go where no one has gone before. "

Background information [ ]

The film takes place two-and-a-half years into the characters' five-year mission , [1] when the USS Enterprise is attacked by the Swarm and the crew is marooned on an unknown world as a consequence. They gain an ally in Sofia Boutella 's alien warrior, Jaylah. [2]

Idris Elba plays the Swarm's leader, Krall, who detests the Federation's philosophy and opposes its introduction to the wider galaxy. [3] Elba said, " There's definitely an opposing argument to the good that the Federation think they do. There are purists that believe in independence, and believe that we're all made differently for a reason, and will fight tooth and nail to defend that. There's massive relatability to modern world politics in that sense. " [4]

J.J. Abrams had stated he would like more female characters in the sequel. [5] He also mentioned the sequel could fall back on abandoned story ideas for the characters. " There was [an idea] implying the sexuality of one of the characters, a back story for another character that was pretty intense, a really funny story we wanted to do with yet another. Hopefully, if there are future films, those other stories will get their moment, " he said. [6] Roberto Orci has voiced support for having a gay character. [7]

William Shatner was contacted about a possible role in the film. Along with Shatner, Leonard Nimoy had been rumored to appear, in a scene with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto , as the future alternate reality versions of the characters. [8] In the wake of Nimoy's death on 27 February 2015 , Simon Pegg mentioned there would be some tribute to the late actor in the final film. [9] On 27 May 2015 , Pegg mentioned that it was possible Shatner could portray Kirk again at some point, [10] but Shatner confirmed he would not appear and he never discussed it. [11] Shatner's Kirk and Nimoy's Spock appear in the film in a still handled by the actor Zachary Quinto.

Zoë Saldana stated she would dislike it if Spock and Uhura broke up, describing that possibility as potentially "heartbreaking" for her. Concerning the film's action quotient, she speculated, " I'm pretty sure that for this third installment, we'll be able to sort of [...] be more hands-on. " [12] Lin said their relationship will be consistent and acknowledge what came before. [13]

Bruce Greenwood expressed hope that Christopher Pike could return, which he referred to as a "deep, deep wish to come back." Although Pike dies in Star Trek Into Darkness , Greenwood suspected Khan Noonien Singh 's revitalizing blood could be used to bring Pike back to life. As a result, he confirmed, laughing, that he would be interested in reprising the role in " Star Trek III: The Search for Pike ", an in-joke reference to the title of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . In a serious manner, Greenwood related he would be interested in further resolution to the relationship between Pike and Kirk. ( Star Trek Magazine Special 2015 , p. 21) In reference to Kirk, he concluded, " Whatever happens in the third film, it will give the audience a sense of progression and change; an arc and a character that's really growing with them. " ( SciFiNow , issue 80, p. 26)

On 2 February 2015 , the on-line movie and television news site FilmDivider.com reported that, for the new Star Trek film, three new major female roles would be cast. One of them would be the President of the United Federation of Planets , one would be a starship captain , and the third would be an ex-wife of Doctor McCoy , who was to be depicted as having several former wives. The male villain would be a Bryan Cranston -like type and the website also stated that Cranston was in talks with the studio. All this proved to be false. [14]

The working title for this sequel was "Washington" and "Washington Project". [15] [16] [17] On 21 April 2015 , TrekMovie.com announced that Star Trek Beyond "may be the title" of the film. [18] The title was later confirmed by Director Justin Lin . [19]

Development [ ]

Under roberto orci [ ].

Producer Bryan Burk commented that Paramount wanted the third film to take less time to produce than Star Trek Into Darkness took, and that 2016 – the 50th anniversary of Star Trek – would be a logical year to release it. [20] Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman added that Paramount insisted on a 2016 release date. [21]

J.J. Abrams, who directed Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , chose to direct Star Wars Episode VII , and accordingly only produce this film. [22] Abrams noted, " Having directed pilots and movies and then having seen subsequent directors work on those shows or do their own versions of those films – time and again I have seen it done better. " [23] Patrick McKay stated, " Bad Robot , J.J., and his team are really at the heart of this movie's development. They are the guiding light by which we all do our work. J.J.'s been a key part of helping us spin this tale from the beginning, and if there are people who think that we've lost him to Star Wars this time around, that’s not the truth as far as we see it. " [24]

In an interview published on 6 May 2013 , Michael Giacchino expressed he was open to return to score the film, saying, " I’d be happy and honored to do another if that was in the future. " [25]

In August 2013 , then-writing partners Zack Stentz and Ashley Edward Miller pitches to J.J. Abrams a story with an antagonist who "...was more a 'noble adversary' a la Balance of Terror than another Khan . There was also Dyson Sphere [sic] and an ancient, Lovecraftian menace to the galaxy." [26] [27]

In September 2013 , J.J. Abrams acknowledged rumors that Rupert Wyatt could helm the sequel, stating, " He's incredibly talented, and we'd be lucky to have someone as talented as Rupert. But there are things we're focusing on right now before the director, which is just sort of the fundamentals of where the story is gonna go. " [28]

On 2 November 2013 , it was reported that Attack the Block director Joe Cornish was Paramount's choice to direct the film, though reports differed as to whether or not he had already begun negotiations to join the project. According to Variety , Cornish was offered the film once before, in May 2013 , but had turned it down. [29] [30] [31] Abrams voiced his support for Cornish, stating, " I don't know if [he] is the guy. My guess is that's up in the air. I adore him and love him and can't wait to see what he does next. Hopefully, it will be Star Trek." [32]

On 6 December 2013 , it was announced that up-and-coming screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay would be writing the script alongside Roberto Orci. It was also announced that Alex Kurtzman would not be involved with the project, due to work on The Amazing Spider-Man movies and other projects. [33]

In February 2014 , J.D. Payne explained they were trying to come up with a classic Star Trek storyline, where " You should respond to this opportunity that the crew has that also has some pitfalls to it [....] It's sort of the Adam and Eve thing, where should we eat the fruit or not eat the fruit? Well, there are some very compelling reasons why they should and why they shouldn't. So, [there are] similar kinds of things here that really give the whole movie an opportunity to sort of play with that, and have people come down on different sides and wrestle with it. " [34]

In April 2014 , it was revealed Roberto Orci had been lobbying to direct the film, but Paramount was reluctant to allow him, as he had never directed before. However, Bad Robot and Skydance Productions were supportive. [35]

At the US premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness on 2 May 2013 , Damon Lindelof hinted that the prospect the Klingons would declare war on the Federation would come to fruition, and that Benedict Cumberbatch would return as Khan Noonien Singh . [36] However, Lindelof was not involved with the sequel.

Later in May 2013, Paramount relented to Roberto Orci's appeals, offering him the director's chair. [37]

In an interview published on 29 June 2014 , Patrick McKay implied the film may not have a villain, explaining that, while he loved Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , he also loved the other films " that have a little bit more of the character relationships and the humor and some more of the speculative sci-fi elements. " [38]

In July 2014 , Roberto Orci clarified that he was not technically directing the film until Paramount approved the script. [39] On 9 August 2014 , Orci proclaimed he had finished a first draft of the script. [40] On 27 August 2014 , he revealed that the casting process for other characters had begun. [41]

On 18 September 2014 , Zachary Quinto stated he expected the film to start shooting within the next six months. [42] The next day, it was confirmed that shooting would begin in February 2015 , with a summer 2016 release date. An official announcement was to be made soon thereafter with a specific release date. [43]

As the domestic gross of Star Trek Into Darkness (which stood at US$228.5 million) was less than the first film, Paramount made the decision to film the sequel outside Los Angeles to save money. " We're making it for what it should have been shot for last time if we had made it outside of L.A., which we would have done except that [J.J. Abrams] didn't want to, " a studio source told The Hollywood Reporter . " That was a $20 million issue. " [44]

On 29 September 2014 , Mayor Park Wonsoon confirmed he had met with the producers, including Jeffrey Chernov , and confirmed Seoul in South Korea as one of the filming locations for Star Trek Beyond . [45] According to TrekMovie.com, the film would be shot primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which would also be used for outside filming locations. [46]

Roberto Orci officially stepped down from directing the film on 5 December 2014 . Orci remained attached the project as an in-name producer, but ceased to by involved in production. [47] While the film was without a director, Jonathan Frakes lobbied to be given the opportunity to direct the movie. ( SFX , issue 270, p. 63)

Under Justin Lin [ ]

On 22 December 2014 , it was announced that Justin Lin had been hired to direct the film. [48] Two days later, it was announced that Roberto Orci would only produce the film and will no longer be involved in the writing process. [49]

A childhood fan of Star Trek: The Original Series , Lin was called by J.J. Abrams while filming the second season of True Detective . [50] After learning he was not beholden to any previous script, Lin decided to go " new and fresh. The Klingons , Romulans and other species are great, but it's time to go further. It has been fun to focus on creating whole new worlds and species. " [51] Simon Pegg coined the title when he recognized Lin was trying to take Star Trek "beyond". [52]

On 21 January 2015 , it was announced that principal filming would start on 15 April 2015 at Vancouver Film Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. [53] It was also announced that Simon Pegg and Doug Jung would help write the film. [54] Jung came to stay at Pegg's house to co-write the script; whenever they felt they completed enough of the rewrite, they would pass time by watching episodes of the original show. [55] They also consulted Memory Alpha, with Pegg claiming " We actually wrote to the Memory Alpha guys and got them to name a certain device in the movie. I sent them a letter saying, 'Can you come up with this for me?' In two hours, they came back with an entire etymological history of what the thing was. It's beautiful. It’s fantastic to have that support network. " [56]

Simon Pegg commented Paramount felt Roberto Orci's script was " a little bit too Star Trek -y. Avengers Assemble [the release title of The Avengers in the United Kingdom], which is a pretty nerdy, comic-book, supposedly niche thing, made $1.5 billion. Star Trek Into Darkness made half a billion, which is still brilliant. But it means that, according to the studio, there's still $1bn worth of box office that don't go and see Star Trek . And they want to know why. " Pegg described the rewrite as being akin to "mak[ing] 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". [57]

Pegg also explained they wanted to mark the 50th anniversary by deconstructing the franchise. " I felt like it was important to really deconstruct the idea of Star Trek , the idea of the Federation and why it's special. We'll really be poking at a lot of different things. " He also said, " We're gathering a great community within the galaxy, but to what end? What does it all mean? " [58]

The character of Jaylah was inspired by Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Ree in the 2010 film Winter's Bone . Pegg and Jung referred to her by Lawrence's nickname "J. Law", eventually inspiring the name "Jaylah". [59]

On 24 February 2015 , it was reported that filming was pushed back to begin on 1 June 2015 and continue on until September. [60]

In March 2015 , Stephen F. Windon was confirmed as the film's cinematographer, replacing Roberto Orci's choice of Claudio Miranda . [61] It was also confirmed that Nick Satriano had replaced the previously announced First Assistant Director Kim H. Winther . [62]

With the release of the official casting call, it was confirmed that shooting in Vancouver, B.C. would be starting on 15 June 2015 and continuing through 15 October 2015 . To be considered being an actor, extra, or crew member on the new film, a legal eligibility for working in Vancouver was a requirement. Extras casting would get underway in May 2015 . [63]

On 2 June 2015 , it was reported that the first draft of the script had been finished. [64]

On 13 June 2015 , Michael Giacchino said he had not yet talked to the makers of Star Trek Beyond about the prospect of him returning to Star Trek in order to compose this film. The reason no contact had been made was partly because Giacchino himself had been extremely busy but also " because they're in such a crazy schedule crunch [....] But I imagine that I will be talking to them soon about all of this, and we'll figure out what’s going to happen next, " he said. [65]

Deep Roy was confirmed to be returning as Keenser on 8 July 2015 , having canceled a convention appearance for filming on Star Trek Beyond . [66]

On 11 July 2015 , Michael Giacchino announced his participation in the movie by tweeting, " So thrilled to be working with Justin Lin and the rest of the Enterprise crew on Star Trek Beyond ! Let's boldly go! " [67] [68] He commented that Beyond is not as gritty and earthbound as the previous two films, so the score would feel different. [69]

It was announced on 24 July 2015 that Joe Taslim had been cast in a key role opposite Idris Elba. [70]

On 7 August 2015 , Joseph Gatt confirmed that the character he played in Star Trek Into Darkness , Science Officer 0718 , would not be returning for Star Trek Beyond , due to script rewrites eliminating his role from the story. [71]

The Italian press reported on 24 October 2015 that former Chelsea, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti had been cast to play a doctor. [72]

Bryan Burk observed, " In the beginning, you could see a palpable sense of excitement as the cast started to work with [Justin Lin]. " ( SFX , issue 270, p. 71)

Addressing the involvement of Roberto Orci and his co-writers John D. Payne and Patrick McKay, Justin Lin said on 14 December 2015 " The WGA has to figure it out, because I don’t know who those writers are, I never met them. I came on, I had an idea and then Simon and Doug came on. I had one conversation with Orci after I came on, and that was it. " [73]

While the first trailer credited Simon Pegg and Doug Jung , it also credited Roberto Orci , John D. Payne , and Patrick McKay . The second trailer only credited Pegg and Jung.

Due to Warner Bros. Pictures becoming Paramount Pictures, the copy of the Paramount logo that came from the film was replaced with a new copy of the logo on the DVD.

Filming [ ]

Boutella and Lin on set

Lin and Pine on the set of the Franklin 's transporter

It was reported that filming was pushed back again and was to begin on 25 June 2015 . [74]

On 25, 26, 29 and 30 June 2015 , the production filmed scenes in Squamish Boulders , Squamish, British Columbia. Filming took place around the Kacodemon Boulder and Cave Boulder for the first three shooting days. On the fourth day, filming took place south of the Black Dyke Boulder. [75] The filming schedule was updated on 26 June 2015 and the first set photos as well as a sixteen-page filming permit contract went online. [76] [77]

On 26 June 2015 , Executive Producer David Ellison revealed Dubai as a filming location. [78] [79] Three days later, Director Justin Lin revealed that the title was officially Star Trek Beyond , as well as releasing the first officially released set photo. [80]

On 19 July 2015 , TrekCore reported some set photos from a large green screen build-up located at Kent Hangar Field, west of Vancouver International Airport. In addition, an enormous wooden construction was also spotted. [81] This location was later revealed as a filming location for War for the Planet of the Apes . [82]

Between 11 August 2015 and 13 August 2015 , an open casting call for background roles was held by Miranda Davidson Studios at Dubai City Studio Soundstage, Building B, Ground Floor. [83] [84]

On 14 August 2015 , several more set photos were published on the internet, backing the claim that a Federation starship crash landed on a planet. [85]

On 20 August 2015 , the first set photos from the filming were published by ScreenRush.com . Several shots gave a detailed view of Sanja Milkovic Hays ' newly designed Starfleet uniforms and also several shots of an alien character played by Sofia Boutella . [86]

On 22 August 2015 , the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) announced an internship program which would run from 13 September until 15 October 2015. The organization meanwhile also confirmed Dubai was to be used as a filming location for Star Trek Beyond , in October 2015. [87]

On 27 August 2015 and 29 August 2015 , Twitter users reported that Star Trek Beyond was filming at Triangle Road in Richmond, B.C. and at the Pitt River Quarries in Red Deer, B.C. [88] [89]

In October 2015, filming started in Dubai. Filming locations included the desert reserve Platinum Heritage and the Dubai Central Park Towers ground in front of the Central Park Tower and the Platinum Tower. [90] [91] [92] [93]

During their filming in Dubai, several set photos were posted on Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites, including several images and videos of new alien species. [94] [95] [96] [97] [98] [99]

Principal filming wrapped in Dubai on Thursday 15 October 2015 . [100]

On 11 March 2016 , it was announced that reshoots would occur the following week. It was also announced that Shohreh Aghdashloo would be playing the " High Command of the Federation ". [101] Reshoots wrapped up on 17 March 2016 . [102]

Continuity [ ]

• In this installment, James T. Kirk begins sporting the hairstyle of his prime universe counterpart on Star Trek: The Original Series .
• At Starbase Yorktown , Hikaru Sulu meets up with his husband and daughter . It pays homage to former Hikaru Sulu actor George Takei , who is gay. His daughter is possibly Demora Sulu 's alternate counterpart first seen in Star Trek Generations . (This would make her much older than the Demora of the primary timeline, who was born in 2271 .)
• According to logs of the USS Franklin , Balthazar Edison was a MACO major before he was captain of the Franklin . The logs also said that he participated in the Xindi wars , possibly as one of the MACOs assigned to Enterprise NX-01 under Captain Jonathan Archer in ENT : " The Expanse ". It also mentioned that he fought in the Earth-Romulan War .
• The Franklin 's registry number (NX-326) is a reference to Leonard Nimoy’s birthday (March 26). The ship is named after director Justin Lin's father.
• The saucer section crash landing on Altamid is an homage to when the USS Enterprise -D crash-landed on Veridian III in Star Trek Generations .

The " giant green hand " seen in the credits

• One of the many stories of the Franklin 's fate involved a " giant green hand ". This could be an homage to TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ". A giant green hand also appears in the end credits of the film.
• The ripping of James T. Kirk 's shirt at the beginning of the film is an homage to various Original Series episodes such as " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " Shore Leave ", " Court Martial ", and " Amok Time " in which Kirk gets into fights and his shirt is ripped.
• This movie marks the third time an Enterprise is destroyed in a Star Trek film . The original USS Enterprise was destroyed in 2285 in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and the Enterprise -D was destroyed in 2371 in Star Trek Generations .
• This film marks the second time a ship captained by Kirk has crashed into an ocean, the first time being in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , and the third time it made contact with the water, the second time being in Into Darkness , when it was hiding on Nibiru .
• Kirk mentioning the Enterprise being on its 966th day in deep space is a reference to the month that Star Trek: The Original Series first aired: September 1966 .
• This is the second Star Trek film not to feature any scenes taking place on or near Earth . ( Star Trek: Insurrection was the first.)
• The photograph of the prime USS Enterprise -A crew Spock views while looking through Ambassador Spock 's belongings near the end of the film is a publicity photo for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . Terry J. Erdmann commented: " When Spock opened the kit at the end and sees that picture of the original crew, Paula [M. Block] and I just looked at one another. I arranged that photo shoot, getting all the actors together after the fact. They had only shot together as a full cast for a few days, so I had to get the wardrobe, set, lighting, etc. to make that moment happen. I was so pleased to see it on screen when the picture flashed in front of me in the theater. I thought, that photo shoot still has legs ". [103]
• This marks the third movie to feature Kirk's birthday. The first was shown at the beginning of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and the second was the opening scene of Star Trek .
• Kirk having a drink with McCoy as he discusses his life is reminiscent of many such scenes in The Original Series where Kirk sought Bones' counsel, often over a drink, as seen in episodes such as " The Corbomite Maneuver " and " The Ultimate Computer ".
• The drink that McCoy dismisses when he finds Kirk drinking is Saurian brandy , the preferred drink of Kirk and McCoy in The Original Series .
• This is the second film – the first being The Wrath of Khan – where Kirk ponders his future on his birthday.
• The toast McCoy offers to Kirk while sharing Saurian brandy , " To perfect eyesight and a full head of hair ", is interesting considering that in the prime universe, Kirk requires corrective lenses, being allergic to Retinax V .
• The toast Kirk gives at his birthday party in honor of the fallen crewmembers was also spoken by his counterpart in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek Nemesis , and Kor in DS9 : " Once More Unto the Breach ". His toast to the Enterprise also echoes the toast Montgomery Scott raises to the original Enterprise in TNG : " Relics ".
• Commodore Paris could possibly be a distant relative to Admiral Owen Paris and his son, Lieutenant Tom Paris , from Star Trek: Voyager . Simon Pegg later confirmed that Commodore Paris was a nod to Tom Paris from Voyager and stated that the commodore " probably " could have been his grandmother. [104]
• Simon Pegg stated that the names of the two crew members killed by Krall were taken from " Balance of Terror ", Martine and Tomlinson . [105]
• Chekov states that Scotch whisky was invented by an old woman in Moscow . It is reminiscent of Chekov 's dialogue about Scotch from TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ".
• Shortly before the Franklin lifts off from Altamid, Kirk asks Sulu if he can fly it. Sulu turns and says, " You kidding me, sir? ". In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Captain Sulu of the USS Excelsior similarly turned toward Janice Rand and said " Are you kidding? ", when she asked if they should report to Starfleet that Praxis had exploded.
• Given that the film opens on the 966th day of the five-year mission (2 January 2263), it can be extrapolated that the five-year mission began on 12 May 2260 .
• Spock Prime's date of death is listed on screen as stardate 2263.02, ostensibly the same day as 2263.2, when Kirk records his Captain's log early in the film.
• This is the third Star Trek film after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek in which no Klingons appear on screen. While Klingon ships appeared in both other films, this is the first where there is no reference to them at all.
• Karl Urban has said that the medallion he wears at the end of the film, as well as his shirt being open, is an homage to DeForest Kelley 's similar first appearance as McCoy in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . [106]
• Spock's pondering leaving Starfleet to return to New Vulcan (to dedicate his life to completing the late Ambassador Spock's work) is possibly a reference to the fact that in the prime universe, he left the service soon after the end of the five-year mission (as seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) to dedicate himself to the kolinahr discipline. By the end of the events of that film, he had resolved his internal conflicts and had decided that his initially reluctant return to Starfleet was now a permanent one. In this film, Spock ultimately decides, after looking at a photo of Ambassador Spock with his fellow aged Enterprise comrades, that he also belongs with his own Enterprise family.
• This is the first on-screen use of saucer separation since Star Trek Generations , and the first on-screen use by a ship other than the Enterprise -D.
• This film establishes that Kirk's mother, Winona, is still living, as McCoy asks the captain if he will be calling his mother on his birthday.
• With a release at Star Trek 's 50th anniversary, this film includes fifty new alien species. [107]
• In one line, Krall refers to the Federation 's "centuries of expansion"; according to ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ", by the events of the film, the Federation was just over a century old (Although, considering the unknown circumstances of the Franklin 's arrival on this planet, it may be that Krall was the victim of a time dilation effect or Krall has simply lost track of time after so long trapped on Altamid with no awareness of the date on Earth).
• When Scotty beams Spock and McCoy onto the Franklin separately, he explains that it's so they wouldn't become spliced by the cargo transporter, a prospect that McCoy finds horrifying. This references the Voyager episode " Tuvix " – one of the two people put together by the transporter is a Vulcan, Tuvok .
• The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " The Ascent " also features two characters who are often at odds being stuck with each other ( Odo and Quark ) being separated by a one-at-a-time beam-out, with the one initially left behind, Odo, believing Quark has abandoned him (due to death).
• This is the second time in the alternate reality that equipment originally created for mining was used as a weapon (against the Enterprise ); the first was Nero's ship, the Narada .
• In his intercom address during the Enterprise 's mission to Altamid, Kirk states to his crew that " There is no such thing as the unknown, only the temporarily hidden. " His prime timeline counterpart similarly stated to his crew, " there's no such thing as the unknown. Only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood, " in the episode " The Corbomite Maneuver ".
• In Star Trek: The Original Series , the opening tagline ended with " where no man has gone before ", a wording that could be seen as sexist, so in Star Trek: The Next Generation it was changed to " where no one has gone before ". In Star Trek Beyond , the line is spoken (using "no one") by a woman, Uhura .
• Thasus is mentioned in the film. Thasus was the homeworld of the non-corporael Thasian species. It was home to Charles Evans after a transport ship crash-landed on the ship.
• Spock quotes Shakespeare's Measure for Measure , Act 3, Scene 1 - "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope."

Release [ ]

International title cards: English, Castilian Spanish, Chinese (traditional), French, Spanish, Portuguese

In October 2015, Allociné , a French site for the dates of movie releases, reported that, in France, Star Trek Beyond will be released on 24 August 2016 and will be titled Star Trek sans limites . [108] In January 2016, Paramount Pictures France advanced the release date to 17 August 2016 . [109] The release date in Belgium, Switzerland, and French-speaking communities in Europe was also 17 August 2016. The release date in Quebec and New Brunswick provinces and French-speaking communities in North America was 22 July 2016, the same date as the United States. [110]

Despite not being permitted the chance to direct this film, Jonathan Frakes has nonetheless made supportive comments about it. For example, in the lead-up to the movie's release, he has remarked, " I think Justin Lin is going to do a great job. I'm looking forward to that. " ( SFX , issue 270, p. 63)

Marketing [ ]

The Star Trek Beyond cast in the July 2015 Omaze campaign announcement video

Filming of an Omaze video using the codename "Washington"

On 14 July 2015 , the cast of Star Trek Beyond announced "To Boldly Go", a charity campaign in partnership with Omaze to benefit nine different children's charities:

• Brave Beginnings (Zoe Saldana)
• Camp Sunshine (Anton Yelchin)
• Direct Relief (Zachary Quinto)
• Heaven Homes (Idris Elba)
• KidsCan (Karl Urban)
• Koreatown Youth & Community Center (John Cho)
• Make-A-Wish (Chris Pine)
• Time is Precious (Simon Pegg)
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ( Susan Nimoy in honor of Leonard Nimoy)

Those who donated would receive prizes, as well as a greater chance of winning a walk-on part in the film for them and a friend, depending on the amount they give. J.J. Abrams previously announced a similar campaign, " Force for Change ", for Star Wars Episode VII. [111] Each week, two of the cast members announced a winner. [112] The winners included Audrianna Davis and friend Summer, [113] Amy and Karen Ackerman, [114] Steven and Nick, [115] Steve Lamb, Linda, and several others. [116]

Omaze reported on the set visit in late September 2015 [117] and announced Adam Horwitz as the winner of the walk-on role. [118]

A trailer for the film was released online on 14 December 2015 , and premiered in theaters before Star Wars: The Force Awakens . [119] The trailer, which was set to the Beastie Boys ' " Sabotage " as a callback to the 2009 film, drew a mixed response from fans as well as George Takei and Wil Wheaton . [120] Simon Pegg admitted to being surprised by the trailer, speculating " the marketing people [were] saying, 'Everyone come see this film, it's full of action and fun.' When there is a lot more to it than that. I didn't love it because I know there is a lot more to the film. " [121]

A full-length trailer was released on 20 May 2016 , to mixed reviews, but was better received than the teaser.

There is a four-issue comic book series titled Star Trek: Manifest Destiny , though it is not branded as an official prequel to the film like previous IDW Publishing comics Countdown and Countdown to Darkness .

Star Trek Beyond is the first film in the franchise not to have a novelization.

Collectible miniatures of starships from the film have been produced by Snapco and more are slated for release by Hallmark and Quantum Mechanix . Ben Robinson , the project manager of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection partwork magazine, has announced that Eaglemoss Collections will be producing a USS Enterprise and a USS Franklin from the film as special issues. Another Beyond starship design will also be produced. Additional starship miniature premiums will be included with Paramount Pictures ' Amazon.com and Walmart home video releases.

Concept art showing the Franklin has been posted at TrekCore . [122] [123]

On 13 March 2016 , it was reported that Paramount had announced the film's international release dates. Thailand would be the first country to show the film, on 19 July 2016 , and Argentina the last, on 1 September 2016 . [124] [125]

A still from the movie

On 27 March 2016 , the first official still photo from the movie was released as part of USA Today 's summer film preview. [126] [127] More photos were released later, including after the film's second trailer was released. [128]

A promotional single was released for the film in America, " Sledgehammer ", by Rihanna . In China, a different track, " Lost in the Stars " was released by Chinese pop star Zhang Jie (aka Jason Zhang). [129]

Posters [ ]

The first official teaser poster for the film was released alongside the second trailer. [130] Soon after, character posters started being released. [131] The posters featuring Sulu and Uhura had to be re-released following a gaffe that placed their insignia on the wrong side of the uniform. [132]

Box office [ ]

Despite receiving reviews as positive as its two predecessors, Beyond underperformed at the US box office. It opened with US$59.2 million, behind the last two films, and almost a month after its release it only grossed US$196.9 million worldwide, compared to its US$185 million budget. [133] Beyond ultimately grossed US$158.8 million in North America, the lowest total of the three current Star Trek film series, though overseas it made approximately US$183 million, ahead of the first film. At a total gross of US$341.9 million, it was the least successful of the trilogy financially speaking. [134] Not only that, the total gross pitted against its production budget, made Beyond the second all-time worst performing film of the entire Star Trek film franchise in terms of profitability, only surpassed by Star Trek Nemesis . Ironically though, and unlike the latter, Beyond was well received by critics and fans alike, making it as of 2020 the fourth best-received film of the franchise, even beating out, albeit by the slimmest of margins, fan favorite Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – that is, only in this regard as that film was a financial success for the studio.

• see Star Trek films – Performance summary for further particulars.

The substantial loss suffered by the studio on the account of Beyond , played a major part in the cancellation decision in January 2019 of the fourth alternate reality film . [135]

The dismal box-office performance reflected itself in its resultant domestic sales of DVD and Blu-ray Disc home video formats, equally disappointing. According to the professional industry site The Numbers, the Beyond domestic home video sales (excluding the three-film combo releases) had by June 2020 totaled up to US$42.5 million in contrast to Star Trek 's US$200 million and Into Darkness 's US$80.5 million with an additional US$3.8 million for combo releases of the latter two titles. [136]

Reception [ ]

Forbes magazine argued that Paramount should have given the film a lower budget: " The thing that made [ Beyond ] most appealing to the fans, that it played like a smaller-scale 50th anniversary homage to the spirit and tone of the original show, was the thing that arguably doomed it in terms of blockbuster success. Star Trek Beyond was what its fans wanted it to be. There is value in that over the long run. But Paramount and friends need to realize that Star Trek is never going to be a Guardians of the Galaxy -level success and plan accordingly. " [137] The Forbes commentary touched upon the circumstance that while "old guard" Star Trek fans did show up at the theaters, "new", and non-fans alike failed to do so, they at the time being offered a plethora of apparently more attractive (block buster) alternatives, those stemming from The Walt Disney Company by then owned properties in particular. These not only included the cited Guardians of the Galaxy and others from the Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchise, but the productions from the in the meantime revived rival Star Wars franchise as well, as detailed in a later Forbes editorial. [138]

Additionally, the alternate reality film franchise had started to cause a rift between the "old guard" fanbase and newcomers to the franchise, with the former expressing their reservations about the alternate reality (re)incarnation, especially for its lack of "the Roddenberry factor", as Star Trek production staff veteran Doug Drexler had put it, [139] (X) but which was present in Beyond , courtesy Director Justin Lin and Writer Simon Pegg, making it the trio's best received one by the [old guard] fanbase. Whereas newcomers on the other hand had flocked to the first two action packed films, precisely because it was fast paced fun and in line with similar fare offered to them by other franchises which catered to the current tastes of contemporary cinema goers (being coined "fun, popcorn movies" by former Star Trek production staffer Roger Lay, Jr. [140] ), they apparently deemed Beyond as "too Trekkie " to their tastes. [141] [142]

Simon Pegg commented two years after the film's release that Paramount had poorly marketed the film, stating they had waited too long to release a full trailer and that they were afraid of mentioning the 50th anniversary. He also expressed anger at how the teaser ruined the use of "Sabotage" in the movie. [143] (X) Pegg did not deviate from his opinions as he reiterated them in March 2020 to IndieWire in an even more outspoken fashion. [144] Incidentally, the studio appeared to have deemed the film "too Trekkie" as well, explaining their marketing decisions regarding the heavy emphasis on action and fun, as related above . Furthermore, Pegg himself came by and large to agree with the Forbes assessment when he at a later point in time – in the process expressing his own personal doubt on the continued existence of the alternate reality and/or the film franchise as a whole for that matter – stated to Collider ,

"The fact is, the appeal of Star Trek is slightly more niche than the appeal of, say, the Marvel movies, which make huge amounts of money, and have this really, really broad appeal and they do very well. I think Star Trek is just a little bit more niche, so it isn’t gonna hit those kind of numbers. So yes, the obvious thing to do would be to not go for that massive spectacle, go for something a little bit more restrained in the vein of the original series. Yes, that would be a brilliant thing to do, and I’m sure it probably has been discussed… You specialize a little bit more. (...) Maybe TV is a better place for [Star Trek] now. Television has evolved so much. It's become something which is very much a contemporary, a peer of cinema. It's simply viewed in a different way. It isn't a reduced scope anymore. You can still do masses of interesting things, and it can still look modern and not inexpensive. Maybe television is a better format for Star Trek. That's where it started, you know." [145]

What Beyond , or rather its poor box office performance, had abundantly and conclusively demonstrated though, was that the reliance on the traditional Star Trek fanbase alone for a motion picture production to become financially viable, was not enough due its relatively small numerical size of potential cinema visitors, especially from the 1990s onward when production costs exploded from double to triple digit millions of dollars, and arguably never had been. Any new Star Trek motion picture production, be it a film or a television production, especially those conceived from the 1990s onward, needed to attract a viewership that extended well beyond "Trekdom" alone, and which was something Paramount was actually already acutely aware of since Berman -era Star Trek . ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , pp. 139-140) It is this circumstance in particular that explained the ponderous and sluggish development of a projected fifteenth film ; Paramount needs a film that is appealing to an audience as broad as possible, [146] the aforementioned Forbes admonishment notwithstanding – hence the resurfacing of the "too Trekkie" qualifier in regard to that projected film.

• See also in this regard: Star Trek films – Gross vs net profitability

Merchandise gallery [ ]

Awards and honors [ ]

Star Trek Beyond received the following awards and honors.

Links and references [ ]

Credits [ ].

John Cho Simon Pegg Chris Pine Zachary Quinto Zoë Saldana Karl Urban Anton Yelchin And Idris Elba

Sofia Boutella Lydia Wilson

Paramount Pictures And Skydance Present

In Association with Alibaba Pictures

In Association with Huahua Media

A Bad Robot Production

A Sneaky Shark Production

A Perfect Storm Entertainment Production

A Justin Lin Film

In Loving Memory of Leonard Nimoy

• Captain James T. Kirk – Chris Pine
• Commander Spock – Zachary Quinto
• Doctor "Bones" McCoy – Karl Urban
• Lieutenant Uhura – Zoë Saldana
• Montgomery "Scotty" Scott – Simon Pegg
• Sulu – John Cho
• Chekov – Anton Yelchin
• Krall – Idris Elba
• Jaylah – Sofia Boutella
• Manas – Joe Taslim
• Kalara – Lydia Wilson
• Keenser – Deep Roy
• Ensign Syl – Melissa Roxburgh
• Tyvanna – Anita Brown
• Ben – Doug Jung
• Fi'Ja – Danny Pudi
• Zavanko – Kim Kold
• Hider – Fraser Aitcheson
• Matthew MacCaull ( Blue Shirt 1 )
• Emy Aneke ( Blue Shirt 2 )
• Commodore Paris – Shohreh Aghdashloo
• Commander Finnegan – Greg Grunberg
• Jennifer Cheon ( Control Tower Technician 1 )
• Jarod Joseph ( Control Tower Technician 2 )
• Jeremy Raymond ( Control Tower Technician 3 )
• Kissing Guy – Harry Han
• Kissing Girl – Gina Brinkman
• Injured Red Shirt – Adam DiMarco
• Orion Girl – Fiona Vroom
• Chancellor Ambassador – Richard Laurence
• Sir Olden – Doug Chapman
• Wadjet – Dan Payne
• Jin – Anthony Shim
• Jeanine – Andrea Yu
• Teenaxi Leader – Shea Whigham
• Jae – Christian Sloan
• Krall's Henchman – Jake Huang
• Night Watch Captain – Priya Ragaratnam
• Yorktown Red Shirt – Luka Hays
• Thomas Cadrot ( USSE Bridge Crew 1 )
• Jennifer W. Evans ( USSE Bridge Crew 2 )
• Roxanne Fernandes ( USSE Bridge Crew 3 )
• Jake Foy ( USSE Bridge Crew 4 )
• Jodi Haynes ( USSE Bridge Crew 5 )
• Nathan Jean ( USSE Bridge Crew 6 )
• Tarun Keram ( USSE Bridge Crew 7 )
• J.P. Mulcaster ( USSE Bridge Crew 8 )
• Edwin Rodriguez ( USSE Bridge Crew 9 )
• Alex Rose ( USSE Bridge Crew 10 )
• Polina Soldatova ( USSE Bridge Crew 11 )
• Sarah Yu ( USSE Bridge Crew 12 )
• Ian Nsenga ( USSE Bridge Crew 13 )
• Natalia – Ashley Edner
• Kalara Alien VO – Sara Maria Forsberg
• Starfleet Official – Jeff Bezos

Second Unit [ ]

Dubai unit [ ], uncredited [ ].

• Fernanda Alcantara – Photo Still
• Halit Alptekin as USSE Crew
• Carlo Ancelotti as Yorktown doctor
• Justin Anthony as Swarm Soldier
• Nicole Anthony as USSE Bridge Crew
• Alika Autran as Franklin Crew
• Eric Banerd as Swarm Soldier
• Ness Bautista
• Jonathan Buckhouse as Swarm drone
• Ashley Edner as Pesca
• Chuka Ekweogwu as USSE Crew
• Lucius Fairburn as Blue Shirt / Red Shirt / Yellow Shirt
• Jabbz Farooqi as Lieutenant
• Rebecca Fielding – Extra: Dubai
• Justin Fortier as Swarm Soldier
• Calum Grant
• Ugnė Gražytė as FBI Agent
• Cindy Harlow as Vulcan ambassador
• Joel Harlow as Vulcan ambassador
• Rich Hill as USSE Bridge Crew
• Adam Horwitz
• Rebecca Husain as Enterprise crewmember
• Sorena Khanlou as Swarm Soldier
• Nick Langmead – Extra: Dubai
• James Lawson as Swarm Soldier
• Richard David Lecoin as Swarm Soldier
• Oqwe Lin as boy
• Simon MacIntyre as USSE Bridge Crew
• Trevor Mack as Enterprise crewmember
• Christian Mandel as Civilian / Starfleet Officer
• Natalie Moon as Control Tower Tech
• J.P. Mulcaster as Enterprise crewmember
• Kane Nelson as Swarm drone
• Gai-Lanne Pepper as Enterprise crewmember
• Werner Pretorius as Boltaan
• Marc Primiani as Enterprise crewmember
• Rihanne Quionn as Sulu's daughter
• Jeff Reyes as Swarm Soldier
• Harpreet Sandhu as USSE Bridge Crew
• Arlene Santana as USSE Bridge Crew
• Nick Satriano as Red Shirt Rescue Crew
• Jason Matthew Smith as Hendorff
• Bryce Soderberg as Satine
• Jamie Soricelli as Enterprise crewmember
• Adam Stone as Cabinet Member
• Justin Stone as Security
• Jaewon Suh as Swarm Soldier
• Nicole April Webster
• Natasha Young as USSE Bridge Crew
• Alan Yu as Swarm Soldier
• Sam Yunussov as Swarm Soldier
• Randall Cormier
• Angela Martine
• Meghan Noble
• Britni Peters
• Craig Smith
• Robert Tomlinson
• Laura Yanovich
• Purple-skinned alien girl
• Female Vulcan ambassador
• Male Vulcan ambassador

Stunt department [ ]

• Andrew Emilio DeCesare – Pre-Production stunt performer
• Alice Ford – Pre-Production stunt performer
• Jake Huang – Stunts

Unconfirmed [ ]

• Philip Chang – Stunt Performer
• Paul Lazenby – Stunt Performer/Stunt Rigger
• Don Lee – Stunts
• Brian Lydiatt – Stunt Rigger
• Dave Phillips – Utility Stunts
• Hugo Steele – Stunt Performer

Stand-ins [ ]

• Jade Pattenden – stand-in and photo double for Zoe Saldana
• Omar Adam – Production Assistant: Dubai
• Mike Aichholz – Assistant Accountant
• Faisal Al Kaabi
• Richie Alonzo – Creature Sculptor
• Francisco Alvarez – CG Artist: Double Negative
• Chyla Anderson – Film Score Vocalist
• George Antzoulides – Previsualization Artist: Proof Inc.
• Brandon Aquino – Camera department
• Chris Arnold – Art Department Assistant
• Jyoti Arora – Roto Artist: Double Negative
• Anoushka Babur – Production Intern: Dubai
• Chris Baer – Mold Maker
• Rico Bailey – Location Assistant: Dubai
• Kurt Barretto – Production Assistant: Dubai
• Heather W. Barth
• Alvaro Bataller – Digital Compositor: Double Negative
• Todd Bates – Mold Maker
• Ashley Bell – Second Assistant Director
• Dave Benediktson
• Babak Bina – 3D Artist: Double Negative
• Bryan Blair – Mold Maker
• Gerald Blaise – Concept Artist: ILM
• Roland Blancaflor – Silicone and Foam Casting Artist
• Jacob Bond – Best Boy Electric/Lighting Technician
• Phillip Joseph Boutté, Jr. – Costume Concept Artist
• Matt Bowler – Cyber Scanning 3D Artist: Clear Angle Studios LTD
• Andrea Brown – Extras Casting Director
• Nancy Anna Brown – Set Designer
• Lee J. Buckley – Techno Dolly Crane Operator
• Steve Buscaino – Silicone and Foam Casting Artist
• Norman Cabrera – Creature Sculptor
• Merve Cangokce – Makeup Artist: Dubai
• Brad Carlson – VP Physical Production: Paramount Pictures
• Stephen Carr – Personnel Driver: Chris Pine
• Michael Cawood – Previs Supervisor: Proof Inc.
• Jordane Chedotal – Art Department Assistant: Dubai
• Jason Claridge – Head Scenic Paint Coordinator
• Leigh Clarke – Unit Production Manager: Dubai
• Philip Coleman – Technocrane Operator
• Siobhán Condon – VFX Production Coordinator: Double Negative
• Robert Consing – Storyboard Artist
• Hamza Darbar
• Greg D'Auria – Editor
• Miranda Davidson – Extras Casting Director: Dubai
• Andrew Del Rosario – Set Decorator/Swing Gang Boss
• Francesco Dell'Anna – Digital Compositor: Double Negative
• Natasha Denis
• Nuwan de Zoysa – Key Assistant Location Manager: Dubai
• Kay Di Rezze – Assistant Accountant: Dubai
• Pranali Diwadkar – Assistant Set Decorator: Dubai
• Neville Dsouza – Transportation Coordinator: Dubai
• Olivier Dubard – Gerealist TD: Double Negative
• Denny Dugally – Art Director
• Matthew Duvall – Compositing Lead: Atomic Fiction
• Katerina Dzolganovski – CG Artist: Double Negative
• John Eaves – Concept Designer: Props
• Scotty Eugene Fields – Mold Maker
• Mohammad Ahmed Fikree – Intern
• Warren Flanagan – Concept Illustrator
• Tim Flattery – Concept Designer: Ships
• Christopher Ford – Generalist Technical Director: Double Negative
• Jeremiah Forkkio – Previs Artist: Bad Robot Productions
• Dave Freeman ' – Concept Artist: Double Negative
• Dionys Frei – Aerial Drone Pilot: DediCam
• Christopher Friend – Photogrammetry Cyberscanning Service: Clear Angle Studios LTD
• Natasha Gale – Costume Production Assistant
• Caroline Jimenez Garcia – Layout Technical Director: Double Negative
• Mayra Garcia
• Lyall Gardiner – Location Manager: Dubai
• Natasha Gerasimova – Art Director
• Paul Giordano – Assistant Location Manager
• Peter Gluck – Key Assistant Location Manager Overseas Pre-Production
• Ruslan Goj – Production Assistant: Dubai
• Liz Goldwyn – Set Designer
• Catarina Gonçalves – Rotoscopr Artist: Double Negative
• Ann Goobie – Location Manager
• Mike Gunther – Second Unit Director
• Kevin Haaland – Stand-in: John Cho
• John Halfman – Mold Maker
• Rupert Hancock – Set Dresser/DMX LED Lighting Technician
• Rod Haney – Rigging Grip
• Sean Hargreaves – Special Effects Aerial Unit Director/Senior Concept Designer
• Dan Hermansen – Art Director
• Earl Hibbert – Previsualization Supervisor: Proof Inc.
• David Holm – Transportation Coordinator
• Chen Kuang Hsu – Matchmove Artist: Atomic Fiction
• Dwight Huet – Construction Foreman: Dubai
• Daniel Ibeabuchi – Grip Assistant: Dubai
• Gregory Irwin – First Assistant "A" Camera Operator
• Mohammed Ismail – Electrician
• Faldela Issel
• James Jackson
• Jack Jenkins – Roto Artist: Double Negative
• Romain Joly – Visual Effects Artist: Double Negative
• Lee Joyner – Sculptor
• Doug Jung – Original Screenplay Writer
• Rochard Kamel – Location Manager: Dubai
• Pradeep Kankara
• Jenna Kerr – VFX Associate Producer: Atomic Fiction
• Sara Khangaroot – Visual Effects Production Manager
• Lukas Tiberio Klopfenstein – Roto/Prep Artist: Double Negative
• Vikram Kulkarni – Digital Compositor: Double Negative
• Josh Lange – Previsualization Artist: Proof Inc.
• Don Lanning – Creature Sculptor
• Jenne Lee – Art Department Coordinator: Dubai
• Simon Lee – Concept Artist/Sculptor
• Eric Lemay – Special Effects Technician
• Andrew Li – Assistant Art Director
• Gil Liberto – Head Mold Maker
• Peter Lliev
• Kew Lin – Rotoscope Artist: Double Negative
• Irma Lotosova – Wardrobe Stylist
• Don Macaulay – Supervising Art Director
• Abdulrahman Al Madani – Intern
• Garry Maddison – Colorist: Double Negative
• África Aguirre Martin – Studio/Data Management: Double Negative
• Victor Martinez – Concept Illustrator
• Patrick Mashaba – Camera and Electrical Department
• Alecia Maslechko – Production Assistant
• Josh McCarron – Silicone and Foam Casting Artist
• Robert Bruce McCleery – Second Unit Director of Photography
• Patrick McKay – Writer
• Michael McMullen – Set Security
• Uzair Merchant – Assistant Art Director: Dubai Unit
• Milos Milosevic – 2D Sequence Supervisor: Double Negative
• Regan Mitchell – Grip
• Andreas Maaninka – Lead Modeler: Double Negative
• Maxim Molchanov – Set Dresser
• Jeremy Mooney-Somers – Effects Technical Director: Double Negative
• David Moreau – Digital Set Designer
• Eva Morgan – Production Coordinator
• Tim Moshansky – Location Scout
• Andrew E.W. Murdock – Additional Photography Production Designer
• Ian Mussell – Grip
• Amit Narwani – Matchmove Artist: Double Negative
• Katrina Navassartian – Visual Effects Associate Producer: Double Negative
• Kane Nelson – SAE/Assistant to Movement Coach
• Michael Nickiforek – Special Effects Makeup Artist
• Alex Noble – Silicone and Foam Casting Artist
• Aaron Noordally – Prep/Paint Artist: Double Negative
• Brian Oberquell – Special Effects Artist: Center Forward Productions, Inc.
• Marc Opdycke – Creature Sculptor
• Joey Orosco – Creature Sculptor
• Paul Ozzimo – Concept Illustrator
• Peter Pacula – Best Boy Rigging Grip
• J.D. Payne – Writer
• Philip Pendlebury – Visual Effects Artist: Double Negative
• Manuel Perez – Digital Compositor: Double Negative
• Lauren E. Polizzi – Art Director
• Anne Porter – Digital Set Designer
• Xin Yi Puah – VXF Editor: Double Negative
• A. Martin Puentes – Character Animator
• Rushab Punmiya – Visual Effects Artist: Double Negative Vancouver
• Mandy Raubenheimer – Assistant Accountant
• Dominic Ridley – Photogrammetry Cyberscanning Service: Clear Angle Studios LTD
• Cassandra Rodriguez – Executive Assistant: Paramount Pictures
• Erick Rodriguez – Creature Sculptor
• Matt Rose – Creature Sculptor
• Mike Rotella – Creature Sculptor
• Raju Sadekar
• Johnnie Saiko – Mold Maker
• Rhys Salcombe – 3D Sequence Supervisor: Double Negative
• Rodolphe Saleh
• Janine Schiro – First Assistant Accountant
• Scott Schneider – Specialist Set Designer
• Benoit Terminet Schuppon – Layout Artist: Double Negative
• Melissa Shafiq – Makeup Artist: Dubai
• Daniel Sheridan – Location Assistant: Dubai
• Oksana Shumylo
• Andrew M. Siegel – Property Master
• Romain Simonnet – Generalist TD/Environment TD/Digital Matte Painter: Double Negative
• Miro Skandera – Previsualization Artist: Bad Robot Productions
• Craig W. Smith – VFX Editor
• Sean Stranks – Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative
• Peter Stratford – Set Designer
• Christo Streak – Accounts Assistant
• Alan Stucchi – Roto and Prep Site Supervisor-Compositor: Double Negative
• Marius Swart – Best Boy Grip: Dubai
• Raghav Tandon – Production Assistant: Bad Robot Productions
• Andy Taylor – Visual Effects Producer: Double Negative
• Rhonda Taylor – Second Assistant Director
• A.J. Teshin – Off-Camera Singer
• Miles Teves – Creature Sculptor
• Gareth Thomas
• Sarah Jane Thompson – Makeup Artist: Dubai
• Ty Thomson – Previz Artist
• Davide Tiraboschi – Aerial Drone Camera Operator: DediCam
• Roger Tortosa – Lighting and Senior Generalist TD: Double Negative
• George Max Trummler – Third Assistant Director: Dubai
• Pedro Valdez – Mold Maker
• Rebecca Valente – Editor: Bad Robot Productions
• Amy Vatanakul – Previsualization Artist: Bad Robot Productions
• A.J. Venuto – Mold Maker
• Karina Villagrana – Makeup department
• Cameron Ward – Previsualization Artist: Proof Inc.
• Callum Webster – Set Designer
• Lindsay Welff – Assistant Property Master: Dubai
• Neil West – Lookdev and Lighting Technical Director: Double Negative
• John Wrightson – Creature Sculptor
• Plamen Yosifov – Art Department Staff
• Lawrence Zalasky – Layout Technical Director: Double Negative
• Milena Zdravkovic – Concept Designer
• Monislav Zhelyazkov – Set Dresser
• Mohamed AbouAhmed – Scenic Artist: Dubai/Set Plasterer: Vancouver
• Brandon Allen – Special Effects Technician
• Samuel Allison – Extras Casting Assistant
• Anthony Almaraz – Key Costumer
• Salim Alrazouk – Art Director: Dubai
• Adam Al-Samarae – Location Assistant: Dubai
• Marcos Arias – Writer
• Scott Andrew Armstrong – Rigging Grip
• Tara Arnett – Graphic Designer
• Leona Atkinson – Construction Accountant
• Tania Baaklini – Hotel and Visa Coordinator: Dubai
• Eric Bachtiar – Data Operations
• Kristian Bakstad – Stand-in
• Kurt Barretto – Office Production Assistant
• Christopher Batty – Pre-visualization Supervisor: Kelvin Optical
• Bill Baxter – Electrician
• Eric Benedict – Previsualization Artist
• Richard Bennett – Storyboard Artist
• Kris Bergthorson – Concept Designer
• Justin Bertges – Costumer: Quantum Creation FX
• Uttham Bhalaykar – Roto Prep
• Jacob Bond – Rigging Electric Lighting Technician
• Jeff Bonny – Best Boy Rigging Grip
• Cole Boughton – Key Production Assistant
• Peter Boyer – Orchestrator
• Becky Brake – Supervising Location Manager
• Michael Brazelton – Compositing Supervisor
• Keith Brookes – Set Wireman
• Kurt Bruun – Assistant Property Master
• Shaun Bullied – Digital Asset Manager
• Zack Bunker – Digital Asset Manager
• Richard K. Buoen – Storyboard Artist
• Riki Butland – "C" Camera Operator
• Benjamin Cairns – Third Assistant Director
• Leslie Cairns – Cutter
• Loree Cameron – Graphic Designer
• Lanny Campbell – Key Ager/Dyer
• Matthew Campbell – Lead Greensman
• Max Cannella – Production Coordinator: Paramount Pictures
• Andrea Carter – Art Department Coordinator
• Chris Cavanaugh – Digital Imaging Technician
• David C.P. Chan – Action Sequence Contributor
• Julian Chapdelaine – Grip: Vancouver
• Jesse Chapman – Assistant Editor
• John Chaschowy – Lead Greensman
• Lynn Chaulk – Scenic Artist
• Clem Chen – Painter
• Tom Chen – Video Assist Assistant
• Michael A. Cheng – Photo Double/Stand-in
• Peter Chiang – Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative
• Stephen Cholakis – Driver: Set Decorations
• Steve Christensen – Art Director
• Genevieve Claire – Visual Effects Line Producer
• Kelly Coe – Special Effects Fabricator
• Steve Collins – Special Effects Fabricator
• Joey J. Cook III – Second Unit "A" Camera Operator
• Christian Cordella – Costume Concept Artist
• Dave Cory – First Assistant Editor
• Marcela Coto – Previs Coordinator: Proof Inc.
• Brian Cunningham – Concept Illustrator
• John Dale – Construction Coordinator
• Joe Datri – Hydrascope Technician
• Nicholas Dent – Grip
• Olivier Deveux – Digital Matte Painter: Atomic Fiction
• Allison Dillard – Production Safety
• Nick Diomis – Unit Driver
• Daren Dochterman – Prop Concept Artist
• James Doh – Storyboard Artist
• Whitney Donald – Researcher
• David Dowling – Property Master
• Kim Doyle – VFX Production Supervisor
• Cameron Drinkle – Video Coordinator
• Kirsten Dumont-Aubrey – Sculptor
• Rhonda Earick – Costumer Ager/Dyer
• Troy Eirich – Props
• Spencer Ennis – 2nd Unit 2nd Assistant "A" Camera Operator
• James Fantin – Accounting Clerk
• Lisle Fehlauer – Set Dresser
• Suzie Fox – Production Assistant
• Kimberly French – Still Photographer
• Jeff Frost – Concept Model Maker
• Jack Gauvreau – Head Sculptor
• Chris Gibbins – Second Unit First Assistant Camera Operator
• Selena Ginger – Payroll Accountant
• Betsy Glick – Costumer
• Sean Goojha – Assistant Art Director
• Dan Gorval – Best Boy Grip
• Dave Greenbaum – Driver: Hair and Makeup
• Caitlin Groves – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Geoffrey Haley – Steadicam Operator: "A" Camera Operator
• Rupert Hancock – Set Dresser/Set Wireman
• Rod Haney – Rigging Grip Best Boy
• Michael Hanna – Lighting Technician/Set Wireman
• Tommy Harper – Executive Producer
• Melissa Harrison – Assistant Property Master
• Chris Hatchwell – Special Effects Assistant
• James L. Head – Grip
• David Heffler – Makeup FX Coordinator
• Chris Henderson – Animator: Props
• Amy Hetland – Set Costumer
• Rob Hinderstein – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Steven Hoffart – Set Dresser
• Eliza Hooker – Set Decoration Coordinator
• David Husby – Sound Mixer
• Ron Irvine – Transportation Captain
• Elsey Israel – Trainee Assistant Director/Production Assistant
• Annie Jackson – Social Media Specialist: Bad Robot
• Anne Jacobsen – Production Accountant
• M. Faraz Javed – Production Staff
• Trevor Johann – Production Assistant
• Cameron Johnson – Assistant Colorist: Double Negative
• Meaghan Irene Johnson – Additional Trainee Assistant Director
• Dave Joshi – Video Coordinator
• Tex Kadonaga – Set Designer
• Kevin Kasper – Set Dresser
• Leon Keegan – Facilities Captain: Dubai
• Joel Kennedy – Third Assistant Director
• Daniel Castle King – Production Secretary: Los Angeles
• Richard Klein – International Political Advisor
• Scott Kozak – Grip Rigger
• Scott Kukurudz – Additional Third Assistant Director
• Tracy Lai – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Janet Lane – Payroll Clerk
• Vince Laxton – Set Wireman
• Ken Lebre – Senior Dailies Producer
• Michelle Lee – First Assistant Accountant
• Sarah Lemmon – Lighting Data Coordinator
• Terry Lewis – Lead Dresser
• Sandy Lindala – Prosthetics Coordinator
• Stephen Richard Lofstrom – Stand-in: Zachary Quinto
• Nathan Longest – Propmaker
• Spencer Louttit – Assistant Property Master
• Shawn Luke – Set Dresser
• Rohan Lyal – Head Greensman
• Jessica Lythgoe-Green – Canadian Costume Supervisor
• Mark MacDonald – Office Production Assistant
• Richard MacDonald – Lighting Technician
• Harlow MacFarlane – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Boris Maganic – Sculptor
• Jacqueline Makkee – Special Effects Technician: Film Illusions
• Jeff Markwith – Set Designer
• Andrew Masterson – Helicopter Pilot: Dubai
• Nick Mather – Set Dresser
• Sarah Mather – Second Assistant Camera Operator
• Brian Maxwell – Trainee Assistant Director
• Carol McConnaughey – Unit Publicist
• Andrew Lee McConnell – Set Designer
• Christopher McDonald (editor) – Dailies Operator
• Michael McLellan – Second Unit Key Grip
• Curtis McParland – Special Thanks
• Shane Meehan – Roto Supervisor
• Himanshu Meena – Senior Matchmove Artist
• Mark Mentiply – Special Effects Technician
• J.J. Mestinsek – Scenic Paint Foreman
• Valeria Migliassi Collins – Script Supervisor
• Dave Miller – Driver: Cast
• Juhlene Moller – Payroll Accountant
• Ryan Monro – Dolly Grip
• Roderick Dryden Morrison – Production Assistant
• D. Martin Myatt – Assistant Property Master
• C. Michael Neely – Previsualization Artist: Proof Inc.
• Andy Nettleton – Helicopter Pilot: Dubai
• Christopher Newman – Matchmove Artist: Prime Focus
• Kieu Nguyen – Head Cutter
• Meghan L. Noble – First Assistant Editor
• Jordan Nounnan – Previsualization Artist: Proof Inc.
• Ron Novak – Set Dresser
• Timothy Oakley – Prop Fabricator
• Carrie O'Bray – Transportation Co-Captain
• Susan O'Hara – Costume Set Supervisor
• Brad Oleksy – Grip
• Martin Ostrom – Construction Crew/Lead Laborer
• Harry E. Otto – Art Director
• Ken Palkow – Prop Fabricator
• Robert A. Pandini – Hair Stylist
• Jessica Parks – Post-Production Supervisor
• Eric C. Pike – Production Controller
• Douglas Plasse – Second Unit First Assistant Director
• Charles Porlier – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Emily Putz – Special Effects Assistant
• Andrea Quaglio – First Assistant "C" Camera Operator: Dubai
• Paul Rabjohns – Music Editor
• Aline Rajan-Harjani – Transportation Coordinator
• Yesi Ramirez – Casting Associate
• Jim Ramsay – Set Designer
• Zina Richardson – Costume Buyer
• Katelyn Rodgers – Specialty Costumer
• Christopher S. Ross – Concept Illustrator
• Aja Kai Rowley – Art Department Assistant
• Tyler Ruocco – Assistant Editor
• Keith Saayman – Libra Technician
• Nava R. Sadan – Costume Supervisor
• Sonya Savova – Set Designer
• Tysen Schieber – Boom Operator
• Douglas J. Scott – Art Department Assistant
• Anna Seltzer – Costumer
• Trey Shaffer – Graphic Textile Designer
• Brian Shaw – Second Unit Camera Trainee
• Hugh Sicotte – Concept Artist
• Dennis Simard – Lead Set Dresser
• Tim Simonec – Orchestrator
• Eira Katrine Sletbak – Assistant Production Office Coordinator: Dubai
• Dane Allan Smith – Visual Effects Producer: Daneiam, Inc.
• Jeremy Stanbridge – Art Director
• Vincent Stander – Production Assistant
• Irena Stepic – Assistant Costume Designer
• Aaron Stewart – Lighting Technician
• Bryan Sutton – Set Designer
• Sophia Tapia – Payroll Accountant
• James Tavet – Matchmove Artist: Atomic Fiction
• Chris Tilton – Orchestrator
• Khanh Trance – Special Makeup Effects Hair Artist
• Stacy L. Tyson – Costumer
• Alex Van Nieuwkuyk – Dailies Operator
• Alexander Vegh – Pre-Visualization Supervisor: Proof Inc. /Second Unit Director
• Spencer Village – Rigging Lighting Technician
• Alan Villanueva – Costume Concept Artist
• Estelle Vockerodt – Assistant Accountant
• Paul Wagner – Props
• Thomas Walker – Second Unit Digital Utility
• Stephanie Walker-Wells – Production Supervisor
• Heather Wasylchuk – Assistant Special Effects Buyer
• Juniper Watters – Sound Utility
• Beth Welch – Second Unit Third Assistant Director
• Randall D. Wilkins – Set Designer
• Allen Williams – Concept Artist
• Joe Wolkosky – Set Designer
• Amos Wong – Special Effects Electronics
• Sauyan Wong – Data i/o Manager
• Steve Woroniecki – Supervising Location Manager
• Jane Wu – Storyboard Artist
• Gary Young – Set Sculptor
• Khaled Zaazouh – Aerial Coordinator: Dubai
• Mariela Zapata – Set Costumer/Stand-in
• Lye Zechari – Matchmove Artist: Double Negative
• Brad Zehr – Special Effects Set Supervisor
• Jason Zorigian – Production Coordinator: Los Angeles

Companies [ ]

• April Webster & Associates – US Talent Casting
• Atomic Fiction – Visual Effects Company
• Audiolink Radio Communications – Walkie Talkies
• Center Forward Productions, Inc. – Production Company
• Clark & Page Casting – Canada Talent Casting
• Clear Angle Studios LTD – Visual Effects Company: Cyber Scanning
• Codex Digital – Digital Recording Equipment
• Cool Air Rentals LTD
• Daneiam, Inc. – Special Effects Company
• DediCam – Aerial Drones
• Double Negative – Visual Effects Company
• Entertainment Partners Canada – Payroll Services
• Film Illusions – Special Effects Company
• Kelvin Optical – Visual Effects Company
• K/O Paper Products – Production Company
• Miranda Davidson Studios – Extras Casting: Dubai
• Otto Nemenz International – Camera Equipment Contractor
• Prime Focus – Visual Effects Company
• Proof Inc. – Pre-Visualization Company
• Quantum Creation FX – Special Effects Company
• Sessions Payroll Management – Extras Payroll Services
• Vex Motorsports – Vehicle parts
• Star Trek Beyond (soundtrack)
• Star Trek Beyond (DVD)
• Star Trek Beyond (Blu-ray)
• Star Trek Beyond (Blu-ray 3D)
• Star Trek Beyond (4K Ultra HD)

References [ ]

2164 ; 2204 ; 2263 ; acid ; Akima's species ; Ancient Ones ; Abronath ; Altamid ; Armstrong -type ( starship ); Attack on Krall's base ; Attack on Yorktown ; away team ; backseat driver ; barn dance ; base of operation ; Battle of Altamid ; Beastie Boys ; bed ; bedside manner ; bee ; birthday ; birthday party ; Book (device) ; bread ; camouflage ; Federation cargo shuttle ( cargo shuttles ); cauterization ; classical music ; cliff ; closed network ; closet ; coat hanger ; Code 1-Alpha-Zero ; color ; commodore ; compression chamber ; Constitution -class ( starship ); Co-Co's species ; crash landing ; critical alert ; dark ages ; dilithium chamber ; distress call ; Earth-Romulan War ; EPS ; EPS conduit ; Enterprise , USS ; Enterprise -A, USS ; Enhancement sequencing unit ; environmental processor ; episode ; escape pod ; excellency ; excrement ; fan ; favoritism ; Fibonan ; Fibonan High Council ; Fibonan Republic ; Federation archive ; " Fight the Power "; fire ; five-year mission ; Franklin , USS ; Freedom -class ; Gagarin Radiation Belt ; General Council ; gift ; Glenfiddich ; goggles ; goo ; green ; headband ; hell ; Hewlett Packard Enterprise ; horse ; horse and buggy ; horseshit ; IFF ; image refractor ; inertial dampener ; Jaylah's drinks ; Jaylah's family ; Jaylah's species ; Jaylah stick ; Kalara's crew ; Kalara's escape pod ; Kalara's ship ; Kelvin pod ; Kevin ; Kirk, George ; Kirk, Winona ; Krall's base ; Krall's command ship ; language analysis ; locker ; Lordy ; Magellan probe ; Manas' language ; manual override ; manual release room ; medical school ; megahertz ; memorial ; military ; military service ; Military Assault Command Operations ; monorail ; monstrosity ; mortality ; murder ; Natalia ; nebula ; Necro Cloud ; Necro Cloud sector ; New Vulcan ; Non-Federation ; optimism ; Park ; polarized hull plating ; police ; protoplaser ; Public Enemy ; pulse phaser cannon ; puncture ; PX70 motorcycle ; Quarantine (device) ; quarters ; radio ; refractor belt ; renting ; roasting ; romance ; Romulan ale ; Russia ; " Sabotage "; Salcombe , USS ; San Francisco Fleet Yards ; safety area ; saucer ; saucer separation ; Saurian brandy ; Scotch ; Scott's grand nanny ; Shakespeare, William ; Schlerm ; shrapnel ; shuttlepod ; sneeze ; snow globe ; space lane ; spatial torpedo ; Spock (prime) ; stabilizer ; star cocktail ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Charter ; Starfleet uniform (mid 2160s) ; Stargazer , USS ; Starship-class ; subspace link ; Swarm drone ; Swarm gun ; Swarm ship ; Takayama -type shuttlecraft ( unnamed 1 , and 2 ; ; survival kit ; Teenax ; Teenaxi ; Teenaxi Delegation ; Teenaxi symbols ; Thasus ; theft ; thief ; toast ; tracking device ; train ; treaty ; turbolift ; uncharted space ; United Earth Military ; United Federation of Planets ; universal translator ; unnamed plants ; vein ; VHF ; vice admiral ; vodka ; vokaya ; Vulcan ; Vulcan ; warp coil ; welcome mat ; Wilbur's species ; workbee ; wormhole ; wristwatch ; Yorktown ; Yorktown Central Plaza ; Yorktown database ; Yorktown Headquarters ; Yorktown satellites ; Yorktown sentry ship ; Yorktown tree ; Xindi wars

Graphic references [ ]

Altamid system ; ångström ; Federation database ; gray mode ; Kelvin , USS ; Medical shuttle 37

Balthazar M. Edison's personnel file [ ]

2255 ; boot camp officer ; captain ; carrier ; corvette ; cruiser ; derelict vessel ; diplomatic vessel ; escort vessel ; frigate ; Ginwald, T. ; hospital ship ; inventory log ; Iowa ; maintenance log ; mining vessel ; missing in action ; Murrysville ; Pennsylvania ; Pine, T. ; Riverside Shipyard ; science vessel ; Scott ; scout ; Starfleet Administration ; Starfleet Communications ; Starfleet Diplomatic Corps ; Starfleet Engineering ; Starfleet Intelligence ; Starfleet Medical ; Starfleet medical courier ; Starfleet Operations ; Starfleet Research ; Starfleet Science , Starfleet Security ; Starfleet Tactical ; supply vessel ; support vessel ; survey vessel ; transport vessel ; United Earth Military

Diagnostic wrap display [ ]

cellular collapse ; critical alert ; foreign substance ; organ failure

Public transporter menu [ ]

Arts / Culture ; Attractions ; Bars / Nightclubs ; Gardens ; Museums ; Parks /Nature; Restaurants ; sightseeing ; zone

Starbase Yorktown memorial wall (unseen material) [ ]

Al Kaabi, Faisal ; Al Razouk, Salim ; Bailey, Rico ; Barretto, Kurt ; Barth, Heather W. ; Benediktson, Dave ; Bitbit, Reynaldo ; Chedotal, Jordane ; Clarke, Leigh ; Darbar, Hamza ; Davidson, Miranda ; Denis, Natasha ; de Zoysa, Nuwan ; Di Rezze, Kay ; Diwadkar, Pranali ; Esmaeili, Samira ; Fisher, Rob ; Gale, Natasha ; Garcia, Mayra ; Gardiner, Lyall ; Gluck, Peter ; Goj, Ruslan ; Haley, Sean ; Haney, Rod ; Heimer, Mandy R. ; Hermansen, Dan ; Huet, Dwight ; Ibebuchi, Daniel ; Ismail, Mohammed ; Issel, Faldela ; Jackson, James ; Johnston, Sam ; Kamel, Rochard ; Kankara, Pradeep ; Kozak, Scott ; Lee, Jenne ; Lliev, Peter ; Lemay, Eric ; Lotosova, Irma ; MacAuley, Scott ; Mashaba, Patrick ; McMaster, Sam ; Mitchell, Regan ; Molchanov, Maxim ; Mussell, Ian ; O'Souza, Neville ; Pacula, Peter ; Riley, Simon ; Sacco, Sandrina ; Sadekar, Raju ; Saleh, Rodolphe ; Schiro, Janine ; Shumylo, Oksana ; Swart, Marius ; Thaler, Scott ; Thomas, Gareth ; Welff, Lindsay ; Yosifov, Plamen ; Zhelyazko, Monislav

Spock Prime's holophoto – Senior staff of the USS Enterprise -A [ ]

Chekov, Pavel ; Enterprise (prime), USS ; Enterprise -A (prime), USS ; Kirk, James T. ; McCoy, Leonard ; Scott, Montgomery ; Sulu, Hikaru ; Spock Prime; Uhura, Nyota

Spock Prime's obituary [ ]

2230 ; 2263; ambassador ; executive officer ; second officer ; stardate ; Enterprise , USS ; Enterprise , USS

Unreferenced material [ ]

Andorian herpes ; Chapel ; Cialis ; Deep C-Zar ; gangorian clap ; Hilts ; jumper ; Romaine

Deleted graphics references [ ]

744 ; 752 ; Acamar I ; Acamar III ; AF006 ; AF014 ; Alpha Cygni ; Andoria ; Andorian ; Andorian embassy ; Andorian system ; Arcturus ; argon ; bathymetry ; BDR-258 ; BDR-529 ; Bolarus ; Bolarus II ; carbon dioxide ; Centauri ; CGM-852 ; Cygnus II ; Cygnus VII ; Cygnus system ; exobase ; FGNI-592 ; GHD-258 ; Habitability Index ; helium ; JL006 ; JL008 ; KE091 ; Kepler-22 ; magnetosphere ; mesosphere ; NCV-1248 ; NCV-1539 ; NCV-1690 ; neon ; nitrogen ; Organian ; oxygen ; Rigellian ; Risian ; Sol ; student officer ; Tellarite ; thermosphere ; Translink ; troposphere ; Xindi

External links [ ]

• Star Trek Beyond at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek Beyond at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek Beyond at Wikipedia
• Star Trek Beyond at the Internet Movie Database

'Star Trek Beyond' Cast on Legacy, Character Evolution, & the Future of the Franchise

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana also talk about Justin Lin’s approach, the new uniforms, and much more.

Created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by J.J. Abrams in 2009, the Star Trek franchise celebrates its 50 th anniversary this year, as the next installment, Star Trek Beyond , sees the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew exploring the furthest reaches of uncharted space. With director Justin Lin at the helm, they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

During a conference at the film’s press day, co-stars Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg (who also co-wrote the film with Doug Jung ), Karl Urban , John Cho and Zoe Saldana talked about paying homage to 50 years of the franchise while also telling a story that can stand on its own, the new character interactions, honoring Leonard Nimoy , the evolution of these characters, including the Beastie Boys song “Sabotage,” Justin Lin’s approach, the uniforms, adding more strong females, the tragic loss of actor Anton Yelchin , and the future of this franchise. Be aware that there are some spoilers discussed.

Question: This is the 50 th anniversary of Star Trek , so what were the challenges of paying homage to the original while also making a movie that you could see without having seen any of the previous incarnations, including the first two with this particular cast?

SIMON PEGG: Yeah, that was very important to Doug and I, and Justin, going in. We wanted to try to create a hybrid of an episode of the original series with a spectacular cinematic event. The Star Trek movies have always been event films. In a TV series, you get time to spend with the characters. It’s a longer game. In the film, you have to hit it. It has to be very self-contained. It has to be memorable. So, the thing was to try to make sure everybody that’s been here for 50 years gets what they deserve, in terms of a good Star Trek film, but for people who have never seen it before, and who perhaps aren’t as familiar with Star Trek , then they’re welcome, too. This is an interesting universe, in every way. Not just fictionally, but factually.

This film pairs Spock and McCoy together a lot. Zachary and Karl, how was it to spend a lot more time together and further explore that dynamic of these great characters?

KARL URBAN: I feel like this is probably the most fun that I’ve had making a Star Trek film. I think what Simon and Doug were able to do was present the most well-defined, well-rounded version of the character. It certainly gave me a lot of material to work with. I had an amazing time working with Zach, and I have a huge amount of respect for him and his approach. It was just great to have those two characters, that are so diametrically opposed to each other, be forced into a situation where they have to depend on each other to survive, and through the process, come to a deeper understanding of who they both are. It was obviously a great opportunity to explore a lot of comedy, but it also really deepened the relationship between the two. And I think that by the end of it, they were able to go back to their respective corners with a bit of inside knowledge. For long term fans, it’s a rewarding direction.

ZACHARY QUINTO: I couldn’t agree more. Karl and I had a great time working together. In a movie franchise where we’re used to spending so much time together, with all of us on the bridge of The Enterprise and in many of our adventures, it was actually really nice to have so many days where it was only Karl and me together. I think we got to know each other and appreciate each other more than we already did, which was already a significant amount. And from a character standpoint, I really echo the idea that these two characters, historically in this franchise, come at things from entirely different perspectives and points of view. There’s nothing more fun for fans of the original show to see that dynamic, unmitigated by Kirk, who usually manages to get between them. In the same way, Bones really saves Spock’s life in this film, and I think there’s a deep appreciation for that, obviously. They end this film in a much better place, as a duo, than I would say they begin it. 

Since he’s not super excited about being a Starfleet captain, at this point, where is Kirk at, three years into this mission?

CHRIS PINE: I always have the most fun on these films when we’re laughing or talking, and then usually shit blows up and we have to do the shit blowing up acting. I think I spend the majority of the film saying, “Let’s go! Can we do it? I don’t know.” I do a lot of just breathing heavily. I talked a lot with Simon about how to nuance what Kirk’s trip was, in this whole thing. Once we landed on the idea of him growing out of, or moving out from underneath his father’s shadow, that made a lot of sense. To do that scene with Karl was great fun. That scene made us giggle and have a good time, and hopefully people will appreciate that.

The film has such a lovely tribute to Leonard Nimoy. How did you figure out the way you wanted to pay homage to him, and was there initial expectation, earlier on in the process, that he would be part of the film, before his passing?

QUINTO: Leonard died on February 27 th . I think, if Leonard was well enough to be a part of this film, I’m sure he would have been. And I know that there were early conversations with him about that possibility, but true to his incredible self, he knew himself well enough to know that wouldn’t be possible, at a certain point. And then, it became important to all of us to figure a way to honor his legacy. I thought Simon and Doug did a beautiful job of incorporating it into the narrative of the film. We all carried him with us through this production, for sure. It was definitely a different kind of feeling to make this movie without him, for me in particular, but I think he was very much a part of it, in spirit. He will be a part of anything we do, moving forward, for sure.

PEGG: We wanted to make it part of Zach’s Spock arc, and not just a reference to Spock Prime. We wanted to have his passing be something which inspired our Spock to move on. And so, it became an integral part of the story, and not just a nod in Leonard’s direction. That felt more right.

Simon, Justin Lin said the main reason he wanted to tackle this project was because his childhood dream was to blow up The Enterprise, and then bring it back together. Was that a collaborative effort, or was that all his idea that he presented to you, and then you guys developed it in the script?                   

PEGG: I hated the idea at first. I was shouting at him, “We can’t do that! You can’t destroy The Enterprise!” My problem was that we’ve seen it before. It happened in “Search for Spock.” It happened in “Generations.” But Justin was very, very determined. And as we spoke about it, I realized what he was doing, brilliantly, was not only taking out a main character, but he was removing the physical connective tissue between the crew to see what happens when you take away the thing that physically bonds them together. If you take away that thing that necessitates their being a unit, do they dissipate or do they come back together? That was the genius of that. You take it away very violently and dramatically, and then you wait and see if they all come back together to be this family, which is essentially what they are. And of course they do. When I realized that, I backed down immediately and said, “Yeah, you’re right.” I do occasionally do that, but not always. In this instance, I realized it was a brilliant idea, but I was initially opposed to it.

Simon, what was the decision behind using the Beastie Boys song “Sabotage”?

PEGG: We just love the idea of them foiling a technologically terrifying threat with something very analog and old, like VHF. The initial idea was that they fired an old radio into the middle of the swarm. It took many shapes as we wrote it, but we realized that there was no sound in space, so we had to abide by physics. We just liked the idea that Jaylah discovered this old ship that had an archive of music, and she discovered rap music and liked it. She likes the beats and the shouting. “Sabotage” was a song we used in ’09. It’s part of Kirk’s childhood. All these things linked back to his past and his dad, with the motorbike and the song. It’s all him letting go of these things and moving on as a man, as well. It’s important for Kirk’s character, but it’s just a kick-ass song. If anything’s going to blow up a swarm of spaceships, it’s going to be the Beastie Boys.

Zoe, where is Uhura at now and how do you view her feelings for Spock, in this movie?

ZOE SALDANA:   She’s tired. I think she’s homesick. The one thing I appreciated the most about what Simon and Doug did for this installment was that they made us human, and just homesick and sad. Being overly worked, and being away from home and all the things that keep you grounded, can put a strain, not just on the intimate relationships that you may have, but also the professional ones. I thought I would never see the day where I would walk into The Enterprise, and we’re not that excited to see each other. I thought, okay, this is a great place to start because I can only imagine where we’re going to end up. We literally end up in the opposite direction. We’re dying to be close to each other. We’re dying to save each other to get back together. I thought, okay, that’s brilliant. And the relationship with Spock and Uhura felt so normal and human to me. It’s those consequences that may occur when you decide to love your co-worker in a lovey-dovey way. Sometimes the professionalism can get in the way of the spirituality, and I feel like that’s what happened between both of them. 

Is the Uhura/Spock relationship doomed, or do you have hope for them?

QUINTO: I think it ends on a really hopeful note, don’t you? Yeah, let’s go with hope.

SALDANA: If he were to walk in with some other Vulcan girl, shit would go down.

Zoe, 50 years since Star Trek began, how do you think Uhura has evolved?

SALDANA: I think there’s a beautiful – and I hate using the word – sprouting, but it’s true. Women are becoming very, very independent, not just in the workforce, but also in their personal lives. There’s something about realizing that you should want to be a part of something, but you don’t necessarily have to be a part of something, in order to be validated or respected or appreciated or considered strong enough. I feel like the break-up that Uhura and Spock have is amazing because she fell in love with her teacher. He came as this figure that represented responsibility and safety and maturity and wisdom, and now I think that she feels strong enough on her own. There is a parallel universe situation that’s going on with Uhura and women these days, where there’s no longer this animosity or this resentment to prove who you are. You just want to be left alone to find out who you are because you’re interesting and you’re curious. I like this autonomy that’s happening with women, right now. I like when a battle is fought just with a spoken word, and nothing that feels tense or violent. 

JOHN CHO: One of the questions that we were asked, maybe for giggles, on the tour, in either Sydney or London, was “Which timeline would you choose to be in – the original series or ours – if you had the choice?” And I did say, if forced to choose, that I would choose ours. Roddenberry did set up a world that was incredibly progressive, but it was tempered by the social mores of the era. I feel like we can go further in 2016 than he was able to do, at the time. I feel like our version is able to give more to the women and the people of color in the cast than Roddenberry was originally able to. 

PEGG: Not because he didn’t want to, either. He absolutely wanted to.

John, how do you feel about how Sulu has evolved? When did the idea come up to show his family life?

CHO: The idea came up when, I believe, Simon pitched it. Then, I was told of it through Justin, pretty early on, when he had set up at Paramount. We went in to have a chat and get reacquainted, and I thought it was a beautiful idea. I had concerns about how it would be received by George [Takei], and I had some other concerns, but the handling of it was the most important to me. Having seen the film, I think it’s nonchalant posture toward it is the best thing about it, and the fact that it’s normalized. It’s news now, but if you re-watch the movie in ten years, you won’t think anything of it. It’ll just go right by you. That’s the best thing about it. There’s no music cue. There’s no close up.

SALDANA:  The one thing that I guess has taken a secondary position is that it wasn’t just that we revealed that he’s gay, but we revealed that he’s a father. None of our characters have families that we’ve ever talked about. I actually feel quite puzzled that, in 2016, we’re having a bit of a fit over who he fathered a baby with. I’m happy he’s a dad.

PEGG: What we wanted to do was put somebody we care about in Yorktown, so when Yorktown was under threat, that made the threat tangible. We knew that Sulu’s family was there, so it wasn’t just a bunch of faceless Federation people. It was somebody that we cared about because we care about Sulu. That was really important. The nature of that relationship wasn’t an issue. By the way, that whole thing with George, people like to make things into a spat. George and I email, all the time, with big, long, lovely discussions about it, and we’re on great terms. We were never shouting at each other, or anything like that. And it’s a great discussion to have. I’m really happy with the way that it’s been talked about and responded to, and I’m still a huge fan of G.T., for sure.

Simon, what would your character from Spaced like and dislike about this movie?

PEGG: For those of you who don’t know, I started out on a sitcom in the UK, and it was about a nerdy guy. I don’t know what I was talking about, and it wasn’t me at all, but there’s a line in Spaced where Tim says, “As sure as eggs is eggs, as sure as day follows night, as sure as every odd-numbered Star Trek movie is shit…” And I wrote that in 1998. And then, here we are in 2016, I’ve written an odd-numbered Star Trek movie, and I’m happy to say that Tim is wrong. It’s an incredible thing to look back on the circularity of that, and of having grown up a fan of Star Trek and science fiction, to now be participating in it, in such an active way. I tried to make the kind of Star Trek movie that Tim Bisley would like. That’s what Doug and I did. And when I say Tim Bisley, I’m talking about the people that have been with Star Trek for a long time. Star Trek must have been doing something right because it’s been around for 50 years, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, we wanted to embody the original show and instill it with what made the original show great, but also frame it in a big movie way, which is a luxury they never had, back in the day. That’s why the series turned into such a great thing. Necessity was the mother of invention with that show. They had to make these wonderful little teleplays. They couldn’t rely on special effects. Now we can do both, and it felt like I was always thinking, “What would Tim Bisley think?”

What was is like for all of you to be in space and fight in a foreign land?

SALDANA: I like being on the ship. There was dust everywhere. Helicopters were flying really low. I was like, “Put me on The Enterprise. It’s cleaner.” I’m more into comfort.

CHO: On the upside, it was cool to be paired off with Zoe, even though she was having a miserable time.      

SALDANA: I was so happy that I was complaining with John.

CHO: Typically, as characters, you’re relating on the Bridge, and everyone’s relating to Kirk, so there’s less talking to one another. And so, just getting that opportunity brought out some different colors and vibes, so it was good.

Simon, what’s it like to live your dream and get to tell people in Star Trek what to do?

PEGG: I ask them nicely. I think the business of writing a good story and making sure the plot works superseded any kind of wish fulfillment. We had to start with that, really. The whole splitting up the crew into different little interactive groups was nice. I love the relationships in Star Trek , and it was nice to pursue those a little bit more, specifically with Bones and Spock, and as the scene with Kirk and Bones, in the beginning. Getting the keys to that kingdom was a real joy, and it was nice to be able to write our signature underneath the hundreds and hundreds of signatures that have gone into writing the Star Trek universe, over the years. It was nice to put our little stamp on that, and fill it with little Easter eggs that only we know about.

What was the dynamic like, working with Justin Lin, compared to J.J. Abrams?

QUINTO: Justin has a different energy about him. I’d say he’s a little more internalized, just as a person. He’s a little quieter, but he’s no less confident. He’s incredibly gifted, as a visual storyteller. And I think he’s really sensitive to character dynamics, as well. He brings a balance of both of those extremes. He came in on an already moving train, in a lot of ways. He didn’t have a lot of time to prep for this film. And I think all of us were incredibly impressed by his sense of leadership and vision. It was also really great to have Simon in a position of creative influence on this film because he was a tremendous conduit for us, early on, before we formed our own relationships with Justin. But all in all, he was a really welcome addition. I would say he was very different from J.J., but also really exciting and really unique, in his own ways. It was reflective of this experience, which was different and new for us, to be away from the past and the configuration of the last two films. We all had a great time working together, and we really enjoyed him. Seeing what he was able to create, in the final product, is really exciting for all of us. 

How were the uniforms, this time around?

PINE: The pants were fantastic, this time. There was so much movement, and a lot of space in the hips, which I appreciate. This was like the retro-super-future version of Star Trek , so it’s looking way ahead into what Star Trek can become, and also has very specific nods to the past. One of the very small things that’s layered throughout all three iterations of the film, so far, is that there’s been a lot of discussions about the colors of yellow for Kirk’s shirt, and the cut of the shirt. This one is a very specific nod to the original series. It’s not the bright, fantastic yellow of the first and the second. It’s this lovely Kirk-ian mustard green. 

URBAN: Our costume designer, Sanja [Milkovic Hays], did an extraordinary job. One of the things I was most proud of was the fact that, unlike the previous two films we got to do with J.J., the women in the Starfleet uniforms in Star Trek Beyond all had ranks on their uniforms. That’s a fantastic thing. I thought she did a great job. It was a throwback to the costumes, but also made them slightly new. I had massive envy for Chris Pine’s survival suit.   

What was it like to add Sofia Boutella to the mix, as the very kick-ass Jaylah?

PEGG: Sofia’s incredible. Because she’s a dancer and she’s physically so adept, she was very up for the physicality of it. It’s funny, in the writing room, Doug, Justin and I wanted to create this very independent female, who was a very resourceful character, on the surface. We didn’t have a name for her, so we used to call her “Jennifer Lawrence In Winter’s Bone .” That was her long name. It was, “And then, Scotty lands there and suddenly ‘Jennifer Lawrence In Winter’s Bone ’ comes out and she fights these guys.” It started to get tiring calling her “Jennifer Lawrence In Winter’s Bone .” It’s a long name. So, we started calling her J-Law. And then, she became Jaylah. So, she’s named after Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone . But, there aren’t enough girls in Star Trek . Zoe has a lot on her shoulders, so we wanted to increase that. And also with Commodore Paris, as a figure of extreme authority. We all love Sofia. She’s a nutcase, and a golden addition to this group. She’s awesome.

This film is bittersweet, with the loss of Anton Yelchin. What was it like to work with him on this?

URBAN: First of all, it’s devastating to lose a family member. We’re at a point where we should be celebrating, not only this film, but this beautiful, talented man. For all of us, it’s almost incomprehensible to be at a point where we have to talk about him in the past. The pain of his loss is still very raw. We went and spent time with Anton’s family, and we know that they’ll be very, very proud of his contribution to the film. This film will probably forever be the most special experience for all of us. It represents the golden period of when our family was fully together, for the last time. It really was the best summer of our adult lives. We love him so much, and we miss him terribly. 

PINE: He was just a good guy. He was very sweet. He’s very beautifully, authentically Anton. There was not much of a sensor on the boy. I remember one of the first times I met him, like nine years ago or whatever, he was 17. I invited him back to my trailer to play guitar, because I knew he played guitar, and he played guitar really, really, really well. And he said, “I can’t, man, I’ve got to go back to my trailer.” I was like, “Okay, why?” He was translating an esoteric Russian novel into English, just because that’s what he wanted to do. Eight or nine years later, I talked to him and he was still translating it. And he was reading a book on physics that this French philosopher had written. And he was still trying to get all of us together. We’d be in Vancouver and he’d want to see some German neo-expressionist film that none of us had seen, and he would talk about as if everyone has or should have seen it. He was a great guy. He was just totally fearless. I think you try to grasp onto something that’s a positive, out of losing such a good guy, and it’s just to be fearless, creatively. He was always working on stuff. He had music projects and photography projects, and he was going to direct his first film this summer. He was just spectacularly interested in life, in a really great way.     

The original Star Trek relied on social commentary reflective of the time to propel their story forward. In this day and age, what is the message now?

QUINTO: I think the message is the same as it was when it began. It’s just that we have more room to explore and express it than they did, at the time. It’s shocking to me how divisive our culture has become, and I feel like Star Trek maintains a position on inclusivity and unity that is as resonant today as it was in the late ‘60s. This film, in particular, explores that idea, one side of that being about the unity and inclusivity, and the other being about breaking that apart. I think that’s really reflective of the society that we live in today. It’s troubling to me, on such deep levels, that we’ve gotten to this point of unwillingness to see varied points of view or feelings or opinions or perspectives. I think Star Trek remains, in a landscape of popular culture entertainment, something that is a beacon of inclusivity and progressive thinking. I think it just takes on different forms now than it did 50 years ago.

PEGG: I think the film is actually even more apt today. It’s become more so, even since we shot it. The message of this and the social commentary in this iteration of Star Trek is that we’re better together. It’s about collectivism. And in this era of Brexit and talking about building walls in certain places, now more than ever, we should be thinking about the value of collectivism, about cooperation, and about unity. That can be and is our strength. The more fractured we become, the less secure we all feel.

CHO: In the Star Trek set-up, you’re going into space and seeing so many different kinds of species. It does become comically apparent, when you look around the planet Earth that we live on, that we do have so much more in common than we don’t. So, the little things that seem to divide us here, in our present time, seem even more exaggeratedly small after seeing an episode of Star Trek .

PEGG: We’ve all got one head, do you know what I mean? Let’s live together.

How far do you see the franchise going, with these characters?

PEGG: Well, I hope it goes on for another 50 years. We’ll keep going for as long as we can, until we’re old and inappropriate. Some of us already are, like me. I hope it goes on. There’s a new CBS series starting. I love that the universe is a boundless place, and there are so many adventures to be had. As long as we have this idea, where we might actually become slightly more enlightened and slightly more tolerant beings, Star Trek will live forever.

Star Trek Beyond opens in theaters on July 22 nd .

Star Trek Beyond (2016) Cast and Crew

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By Jenna Busch

Your guide to who’s who in the Star Trek Beyond cast

Star Trek Beyond is the third film in the newest iteration of the beloved sci-fi franchise. The first two, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , were directed by J.J. Abrams. This time around, the film will be helmed by Fast & Furious director Justin Lin . The crew of the USS Enterprise are three years into a five-year mission and starting to feel the monotony of it all. Then they’re attacked by a swarm of alien ships, splitting the crew up and forcing them to fight for their lives. Fun fact: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise and to celebrate, there are 50 new alien species in Star Trek Beyond . Let’s take a look at the Star Trek Beyond cast!

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Chris Pine as James Tiberius Kirk

Chris Pine will play James Tiberius Kirk for the third time in Star Trek Beyond . Outside of Starfleet, Pine has had roles in films like The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement , Smokin’ Aces , Horrible Bosses 2 and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit . He appeared as Eric in five episodes of the Netflix miniseries Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp . He showed the world his vocal chops when he played Cinderella’s Prince in the musical film Into the Woods . He also headed up the cast of the disaster film The Finest Hours . We’ll next see Pine as Diana Prince’s love interest in the upcoming solo Wonder Woman   film set during WWI.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock

Zachary Quinto will again play the role of Spock, first performed by the late Leonard Nimoy, though fans first got to know him from his work as Sylar on the NBC TV series Heroes . He was nominated for an Emmy for his role in American Horror Story: Asylum and has appeared on The Slap and 24 ’s third season. Fun fact: Nimoy was given casting approval for the role of Spock, which Quinto has stated, was “liberating.” Quinto frequently performs on the stage with roles in plays like Endgame , Much Ado About Nothing and Angels in America .

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

Zoe Saldana is reprising the role of Uhura, made famous by Nichelle Nichols . Fans of geek films have seen Saldana all over the place. She starred in James Cameron’s Avatar , the highest grossing film of all time, and played the role of Gamora in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy . She appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , playing Anamaria, and the TV miniseries Rosemary’s Baby . She recently stared in the biopic Nina about the life of singer Nina Simone and will be returning in Guardians 2 and Avatar 2 . She also voiced her Star Trek role in the video game of the same name.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Simon Pegg as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott

Simon Pegg is returning as Scotty as well as penning the script for Star Trek Beyond . He first broke onto the scene in the British TV series Spaced with frequent collaborators Edgar Wright and Nick Frost . He also worked with them on the “Cornetto” trilogy of films,  Shaun of the Dead , Hot Fuzz and The World’s End . Pegg, who also frequently collaborates with director J.J. Abrams, played the alien Unkar Plutt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens . He’s also appeared as Benji Dunn in the Mission: Impossible series and does a number of voiceovers, including multiple voices in Cartoon Network ‘s  Robot Chicken and Phineas and Ferb as well as Dengar in Star Wars: The Clone Wars , and Scotty in the Star Trek video game.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Karl Urban as Lieutenant Commander Leonard McCoy

Karl Urban is returning as Leonard “Bones” McCoy, who will spend a good portion of this film trying to survive with fellow crew member Spock. Urban is known for playing Éomer in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Vaako in The Chronicles of Roddick , Black Hat in Priest and Judge Dredd in Dredd . Hardcore fans will remember him for playing Julius Caesar and Cupid in Xena: Warrior Princess . He appeared in the short-lived TV series Almost Human and appeared in the documentary film Reclaiming the Blade , discussing his sword work in Lord of the Rings . Urban was recently last as Skurge in Marvel ‘s Thor: Ragnarok . He’ll be seen next in the Disney film Pete’s Dragon .

Star Trek Beyond Cast: John Cho as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

John Cho is reprising the role of Sulu in this film, and we know from the recent trailer that he has a young daughter that he’s been away from on this mission. Cho broke onto the scene with his work as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar films. He’s appeared in films like the Total Recall remake and Grandma . He also played an FBI agent in the TV series FlashForward , Off Center and has a recurring role on Sleepy Hollow . He played the leading role in the short-lived sitcom Selfie where he co-stared with Doctor Who ’s Karen Gillan , making him the first Asian-America to play a romantic lead on American TV. He’s also the lead singer for the band Viva La Union . He was recently the subject of a meme replacing romantic leads with his face to highlight the lack of Asian lead characters.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Anton Yelchin as Lieutenant Pavel Chekov

Anton Yelchin is reprising the role of Chekov in the new film, having appeared in the first two in 2009 and 2013, respectively. Yelchin is known for his work as a young Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation , Only Lovers Left Alive and Fright Night , but he started back in his childhood. He played the son of Hank Azaria ’s character in the TV series Huff as well as episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds . He also voiced Clumsy Smurf in the film adaptations of the cartoon.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Idris Elba as Krall

Idris Elba  will play the villain Krall in the film, but is best known for his work on the HBO series The Wire and as Detective John Luthor in the BBC One series Luther . He played the title role in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and has appeared in American Gangster , Beasts of No Nation , Prometheus , Pacific Rim and played Heimdall in Thor , Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron . He also voiced Chief Bogo in Disney ’s Zootopia , Shere Khan in The Jungle Book and Fluke in the upcoming Finding Dory . He’s been confirmed to play Roland Deschain in the upcoming Dark Tower movie as well.

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Sofia Boutella as Jaylah

Sofia Boutella is unrecognizable in the makeup she wears to play the alien Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond . She’s a well known hip-hop dancer and has been seen in StreetDance 2  and Kingsman: The Secret Service , as well as a Nike ad campaign, and toured with Madonna and Rihanna. She’s the lead in the Michael Jackson video for “Hollywood Tonight.” After this film, she’ll be seen in Universal Pictures ‘ reboot of The Mummy .

Star Trek Beyond Cast: Shohreh Aghdashloo as Federation High Commander

Shohreh Aghdashloo wil bring her distinctive voice to the Federation. Aghdashloo was a leading actress in Iran, moving to England during the Iranian revolution. Her breakout Western role was a part in House of Sand and Fog in 2003, which won her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in the HBO miniseries House of Saddam , for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie as well as a season of the series 24 . Her first American leading role was in the critically-acclaimed The Stoning of Soraya M . Aghdashloo voiced Admiral Shala’Raan vas Tonbay in the games Mass Effect 2 and 3 .

Who are you look forward to seeing most in the new film? Let us know in the comments. Star Trek Beyond will hit theaters on July 22, 2016.

(Photo Credit: Brian To / WENN.com)

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Star Trek Beyond

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek Beyond with a subscription on Paramount+, Apple TV+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise's post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series' sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Captain James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Commander Spock

Doctor "Bones" McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Lieutenant Uhura

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

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"There's no relative direction in the vastness of space," a Starfleet high mucky-muck tells  Enterprise  Captain James T. Kirk ( Chris Pine ) in "Star Trek Beyond." "There's only you." She's asking him whether he wants to give up his captain's seat for a chance at a powerful desk job on the eve of his thirtieth birthday, a year younger than his father was when he died. Her language is meant to spur Kirk to look inward, and for a moment we might hope that he will, and that the film will look inward with him. 

There's a precedent for this sort of thing. Where all of the TV incarnations of " Star Trek " were mainly about morality and philosophy, with characterization serving as a means of examining those dramatic values, most of the big-screen film versions, including the '80s and '90s versions of the flagship TV show, were mainly concerned with the heroes' personalities. The screenplays gave us detailed examinations of, say, the relationship between Kirk and his half-Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock, between Kirk and the United Federation of Planets, between Kirk and the Klingons who tormented his civilization and killed his only son, and between all the characters (Kirk especially) and the prospect of aging and death. It was more soap opera than space opera at times, but always fun to watch, sometimes moving. 

What undermines "Star Trek Beyond" is that it's ultimately not interested in taking a long look at the "you" of Kirk, Spock ( Zachary Quinto ), ship's doctor "Bones" McCoy ( Karl Urban ), communications officer Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ), and the rest of the NCC-1701 crew. Sure, it nods in that direction. Even the worst "Star Trek" stories do. But in the end it's mostly a good big-budget sci-fi action movie that's been marinated in "Star Trek" flavor packets—and thus not terribly different from the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot or its sequel, " Star Trek Into Darkness ."

"Star Trek Beyond" pits the crew of the  Enterprise  against another bellowing megalomaniac ( Idris Elba ) who wants to punish the United Federation of Planets for its perceived sins. It's the best of the new "Trek" films, but it's still an unsatisfying effort if you want "Star Trek" to be something more than a military-minded outer space action flick, with familiar, beloved characters shoehorned into a standard mix of martial arts slugfests, close-quarters firefights, and scenes of starships and cities being shredded and burned. Advance publicity hyped "Star Trek Beyond" as a return to the original series' roots as a showcase for a bunch of eccentric personalities traveling the galaxy, ingeniously solving problems, and indulging in populist philosophizing about civilization and the frontier as they went along. But that's not what we get here—not really. 

Yes, there's a promising setup (the  Enterprise  crew is held hostage by a vicious bad guy who rules a backwater planet a la Kurtz in "Heart of Darkness"). And there are suggestions of classic "Star Trek" style action-plus-characterization-plus-cleverness, and pleasing performances by a cast that has settled into each others' rhythms, as a real-world naval crew would after years of sailing together. 

But the movie never delivers on its considerable promise because it's always in such a hurry to get to the next action scene. And aside from three magnificent setpieces—the first, crippling sneak attack by a fleet of tiny ships that swarm the  Enterprise  like explosive bees, and two vertigo-inducing chase-and-fight scenes in which geography goes all M.C. Escher on us—the action is not good enough to be the film's main course. Lin, who proved in the "Fast and Furious" series that he could do great or near-great action, here substitutes wobbly camerawork, chop-chop editing and rumbling sound effects for suspense and a sense of spatial design. It's a step up from the action in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" movies, but that's not the sort of thing one should brag about. A climactic reprise of a certain overused Beastie Boys song might be the franchise's low point, rivaled only by the laughable credits sequence of "Star Trek V," which cut from a helicopter shot of a lean young stuntman scaling a craggy peak in the Pyrenees to a close-up of the 57-year-old star/director Shatner's meaty hand in a studio, gripping a fiberglas "rock."

Simon Pegg and Doug Jung's screenplay provides the right amount of homage (as when Kirk grumbles after an opening action scene that he ripped his shirt again), plus Spock/McCoy odd-couple banter and some marvelous, character-based laugh lines (Scotty demands that Kirk give an opinion on one of his engineering improvisations, because "if I mess it up, I don't want it to be just my fault"). There's psychological nuance, irony, even a political subtext (Elba's character, Krall, a reptilian Che Guevara-type who wants the galaxy's "frontier" to "push back" against the Federation's expansionism). Too bad none of these aspects are filled out with the detail they deserve. Krail's fire-and-brimstone sermonizing is turned to nonsense by a pointless and self-defeating third act "twist"—like we need another one of those after the boneheaded fan service of "Darkness"!—and there are points late in the film where "Star Trek Beyond" seems jolted by the sudden remembrance of things that it told us it was going to deal with but didn't. 

Uhura spends most of the movie in a prison camp. Kirk, Spock and even McCoy have human moments, but they spend too much of their screen time sprinting through hallways, firing phaser pistols, and piloting spaceships while yelling and grimacing in tight closeup, like the heroes of every other science fiction-flavored action movie projected in theaters recently. Krall and other characters allude to the Federation's fake-benevolent brand of imperialism, but unless you're familiar with examples from elsewhere in the "Star Trek" universe or got briefed by a super-fan before buying a ticket, you'll leave with no sense of whether the villains' grievances are legitimate, much less if you're supposed to feel mixed emotions at Kirk's inevitable triumph.  

Spock, whose home planet was destroyed by a renegade Romulan warlord in the first movie, suffers most from the filmmakers' preoccupation with  pew-pew-pew! a ction-adventure. For three movies now, Spock's been carrying a crushing load of survivor's guilt. The character's barely disguised Jewishness, brilliantly articulated by the late Leonard Nimoy in the original TV and movie series, is more pronounced in the new franchise: he's been turned into a holocaust survivor, part of a fragile Vulcan diaspora haunted by genocide. But the scripts seem scared of treating Spock's predicament with the seriousness it deserves, much less daring to put it at the center of a film. Here it's treated mainly as an explanation for why Spock can't seem to keep a relationship going with Uhura. The death of Leonard Nimoy is integrated into the story by having Vulcan diplomats inform Spock of the death of Ambassador Spock, an alternate-universe incarnation of the character who dispensed advice and plot points to new Spock whenever the screenwriters painted themselves into a corner. The film's method of mourning Nimoy's Spock makes the Spockus ex machina  thing worse. New Spock mourns classic Spock as if the two were dear friends who had dinner every Monday at the same Chinese restaurant.

The missteps of writing and direction are more depressing when you consider the excellence of the core cast. Quinto and Saldana give the Spock-Uhura relationship and their own spotlight moments a lot more than the film gives them. Pegg is a hoot as Scotty, colorful but never hammy, though we may justifiably raise a Spock-like eyebrow at all the times that the actor-screenwriter lets his character save the day. Pine's Kirk seems to be morphing seamlessly into Shatner's, complete with surprising pauses and intonations, but he's more credible as a strong, respected leader; watch how the actor grows more calm and friendly whenever Kirk's bridge crew is becoming more agitated. Elba is such a strong presence throughout, even near the end, that it's a shame Krall is never granted the depth and complexity that his character keeps threatening to disclose. 

At this point it's worth asking what, if anything, this franchise is good for besides generating cash for Paramount and its above-the-line talent. Everything that made the original TV series and its follow-ups, small- and big-screen, seem so open-hearted, intelligent and playful is marginalized to make room for hyperactively edited action scenes and displays of hardware and production design. These are technically state-of-the-art but ultimately not all that different from what you see in most other CGI-driven action pictures, superhero as well as sci-fi—long, loud spectacles that are filled with people fighting, blowing up cities and planets, and crashing things into other things, instead of finding some other, more surprising way to move the plot along. What's the point of giving up pleasures that the "Star Trek" franchise is good at providing, to make more room for pleasures that most big-budget science fiction and fantasy already give us, month after month and year after year? Why boldly go where everyone else is already going? 

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

120 minutes

Chris Pine as Kirk

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Karl Urban as Bones

Zoe Saldana as Uhura

Simon Pegg as Scotty

John Cho as Sulu

Anton Yelchin as Chekov

Idris Elba as Krall

Sofia Boutella as Jaylah

Deep Roy as Keenser

Alice Eve as Dr. Carol Marcus

Writer (television series "Star Trek")

• Gene Roddenberry

Writer (uncredited)

• Roberto Orci
• Patrick McKay
• John D. Payne

Cinematographer

• Stephen F. Windon
• Greg D'Auria
• Dylan Highsmith
• Kelly Matsumoto
• Steven Sprung
• Michael Giacchino

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Star trek beyond.

2016 Directed by Justin Lin

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Chris Pine Zachary Quinto Karl Urban Zoe Saldaña Simon Pegg John Cho Anton Yelchin Idris Elba Sofia Boutella Joe Taslim Lydia Wilson Deep Roy Melissa Roxburgh Anita Brown Doug Jung Danny Pudi Kim Kold Fraser Aitcheson Matthew MacCaull Emy Aneke Shohreh Aghdashloo Greg Grunberg Jennifer Cheon Jarod Joseph Jeremy Raymond Harry Han Gina Brinkman Adam DiMarco Fiona Vroom Show All… Richard Laurence Doug Chapman Dan Payne Anthony Shim Andrea Yu Shea Whigham Christian Sloan Jake Huang Priya Rajaratnam Luka Hays Thomas Cadrot Jennifer W. Evans Roxanne Fernandes Jake Foy Jodi Haynes Nathan Jean Tarun Keram J.P. Mulcaster Edwin Rodriguez Alex Rose Polina Soldatova Lia Lam Ian Nsenga Sara Forsberg Jeff Bezos Christian Mandel Carlo Ancelotti

Director Director

Producers producers.

J.J. Abrams Bryan Burk Roberto Orci Josh Henson Ron Ames Justin Lin Helen Pollak Vivek Pundir Stewart Bethune

Writers Writers

Simon Pegg Doug Jung

Casting Casting

Corinne Clark Yesi Ramirez Miranda Davidson April Webster Jennifer Page Alyssa Weisberg

Editors Editors

Dylan Highsmith Greg D'Auria Steven Sprung Kelly Matsumoto

Cinematography Cinematography

Stephen F. Windon

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Misha Bukowski Nick Satriano Douglas Plasse

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Dana Goldberg Tommy Harper Jeffrey Chernov David Ellison Lindsey Weber

Lighting Lighting

Christopher Prampin David McClung David Tickell Martin Tichy Tim Heller Joe Papp Jeff Zwicker Matt Young Aaron Stewart Trevor Gemma Richard MacDonald Michael Hanna Greg Etheredge

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Geoffrey Haley Kevin McGill Riki Butland Dean Heselden Stephen Maier Peter Wilke

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Dale H. Jahraus Davide Tiraboschi

Production Design Production Design

Thomas E. Sanders

Art Direction Art Direction

Harry E. Otto Lauren E. Polizzi Jeremy Stanbridge Denny Dugally Dan Hermansen Uzair Merchant Natasha Gerasimova Kris Bergthorson Simon Lee Tim Flattery Milena Zdravkovic Salim Alrazouk Victor James Martinez Andrew Li Sean Goojha Stephen Christensen Travis Witkowski Don MacAulay Peter Bodnarus Mira Caveno Hyein Ki

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Lin MacDonald Randall D. Wilkins Timothy M. Earls Joe Wolkosky Robert Woodruff Callum Webster John Burke Samuel J. Tell Liz Goldwyn Jim Ramsay Jamie Jonasson Sonya Savova Peter Stratford Easton Michael Smith Jeff Markwith Andrew Lee McConnell Sandy Walker Nancy Anna Brown Tex Kadonaga Joe May Bryan Sutton

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Kevin Baillie Ryan Tudhope Sean Stranks Kondareddy Suresh Devin Fairbairn Ron Ames Dane Allan Smith Andy Taylor Peter Chiang Jenna Kerr Stefano Trivelli Michael Lum Manuel Almela Abhijit Parsekar Jeremy Stewart Stephen Painter Nicholas Symons Nick Hiatt Sean Hargreaves Geng Li Michael Grobe Chrysta Marie Burton Pauline Duvall Adam O'Brien-Locke Viktor Müller Gladys Tong Annie Normandin Abhishek More Raymond Chen Tiffany Wu Scott Mitchell Ara Khanikian Alain Lachance Neville Page

Title Design Title Design

Stunts stunts.

Cameron Hilts Jose L. Vasquez Ali Dunn Mike Gunther Brian Avery Don Lew Monique Ganderton Alice Ford Lars Grant Christopher Gordon Nilo Ghajar Lani Gelera Brent Connolly Andrew Emilio DeCesare Mark Chin Alvin Chon Andrew Chin Byron Brisco Rob 'Sluggo' Boyce Trevor Addie Brett Armstrong Marcus Aurelio Tyson Arner Keanu Lam Reagan Sieg Kimani Ray Smith Chad Sayn Alex Schoenauer Kye Walstrom Brennan Walstrom Mathew Yanagiya Breanna Watkins Jason Bell

Composer Composer

Michael Giacchino

Sound Sound

Stephen P. Robinson Frank A. Montaño Peter Brown Eliot Connors Lee Gilmore Daniel S. Irwin Shelley Roden Scott Curtis John Roesch Jon Taylor James Ashwill John Sanacore Dan O'Connell Andrea Gard David Husby Ann Scibelli Blake Collins John T. Cucci David Lee Fein Joe Dzuban

Costume Design Costume Design

Sanja Milković Hays

Makeup Makeup

Joel Harlow Richard Alonzo

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Robert A. Pandini

Skydance Media Paramount Bad Robot Perfect Storm Entertainment Sneaky Shark

Releases by Date

21 jul 2016, 07 jul 2016, 08 jul 2016, 20 jul 2016, 22 jul 2016, 11 aug 2016, 17 aug 2016, 18 aug 2016, 19 aug 2016, 25 aug 2016, 01 sep 2016, 02 sep 2016, 17 sep 2018, 01 jan 2021, 31 jan 2022, 01 dec 2022, 01 nov 2016, 11 nov 2016, 21 nov 2016, 07 dec 2016, 17 dec 2016, 16 oct 2018, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 12
• Theatrical PG
• Theatrical 11
• Theatrical TP
• Physical DVD, Blu-Ray & 4K UHD
• Digital VOD
• Digital Prime Video
• Digital Netflix
• Digital Paramount+
• Theatrical Κ-12
• Physical DVD, Blu-ray
• Theatrical 12A
• Theatrical הותר לכל
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical N-13

Netherlands

• Physical 12 DVD, Blu ray
• TV 12 Veronica

New Zealand

• Theatrical M/12

Russian Federation

• Premiere 16+

South Korea

• Theatrical 7
• Physical 11

Switzerland

• Physical 12 DVD
• Theatrical PG-13
• Physical PG-13
• Theatrical 12+

122 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by davidehrlich ★★★ 4

slick, self-contained, and has the best music cue of any blockbuster this year. by the standards of summer 2016, it might as well be the sistine chapel.

and then someone asked me if it was "good." and i said "good? GOOD? it made me want to stand up and shout "REMEMBER MOVIES!?!?" these things are relative, people. STB is to Warcraft what Chris Pine is to *me.*

everyone is super charismatic. i liked that nothing really matters. i liked that there's no sense of needing to connect it to a bigger mythos. i liked that the *constant* fan service was barely perceptible for noobs like me (super trekkie Jordan Hoffman helped ID all the references for me afterwards). much of the action is jumbled and the villain is a bit of an afterthought (what else is new?), but at least he enters the fray with panache.

see you, space cowboys.

Review by Matt Singer ★★★★ 7

I watched it again with Justin Lin commentary and came to a brain-melting realization: There is a foolproof way to determine if a modern Star Trek will be good.

If Chris Pine’s hair is parted to the right, as in Star Trek and Star Trek Beyond , the movie will be good.

If Chris Pine’s hair is parted to the left, as in Star Trek Into Darkness , the movie will be bad.

Henceforth, this shall be known as The Pine Directive .

Review by Evan ★★★★ 8

Rest in Peace Anton Yelchin. I am so glad he was very much apart of this movie and got a lot of screen time.

I've got to tip my hat to you Justin Lin. This is what a summer blockbuster is all about. Star Trek Beyond is full of fantastic characters. There are so many great character moments through out the film. Several laughs to be had. Plenty of awesome action set pieces. A good story (Simon Pegg's writing was aces). And most importantly, it's fun as hell. I was never bored once. When there wasn't action, we were getting great character moments and fun banter. I really love this cast. Everyone had such great chemistry with one another. This…

Review by Lucy ★★½ 8

"for anton" THANKS I LOVE CRYING

Review by Matt Singer ★★★★ 9

Still love this one. It feels like the most comfortable of the Kelvin films — and at the same time the fact that the actors and creators might be feeling a little complacent is woven into the story. 

I know I have a soft spot for very meta films that interrogate their own purpose, but this one does that really well. (It’s also super timely and allegorical, another way it carries forward the tradition of the original series.) Justin Lin is a much more exciting director than Trek usually gets; he’s looking at this stuff from a new angle and that’s very much reflected onscreen (I love the shot of the Enterprise taking off from space dock from the perspective of the ship looking back at the Franklin.) Most underrated Trek movie ever?

Review by Angela Ferraguto ★★★★★ 2

I will fight for this movie any day for so many reasons. The villain is a compelling foil, our hero is humanized by high-functioning depression, the crew still gets a chance to shine, the team up pairings work, the pacing is rock solid, the action is so chaotic and exciting but I never lose sense of place.

But I'd be fucking lying if the first words out of my mouth in defense aren't "THE SHIP SURFS. ON THE BAD GUYS. LIKE A HALF PIPE."

Review by Diego Crespo ★★★★½ 1

Through the power of the Beastie Boys and friendship anything is possible.

Review by DirkH ★★★★½ 16

Wow. The irony is stellar.

Back when it was announced that Abrams was going to reinvigorate Star Trek, I (yes, I'm a huge Trekkie) was optimistic. Turns out I was right as Abrams' Star Trek was a great tribute to the show and the Trek universe.

Then Into Darkness happened which was more of the same. Actually, it was hardly a movie, more a show reel of fan servicing highlights. Doing that once is fine, it opens up new possibilities, doing it twice is just lazy.

So here's the third film. No more Abrams in the director's seat, a script co-written by one of the cast, not a hint of tribute-itis in sight and what we get is one of…

Review by Adam Kempenaar ★★★ 19

Not because the Federation is really eager to send its best captain and starship on a ridiculously risky mission they know almost nothing about.

Not because Idris Elba is fully utilized as the villain, or that his worldview and rationale for universal destruction make much sense or matter.

Not because it's that much fun to watch the Enterprise get systematically shredded, or that the swarming action scenes match the "zen chaos" (h/t Josh Larsen) that Lin has offered elsewhere.

Because fan service was (seemed to be?) kept to a minimum.

Because even though Lin is breathlessly intent on pure action escapism over commentary about "the times we live in," you can't dismiss its egalitarian spirit and optimism despite the times…

Review by sophie ★★★½

the ‘sabotage’ scene > hitchcock’s entire filmography

Review by Matt Singer ★★★★ 3

It’s been a while since the crew of the Starship Enterprise visited a strange new world in search of new life and civilizations. The Star Trek of television was full of strange new worlds; the Enterprise seemed to discover one every single week. The Trek movies, so focused on special effects, violence, and intricate revenge plots, have frequently strayed from Trek ’s original mission. And while there’s plenty of action and excitement in Star Trek Beyond , there’s also a clear attempt to return this series to its core principles: Exploration, diplomacy, teamwork, and the hope for a better tomorrow. After the missteps of the punishingly bleak and the unfortunately rehashy Star Trek Into Darkness , it’s a necessary and welcome course correction; a Star Trek back into the light.

Full review at ScreenCrush .

Review by SilentDawn ★★★½ 4

Basically Into Darkness only, you know, graceful and self contained instead of dour busyness cluttering frame after frame and referential setbacks. Justin Lin links TOS's color and adventure with the modern sensibility of JJ's Trek, and it's essentially a perfect balance until it decides to overstay its welcome (the final climax is ooooooooof). But until then, Beyond offers some of the most balletic, vivid set-pieces in a recent sci-fi fantasy (Lin loops and loops for dizzying effect, vibrant hues strobe in and out, warfare is fought in the expanse of space and it's still claustrophobic); reconfiguring the past (ie: the utter bullshit of Into Darkness ) until it literally crashes back to its roots. In the wasteland known as summer 2016, this is a goddamned marvel, never stopping but unafraid to take in all the exotic sights and sounds. Pure and simple.

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Star Trek Beyond - plot, trailer, cast, release date and everything you need to know

Boldly going where JJ Abrams has gone before.

Now the franchise is boldly entering a post-JJ Abrams world - after he ditched the director's chair for another, similarly-named hit franchise . And only time will tell how it will cope with the master of lens flare's departure.

So here's everything you need to know about  Star Trek 3  – aka  Star Trek Beyond :

Star Trek Beyond release date

The follow-up to 2012's Star Trek Into Darkness is coming to UK and US cinemas – including IMAX – on July 22.

It lands on the same day as Ice Age: Collision Course , which coincidentally is also taking its characters off planet, as unlikely as that sounds.

Star Trek Beyond cast

All the main cast members from the first two films are coming back, sparing us the prospect of a film without Kirk or Spock smouldering at each other. So that's Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in the aforementioned homoerotic roles, with Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Karl Urban as Dr McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov.

Simon Pegg – who will likewise be dusting off his dubious accent again as Scotty – also served as co-writer on the script, admitting that he was tempted to "big up" his role in the film .

Newcomers will include Idris Elba as Krall – a reptilian-looking villain who 'challenges the Federation's philosophy' – and Sofia Boutella as Jaylah, an alien warrior who will be continuing the trend she set in Kingsman: The Secret Service for highly-athletic ass kicking .

Meanwhile, the legendary William Shatner has been trolling us about a potential appearance as future/alternate reality 'Kirk Prime', teasing us that it could happen one minute and then saying there have been no talks the next. The swine.

Last-minute reshoots added House of Sand and Fog actress  Shohreh Aghdashloo to the cast as High Command of the Federation.

Tragically, Yelchin, who was 27 years old, was killed on June 19 when his car rolled down his steep driveway.

Star Trek Beyond plot

The new film will be going back to basics with the Enterprise's famous 'five-year mission' to explore the unknown regions of the universe. Pegg said that the filmmakers "just want to take it forward with the spirit of the TV show" in "a story about frontierism and adventure and optimism and fun". So presumably the crew will be turning their back on the now familiar stories of Federation infighting for encounters with new and conveniently humanoid-looking aliens who explore the furthest reaches of forehead ridgification .

In fact, director Justin Lin has said very politely that he will be ignoring much of Star Trek Into Darkness , so if you're in the market for more magical healing blood and interstellar beaming that renders spaceships completely redundant, it's time to look elsewhere.

The film finds the crew trapped on an alien planet with the Enterprise out of commission, threatened by a mysterious foe who is plotting the demise of the Federation. And if you're really keen for info, this TV spot completely spoils the twist .

Still, Abrams dropped a clue to Digital Spy – the choice of the Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' for the trailer "connects to the story of the movie" . So prepare to point to your least favourite character and cry 'TRAITOR'.

Beyond that, the trailers promise daddy issues, the near-total destruction of the Enterprise and a dastardly plot hatched by Elba's Krall to bring our Federation heroes to their knees. And things aren't looking good for Uhura and Spock's relationship...

Star Trek Beyond trailer

Speaking of the trailer, not everyone was completely blown away by its action-packed antics. In what could be put down to a case of sour grapes, original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation stars George Takei and Wil Wheaton were less than effusive.

"Oh my," said Takei. "It doesn't have that element that made Star Trek – Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek – what it was. It looks like a terrific action-adventure movie. A lot of clinging on cliffs and getting smashed against rocks. It should be a very successful Star Trek movie." Ouch.

And as for young Wesley Crusher:

Not afraid to bite the hand that feeds, even Pegg couldn't muster the mental energy to be positive about his own film. "I find the marketing people to be 'everybody come and see this film, it's full of action and fun', when there's a lot more to it than that," he said. "I didn't love it because I know there's a lot more to the film... there's a lot more, what I would call, ' Star Trek stuff'."

As he was brought on to make the script less " Star Trek -y" , it's hard to know what to think.

Star Trek Beyond director

With JJ Abrams stepping back into a producer role, the third film in the reboot was originally set to be directed by Roberto Orci – best known as half of a writing duo with Alex Kurtzman, who both wrote the first two Star Trek reboot films.

After Orci announced that he too would only produce the film, Edgar Wright, Rupert Wyatt, Morten Tyldum, Daniel Espinosa and Duncan Jones were among those rumoured to be under consideration for the director's chair. Our favourite rumour was that was that Jonathan 'Commander William T Riker' Frakes was in the running after his work on Star Trek: First Contact and Insurrection .

As already mentioned, the job eventually went to Justin Lin , best known for his work on the Fast and Furious series and Community . Oh, and two episodes of the much-derided second season of True Detective , but never mind. His action chops are fully on display in the first trailer, that's for sure.

The movie filmed in Vancouver, Seoul and Dubai, wrapping up back in October to give them plenty of time to add all those lens flares. Don't forget: JJ Abrams is still involved.

Aftermath of Anton Yelchin's death

The loss of young actor Yelchin understandably shocked cast and crew who have paid tribute to their co-star . Given it happened so close to the release of the film, a planned event at Cannes which came just days later was cancelled out of respect. 

Simon Pegg has said recently though that they would continue to promote the film in Yelchin's name.

"He should still be here, but we have to make this about Anton now," Pegg told Magic Radio . "And we talked about how hard it was going to be to get out there and bang the drum for this movie when we've lost one of our family.

"But for his sake and for his memory, we're going to make it. It's something that we just now have to contend with."

Mr Sulu comes out

Star Trek will be proving its futurist credentials by finally catching up with the times and introducing its first openly LGBTQ character .

John Cho's Mr Hikaru Sulu will be revealed to be gay in the movie, with a same-sex partner and child – with director Justin Lin saying that Hollywood has been "behind the times" in matters of diversity for too long.

Surprisingly, the original Sulu, openly gay actor George Takei , was less than impressed with the decision, calling it "unfortunate" and a "twisting" of the Star Trek legacy.

Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto have both spoken out in defence of the decision, with Pegg saying it had more impact than introducing an entirely new LGBTQ character.

The continuing mission

Despite rumours that Zachary Quinto wanted to avoid becoming typecast as a humourless alien with a bowl cut, the latest report is that he and Chris Pine have already signed on for the fourth movie . For a substantial raise, naturally.

No more news on another sequel yet. We'll wait to see if the Enterprise comes out of Star Trek Beyond in one piece first.

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This Is What The Actress Who Plays Jaylah In Star Trek Looks Like In Real Life

" Star Trek Beyond " wasn't quite the success that everyone involved in it likely hoped it would be. While the film received mostly positive reviews (it holds an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes ), it failed to be a box office hit. "Beyond" only managed to gross a little over $343 million at the worldwide box office — falling short of the box office totals of the two previous "Star Trek" films . As a result, Paramount Pictures has yet to make a sequel to "Star Trek Beyond," though, a number of new "Star Trek" TV shows have premiered in the five years since its release.

However, despite the film's disappointing financial returns, there are actually a number of things that "Star Trek Beyond" does right. That includes the introduction and creation of some memorable new characters, like Idris Elba's villainous Krall and Sofia Boutella's likable alien scavenger, Jaylah . An escaped survivor of the camp run by Krall, "Beyond" shows Jaylah become a quick and helpful new ally for the Enterprise crew.

Boutella made an instant impression with her performance as the character, despite being covered in heavy makeup and facial prosthetics throughout the entirety of the film. Indeed, the actress is totally unrecognizable in the role, so much so that viewers may be surprised to learn not only what Boutella looks like in real life, but also that "Star Trek Beyond" is far from the only notable project that Boutella has starred in.

Jaylah is played by dancer-turned-actress Sofia Boutella

Sofia Boutella has been steadily carving out an impressive film and television career for herself over the past several years. Boutella got her start as a professional dancer, and many of her earliest credits are for music videos from notable musical artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson. Her first major film role came in 2012 when she appeared as Eva in " StreetDance 2 ," but she achieved breakthrough success with her performance as the deadly Gazelle in 2014's "Kingsman: The Secret Service." Two years later, she appeared as Jaylah in "Star Trek Beyond" and followed up that sci-fi blockbuster with her memorable turn as Delphine — the seductive-but-well-intentioned love interest of Charlize Theron's Lorraine — in 2017's "Atomic Blonde."

That same year, Boutella starred alongside Tom Cruise in a live-action reboot of " The Mummy ," where she played the film's titular character. Meanwhile, in 2018 she appeared as Clarisse McClellan in the Michael B. Jordan-led HBO film adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," and earned major acclaim for her performance as Selva in the trippy, dance-driven indie film, " Climax ."

On the smaller screen, Boutella has also appeared as Yasmine in two episodes of the Amazon anthology series, "Modern Love," and is currently set to star alongside Alfie Allen and Jack O'Connell in the upcoming historical miniseries, " SAS: Rogue Heroes ." In other words, not only has Boutella already amassed some truly impressive credits for herself, but she's also shown no signs of slowing down any time soon, either.

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‘Heroes’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

NBC’s Heroes was packed with shocking twists and turns that still have fans reeling, years after the show’s 2010 finale.

The show, which ran for 4 seasons from 2006 to 2010, followed seemingly ordinary people who discover that they have supernatural abilities and are forced to band together to prevent life-changing disasters. The successful NBC series – which received 14 Emmy nominations during it’s time on air – starred several notable stars including Hayden Panettiere , Jack Coleman , Milo Ventimiglia , Kristen Bell, Leonard Roberts , Ali Larter and more.

More than a decade after the finale’s end, Roberts opened up about his post- Heroes experience and described “tension” between him and Larter, his on screen wife.

“I was tarnishing her brand,” Roberts alleged in a lengthy Variety essay, recalling the day he found out he was being written off the show. “In a short voicemail message, [creator Tim Kring ] said that due to ‘the Ali Larter situation,’ when the show returned for Season 2, audiences would learn that [my character] had died, and that I was free to call him if I wanted to talk. I was stunned.”

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Larter later issued a statement in response to Roberts’ allegations, noting that she was “deeply saddened” and “heartbroken” by his description of their working relationship. “I am truly sorry for any role I may have played in his painful experience during that time and I wish him and his family the very best,” she told Us Weekly  at the time.

Keep scrolling to find out what Panettiere, Ventimiglia and more Heroes alums are doing now:

Credit: Shutterstock (3)

'Heroes' Cast: Where Are They Now?

NBC’s Heroes was packed with shocking twists and turns that still have fans reeling, years after the show’s 2010 finale. The show, which ran for 4 seasons from 2006 to 2010, followed seemingly ordinary people who discover that they have supernatural abilities and are forced to band together to prevent life-changing disasters. The successful NBC series – which received 14 Emmy nominations during it’s time on air – starred several notable stars including Hayden Panettiere , Jack Coleman , Milo Ventimiglia , Kristen Bell, Leonard Roberts , Ali Larter and more. More than a decade after the finale’s end, Roberts opened up about his post- Heroes experience and described “tension” between him and Larter, his on screen wife. “I was tarnishing her brand,” Roberts alleged in a lengthy Variety essay, recalling the day he found out he was being written off the show. “In a short voicemail message, [creator Tim Kring ] said that due to ‘the Ali Larter situation,’ when the show returned for Season 2, audiences would learn that [my character] had died, and that I was free to call him if I wanted to talk. I was stunned.” Larter later issued a statement in response to Roberts’ allegations, noting that she was “deeply saddened” and “heartbroken” by his description of their working relationship. “I am truly sorry for any role I may have played in his painful experience during that time and I wish him and his family the very best,” she told Us Weekly  at the time. Keep scrolling to find out what Panettiere, Ventimiglia and more Heroes alums are doing now:

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet)

Following her four seasons on Heroes , Panettiere went on to star as Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT drama Nashville from 2012 to 2018. She is also known for her roles in 2000’s Remember the Titans , 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing , 2009’s I Love You, Beth Cooper , 2011’s Scream 4 and 2023’s Scream 6 . While working on Heroes , Panettiere sparked a two-year romance with costar Milo Ventimiglia until they called it quits in 2009. She later moved on with Wladimir Klitschko , who proposed in October 2013 . They welcomed daughter Kaya in October 2014 and ended their engagement four years later.

Panettiere started dating Brian Hickerson in August 2018 but the pair split two years later after a dispute led to Hickerson’s second arrest for domestic violence charges.

Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet)

Previously known for a six-year stint on Dynasty in the 1980s, Coleman portrayed Claire Bennet’s father, Noah, on the supernatural NBC series. He later secured recurring roles as State Senator Robert Lipton on The Office from 2010 to 2013 and as United States Senator William Bracken on Castle from 2012 to 2015.

Coleman is married to Beth Toussaint and the couple share daughter Tess.

Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli)

Ventimiglia was a major teen heartthrob in the mid-2000s after playing Rory Gilmore’s misunderstood love interest Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls , a role he reprised in Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life in 2016. After Heroes introduced him to a broader audience, Ventimiglia went on to star in 2013’s Mob City, 2015’s The Whispers and This is Us from 2016 to 2022. He also appeared on the big screen in 2012’s That’s My Boy , 2013’s Kiss of the Damned , 2014’s Grace of Monaco , 2017’s Devil’s Gate , 2018’s Creed II and 2019’s The Art of Racing in the Rain .

In October 2023, Us Weekly confirmed that Ventimiglia tied the knot with Jarah Mariano earlier that year.

Leonard Roberts (D.L. Hawkins)

Apart from Heroes, Roberts is known for playing Sean Taylor in 2002’s Drumline and Forrest Gates in season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , which aired in 1999. He went onto star in several TV shows after Heroes , including 2013’s The Client List , 2016’s The People v. O.J. Simpson , Mom from 2017 to 2018, 2019’s 9-1-1 , Charmed from 2020 to 2022, 2022’s All American: Homecoming and 2023’s Goosebumps . In December 2020, Roberts made headlines after claiming that he felt singled out as a Black actor on Heroes and noted there was tension with costar Ali Larter, which resulted in him being fired from the series.

Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura)

After appearing on Heroes , Oka starred on CBS' Hawaii Five-0 remake as Doctor Max Bergman from 2010 to 2017 and later reprised the role in 2019. Aside from TV, Oka also starred in 2011’s Friends with Benefits , 2013’s Jobs , 2017’s Death Note , 2018’s The Meg , 2019’s Spies in Disguise and 2022’s Bullet Train .

Ali Larter (Niki Sanders/Tracy Strauss)

Following her appearance in Heroes, Larter starred in 2014’s Legends , 2016’s Pitch and The Rookie from 2019 to 2020. The Final Destination actress also appeared on the big screen in 2014’s Lovesick and You’re Not You , 2015’s The Diabolical , 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter , 2021’s The Last Victim and 2022’s The Hater .

Larter tied the knot with Hayes MacArthur in August 2009 and the twosome went on to welcome son Theodore and daughter Vivienne in 2010 and 2015, respectively.

Zachary Quinto (Gabriel Gray)

In 2009, Quinto took over the role of Spock from the late Leonard Nimoy in J.J. Abrams’ modern Star Trek adaptation, which also starred Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana . He reprised the role in sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Aside from his work in Star Trek , Quinto also appeared in 2011’s Margin Call , 2015’s Hitman: Agent 47 , 2016’s Snowden and 2018’s Hotel Artemis . On TV, Quinto starred on 2011’s American Horror Story: Murder House , 2012’s AHS: Asylum , 2019’s NOS4A2 and 2022’s AHS: NYC .

Aside from his work in the film industry, Quinto appeared on Broadway in 2013’s The Glass Menagerie and 2018’s The Boys in The Band.

Quinto began dating musician Miles McMillan in 2013, however, the twosome ended their relationship in 2019.

Kristen Bell (Elle Bishop)

Bell joined the cast of Heroes for its second and third seasons in 2007 and 2008, shortly after UPN’s Veronica Mars came to an end. Following her work on Heroes , Bell appeared as Jeannie van der Hooven in House of Lies from 2012 to 2016, Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place from 2016 to 2020, Molly Tillerman on Central Park from 2020 to 2022 and Anna Whitaker in 2022’s The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window . She has also starred in numerous films including 2009’s Couples Retreat , 2010’s When in Rome , 2010’s You Again , 2013’s Frozen , 2016’s The Boss and 2019’s Frozen II.

Bell tied the knot with Dax Shepard in October 2013 and the couple welcomed daughters Lincoln and Delta in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli)

Pasdar appeared on Heroes as Nathan Petrelli from 2006 to 2009. Following his stint on the show, he appeared in The Lying Game from 2011 to 2013, Avengers Assemble from 2013 to 2017 and Supergirl from 2017 to 2018.

Pasdar announced in 2017 that he Natalie Maines of The Chicks were divorcing after 17 years of marriage . The pair share two sons, Jackson and Beckett, born in 2001 and 2004, respectively.

Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh)

After starring on Heroes from 2006 to 2010, Ramamurthy appeared in Covert Affairs from 2010 to 2012, Beauty & The Beast from 2013 to 2014, The Flash from 2019 to 2023 and Never Have I Ever from 2020 to 2023.

Ramamurthy is married to Olga Sosnovska and the twosome share daughter Halina and son Alex, born in 2005 and 2008, respectively.

Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman)

Grunberg starred as Matt Parkman on Heroes from 2006 to 2010 and went on to star on The Client List from 2012 to 2013. He has also appeared in 2013’s Big Ass Spider! , 2014’s Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife , 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens , 2016's Star Trek Beyond , 2018’s A Star Is Born , 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , 2020’s M ax Reload and the Nether Blaster and 2022’s The Fabelmans .

Grunberg is married to Elizabeth Dawn Wershow and the couple share three sons together: Jake, Ben and Sam born in 1996, 1999 and 2003, respectively.

James Kyson (Ando Masahashi)

Since Heroes concluded in 2010, Kyson has guest starred in several shows including Hawaii Five-0 in 2011, Adventure Time in 2012 and 2016, NCIS: Los Angeles in 2016 and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders in 2017.

He has been married to Jamee Kyson since 2015.

Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli)

Aside from Heroes , Rose starred on How I Met Your Mother from 2006 to 2014 and 2017’s Trial & Error . Since 2010, she has appeared in various films as well including 2011’s Take Me Home and 2014’s Muffin Top: A Love Story.

Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders)

Following the end of Heroes , Gray-Cabey went on to pursue higher education at Harvard University before reprising his role of Micah in 2015’s Heroes Reborn miniseries and starring in Code Black from 2016 to 2018. The actor also appeared on P retty Little Liars: The Perfectionists in 2019 and All American from 2021 to 2023.

Malcolm McDowell (Daniel Linderman)

McDowell starred on Heroes from 2006 to 2007 and went on to appear in Metalocalypse from 2007 to 2012, Phineas and Ferb from 2008 to 2014, Franklin & Bash from 2011 to 2014, Mozart in the Jungle from 2014 to 2018 and Gossip Girl from 2021 to 2023. He has also starred in numerous films such as 2008’s Doomsday , 2010’s Easy A , 2011’s The Artist and 2019’s Bombshell.

McDowell was married to Margot Bennett from 1975 to 1980 and later moved on with Mary Steenburgen in 1978. The twosome welcomed daughter Lilly and son Charlie in 1981 and 1983, respectively, before divorcing in 1990. Following his divorce, McDowell married Kelley Kuhr in 1991 and the couple welcomed sons Beckett, Finnian and Seamus, born in 2004, 2006, and 2009, respectively.

Stephen Tobolowsky (Bob Bishop)

Following his role on Heroes from 2007 to 2008, Tobolowsky went on to star in Californication from 2011 to 2014, The Goldbergs from 2014 to 2023 and 2023’s Lopez vs Lopez . Tobolowsky has appeared on the big screen as well in 2009’s The Time Traveler’s Wife , 2010’s Buried , 2012’s The Lorax , 2014’s Mr. Peabody & Sherman and 2023’s Candy Cane Lane. He is also the host of his own podcast, The Tobolowsky Files.

Tobolowsky is married to Ann Hearn and the couple share two children.

George Takei (Kaito Nakamura)

The Star Trek alum appeared on Heroes from 2007 to 2010 and went on to star in Supah Ninjas from 2011 to 2013, The Neighbors from 2013 to 2014 and various other guest starring roles. He also appeared in films such as 2011’s Larry Crowne , 2014’s To Be Takei and 2022’s Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.

George has been married to Brad Takei since 2008.

Dania Ramirez (Maya Herrera)

Known for her work on Entourage and The Sopranos , Ramirez joined Heroes in season 2 and made her last appearance in season 3. Her next major roles were on Lifetime’s Devious Maids from 2013 to 2016, Once Upon a Time from 2017 to 2018, Tell Me a Story from 2018 to 2019, 2021’s Sweet Tooth and Alert: Missing Persons Unit from 2023 onwards. She has also appeared in films such as 2009’s The Devil’s Tomb , 2012’s Premium Rush , 2015’s Mojave , 2018’s Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay , 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level and 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

Ramirez married John Beverly “Bev” Land in February 2012 and the couple welcomed twins in 2013. (Land also shares son Kai from a previous marriage.)

Eric Roberts (Agent Thompson)

Julia Roberts’ brother only appeared briefly on the NBC series but his career spans decades in both television and film, including 2008’s The Dark Knight , 2014’s Inherent Vice and 2022’s Babylon.

Roberts shares daughter Emma Roberts with ex Kelly Cunningham and has two stepchildren: Keaton Simons and Morgan Simons . The Oscar nominee has been married to Eliza Garrett since 1992.

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Star Trek Sets the Stage for Wesley Crusher's Galaxy-Shaking Return

• In Star Trek #19, by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Megan Levens, the stage is set for Wesley Crusher's epic return.
• Wesley's organization, the Travelers, are a powerful, but mysterious group who may hold the key to the franchise's god war.
• There could also be dire ramifications if Wesley meets his mother for the first time in years.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek #19!

Wesley Crusher has been suspiciously absent from Star Trek ’s franchise-shaking god war, but now the stage has been set for his return. Wesley’s mother, Doctor Beverly Crusher, was a key player in the god war–but little mention has been made of her god-like son. Now, in Star Trek #19, Doctor Crusher and the crew of the Theseus are heading to the Pleroma –and maybe Wesley Crusher as well.

Star Trek #19 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and drawn by Megan Levens. In a text piece, made to resemble Doctor Crusher’s personal log, she reflects on her recent victories aboard the Theseus. She then switches gears, mentioning Wesley. Doctor Crusher wonders if there is anything she could have done to keep him closer. She also stresses she may not even have factored into his decision to leave.

Later, she talks with Captain Sisko about their impending trip to the Pleroma.

She tells him it is “personal” and he immediately knows she is going to look for Wesley.

Wesley Crusher Was More Than Just a Starfleet Cadet

Wesley had powers beyond normal humans.

Introduced as one of the main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Wesley Crusher was a precocious kid living aboard the Enterprise. He would eventually leave the show midway through its fourth season to attend Starfleet Academy, but it never sat right with him. Disillusioned, he dropped out. In the seventh season Next Generation episode “Journey’s End,” Wesley learned of his true nature. Wesley leaves his family and friends behind to join the mysterious Travelers. As revealed in Star Trek #400, this was a one-way trip for Wesley, as he was not allowed to revisit his loved ones.

In Star Trek: Year Five , Wesley's bosses were referred to as the Aegis.

Wesley returned to the screen, as a full-fledged Traveler, in the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard. This episode also connected the Travelers to the Supervisors introduced in the Original Series’ second season. Prior to launching the flagship Star Trek title, Lanzing and Kelly had already handled the Supervisors in Year Five, where they were cast as the villains. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Lanzing and Kelly admitted their story was completed before Picard’s season finale, but hinted that the two visions can be reconciled. The Pleroma may hold the key to Wesley Crusher’s return.

Star Trek's Darkest Timeline Turns Wesley Crusher into Picard's Opposite

Wesley's return to the star trek universe is almost guaranteed, what would be the cost of wesley's return.

In the ScreenRant interview, Lanzing and Kelly all but stated Wesley would be returning in a future issue of Star Trek. No details were given, but the Pleroma, the “Realm of the Gods,” is an entirely new place in the Star Trek universe. The Travelers and the Supervisors may have access to the Pleroma already, meaning Doctor Crusher could be reunited with Wesley sooner than later. However, the consequences of a Traveler returning home have never been fully explored. The ramifications of Wesley Crusher’s return to the Star Trek universe could be devastating.

Star Trek #19 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!

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Published Apr 25, 2024

WARP FIVE: Sonequa Martin-Green on the Gift of Michael Burnham

The Star Trek: Discovery actress walks us through 'Face the Strange,' her love of the franchise, fandom, and more!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for the fifth season of Star Trek: Discovery.

Getty Images / StarTrek.com

For the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery , Michael Burnham finally gets to settle in and soak in the thrill of an epic chase with the galaxy’s biggest threat (the Dark Matter Anomaly) behind her.

Ahead of season’s premiere, StarTrek.com sat down for an intimate conversation with series star and executive producer Sonequa Martin-Green where we discussed what the franchise means to her, being surrounded by the fandom, the first half of the final season, and more!

Facing Michael Burnham’s Legacy

"Face the Strange"

StarTrek.com

In the latest episode, " Face the Strange ," Michael Burnham, Rayner, and Paul Stamets are stuck in a time loop after fugitives Moll and L'ak plant a time bug on the U.S.S. Discovery . The episode allows fans to revisit pivotal moments across the series' first four seasons and Captain Burnham to face herself, literally, as she stands before the mutineer who was offered a second chance to serve the Federation.

Burnham reflects on that moment in the episode telling her first officer, "The first time I walked onto this bridge, it took every ounce of strength I had not to turn around and run right back off. I respected Starfleet too much to believe I deserved to be here after what I had done." As Rayner notes, Burnham has to be "the only person in Starfleet to ever captain a ship that [they] first boarded as a prisoner."

"That’s one of my favorite episodes of the entire show," Martin-Green shares. "We get to see old Burnham, and that interaction, I feel that it was a gift. It was a gift that the writers gave me, and it was a gift that they gave Burnham. It really means a lot to me because you see this woman falling forward, you see this woman going through the necessary trouble to grow. And you can almost forget where Burnham started, when you look at where Burnham ended, when you look at where I ended up as Michael."

"That right there, that episode gives context," states Martin-Green. "For me, doing it, and then being able to see it in Post, you see it. You see the progression right there in front of your face. That was just one of the best gifts that we could have given to Michael Burnham. It champions the permanent change that is a tenet to our story because every character can do that. Every character could look back and see who they were in Season 1 and see the growth, see the distance that they’ve traveled. It was representative of one of our cornerstones."

The Changing of the XO Guard

"Under the Twin Moons"

Following Discovery 's first run-in with Moll and L'ak on Q’Mau in " Red Directive ," Saru steps down as Burnham’s first officer in " Under the Twin Moons ," allowing the captain to extend a second chance to the gruff Antares captain, Rayner .

Reflecting on Burnham’s relationship with Saru, who served alongside her on the Shenzhou , before their history aboard Discovery , and his decision to take a new position with the Federation, Martin-Green says, "That was such a heartbreaking moment for Burnham."

"The relationship between Burnham and Saru is just one of my favorite things about Star Trek: Discovery ," she continues. "That brother and sister, they will always be unified. Their relationship was refined with fire and carved in stone, if you will. Him going off to fulfill his own destiny is necessary, honestly, for Burnham's development and maturation. Having him as a guide, a shepherd, and a big brother in a lot of ways gave me as Burnham a sense of security and a sense of peace. And so those things are going to have to be found from within. It's that process of growth. Saru has also, he's matured to that place. He has transformed. He has morphed into this confident, fearless leader and legend with his people. It’s really beautiful because you see these people actualizing. You see these people literally stepping into who they were meant to be and doing it together. They couldn't have done it without each other."

Ushering in a New Era

With the conclusion of Star Trek: Discovery , the series star has had ample time to reflect on the journey these past seven years. As Michael Burnham took us to the 32nd Century, Sonequa Martin-Green took Star Trek to uncharted territory ushering a new modern era for the franchise when Star Trek: Discovery debuted in 2017, 12 years after Star Trek: Enterprise went off air.

Looking holistically, Martin-Green imparts, "We all knew that this franchise has made an impact on our society. We knew that we needed to do it justice, and we were all passionate about that and there was no ego. We knew that we had a great responsibility and a great duty ahead us. And so it is thrilling."

"It's thrilling to be able to be a part of something that has already made an impact, that's already solidified in the consciousness of society," she adds. "It's also great to play these characters, to bring these characters to life that are brand new and fresh. It was great and fulfilling to be able to tell a serialized story, to be able to be the most diverse Trek ever, and to be able to go beyond where any Trek had gone before, even from a timeline perspective. It's really thrilling and fulfilling as an artist, as an actor, as a human being, for me as a Black woman. Also, to be brutally honest, as a Christian, as a wife and mother. It's been a blessing."

What Star Trek Means to Sonequa Martin-Green

"Jinaal"

Executive producer and showrunner Alex Kurtzman, speaking exclusively to StarTrek.com , shared that in the run up to the production of the series, they were lucky to come across Martin-Green, "It's that beautiful thing. We had been looking for so long for the right Michael Burnham. And it's that miracle moment that you always wait for when you're in a casting process where just the right person shows up and starts saying the lines, and you go, 'That's my Michael Burnham.' That's what we got with her just out of the gate."

On taking on the role, Martin-Green recalls, “I remember saying really early on that, to me, Star Trek was a call to rise. And I still feel that way.”

“Now here we are almost seven years later after I first said that,” Martin-Green concludes. “And I can attest that it has been true. It has allowed me to grow in my own understanding of who I am. It's emboldened me to express myself more authentically. It's encouraged me to understand my worth and my value and that it is intrinsic. It's inherent. It's not something I need to fight for. All of those things have really deepened in me from being a part of this. And I've heard countless stories. I've had the blessing of hearing countless stories of people saying a version of that as well because of this franchise and because of Discovery specifically. So to me, it's still that call to rise, even if that rise is rising to who you really are and what you're really here to do.”

The Beauty of Her Fandom Experience

Star Trek: The Cruise

As Discovery readies itself for its final journey, Martin-Green sees the Discovery family extending beyond the cast and crew, to the fandom.

"It's really transcendent, honestly, being a part of the franchise," she shares. "And I had an interesting experience because when I came into the franchise, I knew of it peripherally, but I didn't know it intimately. And we were a family on Discovery ."

"And then over the years, I've come to understand all the different families that make up the franchise, the audience being part of it, being the extended family," notes Martin-Green. “And now here on [ Star Trek: The Cruise VII], my first time doing the full cruise. And now that we're done with Discovery , I feel like now I can see it more clearly. Hindsight is 20/20, and I feel that I have a more objective point of view now and I'm getting to understand these families that make up the franchise in a brand-new way. It's almost like being separated from it is allowing me to be a part of it like never before. In a weird way. It's kind of beautiful though."

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Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

‘Doctor Who’ Regenerates: How Ncuti Gatwa’s Historic Casting, Russell T Davies’ Return and a Disney+ Deal Revolutionized the Franchise

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When Ncuti Gatwa makes his first appearance as the 15th Doctor in the science-fiction series “ Doctor Who ,” he isn’t wearing any pants.

In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him. In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities.

In addition to the whole no-pants thing, Gatwa was just a little bit star-struck: Tennant, who played the part from 2005 to 2010, was the Doctor he’d grown up with, inspiring him to become an actor in the first place.

“To play this role beside him, who played this role which made me want to do this role, and him also being there — it was so many layers of full circle,” Gatwa says. “And on top of it, you’re wearing no pants! There was so much going on that day.”

It was an apt entrance for Gatwa, whose bubbly, fearless personality shone through in his breakout performance as the effervescent Eric on Netflix’s “Sex Education” and as “artist Ken” in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” It also marks a new era for the beloved “Doctor Who,” with series stalwart Russell T Davies returning as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

With Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor, followed by Tennant as the 10th, Davies took the series out of its cult-y niche as a British curiosity. With his relaunch, “Doctor Who” transformed into an international hit (with multiple spinoffs), as well as a star-making machine. In addition to Eccleston and Tennant, who have become two of the U.K.’s greatest acting exports, “Doctor Who” has helped launch the careers of Billie Piper, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and even Carey Mulligan, who had a small role in the now-classic 2007 episode “Blink.” After Davies’ departure in 2010 — Tennant was also leaving and Davies says he “had muscles to flex” in the adult drama space — the show continued to build on his foundation, with the most recent lead (prior to Tennant’s anniversary-special return) being Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play the Doctor.

Now, with Davies back at the helm, Gatwa is making history as the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role of the core Doctor.

“Do you know what? It makes perfect sense to me,” Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda and raised in Scotland, says of his casting. “I feel like anyone that has a problem with someone who’s not a straight white man playing this character, you’re not really, truly a fan of the show. You’ve not been watching! Because the show is about regeneration, and the Doctor is an alien — why would they only choose to be this sort of person?”

Davies echoes that logic: “They weren’t exactly the straightest men in the past.” A trailblazer of LGBTQ television, Davies created the original “Queer as Folk” in 1999 and 2021’s “It’s a Sin.” And about how Gatwa’s Doctor is different, he says: “You’re talking about someone who does have a lightness and a joy about him that, to me, chimes with queer energy. It’s very rarely driving the story vehemently, but you will see moments exploring it. We’re not delivering a neutered Doctor.”

While the Doctor’s sexuality has never been labeled, in Gatwa’s first episode as the lead — “The Church on Ruby Road,” which premiered as the traditional “Doctor Who” Christmas special — viewers see him dancing in a kilt and referencing his “long, hot summer with Harry Houdini.” And though Davies insists he didn’t set out to be revolutionary in casting the next Doctor — “We auditioned men, women, Black, white, nonbinary actors and actors whose sexuality was their own private matter” — he says these are “exactly the type of barriers I like to break.”

“It’s very hard for anyone to stop me doing these things,” he continues. “You’d have to be a pretty brave executive to say, ‘Don’t go there’ to me. I’m sure there are people thinking that, but I wouldn’t work with them, would I?”

The broadcaster not only said yes, but asked Davies whether he’d want to reinvent the show once again, this time with a worldwide streaming partner. The BBC had found one in Disney+ , where the new season will release worldwide on May 10 at 7 p.m. ET — excluding the U.K., where it will launch May 11 at midnight GMT on BBC iPlayer and air that night on BBC One. (A choice that’s maddened some British Whovians, who — if they don’t want to stay up past their bedtimes — will have to wait until the next morning to stream new episodes as they dodge spoilers.)

The new iteration was given a two-season order, and Davies says it feels like such a fresh start that he has “the urge to call it Season 1,” despite the series’ 60-plus-year history. “It’s a new show,” he says.

Davies had admired franchises like “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” making the leap to streaming, and jumped at the chance to bring “Doctor Who” to a global audience — and with that transition, to give the show a higher production value. Integral to that was Bad Wolf, the production company founded by industry veterans Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter, with whom he had worked on his first iteration of “Doctor Who.” In 2017, Bad Wolf opened Wolf Studios Wales in Cardiff, which boasts 140,000 square feet of space across seven soundstages.

“I want every person in the world to watch ‘Doctor Who,’” Gardner says of the power of Disney+. “We can just get bigger and get better reach, and it feels like exactly where ‘Doctor Who’ should be.”

And of course, with the Disney+ partnership came an elevated budget. Neither Davies nor the streamer will reveal exactly how much it is, though Davies has denied previous £10-million-per-episode rumors.

“It’s not going to be a ‘Star Wars’ budget, and do you know what? Neither should it be,” he says. “Because I do think, with no offense to anyone, if money disappeared tomorrow, we’d [still] make the best episode of ‘Doctor Who’ ever.”

With production locked in, only one task remained: finding the perfect Doctor to usher in the show’s new chapter.

Gatwa was the last person to audition for the role back in January 2022. After the production had seen around 20 actors — and believed it had found its new lead — casting director Andy Pryor called Gatwa’s agent.

“We think we’ve got them, but, like, rogue choice, we just want to see Ncuti,” Gatwa says, reenacting the phone conversation. “Do you think he’d be up for it?”

Indeed, he would: Just the week before, Gatwa had texted his agent that he’d love to play “a character like Doctor Who or Willy Wonka.”

“I was like, this is manifestation, man,” Gatwa says, still looking astonished. To prepare, he rewatched all of Davies’ episodes. “In that week, I became a die-hard fan.”

Davies wasn’t alone in that opinion. “I have never seen an audition tape, and I suspect I probably never will, which had more conviction, more star quality, more talent in it than Ncuti’s,” producer Tranter says. “For me, it was the audition of a lifetime.”

And every Doctor needs a companion. No. 15’s is Ruby Sunday, played by former “Coronation Street” star Millie Gibson. In the series, the spunky Mancunian teen’s search for her birth parents helps to bolster her friendship with the orphan Doctor. Today at the Langham, Gibson is dressed, fittingly, in a ruby red Comme des Garçons cardigan and matching Mary Janes as she recalls her audition with Gatwa.

“It was surreal, because I remember watching you get announced at the BAFTAs in my bedroom, being like, ‘Oh, that’s a lovely choice,’” Gibson tells Gatwa as he lets out a belt of laughter — which then conjures another memory in Gibson. “I’ll always remember being in the waiting room for my audition and just hearing your laugh and being like, ‘Mm, there it is! There we go.’”

Gibson calls their chemistry read “magic,” though she recalls thinking, “Is he just like that with everyone because he’s really charismatic?”

No, the feeling was mutual.

“I knew where I wanted to take the character of the Doctor as soon as you walked in the room,” Gatwa says. “I was like, ‘Now the characterization is complete. This was the missing piece.’”

Gatwa’s guiding word for his Doctor became “compassion” — a choice that aligned with Davies’ vision of the character being more emotionally free than in the past. “A Doctor of old is someone who traditionally would be more closed, a little bit more aloof,” Davies says. “Then completely by chance I cast the man who couldn’t hide an emotion if he tried.”

Indeed, viewers saw Gatwa’s Doctor shed tears in the Christmas special — something Davies hopes will connect with the show’s younger audience.

“The one thing I keep seeing now is the fragility of the mental health of young people. It’s like there’s a nervousness about in the air now,” he says. “So that’s the hero I wanted for them. If that younger audience is feeling so much, I wanted the Doctor to feel it on-screen as well.”

“It was a little bit of a misunderstanding,” Gibson says. “But I’m very much in Season 2.”

“Doctor’s not letting this one go,” Gatwa says, chiming in. “That’s what the show is, isn’t it? There’s always new actors coming in and doing different things.”

And although Gatwa’s groundbreaking casting was met with much praise, there were, of course, some haters. Gatwa’s message to the naysayers is simple: “Don’t watch. Turn off the TV. Go and touch grass, please, for God’s sake.”

Then there’s the criticism that “Doctor Who” is a show that appeals to children — and that a queer actor playing the Doctor will reach more kids than ever with its new home on Disney+, which is a disturbing idea to homophobes. Davies sees the show’s wider reach as an opportunity to open people’s minds.

“I think if you’re 6 years old, you don’t care — not at all,” he says. “But nonetheless, as the world darkens — and I do think the world is darkening around queer rights — there is a joy and a celebration, and there’s a community. Whether you’re 12 years old and just beginning to work out who you are, 62 years old and you’ve never been who you are, or 61 years old like I am and beginning to worry about where we are in society — there is a hero out there cutting his way through the universe, looking damn good in his suits and doing it with a laugh and a smile.”

For Gatwa, Tennant has been a “guiding therapist father figure,” advising him about “the things to read, and the things not to read.”

As for how long this new era of “Doctor Who” will last? Gatwa says he’s “not going anywhere soon,” and Davies adds that he’s “already making plans” beyond the initial two-season order. No matter where this foray into the Whoniverse goes, Davies is sure of one thing: In Gatwa, a star has been born.

“I can sit here utterly certain that in five years’ time he’ll be leading a movie franchise and security will be holding me back as I go, ‘He promised me a ticket!’” Davies says with a chuckle.

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The next star wars tv show finally moves beyond george lucas' greatest jedi fear.

The upcoming Star Wars TV show, The Acolyte, is finally breaking down and moving past one of George Lucas' longest held fears in the franchise.

• The Acolyte breaks Star Wars tradition with non-human Jedi protagonists like Vernestra Rwoh, exploring a fresh era of Jedi diversity.
• Ahsoka Tano's live-action success paved the way for non-human characters like Vernestra in The Acolyte, proving that relatability knows no species.
• George Lucas' desire for human Jedi led to a lack of non-human focus in live-action, but The Acolyte finally spotlights diverse Jedi stories.

Now that The Acolyte is finally coming to Disney Plus, Star Wars is finally breaking one very specific decades-long trend and fear of George Lucas . Taking place roughly a hundred years before the prequel trilogy during the High Republic Era , this series explores a period of time when Jedi were plentiful, as were the dangers they faced. Many comics exploring this era show Jedi on the frontier, exploring and tackling threats such as the brutal Nihil marauders .

The Acolyte is set to premiere on June 4th, 2024 on Disney Plus and is sure to bring a fresh story to the franchise unlike any seen in live-action. After all, most of the characters in The Acolyte are either brand new for the series or have never been seen in live action, like Vernestra Rwoh. She, along with other Jedi in the cast, break a long-standing tradition when it comes to Star Wars protagonists.

Star Wars: The Acolyte - Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know

With the exception of yoda, all major live-action jedi are human, animation, comics, and novels have been left to pick up the slack.

In every Star Wars movie so far, all Jedi main characters have specifically been made to be human. Characters such as Luke and Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even Rey have been tailor-made with this in mind. Yoda seems to be the only exception, operating as a solitary figure both in design and in his location on Dagobah. That is not to say that there aren’t any non-human Jedi, but throughout the series, there has been little focus on these characters in live-action.

This is because George Lucas wanted his Jedi to be as relatable as possible. Because viewers are human, he figured that these characters would be the easiest for an audience to empathize with , and so he made the protagonists human. Though this has led to the creation of some legendary characters, fan-favorite characters and cultures have been left with less development because of it.

The Acolyte Finally Stars Jedi Who Aren't Human

Rebecca henderson and dafne keen are finally breaking the mold, vernestra rwoh.

With the release of The Acolyte ’s trailer, more information about the series and the characters that will appear in it has finally dropped. Something that many viewers have noticed is the specific inclusion of more non-human main characters. This includes the characters played by both Dafne Keen and Rebecca Henderson, the latter of whom will be playing the character Vernestra Rwoh.

Vernestra served as one of the youngest Padawans to graduate to become a Jedi.

This is the first time that Vernestra Rwoh will be seeing live-action, but she has previously been a popular character in a variety of different High Republic media, including both comics and novels. Vernestra served as one of the youngest Padawans to graduate to become a Jedi, doing so at only fifteen years old. She is also Mirialan and not human, making her one of very few non-human Jedi main characters to ever be a main focus in live-action.

Who Is Vernestra Rwoh, The High Republic Jedi Finally Coming To Live-Action In The Acolyte?

Ahsoka blazed the trail, & now the acolyte follows, ahsoka tano proved non-human protagonists can be relatable, too, ahsoka tano.

Before Vernestra Rwoh, Ahsoka Tano was the blueprint for non-human Jedi main characters. She was previously one of the main characters in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and later Star Wars Rebels, but until recently, that was where her story remained. It wasn’t until her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 “Chapter 13: The Jedi” that she finally made her way into live-action, going on to receive more appearances in The Book of Boba Fett and even her own show, aptly titled Ahsoka .

Ahsoka has proven on more than one occasion that non-human protagonists can be just as relatable as human ones, paving the way for shows like The Acolyte to follow. She has time and time again proven herself in various situations, facing struggles such as coming to terms with the death of her master, Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka is just as human as anyone else , capable of the same emotions and character arcs. Now, viewers can hopefully expect Star Wars to focus on even more varied and unique characters down the line, starting with The Acolyte .

The Acolyte starts streaming June 4th on Disney+ .

The Acolyte

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Love Is Always the Answer on Star Trek: Discovery

"mirrors" sits our heroes and villains alike down in a surprising setting, to come to a conclusion discovery has come to many times before..

We’ve said this many times before, and will no doubt say it a least a few times before as it nears its final end this season: Star Trek: Discovery is not a subtle show . It never has been, but ever since it really found its confidence and understood where its strengths were, it has never shied away from yelling them loudly in the audience’s faces.

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Sometimes this works in Discovery ’s favor, like it did in last week’s stunningly tight time-twisting adventure—the show firing on all cylinders to play with a format it knows it’s really good at, and using it to do the character reflection it’s also really good at. Sometimes, it means you get an episode like this week’s “Mirrors,” a perfectly perfunctory episode that ties together three different stories—that needed to be told at this point in the season , so you might as well shove them all into the blender and get it out at once—under a familiar dramatic message: Discovery loves Love. It loves romantic love, it loves the love between friends, it loves the bonds love creates to help people change and grow. You, the protagonist: have love! You, the villains of the arc: have love! You, the background support crew: have some love, too!

You know what else this season of Discovery also loves, apparently? Set re-use. After the premiere gave us some clever re-dresses of Discovery hallways and rooms to become the Romulan science ship that kickstarted this whole race-for-progenitor-tech off in the first place, and last week cleverly used the time-hopping conceit to dress and re-dress Discovery again for different eras of the show, this week Michael and Book take themselves on an inadvertent crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , but not like Lower Decks did. More so that they’re simply just on the Enterprise sets instead! After discovering that Moll and L’ak are hiding out with the next clue in the pocket of extradimensional space—safeguarded by a rapidly opening and closing wormhole entrance—Michael races into action to find them, leaving Commander Rayner in charge back on Discovery and dragging Book along with her, where they discover that the duo, and the clue they seek, is hiding out in the damaged, abandoned remnants of the ISS Enterprise : the Mirror Universe version of the iconic ship.

Alas, Discovery really doesn’t do much to interrogate its own history with Trek ’s famous alt-reality; at this point in continuity, Discovery has previously told us, it’s now truly separated from the prime reality, having interdimensionally drifted to the point there’s not been crossover for centuries. Discovery also doesn’t even really explore what it means that the most iconic version of Starfleet’s flagship, twisted into its Terran Imperial form, is now just hanging around, not just as ancient 23rd century technology but filled with materials not of this reality. Sure, at the end of the episode it’s how everyone escaped the destabilizing extradimensional pocket, and Michael taps Owosekun and Detmer to go drag it back to Starfleet for preservation. But really, the ISS Enterprise is here for set dressing: it is the arena in which “Mirrors” dumps its boatload of backstory to fill us in on what’s driving Moll and L’ak.

That is, at least, the interesting thing about “Mirrors”—while it is unsurprising that it turns out Moll and L’ak’s story is about two people cast aside by their societies and former families who find strength and love in their connection, the show does at least give some interesting twists to it all. It turns out L’ak is in fact a member of the classic Trek species the Breen, and cast-out royalty at that, giving an interesting bite to the idea floated last week that it could be them who they ultimately sell the Progenitor tech to should they get their hands on it. It’s also necessary at this point in the season, half-way through, that, well, we actually get motivations for our villains beyond them just getting the thing our heroes want: L’ak has a Breen blood bounty on his head for betraying his people to be with Moll, and all they want is just the opportunity to be free and together and live a life that they define.

It’s interesting! It’s well done! It’s a nice twist for the villains to not just be antagonists for antagonism’s sake! But the show does have to get this all out by slamming the proverbial brakes on its adventure—which happened last week already, but happened last week to give us a really smart use of a classic Star Trek storytelling structure to tell a story that Discovery could only tell knowing it was coming into its final journey, to look back on how far it had changed. Here, the brakes are slammed on to dump a bunch of flashbacks to one specific Breen hangar while our characters hang out on the dimly lit Strange New Worlds backlot. And it’s what we get in the other threads of “Mirrors” too—as we see Michael and Book reflect on their own past together, while Book tries (and regularly fails) to connect with Moll over their shared connection to Booker the Fourth, and as, back on Discovery , we see Rayner try to bring together everything he’s learned about working with this crew to help pull its captain back out from the breach when things start going sideways.

Alone, these are all interesting and necessary kernels of ideas, but mushed together into one story to once again smash over our heads that Connection, Understanding, and Love For Each Other Are Good undermines those ideas a little, and renders them clunkily explored in their own ways. Moll and L’ak largely escape this unscathed as “Mirrors” gives most of itself to their backstory. But that in and of itself feels clunky because it means the thread with Michael and Book half-heartedly acknowledging each other just in case they die feels like an addendum rather than a satisfying point in their shared arc. It means back on Discovery, with barely any time to spare for Rayner’s first big command test without Burnham, we go from knowing absolutely nothing about his Kelleran culture to us and everyone on the ship knowing about five or six different allegedly important parts of its cultural tapestry that it turns out are fundamental to understanding Rayner as a person too. (Admittedly, this is also a Star Trek classic— Trek loves pointing at a single member of a species and tying their entire sociopolitical or theological systems to our understanding of their character.)

Ultimately, it just leaves “Mirrors” as a series of interesting parts that, as a whole, are simply fine. At the end of the day, everyone gets out the extradimensional pocket fine, Mol and L’ak get to half-heartedly escape, and the quest can continue. It’s just now we all know all these characters just want love in the end , and perhaps, most likely—because this is Discovery and it’s what it loves to do most—in the end, the vast majority of them will get it. Necessary stage setting perhaps for this season, but after such an incredible way to center those ideas in the legacy of the show last season, all this feels a bit more like a bump in Discovery ’s road.

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