Jonathan Frakes to direct Star Trek 4? it's only logical

The ideal director to lead Star Trek 4 out of development hell is Jonathan Frakes, who has the experience and track record of making a great Star Trek movie.

At this point, the logical best choice for Star Trek 4 director is Jonathan Frakes. Star Trek 4, the 14th film in the Star Trek film series, is currently in limbo. Paramount canceled its announced December 2023 release date after director Matt Shackman left the project to helm Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four. A new director has yet to be announced for "Star Trek 4," and the last time a "Star Trek" movie hit the big screen was 2016's "Star Trek: Beyond." Abrams should accept his offer.

Jonathan Frakes is a central character on Star Trek. As Commander Will Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Frakes was part of the final cast carefully selected by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Frakes reprized Riker in the TNG films and several other franchises such as Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Lower Decks. But Frakes is also a highly regarded director, helming Star Trek: First Contact, the most acclaimed and most successful TNG film, and Star Trek: Insurgency. He also directed the films Clock Stoppers and Thunderbirds. Frakes returns to Star Trek as Director of multiple episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. No one has a better resume than the director of Star Trek 4.

Star Trek 4 Is Deep In Development Hell

Frankly, the depths of development hell Star Trek 4 finds itself in is embarrassingly deep. While Star Trek shines with multiple TV shows on Paramount+, the movie franchise has a long way to go. Star Trek 4's development hell also held back its big-name cast members, such as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and Zoe Saldana, who have all expressed interest in returning to the Starship Enterprise. Star Trek is as compelling and successful now as it was in its 1990s heyday, but Paramount's inability to release a new movie to compliment the wildly popular TV series is shocking.

Since Star Trek Beyond exited theaters in 2016, several attempts to make a Star Trek IV have failed. The concept is best known by S.J., producer and director of Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rings. Clarkson, which will involve Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) teaming up with his father, Lieutenant George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth). it is It's unclear what concepts Matt Shakman was working on when he left Marvel Studios. At this point, anyone who wants to take on the Star Trek 4 challenge is worth it. Jonathan Frakes entered the competition and publicly put forward his candidacy.

Jonathan Frakes Has Proven He Can Make Star Trek Cinematic

Jonathan Frakes is a better director today than he was in 1996 when he directed Star Trek: First Contact. Frakes directed multiple episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, including the Mirror Universe saga and the intense fourth season episode "Stormy Weather," and he directed episodes of Star Trek: Picard season 2 , set at the Europa Mission Gala, where Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew appear in black ties. Frakes has mastered the all-encompassing cinematic style of Star Trek: Discovery, and it brings J.J.'s visceral visuals and vision. Abrams' Star Trek movie to TV. Frakes' recent work on Star Trek TV shows that he really understands the modern language of the Star Trek movies.

Perhaps just as importantly, Jonathan Frakes is beloved by the cast of his Star Trek cast. Frakes has been called every Star Trek cast's "favorite director" and he's earned their loyalty and admiration Easygoing and insightful "casting director". There's no reason to think Star Trek movie actors like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana wouldn't enjoy working with Frakes as much as TV actors. Additionally, Frakes is the director of Strange New Worlds' upcoming crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks, which he bills as a comedy through and through. One deftly weaves action, adventure, sci-fi, great ideas, and even laughs into Star Trek 4.

Star Trek 4 Needs A More Traditional Touch

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films were made in a very different era. In the late 2000s, the Star Trek film series died after the failure of Star Trek: Nemesis, and the TV series was also in limbo after Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled in 2005. It's time for a major rethink and rework of Interstellar Trek, and that's exactly what J.J. Abrams delivered. Abrams, a "Star Trek" outsider but admittedly a lifelong Star Wars fan, modernized the faltering franchise and turned it into a blockbuster with "Star Trek 2009" . Abrams' film brought a new audience to Star Trek, even as interest waned with each sequel. And, that was then.

Star Trek 4 will enter The market jumped on board and praised the revival of the Star Trek TV franchise, with Jonathan Frakes already a major contributor to its worldwide success. So, Star Trek 4 doesn't need to gamble on another outsider like Abrams did in the late 2000s, let alone hire someone like Star Trek: Nemesis director Stuart Baird. What Star Trek 4 needs is a solid pair of hands; someone like Frakes with deep roots and a solid understanding of the franchise. Nor should Star Trek 4 be seen as a continuation of the previous Abrams trilogy; the time has passed, and Star Trek 4 must be seen as the beginning of a new cinematic saga.

Also, Star Trek 4, directed by Jonathan Frakes, was easily marketed by skeptical Trekkers. Frakes are revered and beloved merchandise for Star Trek fans, and his starring role as Captain Will Riker in Star Trek: Picard Season 3 (which he also directed) made him more prominent. Jonathan Frakes directs Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock The rebooted Star Trek: The stories of characters from the original series are instantly compelling and a slam dunk to market. Regardless of who else at Paramount is interested in joining Star Trek 4, Jonathan Frakes is the best and most logical choice for the movie.