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John Cho Is Still ‘Optimistic’ That ‘Star Trek 4’ Will Happen Amid Cancellation Rumors (Exclusive)

John Cho Optimistic Star Trek 4
John Cho attends the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Award Ceremony at Taglyan Cultural Complex on January 09, 2019 in Hollywood.Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com

All hope is not lost. John Cho, the actor who played Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek movie trilogy, is confident that a fourth film in the franchise will eventually be released.

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“I don’t know whether it’s going to happen, but I would certainly like it to,” Cho, 46, told Us Weekly exclusively at the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Award Ceremony on Wednesday, January 9.

He continued: “I’m optimistic that we’ll get our act together and we’ll make another one.”

John Cho Optimistic Star Trek 4
Zoe Saldana and John Cho in ‘Star Trek Beyond.’ Kimberley French

The Harold & Kumar alum’s positivity comes days after Deadline reported that Star Trek 4 was shelved indefinitely. In April 2018, Variety reported that S.J. Clarkson was set to become the first female to direct a film in the Star Trek franchise, as she was tapped to helm the fourth movie. HBO announced on Tuesday, January 8, however, that Clarkson will be directing the untitled Game of Thrones prequel series that’s currently in the works, seemingly confirming her departure from Star Trek 4.

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“I don’t know what the ins and outs at the studio are but I am optimistic there will be another one because I’m optimistic about what Star Trek says and its place in our culture,” Cho told The Playlist in December. “I think it will come back around.”

There have been questions about the rumored sci-fi movie since the third installment, Star Trek: Beyond, was released in July 2016. Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth were originally slated to reprise their roles of Captain James T. Kirk and George Kirk, respectively, but they reportedly stepped away from the project due to pay disputes with Paramount Pictures.

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The Star Trek crew was thrown for another loop when actor Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the movies, died in a freak accident at his home in June 2016. Producer J.J. Abrams later said there would be “no recasting” of the role. The 52-year-old filmmaker explained to the Toronto Sun at the time, “I have thought about [how he’ll be replaced], we’re working on it, and it’s too early to talk about it.”

Us Weekly reached out to Paramount Pictures for comment.

With reporting by Emily Marcus

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