Zoe Saldana discusses the making Star Trek 4

Zoe Saldana Opens Up About Making Star Trek 4 Without Anton Yelchin

Now that the fourth Star Trek film finally underway, Zoe Saldana talks about returning while also paying tribute to the late Anton Yelchin.

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Zoe Saldana recently discussed boarding Star Trek 4 without the late Anton Yelchin. Paramount Studios is currently moving forward with the fourth installment of the rebooted sci-fi film series after years of speculation, development, and even cancellation. Yelchin died in June 2016 due to a shocking and tragic vehicular accident. He was 27 years old. The actor appeared in the first three Star Trek Kelvin Timeline films.

The currently untitled fourth Star Trek film was reportedly shelved due to the underwhelming box office performance of 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, directed by Justin Lin. Now Saldana and the late Yelchin had co-starred in all three films as Lt. Nyota Uhura and Pavel Chekov, respectively, starting with 2009’s Star Trek and then 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, both directed by J.J. Abrams. Last month, it was announced that Paramount had green-lit Star Trek 4 and began negotiations to bring back the original members of the starship Enterprise. Sadly, they will be without Yelchin.

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Saldana, who was promoting Netflix’s The Adam Project, spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the upcoming Star Trek sequel and how “bittersweet” it will be due to Yelchin’s absence. She also fondly reminisced of his devotion as an artist as well as how much of a Star Trek fan he was. Saldana believes that this reunion could be a great way to honor Yelchin, stating:

“Obviously it’s bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time and one of us is no longer with us, with Anton’s passing. We honestly feel that, you know, going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts.”

Yelchin died from blunt traumatic asphyxia due to his Jeep rolling over in his driveway and pinning him against a pillar. It happened one months before the release of Star Trek Beyond, which was then dedicated in his memory along with original Spock actor Leonard Nimoy, who had died more than a year prior. The series Star Trek: Discovery even paid tribute to Yelchin by naming a ship after him in the seventh episode of Season 3, “Unification III.” Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the original Star Trek series, also offered condolences to Yelchin’s family while remembering him fondly in the time they knew each other.

While Trekkies old and new are certainly delighted that a fourth film is finally underway, Saldana is right in saying it will be a bittersweet occasion without Yelchin. It’s been stated Chekov will not be recast, and it will at the very least be interesting to see how the character is written out of Star Trek 4. At the same time, it’s heartbreaking to know he won’t be a part of the next installment. Based on Saldana’s comments, it sounds like she and her fellow Enterprise crew members will pay tribute to their beloved co-star and friend. The Kelvin Timeline crew became a family over the years, and this is another illustration of that bond.