Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth exited talks with Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media over Star Trek 4 due to pay disputes.
Star Trek 4 was officially announced shortly before Star Trek Beyond’s release in summer 2016, and the plan was for James T. Kirk to meet his father, George Kirk, who died shortly James was born in this continuity.
The two actors wanted to stick with their existing deals, but Paramount and Skydance wanted them to take pay cuts in order for the budget to work, with it being noted how Star Trek Beyond underperformed commercially.
But a couple months after S.J. Clarkson was hired to direct Star Trek 4, the production hit a major development snag.