star trek 2009 cast chekov

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EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Anton Yelchin, Chekov in ‘Star Trek’

| May 8, 2009 | By: Anthony Pascale 53 comments so far

Even though he just turned twenty, Anton Yelchin has already built over two dozen acting credits in less than a decade, including two big movies this month, Terminator Salvation and a certain Star Trek movie. In our exclusive interview we talk about how this Russian-born actor shaped the role (and accent) for the new Chekov and much more. We also have a new image of Yelchin as Chekov. [interview contains SPOILERS]

TrekMovie interview with Anton Yelchin

TrekMovie.com: I hate to do this but I am going to start off with the accent.

Yelchin: Well the accent is what makes it.

TrekMovie: In my review, it is one of the areas I had some difficulty with. I am one of those who would be OK with things being different. How much of a discussion with J.J. was there on the level of genuine ‘Russian-ness’ to put into it?

Yelchin: I wanted it to be close to the Chekov accent, I guess that is where our opinions differ. I have no problem doing a real Russian accent, but that wouldn’t be Chekov to me. The interesting thing about it is that his accent is a cold-war stereotype of a Russian person. And when I watched the series and the films, that is what I found interesting about it. And I adjusted it, it is not entirely the same, but Walter [Koenig] came on set and was like “that sounds like me.” And that is what was fun for me. As a person familiar with a Russian accent, and someone with Russian roots who can speak Russian and knows what Russian people sound like, it was fun to purposefully mess around with the Russian accent — to purposefully change what I thought a Russian accent was to suit that stereotype they had in the sixties.

TrekMovie: What does your family think of your version of Chekov’s Russian accent?

Yelchin: They think it’s great. We’re Russian, but not very Russian at the same time. There is no nationalism, there is no pride. It is a very difficult country to come from. I think they find it just as amusing as I did.

TrekMovie: I noticed that for the world tour you only did one stop, Moscow.

Yelchin: [laughs] Yeah, that was a no-brainer.

TrekMovie: What was the reaction from the Russian press to your portrayal?

Yelchin: They love it. There are certain things in the movie that are very Russian that is difficult for an American audience to pick up on. Like when [Kirk and Sulu] free fall and I capture them and I say something in Russian… [says Russian phrase]…it means “Oh man!” basically, which is something I ad-libbed. Which goes back to what I was saying. Chekov never speaks Russian in the series, and that was Russian slang. And that that is something I decided to add just for the hell of it because JJ [Abrams] said ‘throw in some Russian, let’s do it for fun.’ It was just a moment that needed some kind of reaction, and they loved it out there. It is one of those things that Russian people get . I think Russian people are very happy with Chekov because he is one of the few Russian characters in American pop culture history that is not the Red Dawn kind of Russians.

TrekMovie: Right, there is nothing villainous about him. In fact, there is something new about this Chekov that I liked, which is that he is this kind of genius. He is seventeen, but already out of the Academy, so he must have gone in when he was pretty young. And Chekov figures out how to save them from the free fall and how to get onto the Narada. So this Chekov knows his physics and science, did you do any research to help you understand that angle?

Yelchin: No, most of my research involved reading the Star Trek Encyclopedia and watching the series and doing Trek research.

TrekMovie: You did a lot of that, Chris [Pine] said that after watching the first half of the first season he stopped.

Yelchin: I kept going. I loved it. I even watched the episodes that Chekov wasn’t in. The ones that he was in I found interesting, like when they go to a bar in “The Troubles With Tribbles” and they have a drink, I liked that. And that one with Apollo and the hand [“Who Mourns for Adonais”], I thought that was hilarious. I really got into the show.

TrekMovie: Which one was your favorite?

Yelchin: Probably the one with Apollo. I think is such an intelligent episode. It is an episode where the basic point is that humanity — looking at it in terms of the 60s when men are their own gods and look at where they brought their universe to. It was such a fascinating, touching, weird thing to have an episode where men come to a planet where a god wants to be a god again. I also love the episode where Spock is PMSing and where Kirk has to fight Spock [“Amok Time”].

TrekMovie: Now in this film you never get off the ship…

Yelchin: I barely get off the bridge!

TrekMovie: So what would you like to see for Chekov’s arc going forward?

Yelchin: I don’t know, I haven’t given it much thought and I agree with Chris [Pine] that it is kind of presumptuous to sit around and think about sequels before this comes out. It would be great to play this character again and I just got started with it. I got to do what I got to do, but it would be fun to see where I could take it.

TrekMovie: You are in two big May movies. How would you describe the differences between working on Terminator Salvation and Star Trek , and the differences between McG and J.J.?

Yelchin: Well first of all the visions between the two movies is so different. The universe of Star Trek is a very positive, optimistic universe. And in Terminator it is just the most f–ked up universe, to put it bluntly. So it was two totally different characters and two totally different looks. The closest this Trek movie comes to Terminator is Nero’s ship, but even that is not as disgusting as the filth-ridden universe of Terminator . The sets, costumes, and the philosophy behind it is totally different. The philosophy of Terminator is: what makes us human in the face of us losing all humanity and being destroyed — how can we preserve our humanity? With the characters, Chekov is like the Star Trek universe, joyous, fun. Kyle Reese is anxiety-ridden, paranoid, angry, unhappy, the list goes on — vulnerable, not to say Chekov isn’t vulnerable, but just in a different way. And that is just the difference between the films.

The sets were different, but I had a great time working on both. There is a great cast and crew here with Trek. J.J. is a wonderful filmmaker to work with. I really think he makes these kinds of films so well. I am so happy with this movie. And it is a cast of similar kind of young men and women. It’s funny though, on Terminator for the first time, I wasn’t the youngest member of the cast. There was girl that was seven, and I was like “yes, finally!” McG and J.J. are very different people. J.J. is very funny and very intelligent and witty, but not does not nearly put as much of himself out there as a human being. When he walks into a room, you may not know it. But when McG walks into a room, you hear McG right away. That was really different, but they are both really collaborative. If you offer an idea to J.J., that idea will get on film, and the same with McG. They are both really enthusiastic about what they are doing. They both love the franchises they are working with and want to honor them and do the best possible job with them.

TrekMovie: You mentioned bringing ideas. Can you talk about some examples of things that you brought that ended up on film?

Yelchin: Well that one Russian line and idea. And [in the scene running towards the transporter room] the freedom to run how I wanted to or to yell what I want to yell as I am pushing people out of the way. A lot of their jump sequence was ad-libbed. J.J. was like ‘just throw stuff out’. He just fully embraces your understanding of the character and works with you to achieve his vision, but factors in your vision as well.

TrekMovie: You spent a lot of time at your console on the bridge and the console in the transporter room. Did any of the set designers ever tell you ‘this button does this, and that button does that’? So when Pike issues an order, you know what button to push?

Yelchin: Me and John Cho kind of sat down the first day and talked to J.J. said that because this is going to become the way for us to do things, we need to figure out what is what. We really kind of stuck to doing the same things over and over again. We also got these neat little space pens, like when I come up with the solution. No one sat us down so it was up to us and John and I really coordinated what we were doing to make sure it looks legitimate.

Up Next – Romulans (Bana and Collins) This week’s series of Star Trek interviews will conclude a couple of Romulans, Eric Bana, and Clifton Collins, Jr. Look for that by Saturday.

Other final pre-movie exclusive interviews at TrekMovie:

• Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
• Leonard Nimoy
• Zachary Quinto
• Zoe Saldana
• Bruce Greenwood

Also check out:

• Premiere red carpet interviews (including Simon Pegg )
• Los Angeles Press Conference (including Chris Pine)

Keptin Kurk! Class!

It’s a geek thing, and not that important in the overall scope of the movie.. but I was so glad they actually used those glass walls for once, and that they weren’t just meaningless set pieces.

Those walls seem to be like general purpose blackboards to scribble ideas on and get all sorts of information from. I might sort of believe in them as useful interfaces now.

We’re approaching wulcan, complete genius, one of the highlights of the film. Chekov and McCoy now battling for my favouritism, even though I was alway a Picard or Data person.

“Nuclear wessel” must be included in the next movie.

The accent way maybe a little bit overdone but overall I really liked his Chekov!

I LOVED Chekov in this movie!!! What a nice surprise!! The single biggest laugh during the entire movie (at least in my theatre) was for those two words in russian that mean oh man! I dont know what he said, but it sounded hilarious and had the theatre cracking up!!

Although I loved all the characters, I wish they all followed Anton and Karl’s lead and watched TOS for pointers. These guys seemed to actually want to BE those characters, while the others wanted to take the characters off on their own. Both methods are fine, but I think Chekov and McCoy are by far the closest to the originals in this movie.

wictor, wictor…

absolutely brilliant stuff from Anton, funny but doesn’t fall into parody or take the mick. I thought he might end up as Wesley mark II (sorry Wil!) but he doesn’t. Now that we’ve got the band back together hopefully in the next film we’ll get more into the characters. As the saying goes:

Every character get’s their page…

Chekov was great – wide-eyed and full of wonder and enthusiasm.

I enjoyed Chekov as well. Sulu and Uhura were fine, but lacked Chekov’s spark.

I really liked this Chekov, very much in the spirit of the old, Anton made him fun, intelligent and that ad-libing was brilliant. It’s interesting how first of all people began by laughing at his accent and then by the end of the film it was accepted as his intelligence and spirit shone through, you can really see how Star Trek is so important, more today in our multicultural lifestyles than ever before.

he did a great job. He sounded a lot like Walter from the Tos. he has a bright future ahead of him in acting.

I mentioned it in a previous thread, but Anton’s little contribution, which he translates as “Oh, Man.” actually translates more as “Holy F*ck” (Yo Mayo!). Either a joke on JJ, or on us, but I can discuss the etymology ad nauseam.

I thought Anton’s contribution to the film was terrific. He was underused, but far from extraneous.

Also, Walter Koenig speaks native Russian. He had a line in STIII: TSFS: “Ya ne sumashedshii! Nu vot!” (I’m not crazy..take a look!) when he discovered someone had entered Spock’s quarters, and showed Scott on his screen.

Trek lives. Big time.

As great as this Movie was and is ju8st think how much better the next one will be. With everyone in there place and with all of the elements together the next movie will be one even more wild ride. I hoe they do something with the doomsday machine. But thats just wishfull thinking.

Okj. Bad Typing Sorry!. To the Agoniser booth for me!!!!.

Have to agree with everyone, Anton Yelchin did a fabulous job in the film, he made Chekov stand out in a way the character hasn’t done for me before, and would love to see Chekov solve a few more problems if a sequel does happen.

You know I should’ve taken off of work after all.. a bit of a challenge with Trek on the brain! At least I had some Trekkie friends I could chat with. Even if they hadn’t seen the movie yet..

One of the things I just couldn’t get out of my head was this new Chekov. At first, I admit having mixed feelings.. I have a vague memory of slapping my face a couple times.. but when my boyfriend suddenly burst out laughing while uttering “nuclear wessels” (I forget the scene) I was beginning to enjoy him.

Guess I did love Yelchin in this role after all. Slightly over the top, yet very, very fun. Awesome job!

Spot on !! Keptain!

I just seen the movie in the Netherlands, and I must admit that I love it. It rocks. Thanks tot JJ and the team. All the actors are great and it all comes together very well. Can’t wait to see it again. Cheers!

I think Anton did a great job with Chekov. Really made him real and it felt good to hear all those W’s again :) I knew he’d be good when I watched House of D and Charlie Bartlett. He’s a good kid and I can’t wait for Terminator in a few weeks. Seeing Trek again on Sunday!

His accent was great even if it did sound like Borat.

I cringed the first time I heard the accent too, but I have to say by the end of the movie it didn’t really bother me.

Yelchin is just so damn endearing that somehow the cute accent kind of fits him.

Just seen the Movie for the 2nd time. Wow. What a Movie. my record for any Trek Movie is at 9 and thats for Trek 2. Could be that record will be broken.

Good on you, Anton.

I wanted to prejudge/dislike and just be a Hater.

Although I think a new (next) adventure would be crafted better- and I felt that there were moments when a bit of exposition(small) would have gone a long way.

Comic book prequel does make the movie make more sense- whether one is an old or a new fan.

Nero’s [on screen] motivation to do what he did, IMHO was simply not strong enough.

I grudgingly liked it at first- then liked it a second time.

Good Job on Chekov (writing and acting) Good to see him competent again- Treks V and VI had taken that away from our beloved Comrade.

“Yelchin: Me and John Cho kind of sat down … ”

Oh my. I see the Ruskies have slipped in their English language training since the end of the Cold War.

Sincerely, C.S. Lewis

I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayal of Chekov in this film. Loved the voice verification sequence!

I thought his performance and acting were both refreshing and extremely entertaining. Simon Pegg definitely shares the comic relief with Anton, as the audience and myself found all of Chekov’s scenes were hilarious yet showing his youth and genius.

Just saw the movie. I, too, was uncomfortable with Chekov’s accent at first, but by the end of the movie it fits perfectly. This must have been what it felt like back in the sixties to hear Walter do it for the first time… BTW, the movie is EXCELLENT, especially the last scene when Pine says “Bones” for the last time in the movie, GAWD that delivery was BRILLIANT, pure Shatner-esque.

that scene was flippin funny. whole theatre got a laugh out of it.

When is Paramont going to to greenlight a sequel ?

I love Chekov I hope he gets more line in a Squeal! here is to hoping we see more of the Enterprise Crew sooner rather then later!

@30: Jeff, there was an article in Variety a few weeks ago stating that Paramount already has greenlit the twelfth movie for a summer 2011 release.

Oh and p.s., Anton’s Chekov was one of my favorite parts of the movie.

One thing that came to mind during the voice-verification gag (which I thought was cute, btw), was the stuff that was being discussed back when the movie was being made in the midst of the writer’s strike … the notion that the writers and the director weren’t allowed to mess much with the script, but that the actors could ad-lib because that didn’t step on anyone’s contractual toes (pardon me if I’m misremembering the details).

And then remembering that Abrams had apparently given the crew license to choose their own level of homage to the old performances … and that it was said that Yelchin made a conscious choice to do the V/W swap.

… And then concluding that if it’s true that Yelchin made his own choice, and that it wasn’t scripted assuming that he’d make one choice or another, that the verification gag must either have been an ad-lib on set or something that they added/finished later in the process (post writer’s strike).

(Or maybe that it was scripted that way, but had Yelchin decided to go another way with an accent they just would have dropped the gag).

There’s a question lurking in this mess of a post and I’ve lost track of it, but if anyone knows the answer that’d be cool :)

Also: Enjoyed all the performances, including Yelchin’s (even if it felt like virtually everyone had only three minutes on screen each!). Will probably catch him in Terminator next week.

Yelchin = Sexy, can’t wait to see this guy grow up ;)

I posted as much yesterday but its worth repeating- Anton is terrific in the role of Chekov, really properly good. He’s clearly a very talented young actor.

After seeing the movie, Yelcin’s performance was probably the only disagreement I had with Anthony P.’s review. I liked him (and got a sense that the audience liked him as well).

i marveled at his performance, and found the “accent” (although the way an actor uses his voice can be much more than an accent, as was the case here) to solidify the film in a good way. this was new, this was strong, and this was a clearly defined character as opposed to a haircut and some lenigrad jokes, as the original chekov tended to be.

also, chekov’s part seemed very well written, as if they were having fun with the possibilities, creating the “best crew in the fleet.”

Yelcin was one of the highlights of the film and it is evident that he took the time to actually watch the original series. His performance was both fun, comical, and enduring.

A great touch was the ship wide briefing he presented through those translucent displays -a nice update to Kirk simply speaking into the intercom!

Yelcin appears to be way more intelligent that the average thespian.

He´s great. Although he´s not quite right that Checkov never spoke Russian before….he did in one of the movies…..sounded like “mi kalerma” or something like that

On Yelchin’s accent. I heard him say “ze” instead of “the” like I’ve heard a lot of Russians do. And the inversion of V’s and W’s like Koenig. (And, by the way, I have heard other Russians invert V’s and W’s. Just check out the Washington Capitals hockey team web site for some interviews and you’ll see what I mean.)

Yelchin…. If you’re reading this (don’t listen to those Hollywood people that tell you never to read press on you – you’ll like this one)

You were the best thing in the movie! Your characterization of Chekov was great. There was depth in the brief lines you had. Just as I always thought Keonig was underrated, I thought buzz on you has been WAY underrated. Have to admit I didn’t see or feel this deep characterization I’ve heard the movie has from the rest of the crew. Don’t get me started on that. However, I really felt if from you. And in the very brief moments you had on screen. I enjoyed you. Good job.

Let’s have a Chekov moive next time around.

Didn’t do it for me. He was miscast for the role.

“Yo mayo!” Does mean something closer to ‘holy shit!’ or the like, but still quite appropriate.

Genius, I love Anton. He was hands down my favorite.

Anton was wonderful. I enjoyed the movie as a whole, but his portrayal of Chekov had me smiling the entire time. Being so adorable helps, but hey.. it was a good performance. The accent fit perfectly. I know it’s been out for over a month now, but I feel like seeing it again. I can’t wait until the DVD release before Christmas!

I absolutely loved Anton Yelchin’s Chekov! My brother and I are die-hard trekkies, and I’ve seen the movie a couple of times now. I wasn’t expecting much from the movie, as far as it being accurate and true to the series, but I was pleasantly surprised. I love how Yelnich watched the whole series (glad you enjoyed it!)

I’m only fifteen, and I have a huge crush on Chekov!!!

sorry! i spelled it yelnich the second time. please forgive me!

I LOVE ANTON YELCHIN HE IS GREAT

I like ti sjf jltoooo much

I like the picture 3

Star Trek (2009) Cast and Crew

Star trek: alternate reality collection.

J.J. Abrams' cinematic re-envisioning of the Star Trek universe portrayed by a new cast, and set in an alternate reality from earlier films and series (referred to as the "Kelvin" timeline).

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Anton Yelchin dead: Remembering his funny, frantic Star Trek role

“Russian whiz kid.” That’s what they call Chekov in 2009’s Star Trek — and that’s an accurate description of the actor who played Chekov, too. Anton Yelchin was born in St. Petersburg when it was still Leningrad; his family moved to the United States when emigrating from Russia still counted as “fleeing the Iron Curtain.” The actor wasn’t yet 20 when he was cast as the Enterprise ‘s navigator in J.J. Abrams’ reboot, but he was the most experienced movie star in the cast: 12-year-old Yelchin had the title role in 2001’s pregnancy fairy tale Delivering Milo , and grew through adolescence acting with legends like Anthony Hopkins and Robin Williams in Hearts in Atlantis and House of D .

By summer 2009, Yelchin had already learned to shuttle between low-budget independent fare and major Hollywood productions. Two weeks after Star Trek hit theaters, Yelchin was playing another iconic franchise role as Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation . A couple years later, he gave a fine performance in the cultishly adored romance Like Crazy . Earlier this year, Yelchin gave a devastatingly realistic everydude-caught-in-a-bad-situation performance in Green Room , a bleak and terse thriller several million tonal miles away from the bright space-pop of the new Star Trek films.

Next month’s Star Trek Beyond isn’t the last film Yelchin worked on before his impossibly sad and untimely death this weekend . But the film will now stand as a tribute to the late actor. What makes Yelchin’s Chekov so interesting is that, in some respects, the role was an outlier for the actor. Though baby-faced well into his mid-20s, Yelchin’s hoarse voice and melancholy bearing were often deployed to play roles that were at once precocious and world-weary.

Pavel Chekov was created by Walter Koenig, a second-generation child of Russian immigrants. Chekov-on-the- Enterprise was a timely and hopeful vision — Russians and Americans working together! — but the story goes that Roddenberry wanted Koenig to ham up the accent. (“Nuclear wessels .”) By the time Yelchin took over as Chekov, the topical resonance was long gone – but you could feel how he thrilled to the part’s energy, and the comedic potential of combing the “Chekov accent.”

There’s a moment in Star Trek Into Darkness which shows off Yelchin’s talent as a comedic performer. Captain Kirk has just fired his Chief of Engineering – and he promotes Chekov, the ship’s official know-everything prodigy. Koenig’s Chekov was often used as an all-purpose support staff – he’s variously a second-in-command executive officer, a science officer , and a medical officer in the original films – and the new films had a lot of fun with the notion that Yelchin’s Chekov could do pretty much anything, if he had the chance.

So Kirk makes his navigator into an engineer, which requires a change of outfit. “Put on a red shirt,” the Captain says – a line built for a belly laugh from the Trek fandom, who know that “redshirt” is a synonym for “nothing good coming your way.” The camera lingers on Yelchin, staring off into the distance – a look that is knowing without being remotely sardonic, a committed clownish moment worthy of a silent comedian – before he mutters, in that delirious accent, “Aye, kep–tin.”

It’s become a depressingly regular experience in the summer blockbuster months: To see a big-budget fantasy spectacle suddenly rendered as a monument to a performer gone too soon. Yelchin’s career was about so much more than Star Trek , but Beyond will now be a final moment for the mainstream moviegoing public to see one of the true young talents of his generation. Yelchin gave richer performances, but there’s a rare magic to his Chekov, to the way Yelchin seems to be playing human flop sweat. In his big showcase scene in the 2009 Trek , Chekov races from the bridge to the transporter room, all-but-leaving a Yelchin-shaped hole in the walls of the ship. “I can do that! I can do that!” he screams. “Move, move, move!”

That was Yelchin: The kinetic energy, the forward motion, the feeling that he really could do everything, if he only got the chance.

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Published Sep 14, 2023

The Best of Pavel Chekov

In celebration of Walter Koenig's birthday, we're looking back at our favorite Chekov moments in The Original Series.

StarTrek.com

As a core member of James T. Kirk's crew aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, it's hard to believe that Ensign Pavel Chekov wasn't always there from the beginning of their five-year mission.

The ensign joined the crew with Star Trek 's second-season " Catspaw ." Actor Walter Koenig's addition to The Original Series served two primary goals. The first, creator Gene Roddenberry hoped to attract a younger audience, which resulted in Koenig sporting a Monkees-style wig to resemble the hugely popular Davy Jones. Second, he wanted Star Trek to portray a future that was a one world community, building a diverse bridge crew. The addition of a non-threatening or militaristic Russian to the core crew, during the Cold War, was culturally significant. Additionally, for Russia's advancements in the space race, it made sense to put a Russian on the bridge in the utopian vision of the 23rd Century.

To celebrate Koenig's birthday, we're looking back at our favorite Chekov scenes from The Original Series.

"The Trouble with Tribbles"

While on shore leave, Chekov and Lt. Uhura come across a cute new species, a tribble, and bring it back aboard the Enterprise . Shenanigans ensue as the tribbles reproduce at a rate faster than earthly rabbits, and the starship is suddenly overrun with tribbles, which thankfully soothes the crew with its cooing.

However, Chekov's most memorable moment involves Scotty, drinks, and an all-out brawl while at a bar on K-7. The engineer and ensign playfully chide each other over their drink of choice — scotch and vodka, respectively. Their relaxing downtime is interrupted when a Klingon baits them with insults; first, insulting Earthers by comparing them to Regulan bloodworms. Korax then hurls an insult towards their captain which riles up Chekov. Scotty tries to temper the moment, and even hands the scotch to the distracted ensign who sneers at his glass when he realizes its not his glass. But once the Klingon insults their starship, that riles Scotty to his feet, which signals to Chekov it's on where he then leaps on a table to take down a Klingon!

"Catspaw"

I can do it, sir. I'm not that green.

Pavel Chekov, "Catspaw"

While only a junior officer, Chekov manned the navigator post on the bridge, and covered Spock's station in his absence. Upon reporting his findings on the landing party's status to DeSalle in the center seat, the assistant chief engineer questions the Chekov's readings and suggests he may need help recalibrating the scanners. Incredibly thorough in his duty, the ensign cuts him off dismissing the notion that he's green and unable to do it on his own.

Do not question his ability and efficiency. Bones even chides his encyclopedic relay of examples to Kirk because "a captain requires complete information," before the doctor laments to Jim that Mr. Spock is "contaminating this boy."

"Who Mourns for Adonais?"

The junior officer never passes the moment up when it arises.

The landing party meets a humanoid on the surface of the planet Pollux IV who proclaims he's Apollo, which instantly elicits the following retort from Chekov, " And I am the czar of all the Russias! " When his captain admonishes him, he apologizes with a chuckle stating he's never met a god before.

Related: Chekov never missed the opportunity to boast about his Russian heritage. Whenever anyone on the crew remarked on a saying, invention, and/or event, he was quick to (erroneously) point out that it came from his homeland. Case in point, when Scotty tells Sulu of the Earth saying, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," Chekov interjects that the Russians invented.

"Spectre of the Gun"

The captain usually gets all the love stories, but not in this Season 3 opener.

The xenophobic Melkots transports the landing party consisting of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Chekov into their recreation of Earth's Wild West where they must relive the 1881 shoot-out in Tombstone, Arizona - a "manner befitting their heritage for trespassing.'

While playing the role of Billy Claiborne, Chekov falls for a girl he meets at the bar. However, an Earp kills him because he wanted her for himself. Fortunately for the crew, they don't escalate the situation as they realize it's not real; they're projected illusions. The Melkots are impressed in their peaceful ability to not escalate the situation into a shoot-out. As a result, they return the crew to the Enterprise , including Chekov, who really did die in the earlier altercation, and agree to establishing contact with the Federation.

Koenig told StarTrek.com back in 2011 that the singular episode he enjoyed the most was this one, revealing, "It was an interesting concept mandated by economics. Our budget was very small and they didn’t have the wherewithal to be a complete, detailed Wild West town, so they did it in a sort of abstract manner, which I thought gave it some class and some style. I thought it was a very, very good decision and it worked very well."

"The Deadly Years"

Blood sample, Chekov! Marrow sample, Chekov! Skin sample, Chekov! If I live long enough, I'm going to run out of samples! " "You'll live." " Oh, yes. I'll live. But I won't enjoy it.

Chekov and Sulu, "The Deadly Years"

It's not the easy being the poster boy for the fountain of youth.

When the entire landing party is ravaged by a disease that results in rapid aging, the only crewmember unaffected is Chekov. McCoy runs multiple tests to understand why the junior officer hasn't aged like everyone else. Chekov proves that, even in the 23rd Century, no one enjoys a trip to the doctor's visit. Besides, don't punish him for his boyish good looks.

Turns out, all you need is a healthy dose of adrenaline (and fear)!

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• Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award nominees

Anton Yelchin

Yelchin was unsure exactly why he was cast in that particular role, though he figured it had to do with his young age and the fact that he was "familiar with Russian people. Very, very familiar." His parents are Russian. [2] During his audition, Yelchin had to try out his Russian accent, which included saying Chekov's famous line from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , "nuclear wessel". Yelchin was unfamiliar with Star Trek prior to his being cast as Chekov but planned on viewing the various DVD box sets to learn more about the franchise. [3] (X)

Like the rest of the cast, Yelchin had signed on to do two additional Star Trek films when he took the role of Chekov. [4] The first of those films, Star Trek Into Darkness , was released in May 2013 and the second, Star Trek Beyond , was released in July 2016.

In 2009, he was part of the Star Trek ensemble which received a Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award nomination in the category Best Ensemble and won a Boston Society of Film Critics Award in the category Best Ensemble Cast. He shared these awards with Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldana , Karl Urban , Leonard Nimoy , Simon Pegg , John Cho , Ben Cross , Eric Bana , Clifton Collins, Jr. , Bruce Greenwood , Jennifer Morrison , Chris Hemsworth , Winona Ryder , Faran Tahir , and Tyler Perry . In 2010, Yelchin was part of the ensemble which received a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nomination in the category Best Acting Ensemble for Star Trek .

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals used his pictures for card #79 "Ensign P. Chekhov" and card #95 "Acting Engineer P. Chekhov."

On 19 June 2016 , Yelchin was killed outside of his home in Studio City, Los Angeles when his car rolled down his driveway, pinning him against a security fence and brick mailbox pillar. [5] [6] [7] His death was ruled an accident as the result of "blunt traumatic asphyxia." [8] His 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee was subject to a recall.

• 1 Personal life
• 2.1 2000-2003
• 2.2 2004-2007
• 2.3 2008-2013
• 2.4 2014-2016
• 4 External links

Personal life [ ]

Yelchin was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in Russia, then the second largest city of the Soviet Union. His parents were Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, both of whom were figure skaters known throughout the country. In September 1989, when Anton was only six months old, he and his parents emigrated to the United States. Because of their Jewish background, they received refugee status, owing to the long-term anti-Semitic policies of the Soviet State. (It is worth noting that Walter Koenig, who created the role of Chekov, was also of Soviet Jewish parentage, although he himself was not born in the USSR, and they were from Lithuania rather than Russia proper.)

Yelchin attended the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Tarzana, California, and had begun acting by the age of nine. He enrolled at the University of Southern California in 2007 to study film. In addition to acting, Yelchin enjoyed playing the guitar. At the time of his death, he lived in Studio City, Los Angeles, California. [9]

2000-2003 [ ]

His first television appearance came at the age of 11 in an episode of ER . His first films were the drama A Time for Dancing and the independent film A Man Is Mostly Water , both made in 2000, with the latter co-starring Star Trek: Enterprise guest star Christopher Rydell . Yelchin and Scarlett Pomers both made featured appearances in the 2000 television movie Geppetto , which starred Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's René Auberjonois and Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Brent Spiner .

Yelchin played the title role in the comedy film Delivering Milo , about the spirit of a boy who must be convinced that life is worth being born for. Star Trek: Insurrection actor Michael Welch was among Yelchin's co-stars in this film, as was John Cho , whom Yelchin again worked with on Star Trek . In addition, Yelchin had a featured role in the film 15 Minutes , starring Avery Brooks , Kim Cattrall , and Kelsey Grammer . He also had a supporting role in the Paramount Pictures thriller Along Came a Spider . All of these films were released in 2001.

Yelchin won a Young Spirit Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Young Actor for his work in the 2001 Stephen King -based drama Hearts in Atlantis . He received a second Young Artist Award nomination for his performance on the television mini-series Taken (with Matt Frewer , Gwynyth Walsh , Rob LaBelle , and Brian Markinson ).

In 2002, Yelchin had a two-episode recurring role on the legal drama The Practice , with Paul Dooley and Alan Dale playing judges. Yelchin was also seen on Judging Amy with Chris Sarandon . In 2003, he appeared in an episode of Without a Trace with Christopher McDonald . Enrique Murciano was a regular on this series.

2004-2007 [ ]

Yelchin with Walter Koenig, the original Pavel Chekov, on the set of Star Trek

From 2004 through 2006, Yelchin starred in the Showtime series Huff , playing the son of the title character. In addition, Yelchin earned a third Young Spirit Award nomination for his starring role in the 2004 television movie Jack . This latter project also featured the aforementioned Brent Spiner, as well as Erich Anderson . Yelchin's other television credits included guest spots on Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004, with Patrick Kerr ), NYPD Blue (2004, with Gordon Clapp ), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2006), which was developed by Rene Balcer .

Yelchin also continued making a name for himself in films, receiving notices for his starring roles in 2004's House of D (co-starring Willie Garson and Robin Williams ) and 2006's Alpha Dog . He also starred in the drama Fierce People , which played at film festivals in 2005 and was released in theaters in September 2007. He then starred in the film Charlie Bartlett (2007), in which he played the title role, a wealthy teenager who appoints himself psychiatrist of his high school.

2008-2013 [ ]

Star Trek was not the only iconic franchise that Yelchin became a part of in 2009. Released just two weeks after Star Trek was the fourth Terminator film, Terminator Salvation , in which Yelchin played a teenage Kyle Reese (the role originated by Michael Biehn in 1984's The Terminator ).

In 2011, Yelchin starred in the acclaimed 2011 romantic drama Like Crazy , which also featured Amanda Carlin and for which he won the Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival and the Breakthrough Performer Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival. That same year, he starred in the remake of the 1985 cult horror film Fright Night as Charley Brewster, a teenager who believes his neighbor is a vampire. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest actor Chris Sarandon , who starred in the original Fright Night , made a cameo in the remake; Michael De Luca , writer of the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Threshold ", was one of the film's producers.

Yelchin was the voice of Clumsy Smurf in the 2011 film version of The Smurfs and its 2013 sequel The Smurfs 2 . The first Smurfs film also featured the voices of John Kassir and Frank Welker . Also in 2013, Yelchin was seen in Jim Jarmusch 's acclaimed vampire drama Only Lovers Left Alive and in the leading role of the thriller Odd Thomas .

2014-2016 [ ]

Yelchin acted alongside Frank Langella in the romantic comedy 5 to 7 (2014) and the neo-noir dramedy The Driftless Area (2015) and worked with his Star Trek co-star Winona Ryder in the biographical drama Experimenter (2015), the latter of which had Kellan Lutz portraying William Shatner . Yelchin also appeared in Rudderless (2014) with Jennifer Savidge , Burying the Ex (2014) with Dick Miller , and Broken Horses (2015) with Eric Sharp and Steve Luna .

Most recently, he starred opposite Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart in Jeremy Saulnier's critically-acclaimed horror-thriller Green Room (2016). In that film, Yelchin portrays a bassist whose band is hunted down by a gang of skinheads led by Stewart's character.

In addition to Star Trek Beyond , Yelchin had a number of other projects awaiting release at the time of his death, including the sci-fi drama Rememory and the family drama We Don't Belong Here . It was also announced just days prior to his death that he, Kelsey Grammer , and Ron Perlman were the voices of the main characters in Guillermo del Toro 's animated Netflix series Trollhunters , set to premiere in December 2016. [10]

Directors J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin , as well as fellow cast members Zachary Quinto , Zoë Saldana , John Cho , and Sofia Boutella , paid tribute to Yelchin on social media, while Karl Urban expressed horror at what had happened. [11] Abrams sent Entertainment Weekly a note signed by the " Star Trek Family", describing Yelchin as "our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew." [12] Veterans of other Star Trek shows and films also paid tribute. [13] His character will reportedly not be recast. [14] His parents filed a wrongful death and product liability lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler in relation to Yelchin's death: a confidential settlement was eventually reached two years later. [15]

On 26 February 2017 , he was among the actors honored at the 2017 Academy Awards in their "In Memoriam" segment. [16]

Yelchin privately battled cystic fibrosis, regularly undergoing treatment at the University of Southern California's Keck Hospital. A foundation to help actors with disabilities like him was set up in 2017, and a year later, following a US$1 million donation, the adult cystic fibrosis center at Keck Hospital was renamed the Anton Yelchin Cystic Fibrosis Clinic. [17]

A documentary about his life, Love, Antosha , was released at the Sundance Film Festival on 28 January 2019 , with a later limited theatrical release in on 2 August 2019 . [18]

In 2020, Yelchin was again honored by the production staff of DIS Season 3 , by reference of the USS Yelchin , which was named for him.

In 2023, in the Star Trek: Picard Season 3 episode, " The Last Generation ", a character named Anton Chekov and voiced by Walter Koenig was introduced in that episode. He was named after Yelchin. ( citation needed • edit )

External links [ ]

• Anton Yelchin at Wikipedia
• Anton Yelchin Foundation
• Anton Yelchin at the Internet Movie Database
• Audio interview from the set of Star Trek Beyond
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Star Trek: Prodigy

Pavel Chekov

Although he was always a promising officer with a career to bear it out, the young Chekov was prone to hot-heated actions and romantic attachments. While attending Starfleet Academy his involvement with fellow cadet Irina Galliulin broke off when she dropped out of the service before graduation in disdain for its structure. Years later they met again when she and other Eden-seekers with Dr. Sevrin were aboard.

Following the end of his first five-year mission, Chekov was promoted to lieutenant when he was assigned as security chief aboard the refit U.S.S. Enterprise. Assigned to the U.S.S. Reliant in 2377 and promoted to commander within eight years of that, he was first officer to the ill-fated Captain Clark Terrell during the Genesis Project incident and Khan Singh's grab for it. For the next few years he remained one of Kirk's trusted officers and stood with the group in the theft of the Enterprise to refuse Spock's body and katra, and then faced the UFP Council when those charges were dropped.

Chekov suffered serious wounds when time-traveling to 1986 during an attempted escape from the U.S.S. Enterprise naval aircraft carrier when suspected of being a Soviet spy of the time. He would have died if left to contemporary medicine, but was saved thanks to McCoy and went on to help secure the Khitomer Peace Accords - followed shortly by his shocked witness to Kirk's apparent death at the christening of the newest U.S.S. Enterprise, 1701-B.

How Anton Yelchin Launched ‘Star Trek’s Most Difficult Character Into The Stars

A month shy of his 11th birthday, the late Anton Yelchin was featured in a sixth-season episode of the popular medical drama  ER . This led to a seemingly endless stream of increasingly higher-profile television and film roles — everything from the argumentative adolescent magician in   Curb Your Enthusiasm , to a 13-year-old version of David Duchovny’s character in  The X-Files star’s feature directorial debut,  House of D . The range this Russian-born American actor displayed in his body of work was already impressive before he even turned 16.

Flash forward a few years to the 2006 film  Alpha Dog , a based-on-a-true-story crime drama in which Yelchin’s performance as the, per USA Today ‘s Claudia Puig’s review, “heartbreakingly endearing” Zack Mazursky  earned him high marks from numerous critics. In the thick of the movie’s drugs, dysfunctional family dynamics, and violence, many pointed to Yelchin as “the film’s emotional center.” So too did director Nick Cassavetes, who described Yelchin’s portrayal of Zack as being “confused with no longer being a kid but not yet a man.”

To some extent the same could be said of the actor’s revival of Walter Koenig’s career-making Star Trek  role, Ensign Pavel Chekov. Like colleagues Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and John Cho, Yelchin was tasked with the impossible when he boarded J.J. Abrams’ franchise reboot. This was, after all, Hollywood’s latest attempt to take a beloved property — and one with an obsessive, vocal fanbase — and convert it into something capable of generating cash courtesy of a brand new audience. But it worked, for the movie, which earned generally strong reviews and  $257 million in the U.S. and $385 million worldwide , making it the most financially successful  Trek  film ever.

This was due just as much (if not more) to the cast’s reinterpretation of classic characters as Abrams’ direction and Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s writing. After 50 years, William Shatner’s James T. Kirk or Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock had become inescapable figures in pop culture. And while Koenig’s Chekov wasn’t as instantly recognizable as theirs, his was still a beloved character with a distinct personality, familiar quirks, and instantly recognizable vocal mannerisms. Yelchin couldn’t just do a Koenig impression, so he treated the role like previous challenges — despite the overwhelming odds against him. He pulled it off, too: A  Star Trek and  Star Trek Into Darkness without his Chekov would be no  Trek at all.

Not that many people seem to notice. The then-20-year-old Yelchin was hardly ever mentioned in most of the reviews published at the time. From  The New York Times to Roger Ebert , it seemed the only characters (and performers) worth referencing were Pine’s Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock. This made a certain amount of sense since both roles had achieved an iconic status over the decades. Sure, others garnered praise here and there — especially Karl Urban’s Leonard “Bones” McCoy , Saldana’s Nyota Uhura and Cho’s Ikaru Sulu. But Yelchin’s Chekov? Virtually nichego .

That’s a shame since, aside from providing Abrams’  Star Trek with some of its lighter moments, Yelchin’s take on the Russian Starfleet ensign is one of the best parts of the movie. Not only was the young actor’s take on the kid crew member good for the occasional laugh, he helped bring a character rooted in the past into the present. Why? Chekov’s reasons for being — the Cold War and The Monkees — belong to another era.

Depending on who you ask, Chekov was created for the original series’ second season in response to international criticism of the show’s capitalist and pro-American tendencies , or in order to attract younger (and female) viewers. Creator Gene Roddenberry and executive Herb Solow boasted that the new addition was in response to an editorial in the Soviet Union’s  Pravda , the official newspaper of the Communist Party. Meanwhile, Shatner dismissed these claims as a publicity stunt. As for garnering a younger audience’s attention, Solow and Justman suggested it was thought a younger presence like Koenig might draw comparisons to The Monkees’ Davy Jones, whom he resembled.

Neither of these mattered in 2009: The Cold War had been over for 20 years and wouldn’t be returning anytime soon . As for luring the eyeballs of a key demographic with sex appeal, the 2009 had no shortage of such this already — especially Pine’s Kirk and Saldana’s Uhura. So what, the implied question goes, was the point of even including Chekov? The first, and most obvious answer is fan service, as anyone willing to see the reboot (even those who thought it’d taint the originals) probably expected every figure they’d come to know and love to have a place in the new film.

The second: Despite an all-around younger cast than the original series,  Star Trek still needed a kid to provide a point of identification for the film’s younger viewers. Like Yelchin, Chekov was a child thrown into the middle of a grown-up world. Yes, he was ridiculously intelligent, and yes, he’d earned his right to be on the bridge of the USS Enterprise , but he was still under the drinking age. And for anyone around that age or younger, who wasn’t entirely sure what was going on in  Star Trek but knew they waned to keep watching, Chekov’s innocence provided them with an easy point of entry.

In Yelchin the film had an actor perfect for the role. Like Chekov, Koenig and Yelchin’s families both hail from Russia. For all its gimmicks, the accent — pronunciation and comprehension gags alike — was a core feature of the character. While doing press for  Star Trek and  Star Trek Into Darkness , Yelchin discussed his accent with reporters who kept asking questions about it. Those conversations also hinted at his fascination with, and decision to focus on, the youth of a character he fondly referred to as the “weirdest guy.”

When comparing his Chekov to Koenig’s in 2011, he emphasized age above all else :

“I just think that I tried to capture as close as possible all of the great qualities that Walter brought to his Chekov. So I hope there’s a continuity. I don’t know if it’s necessarily an evolution, but I hope there’s a continuity where you can say, ‘Oh, yeah, I buy that person being that age.'”

For both men, the main point of Chekov’s place on board the  Enterprise was to convince audiences that someone so young deserved to be there. They had to bring to life a believable character in an unbelievable situation, surrounded by starships and aliens, who was more “confused with no longer being a kid but not yet a man” than the fantastic story he was a part of.

Yelchin might have faced a similar challenge — the repeated challenge of proving he belonged at such a young age — if his performances didn’t routinely shut down any such speculation, from comedy vehicles like Charlie Bartlett  to Jarmusch’s wry vampire riff  Only Lovers Left Alive , to his many turns in featured and supporting roles. It didn’t matter if it was an action spectacle like  Terminator Salvation or a romantic drama such as  Like Crazy  — Yelchin proved time and time again he belonged on the screen as much as anyone else, even when his partner was someone as experienced and celebrated as Patrick Stewart in  Green Room  — an otherwise hyperviolent movie that required strong performances to stand out from the bloodshed.

It’s heartbreaking to think of all the performances an actor so promising never got a chance to deliver. Yet there’s a moment in  Star Trek   Into Darkness that   nicely captures the Yelchin we did get to see, and the promise of a performer coming into his own and ready to take on whatever challenges he met. When asked to take over as the ship’s chief engineer by Kirk, Chekov stares off camera for a beat with with a look of dread. Despite the ominous soundtrack, however, his glazed eyes betray a hint of excitement, swelling pride and a confidence unbounded by the stars.

Chris Pine Talks Returning as Kirk in Star Trek 4: 'Im a Lot Older Now'

• Chris Pine is curious about playing an older Captain Kirk in a potential Star Trek 4 .
• Pine is open about his love for his Star Trek co-stars and hopes for a future project together.
• Pine's directorial debut, Poolman , received negative reviews, but he remains positive.

The future of Chris Pine in the Star Trek universe is currently uncertain, but the actor is curious about playing an older version of Captain Kirk in the future . Pine played Kirk in all three of J.J. Abbrams' Star Trek movies between 2009 and 2016, and is considered by many to be as good as William Shatner (who played the same character in Star Trek: The Original Series ). It's been 8 years since Pine last appeared as Captain James T. Kirk on the big-screen, but the actor recently revealed he wonders where the characters he appeared alongside could be in the long-delayed Star Trek 4 .

Speaking at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024 (via PopVerse ), Pine shared his love for his old co-stars (which included Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, and the late Anton Yelchin), and pondered about what a new Star Trek movie could look like. Pine said:

"In terms of the next phase of [Star Trek], obviously youre all fans, so Im sure youve read it We all like one another a lot. Im good friends with everybody Ive worked with. We have a great time doing it. Im a lot older now, so I would be curious where that next story lands us in terms of what it would be and what weve said in the press."

A fourth Star Trek movie featuring the same characters has gone in and out of development hell for years. At one point, Quentin Tarantino was on board to direct the movie, but that concept was ultimately shelved. The original cast members have all reportedly agreed that they would return for a fourth installment, but the likelihood of the movie making it out of production hell is currently uncertain.

Chris Pine Recently Made His Directorial Debut with the Critically Maligned Poolman

Poolman (2023).

Release Date May 10, 2024

Director Chris Pine

Cast Danny DeVito, Chris Pine, DeWanda Wise, Annette Bening, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Runtime 1h 40m

While news about Chris Pine's return to the Star Trek franchise is currently uncertain, the actor is still incredibly busy with new projects. Pine recently made his directorial debut with the comedy Poolman . The movie follows Pine's titular poolman, Darren Barrenman, as he's approached by a mysterious femme fatale to help uncover a shady business deal. The movie features an ensemble cast, including DeWanda Wise , Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Clancy Brown, and Juliet Mills.

Chris Pine Left a Little Confused Over Star Trek 4 Development: 'I Guess I Was Wrong'

Chris Pine has been discussing the long-awaited arrival of Star Trek 4...

The reviews have not been kind to Poolman . The movie is currently Chris Pine's lowest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting at 22%, with a 20% audience score. However, Pine has taken the negative reviews in stride. The actor described bad reviews as part of the Hollywood business , and the critical reception made him love his work even more. Pine said:

"When the film came out at Toronto and just got f*cking panned. I guess I wasn't totally surprised. I tried to make a joyful film... I was not trying to make some sort of Niche film. But [there] was so much joy behind it, to then be met with this fuselage of not so joyous stuff was like, 'Oh my God!' So the cognitive dissonance there was quite something. t's been really, ultimately, kind of the best thing that's ever happened to me, because it's forced me to double down on joy. And really double down on what I love most about my job."

Alongside Poolman , Pine recently lent his voice to the role of King Magnifico in Wish , which is now available to stream on Disney+.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

• The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
• On the day of James T. Kirk's birth, his father dies on his damaged starship in a last stand against a Romulan mining vessel looking for Ambassador Spock, who in this time, has grown on Vulcan disdained by his neighbors for his half-human heritage. 25 years later, James T. Kirk has grown into a young rebellious troublemaker. Challenged by Captain Christopher Pike to realize his potential in Starfleet, he comes to annoy academy instructors like Commander Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency on Vulcan and the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself, thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever as a new version of the legend begins. — Paramount Pictures
• When a Romulan mining vessel attacks the USS Kelvin, Lt. George Kirk substitutes his captain, who goes to meet the Romulan captain on his vessel to negotiate a ceasefire. He orders the evacuation of the damaged starship, including his wife who goes into labor giving birth to their son James Kirk, and crashes the Kelvin against the vessel. Aboard the USS Enterprise, the most sophisticated starship ever constructed, a novice crew embarks on its maiden voyage. Their path takes them on a collision course with Nero, the Romulan captain from the future whose mission of vengeance threatens the Federation. Once humanity would survive, rebellious young officer James T. Kirk and coolly logical Vulcan officer Spock must move beyond their rivalry and find a way to stop Nero before he destroys Earth. — Blazer346
• In 2233, the Federation star ship USS Kelvin is investigating a "lightning storm" in space. A Romulan ship, Narada, emerges from the storm and attacks the Kelvin leaving it defenseless. Narada's first officer, Ayel (Clifton Collins, Jr.), demands that Kelvin's Captain Robau (Faran Tahir) come aboard to negotiate a truce. Robau is questioned about the current star date and an "Ambassador Spock", whom he does not recognize. Narada's commander, Nero (Eric Bana), kills him, and resumes attacking the Kelvin. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), Kelvin's first officer, orders the ship's personnel, including his pregnant wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison), to abandon ship while he pilots the Kelvin on a collision course with Narada. Kirk sacrifices his life to ensure Winona's survival as she gives birth to James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine). Seventeen years later on the planet Vulcan, a young Spock (Zachary Quinto) is accepted to join the Vulcan Science Academy. He has always been taunted as a half human, half Vulcan by his peers and dislikes references to his human mother in anyway. Realizing that the Academy views his human mother, Amanda (Winona Ryder), as a "disadvantage", he joins Starfleet instead. On Earth, Kirk becomes a reckless but intelligent young adult. Following a bar fight with Starfleet cadets accompanying Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Kirk meets Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), who encourages him to enlist in Starfleet Academy ("Your dad was the captain of a star ship for 12 mins and saved 800 lives. I dare you to do better"), where Kirk meets and befriends Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban) (He lost everything in the divorce, except the bones in his body) Three years later, Commander Spock accuses Kirk of cheating during the Kobayashi Maru simulation. The simulation required cadet captains to face death and protect the crew in a no win scenario, but Kirk cheats and inserts a sub routine to change the scenario and beat it. Kirk argues that cheating was acceptable because the simulation was designed to be unbeatable. Spock argues that Kirk not only cheated but failed to get the most important learning of the simulation that a captain cannot cheat death. The disciplinary hearing is interrupted by a distress signal from Vulcan. With the primary fleet out of range, the cadets are mobilized, with McCoy and Kirk boarding Pike's ship (Kirk is grounded on account of his academic suspension, but McCoy argues that Kirk is his patient and he wont leave for the mission unless he is allowed to bring Kirk along), the Enterprise. Spock considers Uhura as his favorite student and assigns her to the Enterprise. The enterprise is a few minutes late in departing as the new helmsman Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) & Hikaru Sulu had not released the external inertial dampener and hence the warp drive did not engage. Realizing that the "lightning storm" observed near Vulcan (shortly after which Vulcan was attacked by a Romulan ship and sent a distress signal to Earth) is similar to the one that occurred when he was born, Kirk breaks protocol to convince Pike that the distress signal is a trap. When the Enterprise arrives, they find the fleet destroyed and Narada drilling into Vulcan's core. Narada attacks Enterprise and Pike surrenders, delegating command of the ship to Spock and promoting Kirk to first officer. Kirk, Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), and Chief Engineer Olson (Greg Ellis) perform a space jump onto the drilling platform. While Olson is killed mid-jump, Kirk and Sulu successfully reach and disable the drill, but are unable to stop Nero launching "red matter" into Vulcan's core, forming an artificial black hole that destroys Vulcan. The Enterprise manages to rescue Spock's father, Sarek (Ben Cross), and the high council before the planet's destruction, but not his mother Amanda, who falls to her death before the transporter can properly lock onto her. Out of 6 Bn Vulcans only 10,000 are saved. As Narada moves toward Earth, Nero tortures Pike to gain access to Earth's defense codes. Nero declares his intention to destroy all federation planets, starting from Earth. Uhura is shown to have romantic feelings towards Spock. Spock deduces that the Narada is from the future and has used the black hole technology to create a passage through space time. Nero's presence, beginning with the attack on USS Kelvin has altered the flow of history and created an alternate reality. While in pursuit, Spock maroons Kirk on Delta Vega after he attempts mutiny (Kirk wanted to go after Nero and the Narada, while Spock wants to hook up with the rest of Starfleet in the Laurentian system, as per orders from Captain Pike). On the planet, Kirk encounters an older Spock (from the original time line) (Leonard Nimoy), who explains that he and Nero are from 2387. In the future, Romulus was threatened by a supernova, which Spock attempted to stop with an artificial black hole made of "red matter". However, his plan failed, resulting in Nero's family perishing along with Romulus, while both the Narada and Spock's vessel were caught in the black hole and sent back in time. Spock quickly found they were sent back 25 years apart, during which time Nero attacked the Kelvin, thus changing history and creating a parallel universe. After Spock's arrival, Nero stranded him on Delta Vega to watch Vulcan's destruction as revenge. Reaching a Starfleet outpost on Delta Vega, Kirk and the elder Spock meet Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Simon Pegg), who helps them by devising a trans-warp beam system, allowing both him and Kirk to beam onto Enterprise while it is travelling at warp speed. Following the elder Spock's advice, Kirk provokes younger Spock into attacking him, forcing Spock to recognize himself as emotionally compromised and relinquish command to Kirk. After talking with Sarek, Spock decides to help Kirk. While Enterprise hides itself within the gas clouds of Titan, Kirk and Spock beam aboard Narada (Uhura reveals her first name is Nyota to Spock). Kirk fights with Nero and Ayel, killing the latter and rescuing Pike, while Spock uses the elder Spock's ship to destroy the drill. Spock leads Narada away from Earth and sets his ship to collide with Nero's ship. Enterprise beams Kirk, Pike, and Spock aboard. The older Spock's ship and Narada collide, igniting the "red matter". Kirk offers Nero help to escape, but Nero refuses, prompting Kirk to give the order to fire, dooming Narada to be consumed in a black hole that Enterprise is only barely able to escape. Kirk is promoted to captain and given command of Enterprise, while Pike is promoted to rear admiral. Spock encounters his older self, who persuades his younger self to continue serving in Starfleet, encouraging him to do, for once, what feels right instead of what is logical. Spock remains in Starfleet, becoming first officer under Kirk's command. Enterprise goes to warp as the elder Spock speaks the "where no one has gone before" monologue.

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Star Trek Prequel Movie In The Works With Star Wars Director

Toby Haynes, who directed episodes of Black Mirror, Doctor Who, and Andor, is lined up to make a Star Trek movie.

By Eddie Makuch on April 11, 2024 at 12:06PM PDT

A Star Trek prequel movie is in the works with Star Wars director Toby Haynes attached to direct, Paramount announced during CinemaCon. This has been rumored since January , and now it's confirmed. The movie is set for release sometime in 2025.

Haynes previously directed episodes of Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Sherlock, and the Star Wars series Andor. Collider reported on these details from CinemaCon.

Seth Grahame-Smith, who wrote The Lego Batman Movie, is writing the untitled Star Trek film. Haynes has never directed or written a Star Trek movie, but he directed Black Mirror's Star Trek-inspired USS Callister episode.

The film is said to be an "origin story" that will take place prior to the events of 2009's Star Trek, which took place in 2255 and was itself an origin story. This likely means it will feature a different cast. The stars of the latest series, including Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, have been rumored to be coming back for a fourth film in their series, but it hasn't happened yet.

2016's Star Trek Beyond is the latest entry in the main Star Trek movie series, but the franchise has lived long and prospered on streaming with the TV shows Picard and Strange New Worlds.

The 2009 Star Trek reboot and its 2013 sequel Into Darkness were directed by JJ Abrams, before he handed off directing duties to Justin Lin for Star Trek Beyond. The three movies collectively earned around $1.2 billion at the global box office.

In addition to Pine, Saldana, and Quinto, the latest Star Trek movie series featured John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Yelchin tragically died in 2016 at the age of 27 after a motor vehicle accident in his driveway.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Will Be “Our Best Season So Far”, Says Anson Mount

I love the bear, but season 3 confirmed 1 harsh reality about the show, the acolyte showrunner speaks out on the star wars show's review bombing.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can bring back and diversify yeomen, offering a respected place in Starfleet.
• Yeomen can build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position.
• The return of yeomen can set up the future of classic characters like Janice Rand and expand the list of current ranks in Star Trek.

Star Trek: Stange New Worlds should bring back the prominent rank featured in Star Trek: The Original Series and use the position to revitalize important and unexplored aspects of Starfleet. In Star Trek: The Original Series , yeomen were played by female actors and depicted a yeoman as an administrative type of rank in Starfleet. Despite the Star Trek timeline including many progressive themes, this lack of female representation was the norm when Star Trek premiered in the 1960s. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could officially bring back and diversify yeomen and give them a respected place in Starfleet.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds started as a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery but quickly became a staple in the modern Star Trek canon. Strange New Worlds often brings back classic Star Trek by reintroducing characters from The Original Series , including Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Since both of these characters have yeomen assistants, including new (and possibly old) characters with the rank of yeoman seems like the logical next step for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 3 and beyond.

Anson Mount hypes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, which he hints will take even bigger swings than the ambitious season 2 did.

How Star Trek: Bringing Back Yeomen In Strange New Worlds Can Work

The unused rank can be more than a one-episode plot device.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds included a brief segue into what a Star Trek yeoman is in the season 2 episode "Among the Lotus Eaters." Captain Pike discovers Yeoman Zac Nguyen, who had served on the USS Enterprise until the yeoman's apparent death on Rigel VII, is still alive. However, the episode doesn't reveal exactly what the position is commonly used for in Starfleet in relation to other lower ranks, like Cadets or Ensigns. Instead, Yeoman Nguyen serves mostly to further the plot of the episode and give Captain Pike more development.

Yeomen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position.

With at least a brief yeoman introduction under its belt, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could easily bring in a yeoman to join the USS Enterprise crew. In doing so, the forgotten Starfleet rank could make a comeback and set up the future of classic characters who held the yeoman position in other Star Trek projects. Instead of being female clerical workers, yeomen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could build on Yeoman Nguyen's story and introduce a more inclusive, complex position beneficial to Starfleet's upper ranks.

Yeomen On Strange New Worlds Can Set Up Star Trek: TOS's Janice Rand

Star trek: the original series' janice rand deserves a new beginning.

By bringing back the Star Trek yeomen rank, Strange New Worlds can save Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) and redeem the classic character whose unfair exit marks one of Star Trek 's darkest events. During Strange New World 's timeline, Rand would be the appropriate age for a Cadet, a position for students enrolled in Starfleet Academy. This way, Cadet Rand could have a fresh start aboard the USS Enterprise, and Strange New Worlds could offer a sneak peek into the future of the yeoman position .

Both Strange New World 's Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and Lt. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Martin Quinn) have benefited from the show's foreshadowing techniques , since their Star Trek: The Original Series counterparts have been major parts of some of Star Trek 's biggest events. Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds often hints at future events that tie into older shows, adding yeomen back to Starfleet could expand the list of current ranks and diversify characters in upcoming Star Trek TV shows and movies .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a television series that takes place before the events of the original series and follows Captain Christopher Pike as he mans the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show focuses on this previous crew of the Enterprise as they explore the galaxy with returning characters from Discovery.

Star Trek: The Original Series

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Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.

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The Cast of 1984's Beverly Hills Cop : Where Are They Now?

As the fourth film in the franchise makes its debut, catch up with the cast of the beloved original

CBS via Getty

" Beverly Hills Cop  was my first movie that I'm the lead in," star Eddie Murphy told Today earlier this year. "If I travel overseas they call me Axel Foley. Axel is an everyman. He's not a superhero or a super-cop, he's the everyman that rises to the occasion. I think that's why people like it. And more than anything, he's funny."

That laughter translated at the box office: the film made more than $316 million worldwide, catapulting Murphy's star and spawning three sequels — the next of which, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, drops on Netflix on July 3, 2024.

As the original film turns 40 and the new film delights new audiences, catch up with the cast of 1984's Beverly Hills Cop, then and now.

Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley

Moviestore/Shutterstock; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Already well known for his stand-up comedy and as a Saturday Night Live cast member, Eddie Murphy ’s 1984 star turn in Beverly Hills Cop was preceded by film roles in 1982’s 48 Hrs. (another buddy cop comedy) and 1983’s Trading Places opposite SNL co-star Dan Aykroyd.

Murphy would go on to reprise his role as Axel Foley, a Detroit cop perpetually drawn back to southern California by murder investigations, in all three subsequent films in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, including this summer’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F . Along the way, he also starred in some of the biggest comedies of the past four decades, including Coming to America , Boomerang and 1996 remake of The Nutty Professor . He’s also voiced characters in Disney’s Mulan and the films in the Shrek franchise, and his supporting role in Dreamgirls earned him a 2007 Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe. His 1987 stand-up film, Eddie Murphy: Raw is one of the most influential in the genre, and his lead performance in 2019’s Dolomite Is My Name earned him widespread acclaim.

Most recently, he returned to his Coming to America role in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America , and appeared in the Netflix ensemble comedy You People and Prime Video Christmas flick Candy Cane Lane in 2023.

Murphy is the father of 10 children . He shares five with ex-wife Nichole Murphy and three each with former partners Paulette McNeely, Tamara Hood and Mel B . He began dating Australian model Paige Butcher in 2012, and the couple have been engaged since 2018. They share two children, a daughter born in 2016 and a son born in 2018.

Judge Reinhold as Detective Billy Rosewood

Bruce Talamon/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock; Cindy Ord/Getty

Before taking on the role of Det. Billy Rosewood, one of Foley’s partners in Beverly Hills Cop , Judge Reinhold had appeared in memorable ’80s comedies like Stripes , Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins as well as the 1983 drama The Lords of Discipline .

Like Murphy, Reinhold has returned to his Beverly Hills Cop role in all three sequels, and also starred alongside Danny DeVito and Bette Midler in the 1986 black comedy Ruthless People . In 1994 he earned an Emmy nomination for his memorable guest appearance as “the close talker” on Seinfeld . He also appeared in The Santa Clause that same year, and would return for the holiday film’s two sequels in the early 2000s while also appearing in guest roles on series like Monk , Arrested Development and The Detour .

Reinhold has been married to film director Amy Miller since 2000. They share an 11-year-old daughter, Haley.

John Ashton as Sergeant John Taggart

Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage

John Ashton made his film debut 11 years before playing Foley and Rosewood’s partner, Sgt. John Taggart, in Beverly Hills Cop , appearing in small roles 1973’s The Psychopath , 1977’s Oh, God! and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension while also taking on guest roles in shows like Kojak , Columbo , Wonder Woman , M*A*S*H and The A-Team .

Ashton has re-teamed with Murphy and Reinhold in all three Beverly Hills Cop sequels, while also continuing to work steadily on TV and in less high-profile films. Some of his best known films include 1987’s Some Kind of Wonderful , 1988’s She’s Having a Baby and Ben Affleck ’s 2007 directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone .

Paul Reiser as Detective Jeffrey Friedman

CBS via Getty; VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty 

After one appearance on Remington Steele and a starring role alongside Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Mikey Rourke and Ellen Barkin in 1982’s Diner , Paul Reiser jumped into the role of Det. Jeffrey Friedman, which he too would reprise in every Beverly Hills Cop sequel to date.

Reiser went on to fight Xenomorphs in director James Cameron’s Aliens in 1986, and starred in a number of comedies throughout the ’80s and ’90s. But his biggest claim to fame has to be his starring role opposite Helen Hunt in the NBC sitcom Mad About You . The series brought Reiser a slew of Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations over its original seven-season run, and both he and Hunt returned for a limited 12-episode revival in 2019.

Reiser has also appeared in Judd Apatow’s Funny People , Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash and Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra . Since 2017, he’s had a supporting role on Stranger Things and appeared in two episodes of FX’s 2019 limited series Fosse/Verdon . His role on The Kominsky Method earned him another Emmy nomination and he starred opposite Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ’s Rachel Bloom in Hulu’s short-lived but delightful comedy Reboot .

The 68-year-old actor has been married to Paula Ravets since 1988. The couple have two sons, Ezra Samuel and Leon.

Jonathan Banks as Zack

CBS via Getty; Stewart Cook/Getty

Jonathan Banks has been bringing his gruff, no-nonsense vibe to film and TV roles for decades, appearing in a small role as a local cop in  Gremlins  and as bad guy Zack in  Beverly Hills Cop  that same year.

But today he’s perhaps best known to  Breaking Bad  fans as cop-turned-drug cartel enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut. Banks has reprised the role in both  Breaking Bad  prequel series  Better Call Saul  and in the Netflix film  El Camino , earning five of his six Emmy nominations for his performance. His first Emmy nod came in 1989, for his role in the CBS crime drama  Wiseguy .

Banks was married to his first wife Marnie from 1968 to 1970. The couple share one daughter, and Banks shares twins and a stepdaughter with his second wife, Gennera.  

Most recently, Banks starred opposite  Noomi Rapace  in this year’s AppleTV+ sci-fi series  Constellation . He’ll next voice a character in Max’s  Harley Quinn  spin-off series  Kite Man: Hell Yeah! , due out later this year.

Bronson Pinchot as Serge

Snap/Shutterstock; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Bronson Pinchot was an unknown 25-year-old actor struggling to make ends meet when  Beverly Hills Cop  premiered in 1984. He had just about two minutes of screen time as the heavily accented gallery worker Serge, but he made an impression on moviegoers and A-listers alike. 

“Five seconds after the movie came out,” he told PEOPLE recently, “I met  Carrie Fisher , and she took me to a party at  Rod Stewart ’s house. I’m chatting with  Elton John  like, ‘What’s going on?’ ” 

He went on to his memorable, Emmy-nominated turn as “Cousin” Balki on the sitcom  Perfect Strangers from 1986 to 1993, working steadily though somewhat quietly for the years that followed. (When it comes to show business, he told PEOPLE, “I don’t want any of the ‘show.’ ”)

Now 65, Pinchot is reprising his role in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

Ronny Cox as Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil

CBS via Getty; ANDREAS BRANCH/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Prior to playing helpful Beverly Hills PD Lt. Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop, Ronny Cox's extensive career began in the 1970s, notably with his role on the series Apple's Way and films including Gray Lady Down, Deliverance and Taps.

He re-teamed with his costars for 1987's Beverly Hills Cop II before moving on to RoboCop and Total Recall in addition to series including St. Elsewhere, Stargate SG-1 and most recently, Star Trek: Prodigy.

Cox, now 85, is also an accomplished singer-songwriter . He and his late wife Mary have two sons together.

Lisa Eilbacher as Jenny Summers

Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection; AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Lisa Eilbacher started acting as a child, picking up roles on The Brady Bunch, My Three Sons and Gunsmoke, among others. Prior to playing Foley's former friend in Beverly Hills Cop, she costarred in 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman, following up with Never Say Die, The Last Samurai and Midnight Caller. Now 68, her last listed acting credit was in 1995's 919 Fifth Avenue.

Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland

CBS via Getty; Carlos Alvarez/Getty

Before playing super bad guy Victor Maitland, British actor and writer Steven Berkoff had a prolific career in theater, television and film dating back to the 1950s. Throughout the 1970s and '80s he starred in everything from A Clockwork Orange and Octopussy to Under the Cherry Moon and Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Since then, his main passion has been his theater work , though he's stayed busy in films and series including The Tourist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Vikings.

Now 86, Berkoff has two daughters from previous relationships. He has been with his pianist partner, Clara Fischer, for more than 30 years .

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