chekov star trek anton yelchin

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Anton Yelchin, ‘Star Trek’ Actor, Dies at 27

By Dave Itzkoff

• June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin, who played the young incarnation of Chekov, an excitable officer on the Starship Enterprise, in the rebooted “Star Trek” movie series, died early Sunday morning when he was pinned by his car in his driveway at his home in Los Angeles. He was 27.

Officer Jenny Houser of the Los Angeles Police Department said Mr. Yelchin was hit around 1:10 a.m. The car, an SUV, had rolled backward down a steep driveway and trapped him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.

Officer Houser said he was found dead by friends who had come to his house, in the Studio City neighborhood, after he did not show up for a rehearsal.

(On Monday, The Associated Press reported that the vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was one of 1.1. million vehicles recalled by the manufacturer, Fiat Chrysler, in April because their gear shifters had confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records.)

Mr. Yelchin was born on March 11, 1989, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, in what was then the Soviet Union. His parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were superstar figure skaters with the Leningrad Ice Ballet.

But the Yelchins, who are Jewish, fled the Soviet Union six months later, facing political and religious oppression and fearing for their son’s safety. They settled in Los Angeles. His parents survive him.

“It is a very bad situation over there,” Viktor Yelchin told The Los Angeles Times . “I would get angry, too — I’d say, ‘Why should we have to buy things on the black market? Why should we have to stand in line?’”

As a child actor, Anton made memorable appearances on television shows like “ER,” “The Practice” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” on which he played a child magician who frustrates Larry David with a card trick.

He also appeared in the films “Charlie Bartlett” (2007), with Robert Downey Jr., in which he played the title role, a talkative student who appoints himself his school’s resident therapist, and “Alpha Dog” (2006), in which he played an innocent boy who becomes an unwitting pawn in a drug war.

His breakthrough came in the director J. J. Abrams’s 2009 resuscitation of “Star Trek,” the venerable science-fiction adventure franchise. Mr. Yelchin was cast as Pavel Chekov, the Russian-born Starfleet officer portrayed by Walter Koenig in the original “Star Trek” television series and movies.

As played by Mr. Yelchin, Chekov was endearingly antic, humorously navigating his way through high-pressure scenarios and — even in the 23rd century — having difficulty with the “V” sounds in words like “Victor” and “Vulcan.”

Mr. Yelchin reprised the role in a 2013 sequel, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and will be seen in a third film, “Star Trek Beyond,” to be released this summer.

His other recent roles included the voice of Clumsy Smurf in two “Smurfs” movies and a member of a punk-rock band fighting its way out of a neo-Nazi skinhead club in the horror film “Green Room” (2015).

His co-stars mourned his death on social media. In an Instagram post , Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the new “Star Trek” movies, wrote that Mr. Yelchin was “one of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know.” In a post on Twitter , John Cho, who plays Sulu in the new movies, called Mr. Yelchin “a true artist — curious, beautiful, courageous.”

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

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

Darren is a TV Critic. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFranich for opinions and recommendations.

“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.

Related Articles

Anton Yelchin, new Star Trek's Chekov, dies in freak accident

The 27-year-old, who played Chekov in the Star Trek reboot films, dies after being pinned by his own car.

• Ed was a member of the CNET crew that won a National Magazine Award from the American Society of Magazine Editors for general excellence online. He's also edited pieces that've nabbed prizes from the Society of Professional Journalists and others.

Anton Yelchin, aka Star Trek's Pavel Chekov, arrives on the red carpet at the LA premiere of "Star Trek" in 2009. The actor died on Sunday.

Anton Yelchin, the actor known for playing Chekov in the recent series of Star Trek reboot films, died in a freak accident in Los Angeles early Sunday morning.

Left to right: Yelchin as Chekov, Chris Pine as Kirk, John Cho as Sulu.

Yelchin, 27, was killed when his

Friends found Yelchin after he failed to show up for a scheduled rehearsal, Houser said.

The Russian-born actor played Pavel Chekov in 2009's " Star Trek " and 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness," as well as in " Star Trek Beyond ," due out later this year.

Yelchin's Star Trek colleagues took to Twitter on Sunday to express their sorrow, including actors John Cho and Zachary Quinto, who play Sulu and Spock, respectively, "Star Trek Beyond" director Justin Lin and "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Into Darkness" director J.J. Abrams (by way of his production company, Bad Robot):

Update, 12:23 p.m. PT: Adds information from the LAPD; adds Cho's tweet. 12:42: Adds tweets from Lin and Quinto. 1:30: Adds Bad Robot tweet of J.J. Abrams' note.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• Backchannel
• Newsletters
• WIRED Insider
• WIRED Consulting

Tributes pour in for late 'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin

Actor Anton Yelchin, best known for his role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek movie series, has died in what is being labelled a "freak accident" involving his own car.

Los Angeles police found the actor in his driveway at around 1am PST on Sunday morning. The cause of death has been declared accidental by authorities, with LAPD spokesperson Jenny Houser telling The Hollywood Reporter : "It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death."

Born in what is now Saint Petersburg, Russia on 11 March 1989, Yelchin's parents Irina and Viktor – both figure skaters who had qualified for the 1972 Olympics but were prevented from competing by the former Soviet regime – moved the family to the USA when Anton was six months old.

Anton Yelchin's movie debut came in 2000's independent film A Man is Mostly Water . He also appeared on television in series such as E.R., Hearts in Atlantis, and Huff . His big screen career took off in 2009 when he appeared as Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation and the JJ Abrams-directed Star Trek .

Yelchin would go on to resume the role of Chekov in 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness in its impending sequel, Star Trek Beyond , and appear in numerous movies including 2011's Fright Night remake, Odd Thomas , and Only Lovers Left Alive . He also lent his voice to animated feature The Pirates! and the English language dub of Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill .

Tributes to the young actor have flooded in, praising his charm and charisma, and mourning the loss of such a talent so young.

Trek director and producer JJ Abrams tweeted a note reading "Anton - you were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren't here nearly long enough. Missing you, JJ."

In a further statement to Entertainment Weekly , Abrams said "Anton was our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew. His laugh was preposterous – you couldn’t hear it and not laugh yourself. He was funny, edgy, wild and talented beyond measure. His focus and dedication was admirable, as was his love of family, friends, literature and music."

"We loved Anton, at work or at play. We are all shocked and numb and devastated by the world’s loss of an extraordinary young man. To his family, we send you our love during this impossible time. We will miss Anton forever."

Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the Star Trek film series, also released a statement. It said: "All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family."

Andy Greenberg

Matt Burgess

Caroline Haskins

Jessica Rawnsley

Yelchin's Star Trek cast mates also paid tribute. John Cho, who plays Sulu, said "I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins," and "Please send your love to Anton's family right now. They need it."

Zoe Saldana - Lt Uhura - said "Devastated by our friend's loss. We are mourning his passing and celebrating the beautiful spirit that he was. #RIPAnton".

Justin Lin, director of Star Trek Beyond added "Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you."

Dozens of other Trek cast and crew, both past and present, have also paid their respects to Yelchin, though it was perhaps a fan tribute to the late actor that most poignantly hits home .

Yelchin will be posthumously seen in Star Trek Beyond , released 22 July, 2016's Porto and We Don't Belong Here , and 2017's Thoroughbred .

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

Megan Farokhmanesh

Angela Watercutter

Jennifer M. Wood

Eric Ravenscraft

AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

Star trek ’s anton yelchin killed in bizarre car accident.

The 27-year-old actor played Pavel Chekov in three films, including the forthcoming Star Trek Beyond.

Anton Yelchin, a versatile and respected 27-year-old actor whose professional figure-skater parents brought him to the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia as an infant, was found dead at his Studio City home early Sunday morning. According to Los Angeles police officer Jenny Hosier (as reported by the Associated Press ), the actor was found pinned between his car and a brick mailbox after the vehicle apparently rolled into him. Members of his band found him around 1 a.m., apparently having come to check on him after he failed to turn up for a scheduled practice Saturday evening.

While the actor had built a diverse resume, performing in commercial films and in arthouse releases like the brooding vampire film  Only Lovers Left Alive,  he was most widely known for playing Pavel Chekov in the rebooted  Star Trek  movie franchise. He had already completed filming his third appearance as the earnest young Russian Starfleet officer in  Star Trek Beyond ,  which will be released on July 22. (Walter Koenig originated the role of Chekov, playing the character in two seasons of the original  Star Trek  TV series as well as in six feature films, circa 1979-1991.)

Besides the upcoming Star Trek feature, Yelchin appeared in at least three other films set for release this year and next. In April, Yelchin earned admiring notices for his role in the tense thriller Green Room. He played a member of a struggling punk band that must escape a rock club run by a violent gang of white supremacists after witnessing a murder. Coincidentally, Patrick Stewart, another actor whose career got a big boost from Star Trek —he played Captain Jean-Luc Picard The Next Generation TV and film series over a 15-year period—was cast opposite Yelchin as the leader of the gang.

A number of  Star Trek  creators and cast members expressed their grief as the news of Yelchin’s passing was reported yesterday. J.J. Abrams, who directed Yelchin in 2009’s Star Trek and in its 2013 follow-up Star Trek into Darkness, released a photo of a handwritten note that read:

Anton — You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren’t here nearly long enough. Missing you…                                                                                                                                                          JJ

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jun 19, 2016

Hollywood Remembers Anton Yelchin

The tributes continue to pour in for Anton Yelchin, Star Trek 's current Chekov, who died in the early morning of June 19, at the age of 27. As reported, the actor was killed, in a freak accident, at home by his own car. He will be seen one last time as Chekov in Star Trek Beyond , due out next month.

J.J. Abrams sent Entertainment Weekly a message on behalf of the Beyond cast and crew. It reads:

"Anton was our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew. His laugh was preposterous -- you couldn't hear it and not laugh yourself. He was funny, edgy, wild and talented beyond measure. His focus and dedication was admirable, as was his love of family, friends, literature and music.

We loved Anton, at work or at  play. We are all shocked and numb and devastated by the world's loss of an extraordinary young man.

To his family, we send our love during this impossible time.

We will miss Anton forever.

His Star Trek family.

Our Star Trek family has lost one of its own. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. -- George Takei

She is beyond devastated and first and foremost her heart and prayers are with the Yelchin family during this time -- Zoe Saldana's rep told E! News

Paramount Pictures released the following statement: "All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family."

Get Updates By Email

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Anton Yelchin, Star Trek actor, dies in car accident at age 27

The rising star – best known for playing Chekov in the new films – was found dead in his driveway early on Sunday morning

Anton Yelchin, a charismatic rising star best known for playing Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a car accident early on Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed.

Yelchin’s friends alerted police when he failed to turn up to a rehearsal scheduled to start on Saturday evening. They then discovered the actor in his driveway at around 1am. No other vehicles are thought to have been involved and the cause of death is being reported as accidental. Jenny Houser, a spokeswoman for the LAPD, told the Hollywood Reporter : “It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death.”

Yelchin was an actor whose stock-in-trade was sweetness and even naiveté: his career began young, in small films and TV series, before he broke out in 2006 with crime thriller Alpha Dog and the following year as Robert Downey Jr’s troubled pupil in Charlie Bartlett . In 2011, he starred opposite Felicity Jones in Like Crazy , a transatlantic romance that won both audience and jury awards at the Sundance film festival, as well as playing Mel Gibson’s son in Jodie Foster’s The Beaver .

But it was as mathematical brainbox Pavel Chekov in the new set of Star Trek films that Yelchin first came to mainstream attention. In JJ Abrams’ critically and commercially successful 2009 Star Trek, and the 2013 follow-up, the actor won acclaim for an innocence and humour that characterised many of his roles. A third film, Star Trek: Beyond, is due out in July.

Abrams posted a photo of a handwritten note via the Twitter account of his production company, Bad Robot. He paid tribute to Yelchin’s “kind … brilliant … funny” nature.

pic.twitter.com/q8VBJBVPK3 — Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 19, 2016

Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the franchise, said that they joined “the world in mourning the untimely passing of Antony Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.”

His Star Trek co-star, John Cho, tweeted that he was “in ruins” at the news of Yelchin’s death.

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins. — John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016

Despite his age, Yelchin had managed to carve out a career that balanced blockbusters with credible independent movies. Speaking to the Guardian in 2009 to promote the sci-fi movie Terminator Salvation, Yelchin said: “What I watch and what I work on are different.”

His own taste veered more towards the films of directors such as Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier and Pedro Almodóvar, as well as Martin Scorsese and Jim Jarmusch, in whose 2013 vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive Yelchin went on to take a role.

The star of that film, Tom Hiddleston, said he was “absolutely devastated” to hear the news of the death of “such a gifted, natural actor [and] a deeply kind man”.

Absolutely devastated to hear about Anton Yelchin. He was such a gifted, natural actor & a deeply kind man. My thoughts are with his family. — Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) June 19, 2016

An only child, Yelchin was born in Russia in 1989. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. Yelchin’s family has requested privacy at this time.

Tributes to the actor began appearing on Twitter shortly after reports broke. Anna Kendrick called his death a “huge loss”, while Matt Lucas called it “dreadful news” and Kevin Smith described it as “so damn sad”.

This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss. — Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin just died in a car wreck. So damn sad. I met him and his Mom on a plane once. They were very sweet. https://t.co/OtkoO4HisG — KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) June 19, 2016

Dreadful news about Anton Yelchin. I thought he was an amazing actor. — Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) June 19, 2016

Like Crazy director Drake Doremus has also shared his memories of working with Yelchin. “Anton was one of a kind,” he told Variety . “Such an old soul who was one of the most sincere but also funniest people I have ever met. Anton changed my life in so many ways and I’ll never forget him.”

Earlier this year, Yelchin won much acclaim for his role in ensemble horror Green Room , opposite Patrick Stewart and Imogen Poots. The film’s director, Jeremy Saulnier, described his lead as “such a dedicated, generous and hyper-smart young man”.

Oh, Anton. Such a dedicated, generous and hyper-smart young man. So grateful for the time we shared, destroyed he left so soon. — Jeremy Saulnier (@saulnier_jeremy) June 19, 2016

Among Yelchin’s upcoming projects was Baseballissimo, a sports comedy set in Italy during the second world war. Its writer and Yelchin’s co-star, Jay Baruchel, wrote of his shock and sadness over the sudden loss of someone he “call[ed] my friend for the better part of the last decade”.

Fuck. I was lucky enough to call Anton Yelchin my friend for the better part of the last decade. This is so fucking awful. — Jay Baruchel (@BaruchelNDG) June 19, 2016

Yelchin was also due to take a voice part in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming TV series Trollhunters. The director said the actor was “a great creative partner and artist”.

Anton was a sweetheart. Absolutely a great creative partner and artist. — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016

Among the other Hollywood stars who took to Twitter to pay tribute were Captain America actor Chris Evans, who said he was “devastated” by Yelchin’s death . He was joined by Spider-Man actor Dane DeHaan and Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, who said he was “utterly heartbroken” .

• Anton Yelchin
• Star Trek (Culture)
• US television
• Star Trek (Film)
• Star Trek Beyond

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• April 18, 2024 | Lost Original USS Enterprise Model From ‘Star Trek’ Returned To Gene Roddenberry’s Son
• April 18, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets The Timing Right In “Face The Strange”
• April 17, 2024 | Watch: Things Get “Odd” In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Trailer And Clip From “Face The Strange”
• April 17, 2024 | Alex Kurtzman On Streaming TV Challenges And How Shorter Star Trek Seasons Helps Avoid “Filler” Episodes
• April 16, 2024 | Watch: Did This Moment On ‘The View’ Just Accidentally Hint Whoopi Goldberg Is In The Next Star Trek Movie?

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

Find anything you save across the site in your account

How Anton Yelchin’s Death Changes Star Trek Beyond

By Scott Meslow

At a key moment in Star Trek Beyond , Kirk leads the crew of the USS Enterprise in a toast. "To absent friends," Kirk says, as everyone raises a glass. And then the camera shifts, ever so slightly, to refocus on the man standing behind him: Pavel Chekov, the crew member played by Anton Yelchin, who died at age 27 in a freak automobile accident last month.

Appreciating the man who said "I can do that!"

By Maggie Lange

At least, I thought the camera pivoted to Chekov. In retrospect, I'm almost 100 percent sure it was in my imagination. But for me, watching Star Trek Beyond so soon after Yelchin's sudden death cast his performance—and the film itself—in a different light. It's a resonance that the film's creative team never intended, but it's still there. When the film began, every time Chekov appeared on screen, I felt a little jolt of grief. As it continued, this feeling gradually softened, but it never totally went away.

None of this is to criticize the creative team behind Star Trek Beyond , who have felt the loss of Yelchin as both a colleague and friend, and who have been unfailingly thoughtful and gracious in their tributes to Yelchin during the movie's promotional circuit. But the death of an actor changes the context in which you watch a movie, and for fans of Yelchin's work, Star Trek Beyond will be both a tribute and a fresh source of grief. And sitting in a movie theater, it's hard to reconcile those feelings with what Star Trek Beyond wants to be: a fun, escapist summer popcorn blockbuster.

Star Trek Beyond is hardly the first Hollywood blockbuster to hit theaters under the shadow of a cast member's unexpected death. The Harry Potter franchise recast the role of Dumbledore after the death of Richard Harris. Last year, the final Hunger Games sequel was reworked to minimize the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, the supporting character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died in February 2014. Earlier this summer, Alice Through the Looking Glass featured the final performance of Alan Rickman, whose unmistakable baritone classed up an otherwise forgettable movie.

Of course, a movie faces a different challenge when a late actor's performance contains echoes of their death. One of the Joker's final lines to Batman in The Dark Knight —"I think you and I are destined to do this forever"—became unintentionally ghoulish after Heath Ledger died. And then, of course, there's Furious 7 —the James Wan-directed installment of a franchise largely defined by Stark Trek Beyond director Justin Lin, who directed installments three, four, five, and six. When Paul Walker died during the production of Furious 7 —in a car crash, no less—the film's producers faced a difficult decision: shut down production, or release a movie with some unsettling parallels to a real-life tragedy? In the end, they concluded that releasing the film was the right decision, and they managed to give Walker's protagonist a relatively graceful exit, using previously shot footage, along with CGI and body doubles, to complete the performance.

Star Trek Beyond is largely constructed as a tribute to another late Star Trek icon: Leonard Nimoy.

But the team behind Star Trek Beyond had a simpler choice to make. Yelchin's performance was finished, and nothing in the film directly recalls the circumstances of his death. In fact, Star Trek Beyond is largely constructed as a tribute to another late Star Trek icon: Leonard Nimoy, who died several months before Beyond entered production.

This timeline enabled screenwriters Simon Pegg and Doug Jung to weave Nimoy's real-life death into the fabric of the film. As Beyond begins, Spock (Zachary Quinto) learns that Ambassador Spock (Nimoy)—his older self from an alternate timeline, as seen in the previous two Star Trek movies—has died. This news sends the younger Spock into a soul-searching grief that informs his entire arc in the movie, as he contemplates leaving both the Federation and his girlfriend, Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), to spend more time rebuilding his culture with the other surviving Vulcans. The story crescendoes with a brief, poignant nod to Ambassador Spock and the rest of the original cast, offering a final love letter to both the character and Leonard Nimoy.

Star Trek Beyond features one of Yelchin's final performances, which is both the simplest and most complete way to honor his work in the franchise—but his death also hangs over the movie, and the already-announced Star Trek 4 will need to address it. J.J. Abrams has said that the role of Chekov won't be recast, but that it's "too early" to decide how they'll resolve the character’s absence.

As far as I can tell, the only change that was definitively made to Star Trek Beyond in the wake of Yelchin's death happens several minutes after the movie itself has ended. In the middle of the credits, a warm title card appears that was presumably planned a long time ago: "In loving memory of Leonard Nimoy." When those words fade away, they're replaced by a second, simpler dedication: "For Anton."

20% off $250 spend w/ Wayfair coupon code

Military Members save 15% Off - Michaels coupon

Enjoy 30% Off w/ ASOS Promo Code

eBay coupon for +$5 Off sitewide

Enjoy Peacock Premium for Only $1.99/Month Instead of $5.99

$100 discount on your next Samsung purchase* in 2024

Anton Yelchin (1989-2016)

Camera and electrical department.

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 500 110

• 9 wins & 19 nominations

• Bobby Garfield

• Additional Voice Talent
• Jim Lake Jr. (voice)
• 52 episodes

• Milton Schultz

• Maxwell Green

• Dudley (voice)

• Jake Kleeman

• Father James

• Jacob Heckum

• Dr. Jack Stewart

• super 8 camera operator
• performer: "Wayfaring Stranger"

• performer: "Home", "Real Friends", "Stay With You", "Wheels on the Bus", "Beautiful Mess"

• performer: "Those Were the Days (Theme from All in the Family)", "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out", "Yankee Doodle"

Personal details

• 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• March 11 , 1989
• Leningrad, Russian SFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]
• June 19 , 2016
• Studio City, California, USA (blunt traumatic asphyxia)
• No Children
• Parents Irina Korina
• Eugene Yelchin (Aunt or Uncle)
• Other works TV commercial "Star Trek" for XboxOne with Zachary Quinto and Anton Yelchin in character as Spock and Chekov from Star Trek (2009) .
• 10 Articles
• 1 Pictorial
• 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

• Trivia The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee that rolled into him was part of a 2016 recall for that exact same issue. Incredibly, the recall notice was mailed to Yelchin seven days after his untimely death.
• Quotes Russia is very complicated. It is one of the most complicated histories. I could go on about this forever. It produces Dostoyevsky and Rachmaninoff and then it produces Stalins and Lenins. It is such a strange combination. I don't know why that rant about Russia was necessary.
• Trademarks Distinctive hoarse voice
• When did Anton Yelchin die?
• How did Anton Yelchin die?
• How old was Anton Yelchin when he died?

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

site categories

‘willow’ star ellie bamber joins legendary’s ‘animal friends’, anton yelchin dies in car accident: chekov in ‘star trek’ reboot was 27.

By Ross A. Lincoln

Ross A. Lincoln

More stories by ross.

• ‘Every 40 Years’ Trailer: There Are Plenty Of Second Acts In American Lives
• Dick Clark Productions Partners With Twitter For Red Carpet Coverage Of Billboard Awards, ACMs And AMAs
• Madonna Clarifies Nonviolent Intent Of Women’s March Speech For Critics Immune To Context

Anton Yelchin, best known for portraying Ensign Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot film series, as well as for roles in, Jim Jarmush’s Only Lovers Left Alive , the Stephen King adaptation Hearts In Atlantis , and the acclaimed horror film Green Room , is dead following a tragic car accident in his Studio City home last night. He was 27.

“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time,” his publicist, Jennifer Allen said in a statement.

Born in Leningrad, Russia (now Saint Petersburg) in 1989 to parents who were stars of Russia’s Ice Ballet for 15 years, Yelchin and his family immigrated to the United States as political refugees that same year. Yelchin subsequently grew up in Los Angeles, attending Tarzana’s Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies and in 2007, the University of Southern California. However, his entry into acting came at age 9 in the indie film A Man is Mostly Water , with other early roles including in Delivering Milo , House of D , and the 2002 Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries Taken .

Related Stories

Hollywood reacts to anton yelchin's untimely death, kagan: 'the help' is the most profitable film from a month with few successes.

His first major recognition as an actor came in 2001 when he played the younger version of Bobby Garfield, played as an adult by David Morse, in Hearts in Atlantis . The next year, Yelchin won Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor at the Young Artist Awards for his performance. Yelchin next came to increased prominence in 2006, co-starring as the central kidnapping victim in Nick Cassavetes’ crime thriller Alpha Dog , opposite Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Dean Stanton, Sharon Stone, and Bruce Willis.

Yelchin’s breakout role came at 19 in Charlie Bartlett , the Jon Poll-directed comedy-drama written by Gustin Nash about an awkward, wealthy teenager who begins giving out therapeutic advice and prescription drugs to his classmates in a bid to become popular. This was followed in 2009 by a pair of major franchise roles that solidifed his career – the teenaged version of Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation , taking on the role originated in 1984 by Michael Biehn in James Cameron’s The Terminator , and Ensign Pavel Chekov in JJ Abram’s 2009 Star Trek .

Like many of his co-stars on Star Trek, Yelchin notably looked to the performance of his predecessor on the original series and subsequent films, Walter Koenig, for insight into the role. Mimicking the original Chekov’s accent, Yelchin also drew from his own Russian background as well as from the Cold War climate of the original series for inspiration. “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,” he said in a 2009 interview . “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.”

One notable aspect of that performance came in the reboot franchise’s first film, when Yelchin’s Chekov displayed extraordinary difficulty pronouncing the phrase “victor victor” and ended up saying it as “wictor wictor”, a tribute to Koenig’s memorable pronunciation of “nuclear vessles” as “nuclear wessles” in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Yelchin portrayed Chekov two more times – in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness , also directed by JJ Abrams, and in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond directed by Justin Lin which hits theaters July 22.

Most recently, Yelchin drew great reviews for his performance in the acclaimed horror film Green Room , in which he co-starred with Imogen Poots and Alia Shawkat as members of a punk band who find themselves hunted by neo-Nazi skinheads after witnessing a murder at an isolated Pacific Northwest club. The film won raves throughout its festival run in 2015, taking home the Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award at the Toronto Film Festival last October. It had limited theatrical release in April of this year.

Other roles include: Charlie Brewster in remake of Fright Night opposite David Tennant, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Imogen Poots, and Toni Collette; Jim Jarmush’s critically acclaimed vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive , opposite Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, Jeffrey Wright, Slimane Dazi, and John Hurt; the romantic drama Like Crazy ; voicing Clumsy Smurf in the feature film adaptation of The Smurfs ; the Aardman Animations production The Pirates! Band of Misfits ; and the 2014 romantic comedy 5 TO 7 .

Yelchin’s final film is Thoroughbred , a psychological thriller also starring Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy that marks the feature film debut of playwright Cory Finley. Filming on Thoroughbred wrapped two weeks ago in Boston.

Must Read Stories

Q1 revenue & earnings beat street; streamer to stop reporting subs numbers.

Sony In Talks To Team With Apollo In Bid For Paramount Global

‘kingdom of the planet of the apes’ stalking $54m u.s. bow next month, a smart, funny, beautifully sung ‘suffs’ & all of deadline’s 2024 reviews.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

39 comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

Star Trek 's Anton Yelchin Talks Chekov Accent and Klingons

...and green screen work aboard the enterprise..

In the new Star Trek movie, rebooting the franchise with all new actors playing the original Enterprise crew, Anton Yelchin is the new Chekov. Reinterpreting Walter Koenig ‘s Russian starship lieutenant required some interesting linguistic decisions on Yelchin’s part.

“The thing is about Walter Koenig was his accent was interesting,” said Yelchin. “I think I’m just going to leave it at interesting. All of us had to make the choice of what we wanted to take from the original and what we wanted to bring to it. There are certain things that I took, from the fact that he replaced every V with a W which is weird. I don’t really know where that decision came from but regardless that’s the decision that he made and I thought it was important to bring that to the character.”

If he can nail that down, Yelchin has done Chekov proud and should have free reign to do whatever else he wants with the character. “I talked to J.J. [Abrams] a lot about what he wanted. His thing was we’re not making something that’s supposed to be the old Star Trek . He’s making his own movie but there is a bit of, like, I think people want to see what they love so we’re all trying to find things that will remind people of the old characters. So it’s been interesting picking up on little things.”

As for finding opportunities to say the line “But Ceepteen, the Kleengons are approaching,” Yelchin has spent most of his time on the ship. “Chekov is just on the Enterprise. A lot of it is green screen. I mean, the Enterprise itself, J.J.’s trying to shoot as much of it as he can with out green screen, but I think a lot of space is obviously green screen — what I’m looking at while seeing the Klingon warships.”

Star Trek hits theaters Christmas 2008.

Related News

All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

The Star Trek Universe Ranked by Tomatometer

Star Trek TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Hulu’s Under the Bridge : Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone on Respecting Reena Virk’s Memory

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

April 18, 2024

Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

Top Headlines

• Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
• MGM: 100 Years, 100 Essential Movies –
• 25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
• Nicolas Cage Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch –

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Anton yelchin, ‘star trek’ actor, dies at 27.

J.J. Abrams, Jodie Foster and Drake Doremus pay tribute in the wake of the actor's accidental death on Sunday morning.

By Arlene Washington , Ryan Parker June 19, 2016 11:15am

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Anton Yelchin , best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films, has died. He was 27.

The actor was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed.

The accident happened around 1:10 a.m. at Yelchin’s home in Studio City, LAPD spokeswoman Jenny Houser told The Hollywood Reporter . “It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death,” said Houser. 

Yelchin was on his way to meet his friends for rehearsal and when he didn’t respond, his friends went to check on him. The actor was found pinned between the car and the fence and a mailbox pillar. 

Related Stories

Dan goozee, renowned walt disney imagineering and movie poster artist, dies at 80, ron thompson, actor in 'no place to be somebody' and 'american pop,' dies at 83.

Yelchin  stars in the upcoming  Star Trek Beyond , which is set to open July 22. The film’s studio, Paramount Pictures, released a statement on Yelchin’s death:

All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin . As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.

Star Trek director J.J. Abrams posted a tribute to the actor through his Bad Robot Productions Twitter page. He tweeted a photo of a handwritten note which reads, “You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren’t here nearly long enough. Missing you. JJ “

pic.twitter.com/ q8VBJBVPK3 — Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 19, 2016

Yelchin in May signed on to co-star in DirecTV/the Audience Network’s 10-episode straight-to-series Stephen King adaptation Mr. Mercedes . Producer David E. Kelley told THR Yelchin was to portray Brady Hartsfield , a mentally deranged ice cream truck driver and IT worker for Cyber Patrol (aka Geek Squad) who is secretly the Mercedes Killer. The drama is slated to premiere in 2018 on both DirecTV and AT&T Uverse . 

“We are devastated to learn of the tragic death of Anton Yelchin ,” a spokeswoman for DirecTV/Audience Network said in a statement. “We greatly admired his talent and were very much looking forward to working with him on Mr. Mercedes. Everyone at AT&T and Audience Network extends our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

It remains unclear how Yelchin’s death will impact the series.

Yelchin began acting as a child, both in films and television, including in Steven Spielberg’s Emmy-award-winning TV series Taken , which aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in late 2002. The prolific actor starred in several films released in 2001, including Along Came a Spider , but garnered the most recognition for Hearts in Atlantis .

In 2006, Yelchin received widespread acclaim for Alpha Dog , a crime thriller drawing from the real-life story of kidnap and murder victim Nicholas Markowitz . 

Paramount was particularly impressed with the young actor; the studio and Abrams cast him to play Chekov in their reinvigorated Star Trek series, the first of which hit theaters in 2009. Yelchin reprised the role in Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013 and will be seen posthumously in Star Trek Beyond . (Justin Lin took over directing duties from Abrams on the third film.)

Yelchin also devoted his time to a number of smaller and independent films, including Jodie Foster’s The Beaver (2011).

“Anton … What a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life,” Foster said in a statement. “He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of. I am so honored to have been able to direct such a deep actor, so committed and genuine. I will forever be grateful for all of those little exchanges we shared, his contagious enthusiasm, his questions, his company. My heart breaks for his mom and dad who were a part of every anecdote. He carried their love into everything he touched.”

Yelchin starred opposite Felicity Jones and Jennifer Lawrence in the 2011 indie film Like Crazy , which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Paramount’s specialty division, Paramount Vantage, picked up the movie and gave it a limited release at the box office, where it earned north of $3.4 million.

Drake Doremus , who co-wrote and directed Like Crazy , was reached by THR shortly after the news broke. “I’m still in shock,” he said. “I’m having a hard time processing it. I just woke up and saw it online and thought it was a hoax, you know, like some of these things are. Then I talked to some people who confirmed it and it’s just devastating.”

He continued: “Everyone’s devastated. I spoke to Felicity, who is very devastated and very upset. And Jon Schwartz [the film’s producer]. You just try to touch base with all the people you love and who changed your life, and he certainly changed all our lives.”

Yelchin also starred in Rudderless ( 2014) for director William H. Macy; Michael Almereyda’s Cymbeline (2015), which made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival; and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Broken Horses (2015). Major studio offerings in recent years outside of Star Trek included DreamWork’s Fright Night remake (2011), directed by Craig Gillespie, and Sony’s animated franchise The Smurfs . 

Pamela McClintock, Lesley Goldberg and Scott Feinberg contributed to this report .

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Rupert everett honored at lovers film festival in italy, samantha davis, actress and co-founder of little people u.k. with husband warwick davis, dies at 53, dickey betts, allman brothers band co-founder and legendary guitarist, dies at 80, michael j. fox on why he believes taylor swift, ryan reynolds will have an “amazing” impact on the world, les moonves’ fine upped to $15k over interference in lapd sexual assault probe, bill maher “flat-out” believes woody allen amid allegations; slams actors who regret working with him.

Star Trek cast and more pay tribute to Anton Yelchin

It was sadly confirmed over the weekend that Star Trek star Anton Yelchin has tragically died at the age of 27 following a freak car accident. 

It's terribly sad news, not least because the talented actor had impressed in a number of other movies - including Like Crazy, Terminator: Salvation, Alpha Dog, and more recently Green Room - and still clearly had so much left to give. By all accounts he was well-liked across the industry too, something which has become even more apparent in the wake of his passing.

The cast and crew of the rebooted Star Trek franchise (and more) have filled Twitter with tributes to the actor who will reprise his role as Chekov in Star Trek Beyond when it hits cinemas this July. 

Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you. June 19, 2016

I can't believe it , I m fckn hurting bad ! June 19, 2016

I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins. June 19, 2016

our dear friend. our comrade. our anton. one of the most open and intellectually curious people… https://t.co/zgTxXmyrbD June 19, 2016

pic.twitter.com/q8VBJBVPK3 June 19, 2016

pic.twitter.com/4Q8shpsugc June 20, 2016

Simon Pegg rep sent statement from him on #StarTrek co-star Anton Yelchin's tragic death @NewsweekEurope @Newsweek pic.twitter.com/kVOZLWNHLW June 20, 2016

Sad news for such a talented young man. Condolences to the family of Anton Yelchin. June 20, 2016

Absolutely shocked and deeply saddened to hear of Anton Yelchin’s passing. June 20, 2016

Anton Yelchin was a bright, brilliant talent, and a truly kind person. I was so taken by him, and won't ever forget his sweet smile. RIP June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin. Gone way too soon. So sad. June 19, 2016

So very sad to hear the awful news about Anton Yelchin. Such a fine actor with his whole career ahead of him. He will be remembered always. June 19, 2016

Images: Paramount

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.

James Gunn's Superman casts Diary of a Wimpy Kid actor as Ma Kent

After 47 years, Steven Spielberg is finally making another UFO movie with help from the original Jurassic Park screenwriter

Helldivers 2 bug fixes take time because the dev team hasn't grown with the game's massive success: "There's just only so much time in a work week"

Most Popular

• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin crushed to death at Studio City home

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27 after a freak accident at his Studio City home, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed.

Yelchin's friends went to his house in the 3800 block of Berry Drive at about 1 a.m. Sunday when he failed to show up for a rehearsal meeting. Authorities from the LAPD Valley Traffic Division said he was pinned between a car and a mailbox pillar in his driveway.

The actor's car was in neutral and running when it appeared to have gone down the bottom of the steep driveway, killing Yelchin, authorities said.

Police said no foul play was suspected, and it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Yelchin started small with roles in indie films and various television shows before breaking out in films like the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the teenage comedy "Charlie Bartlett." His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films - the third of which, "Star Trek Beyond," comes out in July.

MORE: "Star Trek" co-stars, celebrities react to tragic death of actor Anton Yelchin

The official "Star Trek" Twitter page posted the news saying "We're saddened to report the passing of Anton Yelchin, best known as Chekov."

Director J.J. Abrams, who cast Yelchin in the "Star Trek" franchise, wrote in a statement that he was, "brilliant ... kind ... funny as hell, and supremely talented."

Actor Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the reboot, posted a tribute on Instagram of his friend and colleague.

The post read: "Our dear friend. Our comrade. Our Anton. One of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know. So enormously talented and generous of heart. Wise beyond his years. And gone before his time. All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. Yelchin's family requested privacy at this time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related Topics

• STUDIO CITY
• LOS ANGELES
• CELEBRITY DEATHS

Top Stories

Israel retaliates as missiles strike a site in Iran: officials

Demonstrators protest USC decision to cancel valedictorian speech

• 2 hours ago

Police investigating rash of car break-ins in Playa del Rey area

• 35 minutes ago

California awards nearly $200M to tackle homeless encampments

SoCal family fights messy 20-year contract after switching to solar

Mother-daughter duo sentenced in LA butt lift procedure death

7 of CA's 10 safest cities are in Orange County, report says

Man's body washes ashore on Ventura County beach

Follow Polygon online:

• Follow Polygon on Facebook
• Follow Polygon on Youtube
• Follow Polygon on Instagram

Site search

• Dragon’s Dogma 2
• FF7 Rebirth
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• PlayStation
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Magic: The Gathering
• Board Games
• All Tabletop
• All Entertainment
• What to Watch
• What to Play
• Buyer’s Guides
• Really Bad Chess
• All Puzzles

Filed under:

Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin dies at 27

Actor best known for his work as Chekov

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin dies at 27

Celebrated actor Anton Yelchin, best known for this work in the most recent Star Trek film franchise, has died from a freak accident at the age of 27.

Yelchin, who played Chekov in all three Star Trek movies, including the upcoming installment, Beyond , was killed in a car related accident early this morning, his publicist confirmed to the  Associated Press . Police do not suspect foul play and are investigating Yelchin's death as accidental,  according to TMZ . Law enforcement told TMZ that Yelchin was found at his home in San Fernando pinned between his car and his mailbox.

Yelchin was born in Russia, but moved to the United States as a baby by his parents, who were professional figure skaters. For the most part, Yelchin starred in a variety of critically acclaimed, smaller, independent movies like Green Room , Only Lovers Left Alive and Alpha Dog . He got his start as a guest star on an episode of ER .

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

Sign up for the newsletter Patch Notes

A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon

Just one more thing!

Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

• Your guide to Fallout’s vaults and wastelands

Fallout is coming back for season 2 — here’s what we know

How to get a Stormblood (Eureka) relic weapon in FFXIV

Children of the Sun offers one of the most challenging, satisfying levels of 2024 so far

How to finish ‘The Whisper’ and get Whisper of the Worm in Destiny 2

Where to find the Oracles in ‘The Whisper’ mission in Destiny 2

The Witcher season 5 on Netflix will be the series’ last

Watch CBS News

'Star Trek' Actor Anton Yelchin Killed By His Own Car At Age 27

June 19, 2016 / 2:28 PM EDT / CBS Boston

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, was killed by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said.

The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Studio City, according to Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Hosier. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.

The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know.

Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as "ER," ''The Practice," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001's "Hearts in Atlantis."

He transitioned into teenage roles in films such as the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the teen comedy "Charlie Bartlett." He also played a young Kyle Reese in 2009's "Terminator Salvation."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn't very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.

"I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing," Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama "Like Crazy." He starred opposite Felicity Jones.

"(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did," Yelchin said. "But this is what I wanted."

His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films as the heavily accented navigator Chekov, for which he was able to draw on his Russian roots. The third film in the series, "Star Trek Beyond," comes out in July.

"What's great about him is he can do anything. He's a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones," ''Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. "There are a lot of people who can't, who can only do one or the other. ... That's what blows my mind."

Yelchin transitioned between the big sci-fi franchise and voicing a part for "The Smurfs." He also appeared in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch's vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jeremy Saulnier's horror thriller "Green Room," a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.

The actor's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Karen Read jury not complete after first three days, selection will continue Monday

11-year-old Maine boy killed after crashing friend's ATV

Sons of Lennon and McCartney release first song together

5 more jurors needed in Karen Read murder trial after two days of questioning

GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

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.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email [email protected]

• Leave Blank

Join the conversation

Use your keyboard!

Log in to comment

Star Trek 4 is being described as the end of the franchise

S tar Trek 4 is in the works, or so we're told. The long-gestated film has been in development hell for nearly a decade at this point. Originally announced in 2016, the film was supposed to bring back the surviving members of the cast for another go around, but eight years and an untold amount of failed scripts later, we're still waiting.

Then 2022 came and the entire cast was announced as returning for the film, except no film was announced and the actors and actresses that would feature in the film were left stunned. As just about none of them had a deal in their hands to suggest such a thing was happening.

Chris Pine would then take center stage in the drama, revealing that no script was done and making everyone feel like Paramount jumped the gun. Well, now years later, we may finally get Star Trek 4, but fans shouldn't expect much more out of it. A s ScreenRant notes , the fourth film in the Kelvin Timeline is the "final chapter" of the film.

Right now, Steve Yockey of The Flight Attendant has been tapped to helm the script giving fans the potential hope that this film can in fact get out of this stage of production and move into the next. That way fans have a bit of hope that the film can actually be made. Every star has essentially come forward recently and said they want to see the film made, including Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, and Karl Urban.

There's no word if Sofia Boutella, who debuted in Star Trek: Beyond, the third and so far latest film in the series, would join the cast again, but she's expressed an interest in doing so. Sadly, Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov, has since passed away, dying in an accident at his home just weeks before Beyond debuted in cinemas.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek 4 is being described as the end of the franchise .