I can't imagine them making a movie without Chris Pine's Kirk. Paramount promised a certain amount to him and Hemsworth in 2016 and now they're trying to renegotiate for a lower fee.
It's Paramount's fault for making promises. I really hope they come to their senses and ST4 gets made.
Yes, big studios were wrong to make promises but the industry works like that, in enduring in the future) but they are not necessarely responsible when an industrial accident happen, at least generally (the last ST with Stewart/Picard was an exception!). And when this is the case, actors, especially leading ones, who were often unknown to the general public and make it a name thanks to a show or a movie and the studios that produced them, should be more understanding when some efforts are requested to try to balance the budget when money becomes an issue in order to complete the project.
-> Pine gained enormously in popularity - and I think that it's thanks to ST that he was hired in Wonder Woman produced by Warner, which fortunately worked very well but it could also be a fiasco - and financially thanks to Star Trek so, it would seem logical to me that in return, he accepts to make a little financial sacrifice in order to allow the Paramount to complete the next - and maybe the last for him - episode.
(I recall that great actors, in the past, have accepted to do it and they do not die professionally for all that, right?!)
A little reminder: the last movie of the franchise, Star Trek: Beyond, didn't work as well as the previous parts in making "only" 343M $ for a budget of 190M $ so, Paramount studios asked to Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth, the two highest salaries for this new adventure, to make an effort in accepting a substantial decrease. In return, these latter refused and even threated to leave.
I think the talks are still underway and surely both parties will end by finding an acceptable compromise because as well actors as the studios have everything to gain..., especially Pine because when one of the main studios known in the country, totally turn their backs to you, your acting career is seriously in danger -> studios may compete but when an ugly duckling emerges because of his/her unprofessional attitude, lack of cooperation (especially if they shot a project because of their exigences), political opinions, it quickly made the rounds! Ask to Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Crowe, Richard Gere, Thomas Gibson, Garrett Wang, etc... , who after years of fame, where professional offers abounded (well, not necessarelt in Wang's case!), have suddenly found themselves unemployed!
But IF no solution was found, well, it will not be the end of the world and even less the end of Paramount. Result: or studios choose to end the new era of Star Trek movie for a more or less short period or they re-write the scenario, hire a new actor or actress and they complete the movie (it seems that the rest of the cast remains unchanged). Maybe the changing of the leading actor will have a little impact especially if the successor is charismatic... . So that the studio must to make the right choice!
Paramount & Berman have made make a risky choice in creating a new ST led by a female captain. Kate Mulgrew proved to be the perfect choice to replace Geneviève Bujold (and to arrive after Shatner, Stewart, Brooks, it wasn't an easy thing, no matter the actress) and assume the role but it was really a leap into the unknown. And before that, a few believed in the choice of an English actor, Patrick Stewart, to perform Jean-Luc Picard and yet, it proved there too it was the perfect choice at the point to see Stewart/Picard being voted as the best captain/actor by a majority of fans.
