“Lucy in the Sky” was such a major disappointment for me at the Toronto International Film Festival that it even managed to deflate my positive views of its writer-director, Noah Hawley. I have been a fan of Hawley’s work ever since “Legion” and then I saw the first two brilliant seasons of the FX series, “Fargo,” which just blew me away. But apparently, Natalie Portman as an astronaut going through an existential crisis was no fun to watch for audiences and critics alike. However, it was enough for Hawley to land another filmmaking gig, and he is going back to space for his next feature.
According to THR, Hawley will be writing and directing the untitled “Star Trek 4” for Paramount. Most of the original cast of actors, such as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, will be coming back for the sequel. However, don’t expect the R-rated Quentin Tarantino that has been in development for a few years now.
So Hawley, who is best known for his TV work, is set to take over the ”Star Trek” franchise and lead it into a new era. We’ll have to wait and see if this “Star Trek 4” will work out, but Hawley, at the moment, has a lot to prove as a movie director. After “Lucy in the Sky,” I am more cautious about my optimism when it comes to the 52-year-old director.