'Star Trek Beyond' Gracefully Finds Orbit Amid Tragedy

When the “Star Trek Beyond” cast and filmmakers gathered in Los Angeles last month for Anton Yelchin’s funeral, they had a decision to make. Their film, the third in the rebooted series, was coming out in less than a month and a rigorous press tour was imminent. They could either put themselves out there to promote the film in the raw and devastating weeks following the death of their beloved co-star, or they could withdraw.

“We came to the conclusion in the end (that) if we withdraw, we’re going to risk not helping a film that should be seen, not least because it stars Anton Yelchin,” said Simon Pegg. “That’s how we found the strength to be here... It’s hard to talk about, but we don’t want to not talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, it’s like we’re ignoring it.”

But persevering in the face of hardship and loss is in the fabric of “Star Trek,” which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with this new tale of hope and unity in the federation.

“Star Trek Beyond” was supposed to be business as usual, with a few tweaks behind the scenes. J.J. Abrams, who re-launched the series in 2009 with a new cast and directed the 2013 sequel, had his hands full with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and would cede directing responsibilities to Justin Lin - the man who turned the lagging “Fast & Furious” series into an international phenomenon.

Gone, too, were screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Instead, Pegg, who plays Scotty in the films, was tasked with taking on the additional responsibility of writing the screenplay with Doug Jung. It wasn’t going to be easy. No blockbuster ever is. But the “Beyond” crew had an insanely short window to work with. By the time Pegg, Jung and Lin started on the story, it was the end of January 2015. They had to start filming in June.