A fourth Star Trek movie has officially been green lit, producer JJ Abrams has confirmed.

Speaking at an investors event yesterday for Paramount, the studio behind the series, Abrams, 55, said: “We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new Star Trek film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take Star Trek into areas that you’ve just never seen before.”

The first instalment of the rebooted science fiction franchise hit cinemas in 2008 and introduced Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and his Starfleet team, incluing Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldaña, and Karl Urban.

Their last outing came in 2018’s Star Trek Beyond and saw Idris Elba star as the villain.

A further when contractual discussions between Paramount and Chris Pine broke down.

Fans won’t have long to wait either with the new film expected to arrive in cinemas in 2023.