Rihanna Takes a 'Sledgehammer' to New 'Star Trek Beyond' Trailer
On July 22, the crew of the USS Enterprise will return in Star Trek Beyond, and if the film’s latest trailer (watch it above) is any indication, it’ll be an adventure with far more epic action and mood than its 2013 predecessor Star Trek Into Darkness — and more musical firepower.
Though it divulges no new details about its story, this new look at Star Trek Beyond does give fans their first opportunity to hear Rihanna’s “Sledgehammer,” the lead track off the film’s upcoming soundtrack. It provides atmospheric electricity to a largely montage-driven tease that’s comprised of the usual Trek images: Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk struggling with self-doubt and in command of his craft’s bridge; unsightly extraterrestrials snarling and fighting; crew members screaming and running; and the Enterprise being torn to shreds amidst battle.
Despite that cornucopia of familiar sights, teases for Star Trek Beyond keep the emphasis on adrenalized action after its prior J.J. Abrams-helmed outing, with new director Justin Lin (the Fast & Furious franchise) aiming for a greater balance between character drama and intergalactic mayhem. Whether he achieves that harmony remains to be seen, but early looks remain promising, and with a script co-penned by Simon Pegg (who also returns as Scotty), it figures to feature more of the lighthearted humor that typified the 2009 reboot that kicked off this iteration of the big-screen franchise.
Related: ‘Star Trek’: The Stealth Musical Revealed
No amount of onscreen levity will completely compensate for the pall hovering over Star Trek Beyond in the wake of co-star Anton Yelchin’s recent, untimely death, which led the cast to cancel their appearance last week at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Still, from the looks of this Rihanna-scored clip, we like its potential as a late-summer hit.
‘Star Trek Beyond’: Watch a previously released trailer:
