'Star Trek 4' may already be in the works

Los Angeles: While "Star Trek Beyond" doesn't hit US theaters until this summer, Paramount Pictures is already gearing up for "Star Trek 4".

According to TrekMovie.com, Paramount officially registered the title "Star Trek 4" with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) on April 30, reports aceshowbiz.com.

It's highly doubtful that the studio is re-registering the 1986 "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" instead of a new sequel.

While registering with the MPAA isn't a guarantee that the sequel to "Star Trek Beyond" will actually happen, it should be noted that Chris Pine (Captain Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) have already signed on for a fourth film.

"Star Trek 4" is simply a placeholder until production is underway and an official title can be chosen.

Directed by Justin Lin, "Star Trek Beyond", starring Pine, Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba, is set to be released in US on July 22.