Chris Pine has become a staple in Hollywood and will soon make his directorial debut with Poolman. We can’t wait to see what he does next, whether it’s front of or behind the camera. With that, we took a closer look at his filmography.
Pine made his feature film debut in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) and is perhaps best known for his role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series. In addition to his various on-screen roles since, Pine also voiced Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians (2012) and even nabbed a voice-over Primetime Emmy nod for his work on SuperMansion (2015). He also lent his voice to an Oscar-winning hit just a few years back, which we’ll explore further down in this article. As we count down the days to his directorial project Poolman, as well as a new Star Trek film in the works, here’s a closer look at the leading man’s finest films to date.
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5 Into the Woods (2014)
Walt Disney Pictures
This modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format was a hit, to put it mildly. Into the Woods follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel — all tied together by an original story. The 2014 musical fantasy film was directed by Rob Marshall and adapted to the screen by James Lapine from his and Stephen Sondheim’s 1986 Broadway musical of the same name. The superb ensemble cast also includes Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Billy Magnussen, and Johnny Depp.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
The film was commercially successful and received generally positive reviews, receiving praise for its acting performances. Into the Woods was named one of the top 11 best films of 2014 by the American Film Institute. It even received a few Academy Award nominations.
Pine plays Cinderella’s Prince opposite Anna Kendrick and brings the required charm and heroism for the role. “Meryl Streep and Rob Marshall, I was like, ‘Yeah! Count me in!” Pine told Collider, regarding his audition. “And I had a night to prepare a song to go sing in Rob Marshall’s living room and then I made the mistake of going online and Googling what I was getting into and then it dawned on me the kind of magnitude and the pantheon that I was touching with this music.
4 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Columbia Pictures
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street and currently The Afterparty, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
After all these years, it’s hard to believe Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the first animated film in the Spidey franchise. In addition to Moore, the hit film features an incredibly talented voice-over cast including Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, and Liev Schreiber.
Pine voices the role of 26-year-old native Spider-Man in Miles’ dimension. Though he offers to mentor Miles, he is killed by the main villian Kingpin after the activation of the collider before he can do so. Pine’s version of Peter Parker combines elements from previous Spider-Man portrayals, but with slight differences to indicate that he is from a different universe than the others.
3 Wonder Woman (2017)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Development of a live-action Wonder Woman film began in 1996, with Ivan Reitman to produce and possibly direct. The end result received positive reviews and was the highest-grossing film by a solo female director until it was overtaken by Hi, Mom (2021). In addition to its 2020 sequel Wonder Woman 1984, a third film is in development with director Jenkins and Gal Gadot set to return.
Pine plays Steve Trevor, American pilot and the love interest of Diana. “I am an American pilot who’s a spy,” Pine told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s like a boy’s dream: You’re either a spy or a fighter pilot. The first thing I wanted to be was a fighter pilot a long time ago. I wanted to be Goose [from Top Gun].”
2 Star Trek (2009)
Paramount Pictures
Speaking of airborne dreams, this brings us to next film on our best-of list. 2009’s Star Trek is the eleventh film in the Star Trek franchise, a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast. The film follows James T. Kirk and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The story takes place in an alternate reality because of time travel — also a behind-the-scenes attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements.
The idea for a prequel film which would follow the Star Trek characters during their time in Starfleet Academy was discussed by series creator Gene Roddenberry in 1968. The 2009 end result was released to critical acclaim. It was a box office success, grossing more than $385 million worldwide against its $150 million production budget. It was followed by the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond in 2013 and 2016, respectively, with a fourth film in the works to reunite the cast.
Pine plays Kirk and brings a unique charm and humor to the role, in addition to the expected heroism and boldness. His portrayal is magnetic, and we can’t help but root for him every step of the way — even when he makes some iffy choices here and there.
1 Hell or High Water (2016)
Lionsgate
Hell or High Water was such a hit that a TV series adaptation is now in the works. The original film takes place in Texas and follows a divorced, unemployed oil and gas worker who teams up with his ex-convict brother to rob banks across the state. Meanwhile, a Texas Ranger nearing retirement tries to anticipate the next move of the thieves along the way.
The film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and was theatrically released later that year to critical acclaim — particularly for Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges. It was nominated for numerous awards, including Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards.
Pine plays Toby, the divorcee who serves as our main protagonist, despite his criminal pursuits. One might argue Pine is too darn handsome for such a role, but his portrayal is effectively subdued, with the right scruffy look to match his status in the Hell or High Water universe. “It’s about the failure of men to be intimate and vulnerable when they desperately want to be,” Pine told Variety in discussing the storyline. “But they just don’t have the language or the facility to do so. That was the big draw for me.”
