Roberto Orci in talks to direct Star Trek 3

After J.J. Abrams took his leave from Star Trek and moved over to Star Wars, there has been a lot of curiosity regarding who would take over directing for the third installment of Star Trek. It was previously rumored that Joe Cornish would direct, but he backed out because he didn't want to step into a franchise that was already well developed. It now seems that writer Roberto Orci will take over.

Orci has already written the screenplays for and produced Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness so he is no stranger to this franchise. If the negotiations are completed, the third Star Trek will serve as Orci's directorial debut. His inexperience isn't much to worry about as he has been part of several big budget and high anticipation films such as Transformers, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Ender's Game, and Cowboys & Aliens.
However, Orci's intentions could cause issues. He is pretty notorious for catering his scripts and screenplays to meet studio blockbuster expectations. We can all agree what disasters Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were. His scripts are meant to appeal to just about everyone so they often come across as widespread and with little substance. Yes, Orci wrote the first two Star Trek films but he also had J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof to even the balance and direct the script where they wanted it to go.

This comes after Orci ended his longstanding partnership with Alex Kurtzman so they could both explore directorial options. Orci is now partnered with JD Payne and Patrick McKay who are currently writing Star Trek 3 with him and Kurtzman is attached to direct Sony's Spider-Man spinoff, Venom.

[Updated] J.J. Abrams dropping out of Star Wars Episode VII?

According to the internet there are various sources suggesting J.J. Abrams is close to dropping out of Star Wars: Episode VII.

You may be aware that it was recently announced filming would begin soon as the production has already moved to London, England to make the 2015 release. A move that Abrams protested severely, but in the end he was overruled by the studio. According to sources the location isn't the only disagreement Abrams has had with the studio.
It is suggested that if Abrams is truly dropping out of the director's chair it will become apparent at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration held in Germany from July 26th to the 28th. Either that or if there is no mention of Episode VII whatsoever.

This all comes after news that new writers are being sought after in for the third Star Trek film. Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class) are reportedly close to a done deal to write the third Star Trek and many feel this is also leading toward Abrams committing to direct the third installment. That is if he leaves Disney high and dry and drops out of Episode VII. Not to mention Miller and Stentz are part of Abrams' Bad Robot family, so if he is considering it the move back to Star Trek is very likely. This has to move fast if Star Trek 3 is going to make the 2016 release date Paramount wants so they can use the film as promotion for Star Trek's 50th anniversary.

You might have asked the same question I did... how can J.J. Abrams realistically direct both projects? As of right now there really is no answer to that. It is likely that Abrams will have to pass on one of them. However, if he chooses to leave Episode VII that doesn't necessarily mean he will automatically choose to direct Star Trek. He is a pretty in-demand guy right now so I'm sure he has plenty of potential projects to choose from.
I will definitely be watching this one closely. I wasn't too psyched they chose Abrams for Episode VII, but I'm sure I could tolerate what he would produce. If he drops out and they try to fast track a director to still make the 2015 release, which I'm sure they would, I fear who they would choose. I highly doubt they can do any better than J.J. Abrams with the available choices.


[UPDATE] Apparently this is just what it started as. It's a rumor. A rep for Lucasfilm stated there is no truth to the rumor and that Abrams is looking forward to production. Whether that was just them trying to do some damage control to diffuse the rumor before it gets too big remains to be seen.

#StarWars #EpisodeVII #JJAbrams