Roberto Orci No Longer Directing Star Trek 3, Edgar Wright Could Replace Him

Posted by on December 5th, 2014   Filed under: Action, Rumours, Sci-fi
Source: Deadline

orci

Some potentially exciting news to start the weekend if you happen to be a Star Trek fan. With J.J. Abrams off directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Disney and Lucasfilm, Paramount has been in desperate need of someone to continue his work on the recently rebooted Star Trek franchise. Earlier this year we learned that screenwriter and producer Roberto Orci had landed the gig, which didn’t sit particularly well with many fans considering that it would be his directorial debut. He was apparently being seen as a safe bet by Paramount because he had been so closely involved in the previous two films. Fortunately, we are now hearing that Orci is no longer directing Star Trek 3 and there is at least one intriguing filmmaker under consideration to replace him. Hit the jump for more info.

According to Deadline, Roberto Orci has been removed from the director’s chair on the next Star Trek film although he will still remain on board as a producer. No reason has been given for the change and it is unclear if this was a mutual decision, but it seems likely that they will still work from the script that he co-wrote with Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne. The movie is expected to hit theatres sometime in 2016 to coincide with Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary.

Now the slightly sketchy part of this report is that there is already a potential shortlist of candidates to replace Orci and said shortlist supposedly includes fanboy favourite Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End). But is there any truth to that rumour? Wright’s buddy Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) was said to be under consideration at one point and Edgar Wright himself was also working on a top secret sci-fi project with Paramount and J.J. Abrams a couple of years ago called Collider. Plus Wright has yet to commit to a follow-up after dropping out of Ant-Man and doesn’t have much on his plate aside from the recently announced Baby Driver. So… maybe? Who would you like to see direct Star Trek 3?



  • Owozifa

    And there was much friggin’ rejoicing.

  • 1138sw

    I wouldn’t mind seeing Wright but to be honest I am waiting for the next reboot. I never liked JJ’s interpretation (he’s got horrible production design sense) anyway and Orci and Kurtzman write like juveniles.

    So even if Wright directs he’s gotta work from Orci’s script and that isn’t so pleasing to hear. But on a possible positive note…if Wright does come on board would he change the script to be more to his liking? Or does he even have the power to do so? But if Wright does rewrite the script and changes things up from the last two movies I might be more inclined to see the third installment…and maybe this would wipe the bad taste from my mouth of the last two ST movies.

  • RockJoker

    Now that would be fucking awesome.

  • I think Wright would be a great choice for directing. I didn’t mind Abrams take on the films, but he’s busy in the Star Wars universe now. I really hope he doesn’t ruin the Star Wars franchise for me. I have to wait another year to find out!

  • One thing I was totally against in the Star Trek films, was that they used the Anheuser Busch factory as part of the ship to cut down costs. I don’t mind movies borrowing real buildings but when it looks that obvious in the film, I have problems.

  • 1138sw

    You know I totally agree! I don’t mind using real sets/buildings too, but I thought it was so blatantly obvious that it was a beer factory that those scenes alone took me out of the movie. I understand budgetary restraints, but one can’t tell me that a TV show like BSG could create a futuristic engine room with CG on a Television budget and JJ and Paramount could not come up with some way to creatively do the same? Or was it just JJ being to clever for himself thinking that a Beer factory would work perfectly fine and be just as cool?

    Whatever the reason, like I said that really bugged me. It just spoiled a wonderful opportunity to see a modern take on the famous ST engine room.

  • Nick Poliskey

    I am a Star Trek fan boy and I would like to know who are the other “fanboys” who want Edgar Wright? What exactly would Wright bring to Star Trek? He has done 2 OK comedies? I am no fan of Orci, but what exactly does this guy bring that Orci doesn’t??