After producer/writer Roberto Orci dropped out of
directing the upcoming sequel Star Trek 3 a few
weeks ago, Paramount Pictures has now set Fast
Five helmer Justin Lin to direct the sci-fi pic.
With J.J. Abrams busy on Star Wars , Paramount
was in need of a new shepherd for the franchise.
Orci, who produced and co-wrote the previous
two Trek films, subsequently won the directing
gig after campaigning to be given the reins.
Despite fan disappointment over the decision, he
had Abrams’ blessing and all seemed to be
moving forward quite smoothly until a couple of
weeks ago, when we learned that Orci had been
forced out of the position over creative
differences (though he remains involved as a
producer). Paramount wasted no time in finding
a replacement, and they now have a director well-
versed in the arena of franchise filmmaking.
More after the jump.
News of Lin’s hiring comes courtesy of Deadline ,
which notes that he was the only person to be
offered the Star Trek 3 director job despite the
fact that the studio was also considering Rise of
the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt and
The Imitation Game helmer Morten Tyldum ,
among others. After breaking out with the
Sundance indie Better Luck Tomorrow , Lin
became the steward of the Fast & Furious
franchise, helming four installments in total—from
FF 3 to FF 6 . He’s set to helm the follow-up to
The Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner, but since
Universal wants to move forward with the new
Matt Damon Bourne film first, his schedule
recently opened up.
I can’t say I’m particularly enthused by the news
of Lin’s hiring on the Trek franchise. He’s not a
bad filmmaker by any means, and he definitely
knows how to put together a set piece, but his
talents seem to lie more in action rather than
cerebral or thoughtful stories; I’m not sure he’s
the right fit for Star Trek . Then again, he’s been
busy making action-oriented films for so long,
maybe he’s keen on switching things up with a
more character-centric sci-fi pic. I’m certainly
open to the possibility that he’ll make a great
Trek movie, but my initial reaction is one of slight
disappointment.
Perhaps we’ll get our first look at Lin’s more
character-focused talents (at least since Better
Luck Tomorrow) sooner rather than later, as he’s
currently in production on the first two episodes
of True Detective Season 2. Unlike the first
season, the second season of HBO’s anthology
series is utilizing multiple directors so Lin won’t
be onboard for the season’s entire run, but he
will set the tone with the first two installments.
There was also recently talk that Lin might return
to the Fast & Furious franchise for a multi-film
conclusion, but seeing as how he’ll be busy with
Trek for the next two years, that may be out of
the cards. Paramount hopes to release Trek 3 in
2016 in time for the 50th anniversary, so things
will likely start moving very quickly. I wouldn’t
be surprised if the film was in front of cameras
by late next summer.
What do you think about this Star Trek 3 director
news, readers? Are you interested in seeing how
Lin fares in the sci-fi genre? Who would you
have liked to have seen replace Orci on the film?
Sound off in the comments below.
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