Orci co-wrote and produced J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" '09 and "Star Trek Into Darkness" with longtime partner Alex Kurtzman. Abrams commitments to the Star Wars: Episode VII kept him from coming back. Names like "Attack the Block" filmmaker Joe Cornish, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" director Rupert Wyatt and G.I. Joe: Retaliation" director Jon M. Chu were in the mix to call action.
Kurtzman meanwhile is turning his attention towards the Spider-Man film series at Sony Pictures.
"Thor" and "X-Men: First Class" writers and "Fringe" producers Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz were eyed to script the sequel but opted not to do it.
Now J.D. Payne, Patrick McKay and Orci are co-writing the next film.
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin and John Cho are all expected to return to the Final Frontier in their respective roles as Kirk Spock Uhura Dr. McCoy Scotty Chekov and Sulu.
Abrams Bryan Burke and David Ellison will produce the film
Skydance is reportedly behind Orci directing the film, but Paramount awaits the script
The sequel is going to move forward quickly to make a 2016 bow coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the "Star Trek" franchise.
Until now, I thought Orci was confirmed to be directing the sequel, but he tells Collider he hasn't officially signed on yet and that everything is still in very early stages. If he does get the chance to direct the sequel he is very aware of the pressure he's under:
"Well, I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. The studio has yet to even read the script. I'm in the middle of writing it, with the talented team of [John D.] Payne and [Patrick] McKay. They are true Star Trek fans, as well. So, I can't even think anything about the future until I give them a script and they greenlight it. Until that happens, everything else is just a rumor. If I'm lucky enough that Paramount loves the script and that we go forward, it'll be because I have loved Star Trek for so long and the idea of having seen one of the best guys in the business direct two of them already, and to have seen it from the vantage point of a producer too, I know where a lot of the challenges are and where a lot of the fun is. If we're lucky enough that everything goes right, then I'll start to feel the pressure. Once it's really happening, it's like, 'Oh, my God, the 50th anniversary! Holy, moly!' As a writer, I feel the pressure as the returning screenwriter to this franchise. I feel it at the story level. I can't speak for Payne and McKay, but they seem to be having a good time. They don't look as nervous as I feel, but maybe they're just good at hiding it."
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