Star Trek 3: Roberto Orci And The Center Seat

Last week we learned that Roberto Orci is no longer directing Star Trek 3...

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--before Orci got the gig.

Mike Fleming Jr said: "Rampant rumors are swirling and I’ve confirmed there is fire behind the smoke that he won’t be directing. I even hear that Edgar Wright and others are on a short list to take the job.  Orci stays on the project as producer, I’ve heard."

"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 were co-writing the next film. Orci confirmed the first draft of the screenplay was completed and will be closer in tone to the original 1960s show than the previous two films.

Sources for Bad Ass Digest claim the script was a factor in Orci not calling action, saying: "Orci's script saw the Enterprise, the Vulcans and a new alien race competing to get a time travel device. The Vulcans want to go back and stop the destruction of their planet, and the time travel schtick is what would allow Chris Pine and William Shatner to share the screen."

Orci has since left several comments on the TrekMovie message boards about the news and says he's still involved here:

"I will be very involved:) Still excited to make Trek 3! And on time. We'll find the right director! No time travel was ever considered, fyi."

Then a fan reminded Orci of the famous Captain Kirk advice to Picard  (Patrick Stewart) Star Trek VII: "Don't let them do ANYTHING to take you out of that chair. Because while you're there, you can make a difference". 

Orci's reply suggests he may be linked to an even bigger project:

"Have not forgotten. On the contrary, factored into decision. Their are bigger chairs to consider."

Could there be a new Trek weekly series on the way?....

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.

What started as rumors are now all but confirmed that Star Trek-TOS star William Shatner is returning to the franchise in Trek 3. Shatner has admitted that one of the challenges of getting him into the rebooted timeline is that Kirk Prime died in 1994's Star Trek: Generations.

Shatner was originally in the script for a cameo in the '09 film but the notion was nixed. According to reports, a sequence in the Trek 3 script reunites Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Kirk and Spock for their first canon appearance together since 1991's "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". Kirk Prime's appearance is said to be 'plot-driven' rather than some throwaway cameo which means it will likely stay in the script despite any rewrites.

Abrams Bryan Burke Orci and David Ellison will produce the film

The sequel is seemingly still going to move forward quickly so that it can make a 2016 bow for Paramount--coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the "Star Trek" franchise. Filming on the next "Star Trek" hopes to begin in the Spring with pre-production aiming to start in very early 2015.

No word yet on how this change will affect the film's production schedule.