New Star Trek Director Announced

With original choice Roberto Orci stepping down, Paramount Pictures have revealed a new director for Star Trek 3.

Will the enterprise learn to drift? It might be a concern for a few fans with news that Justin Lin is to take the helm of the installment of the wildly successful franchise reboot.

Earlier this month, Roberto Orci, the writer who helped shape the first two films, stepped down from his role as director of the third film. Many saw his appointment as a shock with Orci having no previous experience as a director.

For anyone, but certainly a novice, it would be a monumental task to follow up the hugely successful J.J Abrams.

When he stepped down many names rushed in to fill the void, including Edgar Wright (Shaun of The Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), recently having left Marvel‘s Ant-Man film, as well as veteran Trek creative, Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: First Contact).

Final choice has landed on Justin Lin, the Taiwan-born director most notable for being producer and director of Fast 5 (2011) and Fast & Furious 6 (2013).

It’s a tremendous opportunity for Lin but he will need to work hard to win over the fans who are extremely protective over Star Trek and might worry his style, based on the Fast & Furious films, will be incompatible, or even disrespectful.

The action packed world of car chases, beautiful women, and strong, silent men, will concern some fans that Lin is too flashy and superficial for the Trek universe, which has always been centered on rich characters and a more optimistic view of humanity.

Looking through his filmography however one can take heart that the action and humour of the recent Trek franchise are surely in safe hands, with stints on Community as a bonus, but that his recent work on the second season of True Detective speaks to a more mature and serious ability.

The fans are always hard to please in one way or another and the only way, no matter who takes the job, to get them on your side is to make a fantastic film.

With Orci still a writer and producer, alongside Abrams, the fans can rest assured that the core creative team that first rebooted the franchise will be there to help every step of the way.
 
This article was written for publication on the GCE by Paul Neary.