Last month’s news that JJ Abrams was going to direct the next Star Wars movie took the world of Star Trek (and Entertainment in general) by storm. One person who is holding out hope that JJ will return for a third Star Trek movie is Chris Pine. See what Pine had to say below, plus vote in the new poll on if Paramount should wait for Abrams to direct a 3rd Star Trek.
Pine Hopes Abrams Will Direct 3rd Star Trek
Speaking to the USA Today Star Trek’s new Capt. Kirk Chris Pine said that he is still holding out hope that JJ Abrams will return to Star Trek after he goes to a galaxy far far away. Pine said:
"The only way I’ll be disappointed is if [JJ] doesn’t direct our third movie,. I think if that turns out to be the case we’ll have to kidnap him and hold him hostage until he agrees to do a third."
Abrams on "Into Darkness" set with Chris Pine (scan from Empire mag)
What’s next for Trek – Abrams to Produce but will he direct?
The next Star Wars movie (Episode VII) is due in theaters in 2015, which gives Abrams 2 years to make it after the release of Star Trek: Into Darkness. According to Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore, Abrams will remain involved in the third Star Trek movie. Moore told the LA Times that Abrams is "committed to produce" another Star Trek film.
If Paramount is willing to wait another four years between Star Trek films, then it is possible for Abrams to return for a third Trek film as director (assuming he is interested in directing) – putting the release in 2017. While a long wait, it is unlikely that Paramount would want to fast-track the next film as that would put it out in 2015 and pit it directly against JJ’s Star Wars movie. However, Paramount may want to have their next Star Trek film in 2016 in time for the 50th anniversary of the franchise and if so, then there would probably be no choice but to bring in a new director unless they went for Holiday 2016 and Abrams was able to jump right from the release of Episode VII into production (and not just pre-production) on a Star Trek movie.
Hopefully we will know more after the release of Star Trek Into Darkness.
POLL: What do you think?
[poll id=”709″]
We need JJ!
Even as a Star Wars fan, Star Trek is way more important to me and I think JJ in the director’s chair adds a lot that we wouldn’t get just as him being an EP Maybe we will get 3+ movies!
Have JJ direct the Star Wars Trek for 2015. Two at once, he can do it! No seriously wait for JJ, please
No wait! 2016! 50th Anniversary of STAR TREK! We need a movie or a new series to celebrate!
3. Why, we’ll celebrate anyway…
Star Wars should wait til after JJ is finished with Star Trek 3
I’m fine with waiting for Abrams to helm the third Trek movie. You know what would be more appropriate for the 50th anniversary of the original TV series? A new TV series!
If anyone is listening I second the idea of a new Trek series for 2016!! There is a big fan base and the movies are only adding to it….
I was be so excited to see it return to TV :D
Even if JJ could direct for a 2017 release-
that means, that Episode 8 will also have to wait until 2019.
Are the guys at Disney also willing to wait that long?
I think its better for both franchises if they split that. There are many talents in Hollywood. Why have the 2 biggest SF-Franchises be under the control of one man? It just leads to very long periods between each film for both Trek and Star Wars.
I’d like to know how Brian Singer would handle a Trek-FIlm
Star Trek 13 with Singer. Thats it.
It depends on how well this one does and if JJ is motivated to come back.
If this movie is a slamdunk hit and JJ is still in love with the franchise, then I say wait as long as he needs.
If however, he needs time to focus on Star Wars, if he feels stretched a bit too thinly, or he’s creatively sapped for Trek? …Then get a new director.
I want Brad Bird or Joss Whedon.
I am confident that with Bad Robot producing JJ will find the right director for the third film and insure it has the same high standards of story telling and production values that the ones before it have.
It’s not up to us.
I’m open to a new director taking over for Abrams if it can go as well as Brad Bird on Mission Impossible IV.
Disney / Lucasfilm is probably gonna have a different director for each movie of the Sequel Trilogy. JJ will have a brief, torrid, and hopefully great fling with Star Wars then come back to Star Trek.
No. Disney has already indicated they expect to be spitting out a new movie every 24 months. Time for some new talent behind the camera. Unless STID is a complete disaster, Paramount needs to get off the dime and green-light #3 now, and peg some writers to get to work, assuming Orci and Kurtzman will not be back, either.
The Poll should have simply been WAIT or not… splitting the release date splits the vote
#5. BJohn – Totally right. Star Wars should wait for JJ to finish Trek. None of this, oh I have Star Wars now I drop Trek. Let’s make some promises and keep them JJ.
If we wait for 2017, Kirk will be ready for his retirement mission. We’ll actually get to see how he gets his desk job.
Thrilling.
No, they should move on & find someone else. There are other directors out there who are as good as Abrams & even better.
@ 16. JR – February 4, 2013
“The Poll should have simply been WAIT or not… splitting the release date splits the vote”
Agreed, if you combined the vote for not waiting, we get 62%
1) the series doesnt need him to survive. I think with his plate being full on star wars as well as his Lance Armstrong movie. He should definately pass the directing reigns off to another. He is one of the most hands on producers out there, so his fingerprints would still be all over the film. But I definately think he should Produce and bring another director on board.
As it is he is allready saying he doesnt think he will have star wars 7 ready for Memorial weekend 2015, do we really want to wait another 3 or 4 years for another film.
Besides a new director brings with him fresh ideas, and creativity.
I don’t think Paramount will be so generous with deadlines this time, seeing as how he is directing the next “Star Wars” movie.
I figure if Abrams gets too busy, he’ll remain as producer but someone else will direct in his place. For a 2016 summer slot.
It’s doable. Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman could write the script, with periodic consultations with Abrams while he directs the SW movie.
Either that, or we’re going to have to wait at least another 4 years for the third film. Assuming that Abrams doesn’t do any other projects in the interim, ditto for Orci and Kurtzman.
JJ is one lucky (talented guy) to be able to shape both the worlds of Star Trek & Star Wars. He’s worth waiting for, the force is with him always
& may he live long and prosper
I will add, if CBS Television were allowed to produce a new spin off series, to make up for the delay between films than I would have no problem waiting 4 years between films.
10. gingerly – February 4, 2013
Whedon would be good, and he’s probably a fan, but why Bird? His animated work is excellent, but MI3 was a run of the mill action movie. And does he even GET Star Trek? That’s important.
21, he is also producing possibily directing the Lance Armstrong Bio Pic, before star wars.
funny you should say that since M:I III was actually JJ not Bird.
Bird directed and to great success M:I Ghost Protocol
It’s so tough because Star Wars is slated for 2015 but might be pushed back to 2016 which angers me because 2016 will be Star Trek’s 50th anniversary – A BIG F@UCKING DEAL – and am hoping the 3rd movie to coenside with the anniversary.
I would love JJ to direct but I want it out in 2016, if we need a new director so be it. But if Star Wars is released in 2016 I think paramount would consider changing the date so as to not compete with Star Wars i.e. loosing profit.
What about Alex Kurtzman? He did a really good job on People Like Us, and he’s a fan. Did the directing experience turn him off, or is he going to keep doing it? You can’t just draft someone to do that job. A person must feel the need to do it IN THEIR LOINS!
Or go back to the drawing board with the idea of doing periodic Direct to Video or TV movies set in the prime universe.
DS9 or Enterprise would make great canidates for this.
You don’t have to bring back the entire orginal casts of those series, just a few key ones.
We all nailed JJ to the cross so to speak. I’m a little disappointed in all of us right now. If we lose JJ then who the hell will replace him? I can see it now: “From the mind of JuneBug McRatchett I present to you …” and what happens to ‘The Supremes’? Will Bob Orci stay? Will we even have more Star Trek? There’s no Sci Fi on TV and the only TV show worth mentioning (ie Fringe) was a JJ thing that we just alienated to hell and back. Sheesh. Just having a sci fi show survive on the Fox network is a huge accomplishment. The Fox network just loves to bend over Joss Whedon. They ain’t laughing now are they?
26
Read what I mean, not what I write.
Tom Cruise hanging with suction cups off the building…the Kremlin blows up…and so on and so forth.
I know which one Bird directed. Thought 3 was better than 4.
Or go back to the drawing board with the idea of doing periodic Direct to Video or TV movies set in the prime universe. to take up the slack of having 4 years of no theatrically released Trek Product.
Heck they could even do Fathom one night only screenings of these.
DS9 or Enterprise would make great canidates for this.
You don’t have to bring back the entire orginal casts of those series, just a few key ones.
29. That’s not going to happen.
Stop the idol worship!
Oh and Boborci let JJ know I am sure more than a few of us wouldn’t mind a extended wait if he were to cast two of his Felicity Stars Kerry Russel and Amy Jo Johnson in the next trek movie .
wink wink
33 Never said it was but wouldn’t hurt if it were to ever happen.
Would love to see Abrams complete the set of three, but I don’t think its an absolute necessity. There are other very gifted, talented directors out there whom I’m sure would do a great job with it.
As for waiting, I’m torn about that. I’d love to see a third movie sooner rather than later just based on sheer impatience and a little bit of greed ;)… but at the same time, the current actors are only signed for three (and I’m just getting used to them), and I don’t want it all to be over so soon. Maybe if I were assured there would be more movies or a new Trek tv series afterwards, it would take away the sting of the third one potentially being the last with this new cast.
@27
If they want to release Star Trek 13 in 2016, and Star Wars is pushed back to 2016 as well (which btw i would prefer, because 2015 seems a little rushed for Star Wars) then they could release it still during Christmas.
36.
Well if you define killing the franchise as “wouldn’t hurt”, then sure.
I would not be happy at all with another 4-year wait. I enjoy J.J.’s work, and I would have liked him to stay, but there are other great directors out there who I’m sure would do a good job with Trek. All of Trek fandom shouldn’t be put on hold for the sake of one director and a competing franchise.
BTW, did we have to wait 4 years just because of Super 8?
Damn Super 8 ;-)
There’s no way they’ll do Star Wars by 2015. That was unrealistic from the start.
Would love to see a Hut as captain of the Horta ship USS Skywalker, lol
2016 must be the date! It’s the 50th Anniversary and the ONLY, I repeat, ONLY option to create some sort of buzz in the vein of last year’s 007 Skyfall, which propelled that franchise far beyond expectations…
They MUST, the absolutely MUST follow that pattern…appoint a new, accomplished director to bring a new but yet traditional style to Star Trek, do a reboot within the reboot that brings the NuTrek film series closer to the original… maybe do Trek 3+4 back to back for a March and July release… and cross-promote it with other media events like Bond did with the Olympics, the Queen etc…
And then, launch a TV series right in fall 2016… It’s not THAT difficult to grasp… We don’t need JJ, we need the biggest anniversary celebration imaginable… it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. If they screw this up cause JJ needs to play with Ewoks, I’m gonna be severely disappointed…
Star Trek is at its best on TV (though the movies are wonderful). The franchise belongs on TV, and the sooner the Abrams trilogy is over, the sooner it can get back on TV. I’d rather not have to wait until 2020 for Star Trek to return to where it belongs.
@44
“And then, launch a TV series right in fall 2016… ”
Yeah. ALthough in TV there is not that much anymore to tell us about.
Except, and that might be controversial for some people:
Give us the last 3 seasons of “Enterprise”.
Under Manny Cotos rule! He reframed Enterprise with Season 4, and that is the direction which worked.
I want finally to see the war against the Romulans. THey deserve it so bad to be shown properly.
Nemesis, and Trek 2009 were not the best “Romulan-movies” one can imagine. Show us finally the real birth of the Federation.
Lets call it Enterprise-PHase 2.
Star Wars isn’t gonna make 2015. They’ve already confirmed JJ isn’t committed to that release date. it will be at least 2016.
Trek should move forward with a new director and go for 2015
24,
Bird is supposed to be a huge fan of HighFrameRate and probably tied up with 1952 or 1953 or Tomorrowland or whatever they’re calling it this week for the next year or two, and none of that bodes well for TREK, as I can’t imagine Par risking HFR given HOBBIT’s tepid reception.
But if he’d clean the decks (as in get rid of everybody even vaguely associated with Bad Robot), I’d be behind ANYBODY else directing and writing TREK, whether it be for TV or feature film. Too bad Whedon already owns the world w/ AVENGERS (should’ve happened with FF/SERENITY), and that nobody takes McFarland seriously — have a feeling that McFarland would pull together a team that would really know what the hell Trek was about instead of serving up rancid and badly prepared pastiche for the ADD crowd, which is all I see happening with the AbramsTrek.
No, four years is just too long. But I want JJ to direct. I know, can’t have it both ways. It would be impossible unless some time concessions are made. Three years I can do but not four.
But I just can’t help feelingl that something will be…off…if he’s not apart of the process. He’s built a rapport with the actors, which is very important. He’s close friends with the writers and composer. Also a plus.
I think another director would do fine, but would he/she be able to accomplish what JJ did on and off camera? I don’t know about that.
If I had to pick a name out of the hat then I’m with gingerly. Joss Whedon as director. Everyone will love him, I’m sure. But I’m still hoping that JJ will be an active part of the third movie.
I would rather see Abrahms, or at the least one of the Bad Robot team — or possibly someone like Jon Favreau – but I think that as long as Abrahms is producing and the BR team is writing/producing, then even another director would work.
The date should be 2016. We don’t need to wait 4 years, and it should hit the 50th anniversary. Slide the release to Sept 8th, 2016 (the exact 50th), or possibly to Christmas.