UPDATED NEWS: The third movie now has a release date of July 8, 2016.
It was recently announced that Roberto Orci (who wrote the first two STAR TREK movies for J.J. Abrams) was stepping down from the director chair for STAR TREK 3. Orci was to replace Abrams after the latter got the STAR WARS: EPISODE VII THE FORCE AWAKENS gig. Now the search for yet another director for the third TREK has ended. Justin Lin, who many credit for breathing new life into the FAST & FURIOUS films, and is directing a few episodes TRUE DETECTIVE Season 2, is set for the director chair on STAR TREK 3. Orci will stay attached as producer and writer on the film.
Lin has been rumored for a lot of big projects lately, including a new BOURNE movie with Jeremy Renner, more FAST & FURIOUS movies, and is also attached (as of now) to a new version of THE WOLF MAN. Will the TREK job throw a wrench into these other projects? Time will tell, but he is definitely a cool name to have follow Abrams on the newly re-imagined franchise. Lin has already proven himself quite capable of making exciting films, and handling large casts in established franchises.
The big task for Justin now is to win over audiences again, as STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (despite being a big success financially) was not a hit with fans – in fact, hardcore STAR TREK fans actually voted it “the worst” STAR TREK movie of all time at a recent official convention in Las Vegas. Seeing how Lin reinvented and breathed new life into THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise (his first was TOKYO DRIFT), this is the perfect gig for him. How do you feel about this? Think he can make the third installment everything it needs to be? Tell us in the comments below. STAR TREK 3 (or whatever the title ends up being) is scheduled for release in 2016, and Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin are all expected to return.
Source: Deadline
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
