UPDATE: THOR And X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Scribes Reportedly Hired To Co-Write STAR TREK 3
A new report suggests that screenwriting duo Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class, Thor) have been hired to write the next Star Trek movie alongside Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Plus, will J.J. Abrams drop out of Star Wars: Episode VII?
According to Badass Digest, Paramount and Bad Robot have hired new writers to join Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci on the next Star Trek film. Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, who previously worked on Thor and X-Men: First Class, have come aboard to work on the threequel, after previously collaborating with Bad Robot on Fringe. Orci and Kurtzman were said to bed instrumental in making this decision, and Badass Digest is unsure of how exactly they will be involved. Paramount hopes to release Star Trek 3 in 2016, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi franchise.
Just when production begins is a question. There is still hope that J.J. Abrams will direct (despite being attached to Star Wars: Episode VII, which is targeting a 2015 release), which Zachary Quinto previously suggested. However, Badass Digest says that they've heard "tons of rumors" from "multiple insiders" that the director is on the verge of departing Disney's hotly anticipated sequel, some as recently as San Diego Comic-Con this past week. He apparently didn't want to film in England, and the studio overruled him. Take this info with a big grain of salt, and stay tuned to CBM for more news on both Star Trek 3 and Star Wars: Episode VII.
UPDATE: A rep from Lucasfilm reached out to IGN to comment on the rumor suggesting that J.J. Abrams will drop out of Star Wars: Episode VII, saying that it's false. "There is no truth to the rumor. JJ is having a great time working on the script and is looking forward to going into production next year."