Star Trek 3 Could Find A New Director With Jon Chu
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With the box office success of Star Trek Into Darkness a few months ago, and the impending release of the Star Trek sequel on Blu-ray/DVD in September, Paramount Pictures is bound to be pleased with the state of the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $450.8 million worldwide, and now Paramount is looking to the future and Star Trek 3. Although the next Trek sequel has yet to be officially confirmed, Paramount is currently looking at new directors for the film, since J.J. Abrams will likely be too busy with Star Wars: Episode VII. It’s believed that Star Trek 3 is looking at a 2016 release date to tie in with Trek‘s 50th anniversary, so the sequel has to be fast-tracked, regardless of Abrams’ availability. Now a new rumor suggests that Paramount already has somebody in mind.
According to Latino Review’s inside sources, Paramount Pictures has a list of potential directors they’re considering for Trek 3. Director Joe Cornish (Attack The Block) is rumored to be on the list, along with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) and Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). Cornish, Lin, and Bird would all be fine choices, but allegedly the director at the very top of Paramount’s list is Jon Chu (Step Up, G.I. Joe: Retaliation).
G.I. Joe: Retaliation was a big moneymaker for Paramount Pictures, grossing $371.9 million worldwide. Although Retaliation received mixed reviews from critics, that sort of box office success could certainly convince Paramount that Chu would be a good candidate Star Trek 3. And the problems with G.I. Joe: Retaliation weren’t from the direction (might I add that amazing Ninja Mountain action sequence), but rather its ho-hum screenplay.
Jon Chu is probably one of the best directors when it comes to 3D. I’m a big fan of the Step Up film series, and you can see a big decline in the franchise’s quality once Chu left the films. When 3D was introduced with Step Up 3D, Chu used the technology to great effect with immersive movement. While G.I. Joe: Retaliation wasn’t the best action film, it was definitely a step up (yes, pun intended) from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. If Paramount wants to make Star Trek 3 with the 3D camera technology, Chu would be a good pick as director for the project. Let’s just forget about that Justin Bieber movie.
While /Film tried to contact Jon Chu to ask about the rumor, the director’s reps state, “No one has contacted Jon or his reps about this project.” LatinoReview, however, seems to be standing by their story, and it’s entirely possible that Disney hasn’t yet officially approached Chu about the job. (Or they might have just told Chu’s people not to spill the beans yet.)
Chu isn’t the only name being mentioned as a likely match for Star Trek 3. Rumors from Cinematallica suggest Paramount might be more interested in hiring director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) for the job instead. I’d take the Rupert Wyatt rumor with a big grain of salt, considering the source.
As for Star Trek 3, there are rumors that screenwriters Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class) will co-write the sequel film with established Trek screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Miller & Stentz even have earlier experience working with Gene Roddenberry’s work: the pair worked on the TV series Andromeda, based on unused material Roddenberry created, so they would be a good fit for Star Trek 3.
There are no solid leads as to what Star Trek 3‘s plot might involve, but Into Darkness co-writer Damon Lindelof has teased that Trek 3 might involve a conflict with the Klingons.
Star Trek Into Darkness will be released on Blu-ray/DVD on September 10.
