15 May – Screenwriter Roberto Orci has been confirmed to be taking over the helm from J.J. Abrams to direct the third installment of the rebooted Star Trek franchise. Variety has confirmed Orci's taking over the director's chair from Abrams, and reported that Orci is currently working on the plot with screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, for the next adventure of the USS Enterprise. Abrams, now being in charge of "Star Wars: Episode VII", would only act as producer for the yet-to-titled "Star Trek 3".
Orci has previously expressed his interest in taking over Abrams for the directing gig, but this would be the former screenwriter's directorial debut. He is better known as the second half of the Orci-Kurtzman screenwriting duo who has been involved in penning the scripts of recent blockbusters including "Mission Impossible: 3", "Transformers" and most recently "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". They were also the screenwriters for J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Into Darkness". The duo had recently decided to go on their separate ways to pursue their respective filmmaking endeavors, which for Orci is to be directing. No plot details or release date for "Star Trek 3" has been announced.