As his writing partner Alex Kurtzman is attached to direct 'Venom', Orci is pursuing 'Star Trek Into Darkness' sequel as his first directorial gig.
- Apr 23, 2014
AceShowbiz - Roberto Orci is lobbying to direct "Star Trek 3", which he is scripting with Patrick McKay and John D. Payne. According to a scoop from Variety, producer J.J. Abrams who leaves directing seat to helm "Star Wars Episode 7" already gave his blessing for the writer to be at the helm.
Orci has been working in tandem with Alex Kurtzman, writing a number of Hollywood tentpole projects including "Mission: Impossible 3", the first two "Transformers" films, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", the previous two "Star Trek" movies, and "The Amazing Spider-Man 3".
Now the writing and producing duo is reportedly splitting on the movie side to allow them to pursue separate feature careers as directors. However, the two who launched TV producing company K/O Paper Products in 2009 will remain together as a team on the small-screen business.
If Orci lands the "Star Trek 3" deal, it will mark his directorial debut in a feature film. Kurtzman, meanwhile, is attached to direct "Amazing Spider-Man" spin-off, "Venom (2017)", which he wrote with Orci and Ed Solomon. Kurtzman previously helmed indie drama "People Like Us".
Kurtzman was initially tapped to pen the screenplay for "Star Trek 3" along with Orci, but he then opted to sit out the scripting duty for the third installment. McKay and Payne were later brought in to help Orci finish the job. Joe Cornish, who is currently working on Marvel's "Ant-Man", is among the candidates to direct the third "Star Trek" film.
