Like a spurned lover, Paramount is looking to move on after J.J. Abrams left the studio’s Star Trek franchise for its eternal rival, Star Wars. Now, according to Deadline, the studio has a frontrunner in mind in Roberto Orci, who wrote the first two Star Trek films in Abrams’ reboot. The two sides are currently talking, but no firm decision has been made.
The biggest hurdle for Orci is that he has never directed a movie before, despite writing and producing other big blockbusters like Transformers and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He is familiar with the process, and apparently that experience might be enough for Paramount to hand him the reins of this multi-million dollar franchise.
It’s rare for a first-time director to move directly into blockbuster territory, and, quite frankly, it doesn’t always work out. Wally Pfister’s Transcendence comes to mind immediately. But with his familiarity of the Star Trek world and his experience around big movies, Orci could be the ideal man to follow the quality of the first two Trek movies.
[via Deadline]
