Just How Different Could the Post-J.J. Abrams 'Star Trek' Look?
Last night The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel reported that the writing for the third film in the Star Trek reboot series will be done by the same guys who did the first two. But, two-time director J.J. Abrams is too tied up with Star Wars to direct the next Trek, meaning the rumor mill is quite busy tossing out the names of possible replacements.
.Last night The Hollywood Reporter's Tatiana Siegel reported that the writing for the third film in the Star Trek reboot series will be done by the same guys who did the first two. But, two-time director J.J. Abrams is too tied up with Star Wars to direct the next Trek, meaning the rumor mill is quite busy tossing out the names of possible replacements.
Siegel wrote that Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who have writing credits on both previous Star Trek films, will write the third, while Abrams is in negotiations to produce. Meanwhile, the two directors who are currently the subjects of the loudest rumors are vastly different: one would likely create a big, noisy Star Trek, another a possibly more reserved, thoughtful one. Let's analyze.
John M. Chu: Yesterday evening Kellvin Chavez of Latino Review figured the G.I. Joe: Retaliation director as the "top contender" for the job. While Christopher Rosen of the Huffington Post wrote that Chu's reps denied the rumor, denials in these cases can often be misdirection or, y'know, outright lies. That said, The Playlist's Kevin Jagernauth did point out that Chu has other projects on his plate, including a third G.I. Joe movie. Chu's background definitely does not look like Abrams's. Before stepping into the G.I. Joe franchise, Chu was behind the camera for dance-y films including a couple Step Up sequels and the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never. There's nary a true sci-fi picture on Chu's resume. Ultimately, hiring Chu would be an indication that the producers are looking to forgo doing homage to Star Trek's history, instead favoring another flashy action film. Or perhaps one with a lot of dancing.
Rupert Wyatt: Following the Chu rumors yesterday, random site Cinemetallica pointed to Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt as a frontrunner. Collider's Editor-in-Chief Steven Weintraub said on Twitter he was also hearing rumblings about Wyatt. Of the two, Wyatt seems like the better choice, having already very successfully rebooted, or at least prequelized, one franchise. His Planet of the Apes was a wonderful mixture of action and heart, and while his Star Trek may look more like Abrams's than Chu's would, he might do a better job of emotionally grounding the film than even Abrams could.
Of course, the director could be someone completely different, but for now these are two interesting possibilities to consider.