Tonight,
Variety has confirmed that Roberto Orci, who is one of the screenwriters behind the last two
Star Trek films, has been hired to direct the next
Star Trek. This isn't that much of a surprise as we've known for weeks that he has been in contention and then soon became the frontrunner.
After weeks of rumblings that he was the frontrunner, sources have told Variety that Skydance and Paramount have tapped Roberto Orci to direct Paramount and Skydance’s “Star Trek 3.” Orci is currently writing the story with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay and had been campaigning to replace J.J. Abrams as director for some time. Abrams is busy with directing the next installment of the “Star Wars” franchise and will only be producing this pic.
The good news? Roberto Orci has never directed a Hollywood big-budget film before. It could be good. The bad news? Roberto has never directed a Hollywood big-budget film before. It could be awful.
Not helping his cause is that he's part of the writing team that worked on
Star Trek Into Darkness. A film that many
Star Trek fans disliked. I being one of those. Why the sour taste? The film's big climax is a ripoff of
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Instead of Spock dying Kirk gets knocked off. At least in
Wrath, Spock stayed dead for the entire film and was brought back in the sequel. And I stress, there was NO guarantee of a third film when that decision was made which added a LOT of emotional weight to the scene. In
Into Darkness, Kirk is only dead for ten minutes or so, and you'd have to be nuts to think they would actually kill off the star of the franchise. So, if the audience doesn't believe such and such character will die, it means nothing - waste of screen time.
Another issue with that scene, is that with
Wrath of Khan, the waterworks can flow as you know these two characters have a great friendship that has developed over decades. While in the last film, Spock and Kirk are still feeling each other out. Those two aren't best buddies. There's no emotional weight to that scene. There's really no point to that scene.
These last two
Star Trek films Orci wrote have shunned science for fun space romps, akin to
Star Wars.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry said, “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.” I doubt Roddenberry would be pleased with these films that Orci helped churn out as they lack maturity and wisdom.
Orci, along with Alex Kurtzman, also wrote
The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Another film that recycled their super-blood plotline to generate friction between Harry Osborn/Green Goblin and Spidey. Perhaps
Star Trek 3 will have super-super-blood.
"I've already told you what I heard, that Orci cock-blocked every director who came in for meetings on the project, making it look like anyone who helmed would be his dancing monkey. Who wants that when you already have pressure from the fans and the studio? Orci made a power move to guarantee his ass in the director's chair despite a huge lack of experience. How did Paramount allow this to happen?" - Devin Faraci
ROBERTO ORCI'S WRITING CREDITS
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (screen story) / (screenplay)
Star Trek Into Darkness (written by)
Cowboys & Aliens (screenplay)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (written by) Star Trek (written by) 2007
Transformers (screenplay) / (story)
Mission: Impossible III (written by)
The Legend of Zorro (screenplay) / (story)
The Island (screenplay)
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organisation has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS was directed by J.J. Abrams ("Super 8"), from a screenplay written by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Returning for the sequel are Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Zoë Saldana, and Anton Yelchin. Joined by new cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller. Now available at your local Blockbuster.