According to Deadline, Simon Pegg and Doug Jung are working on the script to Star Trek 3. This news suggests that, rather than move forward with Roberto Orci’s vision for Star Trek 3, Paramount wants a new creative team. Justin Lin has already taken over as director and now the new writing team has come together.
Roberto Orci helped write the first two Star Trek films directed by J.J. Abrams and had collaborated frequently with Abrams in the past on various TV shows. With Abrams departing the series to work on Star Wars Episode VII, Orci was chosen to direct Star Trek 3. Last December Deadline revealed that Orci will not direct the third film in the rebooted franchise, but will stay on in a producing role. The new director, Justin Lin, is best known for reinvigorating the Fast and Furious series by directing the more popular recent films. Rather than salvage Orci’s proposed story, Lin, Pegg and Jung seem to have a new idea for Star Trek 3.
Doug Jung previously worked on the TNT series Dark Blue, which was about an undercover police unit in Los Angeles. Simon Pegg helped write Edgar Wright’s Blood & Cornetto Trilogy, including The World’s End. He will also reprise his role as Scotty from the first two films. Paramount has not announced if the change in creative team will delay the planned 2016 release of Star Trek 3.