STAR TREK 13 Directors Short List
Deadline is reporting that in the wake of Roberto Orci’s exit from the Star Trek 13 director’s chair, Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams have narrowed down the list of replacement candidates. And Jonathan Frakes is not on that list.
According to Mike Fleming, Jr., the list includes Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), who seems to be at the top of the list that includes Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), Justin Lin (Fast & Furious), and Duncan Jones (Source Code).
Availability will be a factor. Lin just freed up because his entry into the Bourne franchise got pushed to make room for another installment with Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, although he could get locked up in another Fast & Furious sequel in the meantime. Jones is currently working on Warcraft, a huge project for Legendary Pictures. Espinosa is set to helm Boston Strong, telling the story of the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent terrorist manhunt.
Frakes, who has come out enthusiastically saying he’s got his agent making contact with Paramount, is lobbying for the job, and many fans think he would be a welcome addition to the project. Given that he’s directed Trek before, in addition to playing Will Riker for over ten years, he’s seen by many as having an understanding of Star Trek that many on the Abrams team lack.
Who should direct Star Trek 13? Any of these? Or do you have someone else in mind?
