Well Trekkies, it looks like you’re going to be in for quite a ride, as Deadline reports Paramount has just set Fast & Furious 6 director Justin Lin as the captain of its space-bound mothership, Star Trek 3.
Lin was on the shortlist Paramount assembled after Roberto Orci left the project, and he was joined on that list by the likes of Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Duncan Jones (Source Code), and Daniel Espinosa (Safe House). However, it appears Paramount has made its decision, and as far as blockbuster directing experience goes, Lin certainly fits the bill. Of those five, he seemed the obvious number one choice, at least from a studio executive’s point of view.
Admittedly I’m not a big Trek fan, so this news doesn’t do a ton for me. I don’t particularly have an opinion either way on the franchise; I really enjoyed J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot, but Star Trek Into Darkness was pretty dismal, and aside from a few episodes of the TV show I’ve stumbled upon here and there over the years, that is as far as my Star Trek experience extends. Disappointing, I’m sure.
It appears Lin will be keeping himself pretty busy over the next few years, as he is directing the first two episodes of the second season of “True Detective“, due out next year, before moving on to Star Trek 3, which is schedule for a 2016 release. Lin is also attached to remakes of The Wolf Man and Shaolin Temple, and he is still, to my knowledge, involved in one of the upcoming Bourne films. You know, the one with Jeremy Renner and the chems (talk about a great band name, am I right?)
Oh, and Universal is apparently courting Lin to come back for the eighth and final Fast & Furious installment to finish up the franchise he basically brought back from the dead. After all that, it’s anyone’s guess, but I suggest this guy do himself a favor and find a little time for some sleep, otherwise he probably will not live long and prosper.
