Robert Orci, co-creator of shows like Fringe and Sleepy Hollow, and co-writer of the last two JJ Abrams directed Star Trek reboots, stated that he recently met with CBS to discuss plans to bring the franchise back to the small screen.
While Abrams reportedly said at the end of September in an interview with Collider, “What I’ve been told from the powers that be is that they’re not interested,” when pressed on the issue in a Sky News interview Orci replied, “Watch this space.”
The Star Trek franchise has seen six television series and 12 films in its almost fifty year history.
Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman are attached to write Star Trek 3, and have reportedly brought Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, writers of Thor and X-Men: First Class on board to co-write. Despite some controversy with die hard Trekkies, the two JJ Abrams films have been the most popular, and the biggest grossing at the box office, bringing Star Trek firmly into the mainstream. The 13th film is expected to be released in 2016, in time for Star Trek’s 50th anniversary.
While the few brief statements from Orci and others is rather flimsy evidence, if the current producers can maintain something of original creator Gene Roddenberry’s philosophy, and continue the Star Trek tradition, a return to TV, even if just for a special or mini-series, is almost a must for the historic anniversary of the world’s most popular science fiction franchise.
