Star Trek 3 Brings Fast and Furious Director Justin Lin on Board

Lin, who directed three of the F&F movies, replaces Roberto Orci

By Natalie Finn Dec 23, 2014 2:28 AMTags
Starship Enterprise, Justin Lin Jonathan Leibson/WireImage

The Enterprise may be even faster and more furious on its next voyage. 

Justin Lin, helmer of three of the Fast & Furious films, is said to have gotten the nod to direct the third installment of the Star Trek franchise. J.J. Abrams rebooted the cult-classic storyline and directed the first two films and will remain as a producer on the third.

Deadline was first to report Lin's ascension to the controls after the exit of Star Trek co-writer Roberto Orci, who like Abrams is still a producer.

The short list of Orci's replacements reportedly included Edgar Wright, who's no longer making Ant-Man, but Lin certainly knows from action and billion-dollar blockbusters.

He directed the third, fourth and sixth F&F films—The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious and Fast & Furious 6—before James Wan took over to make the upcoming Furious 7. Lin's additions to the franchise alone banked more than $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide.

Abrams' Star Trek and the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness have earned more than $853 million worldwide between the two of them. Star Trek 3 is due in theaters in 2016.

(E! Online and F&F studio Universal Pictures are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)