We heard last Friday that Star Trek 3 had picked up new writers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, who were joining Trek 1 and 2 co-scribe Roberto Orci on the project. But now it sound like the previously rumored Joe Cornish will not be directing the film after all.

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Variety reports that the Attack the Block helmer and Ant-Man co-writer Cornish was in talks with Paramount and production company Skydance, but “he is no longer involved.”Count this as a big boo for fans who were excited at the prospect of Cornish taking over the franchise now that J.J. Abrams has moved on to direct Star Wars: Episode VII (Abrams will still produce Trek 3 with his partner Bryan Burke and Skydance boss David Ellison).Also out of the picture is Orci’s writing partner Alex Kurtzman and Star Trek Into Darkness co-writer Damon Lindelof. Payne and McKay have worked with Abrams before, having adapted the graphic novel Boilerplate which Abrams is producing.Paramount is shooting for a 2016 release of Star Trek 3, which will be timed to the franchise’s 50th anniversary. (The first episode of The Original Series, the salt-vampire epic “The Man Trap,” aired on September 8, 1966.)

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