J.J. Abrams will not direct the next movie in the Star Trek series, though he plans to stay involved in the franchise.
Its a little bittersweet, Abrams told Collider. But I will say that Im going to be producing the movie. Whomever it is that directs the film will be someone we all know is going to keep the cast and crew in good hands. I feel very lucky to have been part of it, and it definitely feels like the right time to let someone come in and do their own thing.
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Abrams said hes excited to see the direction of the series after his recent Star Trek Into Darkness. He also mentioned that hes been helping screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci break the story for the next film.
Abrams exit from the Star Trek directors chair is unsurprising, though, as the filmmaker will have his hands full as he helms the upcoming, highly-anticipated Star Wars reboot. Also, his production company Bad Robot recently released a mysterious trailer called Stranger that finds a man untying ropes from around his wrists while his mouth has been completely sewn shut.