Paramount Pictures has dropped Roberto Orci as the director of “Star Trek 3.” Still unclear is why it took Paramount Pictures so long to realize putting a potential “Star Wars” competing franchise in the hands of the writer of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” was a bad idea. And while a current replacement candidate is unknown, Paramount Pictures really wants you to think it might be Edgar Wright, name-dropping the director of “Hot Fuzz” and “The World’s End” in the “Star Trek 3” exclusive scoop offered up to Deadline. Current rumor is that Roberto Orci’s script for “Star Trek 3” is also being tossed out the window, relegating Orci to a producer credit and potentially sparing us from “Star Trek: Into Darkness 2: This Time It Doesn’t Even Have a Notable Director.”

'Star Trek 3' Director Roberto Orci Dropped

With Roberto Orci out as director and writer of “Star Trek 3,” what are the odds of Edgar Wright hopping on? Knowing Wright’s long development cycle and willingness to step away from a project with too much studio interference (mourn the “Ant-Man” we will never see), Edgar Wright directing “Star Trek 3” seems like a long-shot. And perhaps, as Devin Faraci suggests, more a bargaining chip than a likely future for the “Star Trek” franchise.

Joe Cornish, another name already getting tossed around, seems much more likely. Cornish wrote and directed “Attack the Block,” which unlike Wright’s “The World’s End,” lies a little more on the action side of the scifi action-comedy spectrum. Other “Star Trek 3” wishlist names popping up online include Lexi Alexander (the underrated “Punisher: War Zone”) and Duncan Jones (“Moon”), though Jones seems likely to be too occupied with post-production on his “Warcraft” adaptation.

Potential 'Star Trek 3' Replacement Director?

Let’s not mince words: Roberto Orci getting booted off “Star Trek 3” is fantastic news. Hopefully it’s the first indication that Paramount Pictures is serious about getting this right, knowing full well that choosing the right team could pay off big dividends down the road. The rumored plot of “Star Trek 3” sounded pretty terrible, more an excuse to squeeze in William Shatner than a forward-thinking journey into deep space. “Star Trek 3” has a future again. For once the Internet is right: