Development continues to move forward on Star Trek 3 while J.J. Abrams is off in a galaxy far, far away, and a status update has surfaced from writer/producer/likely director Roberto Orci.  It was reported a few months ago that Orci, who was a screenwriter and producer on both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, was in negotiations to take over the director’s chair on Star Trek 3.  He subsequently told us that it wasn’t exactly a done deal just yet, adding that Paramount had yet to see the script.  In these ensuing months, Orci has been working to craft the Star Trek 3 script with writers John D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and this weekend Orci announced that the trio has now completed the first draft.  More after the jump. 

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Orci waded into the comments section over at TrekMovie on Saturday to provide a status update on Star Trek 3:

p & m & I wrote, "fade out" yesterday on first draft. things are moving.

He subsequently confirmed that yes, the first draft of Star Trek 3 is done.  Now Paramount will take a look at the script, offer notes, and things will move forward from there.  Orci previously told us that he didn’t wasn’t signed on to Trek 3 just yet, explaining that it’s dependent upon how Paramount responds to the script:

“If I’m lucky enough that Paramount loves the script and that we go forward, it’ll be because I have loved Star Trek for so long and the idea of having seen one of the best guys in the business direct two of them already, and to have seen it from the vantage point of a producer too, I know where a lot of the challenges are and where a lot of the fun is."

Of course, Orci and his ex-writing partner Alex Kurtzman have a reputation for being two of the most studio-friendly screenwriters in the business, so I have a feeling that Paramount will like Orci’s screenplay just fine.  It’s clear that the studio would like to release Trek 3 to coincide with the series’ 50th anniversary, and with the first draft now complete, things seem to be on track for filming to get underway sometime next year.

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Image via Paramount Pictures