Star Trek Sequel Release Likely Delayed

The writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman all but guaranteed that the film when not make its June 29th, 2012 release date in an interview Cinepremiere. They now say the sequel is hoping to start principle photography in January 2012. This would leave about five months to finish the script & pre-production, a more reasonable time line for a special effects heavy big budget film. The start date also means the film will either get a Christmas season release date or (more likely) a Summer 2013 start date. While the delay is annoying and shows an overall lack of focus on the part of the principle architects of the franchise, it does increase the probability that JJ Abrams will return to direct. (via TrekMovie)

Orci: We had ideas when we did the first [Star Trek] movie – we always think it is bad luck to think of the sequel – but we had some ideas for the sequel way back then and actually we are doing some of those ideas now and pitching and pitching them to the studio and JJ [Abrams] has been developing them with us. The idea’s that we had have stuck so we feel pretty strongly that we have an amazing story and we are going to be shooting very soon.

Q: How soon?
Orci: Hopefully…
Kurtzman: …Early next year.
Orci: I think probably in January, but every time we say "we will be shooting any second now," we are not, but it is going to be soon.