Rupert Wyatt front runner to direct Star Trek 3?

With J.J. Abrams tied up on Star Wars: Episode VII until (at least) 2015, it's unlikely that the Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness director will be back to helm the third instalment in Paramount Pictures' Trek series, especially if the studio intends on celebrating the franchise's 50th anniversary with a 2016 release date. And so, with an opening for a new director to pick up the reins on Star Trek 3, it was only a matter of time before the internet rumour mill starting throwing up potential replacements.

Of course, Latino Review were first on the scene, suggesting that G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon M. Chu was top of Paramount's list; however, Chu's reps immediately denied that he'd been approached about the project, while both Collider and Cinematallica have since pointed to another name in Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt, who is apparently front runner for the gig and "virtually a lock at this stage in the game."

Since passing on the Apes sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Wyatt is yet to confirm his next project, although the British filmmaker has been linked to several, including The Equalizer, Birdsong, Night Film and Agent 13. So, there's certainly room in his schedule for Star Trek 3, unlike Chu, who is attached to another threequel in G.I. Joe 3 as well as the long-rumoured He-Man reboot Masters of the Universe.