Star Trek Beyond/Background information/Development/Robert Orci

Producer Bryan Burk commented that Paramount wanted the third film to take less time to produce than Star Trek Into Darkness took, and that 2016 – the 50th anniversary of Star Trek – would be a logical year to release it. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman added that Paramount insisted on a 2016 release date. 
J.J. Abrams, who directed and Star Trek Into Darkness, chose to direct Star Wars Episode VII, and accordingly only produce this film. Abrams noted, "Having directed pilots and movies and then having seen subsequent directors work on those shows or do their own versions of those films – time and again I have seen it done better." Patrick McKay stated, "Bad Robot, J.J., and his team are really at the heart of this movie's development. They are the guiding light by which we all do our work. J.J.'s been a key part of helping us spin this tale from the beginning, and if there are people who think that we've lost him to Star Wars this time around, that’s not the truth as far as we see it." 
In an interview published on , Michael Giacchino expressed he was open to return to score the film, saying, "I’d be happy and honored to do another if that was in the future." 
In , then-writing partners and pitches to J.J. Abrams a story with an antagonist who "...was more a 'noble adversary' a la Balance of Terror than another . There was also Dyson Sphere [sic] and an ancient, Lovecraftian menace to the galaxy." 
In , J.J. Abrams acknowledged rumors that could helm the sequel, stating, "He's incredibly talented, and we'd be lucky to have someone as talented as Rupert. But there are things we're focusing on right now before the director, which is just sort of the fundamentals of where the story is gonna go." 
On , it was reported that director was Paramount's choice to direct the film, though reports differed as to whether or not he had already begun negotiations to join the project. According to Variety, Cornish was offered the film once before, in , but had turned it down. Abrams voiced his support for Cornish, stating, "I don't know if [he] is the guy. My guess is that's up in the air. I adore him and love him and can't wait to see what he does next. Hopefully, it will be Star Trek." 
On , it was announced that up-and-coming screenwriters J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay would be writing the script alongside Roberto Orci. It was also announced that Alex Kurtzman would not be involved with the project, due to work on The Amazing Spider-Man movies and other projects. 
In , J.D. Payne explained they were trying to come up with a classic Star Trek storyline, where "You should respond to this opportunity that the crew has that also has some pitfalls to it [....] It's sort of the Adam and Eve thing, where should we eat the fruit or not eat the fruit? Well, there are some very compelling reasons why they should and why they shouldn't. So, [there are] similar kinds of things here that really give the whole movie an opportunity to sort of play with that, and have people come down on different sides and wrestle with it." 
In , it was revealed Roberto Orci had been lobbying to direct the film, but Paramount was reluctant to allow him, as he had never directed before. However, Bad Robot and Skydance Productions were supportive. 
At the US premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness on , Damon Lindelof hinted that the prospect the Klingons would declare war on the Federation would come to fruition, and that Benedict Cumberbatch would return as . However, Lindelof was not involved with the sequel.
Later in May 2013, Paramount relented to Roberto Orci's appeals, offering him the director's chair. 
In an interview published on , Patrick McKay implied the film may not have a villain, explaining that, while he loved , he also loved the other films "that have a little bit more of the character relationships and the humor and some more of the speculative sci-fi elements." 
In , Roberto Orci clarified that he was not technically directing the film until Paramount approved the script. On , Orci proclaimed he had finished a first draft of the script. On , he revealed that the casting process for other characters had begun. 
On , Zachary Quinto stated he expected the film to start shooting within the next six months. The next day, it was confirmed that shooting would begin in , with a summer 2016 release date. An official announcement was to be made soon thereafter with a specific release date. 
As the domestic gross of Star Trek Into Darkness (which stood at US$228.5 million) was less than the first film, Paramount made the decision to film the sequel outside Los Angeles to save money. "We're making it for what it should have been shot for last time if we had made it outside of L.A., which we would have done except that [J.J. Abrams] didn't want to," a studio source told The Hollywood Reporter. "That was a $20 million issue." 
On , Mayor Park Wonsoon confirmed he had met with the producers, including Jeffrey Chernov, and confirmed Seoul in South Korea as one of the filming locations for Star Trek Beyond. According to TrekMovie.com, the film would be shot primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which would also be used for outside filming locations. 
Roberto Orci officially stepped down from directing the film on . Orci remained attached the project as an in-name producer, but ceased to by involved in production. While the film was without a director, Jonathan Frakes lobbied to be given the opportunity to direct the movie. (SFX, issue 270, p. 63)