Star Trek 4: JJ Abrams hunting for female director to take on sequel

Jessica Jones director S.J. Carter is currently the frontrunner to helm the project

Following Paramount’s announcement that another two Star Trek movies are incoming, reports have emerged claiming the studio are searching for the series’ first female director to helm the Star Trek: Beyond sequel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, producer JJ Abrams has made it mandatory that a woman direct the upcoming blockbuster, which would continue the story of Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana’s characters.

S.J. Carter - best known for directing episodes of Jessica Jones, The Defenders, and Dexter – is reportedly the studio’s frontrunner for the position. Paramount have no comment on the situation.

Writers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have peened a script which would apparently feature Pine’s James T. Kirk meeting his father, played by Chris Hemsworth, Abrams previously teasing that the upcoming film would “bring together” father and son.

However, there’s one problem currently facing the studio: the cast-members are currently not signed on for the sequel, meaning getting everyone back – including Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban – could prove very pricey.

The publication also confirmed that Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek movie continues to move forward, although will not take place on the same timeline as Pine’s crew. Before Tarantino dedicates himself to the untitled-Star Trek, the director will helm Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, his ninth film.

Set in 1969 and with the Manson Family murders acting as a backdrop, the movie will star Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt.