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'Star Trek 3' warps into theatres on the show's 50th anniversary

Celebrations on the starboard bow: "Fast and Furious" director Justin Lin will helm the third movie reboot, uniting old and new "Trek".

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm

Paramount Pictures

"Star Trek 3" will unite old and new "Trek" when it premieres ahead of the 50th anniversary of the classic show.

According to Variety, Paramount Pictures will release the third in the rebooted "Star Trek" series on 8 July 2016, in time for the 8 September anniversary. It's also been confirmed that Justin Lin, the man in charge of the "Fast and the Furious" series of movies, will take the helm.

The original series of "Star Trek" was first broadcast in September 1966 on NBC, after an unsuccessful pilot was made a couple of years earlier. The show ran for three years and spawned several spin-offs and a series of movies.

50 years of 'Star Trek' (pictures)

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"Star Trek" was rebooted in 2009 with a new cast playing Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and the rest of the classic characters. That was followed by "Star Trek into Darkness" in 2013, and in 2016 the saga will come full circle as the third installment forms the centrepiece of the 50th anniversary celebrations.

Director of the first two rebooted "Trek" movies JJ Abrams has jumped ship to take over the "Star Wars" series, beginning with next December's "Episode VII: The Force Awakens". His "Trek" co-writer Robert Orci was slated to make his directorial debut with the third "Trek" film, but has now made way for Lin.

Lin directed the fourth, fifth and sixth "Fast and Furious" movies, and is also linked to the next Jason Bourne movie.