Why did Roberto Orci exit Star Trek 3? He co-wrote and co-produced the first two films for Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures, but something happened to make him abandon the director's chair before he'd even warmed the seat.

BadAss Digest's Devin Faraci has heard two reasons: One is that Orci didn't take kindly to Paramount's script notes, and left; the other is that "Paramount shut the picture down a month ago and spent the time talking to other filmmakers before officially taking Orci off the project."

Faraci goes on to say a big point of contention was the studio's apparent desire for the next Star Trek film to be more like Marvel's blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy: "They want the third film to be huge, and they want it to be huge overseas especially. They look at Rocket and Groot and then they look at Keenser and they wonder why he doesn't have more of a role. "

Orci is supposedly still involved as a producer, but it might be in name only at this point.

There's a shortlist of directors to take over that includes Justin Lin and Rupert Wyatt, but until someone signs on, the project is adrift in space with no one at the helm.