Robert Orci is currently in talks to direct the upcoming Star Trek 3, Deadline is reporting.  Orci has writing credit on all three Star Trek reboot films, as well as numerous writer and producer credits on several major geek film franchises.
 
Orci recently split with longtime writing partner Alex Kurtzman, with whom he’s done work on The Amazing Spider-Man  and Transformers movies as well as the Star Trek reboots, though they still apparently work on TV projects together (Sleepy Hollow, Fringe, Alias, Hawaii Five-O).  Orci also has producer credit on many of those films and TV shows, but this would be his first time directing.
 
The exit of director JJ Abrams from the franchise left Paramount in the lurch when he left to direct the new Star Wars film (see "J.J. Abrams to Helm New 'Star Wars' Movie").