'Star Trek 3' has been the topic of discussion for a lot of Trekkies, especially now with J.J. Abrams moving over to direct the upcoming 'Star Wars: Episode 7' movie and a certain Enterprise actor or two who said they'd be disappointed if he decides to not return for a third film. With or without Abrams, however, (and it'll probably be with, if only on a production basis) is Paramount already prepping 'Star Trek 3' for 2016?

'Star Trek Into Darkness' producer Bryan Burk spoke with Digital Spy about the 'Star Trek' movies, mostly about what to expect from 'Into Darkness' when it hits theaters May 17. But Burk was also pressed about a tentative 'Star Trek 3' premiere date and if that was even a topic of discussion, to which Burk replied:

We’re definitely talking about the next one, but we haven’t talked about a release date. We don’t want to wait four years, the same amount of time between the last one and this one, but it’s going to be a big year to celebrate, hopefully.

2016 marks the 50-year anniversary of the original 'Star Trek' TV series created by Gene Roddenberry, so yes, hopefully it will be a big year. And in terms of if Abrams will return, if you recall, Paramount Pictures' Rob Moore previously said that he'll be back for 'Star Trek 3' as a producer if not a director. (Click here for more details on that.)

What do you think? Should Paramount take advantage of this potential marketing opportunity and debut 'Star Trek 3' in 2016? Do you think J.J. Abrams will/should direct? Sound off in the comments.

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