'Star Trek 3' to release mid-2016

Los Angeles: Science-fiction movie "Star Trek 3" will hit screens July 8, 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of the TV series, which inspired the film franchise, Paramount Pictures has announced.

The studio announced the film's release date Tuesday, report variety.com.

The news comes a day after it was announced that the "Fast & Furious" director Justin Lin was taking over "Star Trek 3" when Roberto Orci stepped out of the director's chair.

The first two instalments of the "Star Trek" franchise -- "Star Trek" (2009) and "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) -- were directed by J.J. Abrams, who exited the project earlier this year after his commitment to direct Disney's “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

The TV series "Star Trek" debuted Sep 8, 1966, on NBC and was aired for three seasons.