Director Abrams to resurrect 'Star Trek' . The Starship Enterprise finally has a new captain.

After months of speculation, Mission: Impossible III director JJ Abrams has signed on to shoot the next instalment of the Star Trek feature franchise.

Star Trek XI revolves around a young James T Kirk and Mr Spock, chronicling their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and their first space mission.

The previous film in the series, the 2002 box office bomb Star Trek: Nemesis, was directed by Stuart Baird and starred Patrick Stewart.

Abrams, the prolific co-creator/executive producer of Lost and director of last year's M:I III, has been developing the project through his Paramount-based Bad Robot shingle as a producer and writer.

But sources say Abrams did not commit to directing the project until Friday evening, when the deal was finalised.