Roberto Orci won’t be directing Star Trek 3

Plus, Marilyn Monroe’s lost love letters sold at auction; Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar planning new period drama, Two and a Half Men to end on February 19, and Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox injured in car accident.

Director Roberto Orci won’t return as director for Star Trek 3. Alberto E Rodriguez / Getty Images / AFP

Roberto Orci won't be directing Star Trek 3, the filmmaker's representatives said on Saturday. An explanation was not given for his departure, but the script is thought to be the reason – apparently Paramount was not on board with some of the plot lines. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) is being mentioned as a potential director, as well as Joe Cornish, who was also in the running for director before Orci was announced. Orci will be staying on as producer for Star Trek 3, which is due out in 2016. – The National staff

Marilyn Monroe’s lost love letters sold for $121,000

Joe DiMaggio’s love letter to Marilyn Monroe has sold for US$78,125 (Dh286,953) at a Beverly Hills auction. Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills says the letter, written by the baseball great after Monroe announced she was divorcing him, was sold on Saturday to an undisclosed buyer. The letter from their brief, volatile marriage was among 300 items, dubbed Marilyn Monroe’s Lost Archives, that went on the block. A handwritten letter from Monroe to her third and final husband, the playwright Arthur Miller, sold for $43,750. Monroe, who died of a drug overdose at age the age of 36 in 1962, left the collection of letters to her mentor, the legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg. – AP

Farhan Akhtar planning new period drama

The Bollywood actor, filmmaker and singer Farhan Akhtar plans to work on a movie set in pre-independence India, which he says will have universal appeal, The Hindu newspaper reported. "The film that I have in mind is a period drama in India in 1905," said the 40-year-old star. "In terms of the content, I feel it is definitely going to be something that appeals to everyone, regardless of culture and language." Akhtar made his directorial debut with the much acclaimed Dil Chahta Hai in 2001 and began his acting career seven years later with the music drama Rock On!, which went on to become a blockbuster. – The National staff

Two and a Half Men to end on February 19

After 12 seasons and numerous cast changes, the TV sitcom Two and a Half Men is officially coming to an end on February 19. The series will conclude with a special one-hour episode following The Big Bang Theory. During its run, the show, which currently stars Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer, ranked for years as television's most-watched comedy. It also earned 47 Emmy Award nominations with numerous wins and grabbed People's Choice Awards for Favourite TV Comedy multiple times. Though ratings for the series have declined over the years, the series creator Chuck Lorre has already delivered on bringing some "very big surprises". The latest season has already seen Cryer reprise his Pretty in Pink role as well as Kutcher proposing to Cryer. And with some reports saying Charlie Sheen, who was later replaced by Kutcher, is interested to return, it could turn out to be a pretty unforgettable goodbye for the fans of the show. – IANS

Deerhunter frontman injured in car accident

The frontman of the critically acclaimed US indie rock band Deerhunter has been injured after being hit by a car. The singer and guitarist Bradford Cox posted a picture of himself on Instagram from a hospital bed with a large brace covering his neck. "Still waiting for X-Ray results or any real diagnoses. Can't move much. Incredible pain," Cox wrote online. Cox, 32, said that he was hit by a car and showed a picture of his father looking after him at the hospital in their home city of Atlanta. The band have no concert dates after completing a tour to promote last year's album Monomania and opening two arena shows earlier this year for Arctic Monkeys. Deerhunter have developed a following through six albums of noisy but ambient guitar-based rock, with Cox singing in a stream-of-consciousness style without writing down lyrics beforehand. Cox has abnormally long legs due to Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder. – AFP