J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' gets earlier British release date

By John Horn

March 7, 2013 12 AM PT

Paramount Pictures is moving up the British release date for director J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek: Into Darkness” from May 17 to May 9, but the studio has not yet said whether the sequel’s domestic debut also will be changed.

While it is rare, it is not unprecedented for big studio films to premiere overseas before they reach domestic theaters. Late last year, the hugely popular James Bond installment “Skyfall” debuted in U.K. complexes two weeks before it arrived in American multiplexes.

In U.S. theaters, “Star Trek: Into Darkness” is still set to open May 17, with some screenings at Imax theaters starting two days earlier.

Simon Pegg, who plays the engineer Scotty in the new film, sent out a Twitter message Thursday morning saying, “Looks like Star Trek Into Darkness will land in the UK first. Release date May 9th. That’s about 8 weeks away. Not long considering.”

Abrams’ initial reboot of the long-dormant “Star Trek” franchise debuted in May 2009 to glowing reviews and strong but not overwhelming box-office returns, grossing more than $385 million worldwide.

Abrams is set to make a new “Star Wars” movie, as well as a biography of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.

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