Production of the third instalment in the rebooted Star Trek movie universe is now underway in Vancouver, with Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr Spock (Zachary Quinto) setting out on a new adventure that will see them face off against another formidable enemy (played by Idris Elba).

The numbering of the Star Trek movies is a little confusing, since prior to J.J. Abrams' shiny new take on the franchise there were ten Star Trek movies that are now canonically set in a parallel universe. Perhaps because of this, it seems as though Paramount Pictures is planning to avoid numbered sequels altogether. Abrams' 2013 follow-up was called Star Trek Into Darkness, and Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin's upcoming entry has been rumored to carry the title Star Trek Beyond.

Star Trek fans who like the sound of that will be pleased to hear that Lin has now confirmed the title, in one of the very first photos from the set of Star Trek Beyond. The director shared a on-set picture of a uniform with the Starfleet badge on Twitter, accompanied by the hashtag #StarTrekBeyond.

The movie's title makes sense in light of what has already been revealed about the plot. Star Trek Beyond will mark the beginning of the USS Enterprise's five year mission of deep space exploration, as Kirk and his crew of futuristic frontiersmen and women set out "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."

In the age of social media it's become common for directors to create a quiet but steady amount of buzz about their movies by sharing set photos and teases like this on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. This badge photo has the benefit of getting Star Trek fans excited for the sequel without actually giving away anything about the movie. If Lin is already sharing photos like this, we can probably expect to see more as production continues.

Star Trek Beyond was scripted by Doug Jung and Simon Pegg, the latter of whom will also reprise his role as ship's engineer Scotty in the film. Pegg will star alongside other returning cast members Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Anton Yelchin, as well as new addition Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service). Given the shake-up of behind-the-scenes talent, even those who disliked Abrams' take on the franchise should be ready to give Star Trek Beyond a chance.

Star Trek Beyond will arrive in theaters on July 6, 2016.

Source: Justin Lin