Hollywood bosses have given the green light to another new Star Trek movie - a month before the latest sci-fi installment hits theatres.

The highly-anticipated prequel is the first new venture in the franchise since 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis and is due for a global release on May 8.

But officials at Paramount Pictures are so sure the picture will be a hit, they have commissioned on a script for a follow-up - hiring a team of screenwriters including Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof.

Lost creator JJ Abrams, who directed the latest film, has also signed on to produce the next movie. It is not known whether he will be behind the camera of the second picture.

Lindelof tells Variety, "There's obviously a lot of hubris involved in signing on to write a sequel of a movie that hasn't even come out yet. But we're so excited about the first one that we wanted to proceed."

The new big screen version of the iconic space series sees young actor Chris Pine take on the lead role of Captain James T. Kirk, the part made famous by William Shatner in the original 1960s show.