Can J.J. Abrams save Star Trek?

Variety reports that J.J. Abrams has been tapped by Paramount to direct, co-write (with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci of Alias and Mission: Impossible III) and co-produce (with Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk of Lost) a Star Trek prequel film centered on "the early days of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer space mission." And I'm conflicted.

On the one hand, I'm excited by the prospect of Abrams resurrecting this tragically tarnished franchise that was run into the ground with back-to-back failures in both TV (Voyager, Enterprise) and film (Insurrection, Nemesis) by the criminally incompetent Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.

On the other hand, recasting such iconic characters as Kirk, Spock and McCoy is asking for trouble at best, and a sacreligious travesty at worst. Personally, I'd instead go back to Gene Roddenberry's original proposal for Trek, and tell the untold story of the very first mission(s) of the Starship Enterprise under the command of Captain Robert April.