Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg has signed on to play Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in the next Star Trek film, directed by J.J. Abrams. Due to hit theaters on Christmas Day 2008, Star Trek XI will feature an entirely new cast and storyline, centered on the original Star Trek Characters.Smokin’ Aces actor Chris Pine has been confirmed for the role of Captain James T. Kirk, while Eric Bana has landed the role of Nero, a villain that has, so far, been shrouded in secrecy. Other cast members include Zach Quinto as Spock, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Sulu, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. The original Spock Leonard Nimoy will have a part in the movie, but our favorite Priceline spokesman, William Shatner, will not.The film, written by Transformers writers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orzi, is said to focus on Captain Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members during their time at the Starfleet Academy. With a reported budget of more than $160 million, I think it’s safe to say that the standard cheesy sci-fi effects are out of the question.
Filming will begin next month and is expected to wrap in March 2008.
