IGN has some pretty big names that are now in negotiations for this film:

 

IGN Movies has learned from studio sources which actors may play the Big Three in Paramount's Star Trek XI. By the "Big Three," we mean, of course, Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

 

Confirming rumors that have been making the rounds for some months now, IGN has learned that Oscar winner Matt Damon is indeed in talks with Paramount about playing the role of Jim Kirk, previously immortalized onscreen by Emmy winner William Shatner.

 

Damon brings star power and an acting pedigree to the role that should convince audiences that this is a serious reboot of the beloved franchise.

 

For the part of Kirk's Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock, IGN has been told that none other than Oscar winner Adrien Brody (King Kong, The Pianist) is in talks with Paramount to play the role. If cast, Brody would succeed Leonard Nimoy in a role that forever marked Nimoy's career. But with a Best Actor award already under his belt and an eclectic mix of films on his resume, Brody wouldn't have as much to lose by taking on the iconic role as Nimoy had.

 

IGN has also been told that Oscar nominee Gary Sinise -- currently seen on the small screen in CSI: NY -- is in talks for the role of Dr. McCoy, the ornery and politically incorrect ship's physician aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. McCoy's prickly relationship with Spock was the basis of much of the humor and humanity of the original 1960s series. The late DeForrest Kelley played "Bones" on TV.

 

Golden Globe and Emmy winner Sinise is no stranger to films about space flight, having previously appeared in Apollo 13 and Mission to Mars.

 

Those are the three actors that our studio insider advised us were the closest to being cast, with Damon's talks said to be further along than the rest. We have also heard of an actor being eyed for the role of Enterprise helmsman Lt. Sulu: Daniel Dae Kim ("Jin Kwon" on Lost). Sulu was played on the classic TV series by George Takei, who can now be seen on Heroes. We should stress, however, that Kim's possible casting is at a far earlier stage than that of the aforementioned three.

 

Lost, of course, was created and is executive produced by J.J. Abrams, who has just signed on to direct and produce Star Trek XI.

 

Sources also advised IGN that Scottish thesp James McAvoy may indeed be in the mix to play chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the film.

 

Neither Damon's reps at Endeavor nor Brody and Sinise's respective reps at CAA had responded to our inquiries for comment at time of publish.

The article doesn't mention that Daniel Dae Kim had a small role on Enterprise in a recurring format.

Blah. I don't want an All Star cast that turns into a crapfest.

The prequel approach for Star Trek is just idiotic and downright cowardly. You don't recast Kirk and Spock. If they want to continue Star Trek, they should put effort into making a new crew with memorable characters like the original series and TNG and continue with the plot of exploring where no man has gone before.

 

This just seems like they want to make money off the Star Trek franchise without having to exert much effort.

I couldn't agree more. When I read about the storyline behind the movie, one word came to mind: 'laaaaaaaazy.'

 

Also, anyone who is a Star Trek fan is interested in the future and progress. Since we've already past this point in the Star Trek timeline, it doesn't really intrigue me.

 

(Doesn't mean I won't see it, though.)

 

Yes, I know I'm a tool.

I will see it too, but I would also prefer the new film to move forward. Moving things backward with Enterprise failed.

From IGN Movies:

 

It has been widely reported that the next Star Trek film would be a Starfleet Academy story recounting how a young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock first met as cadets. But, according to IGN's insiders, that is not quite the case.

 

IGN was informed that Trek XI -- to be directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci -- will be more of a "first adventure" for Kirk and Spock rather than their first meeting. It is possible that they met while at the Academy -- didn't it seem like Jim Kirk served with every young officer's father at the academy? -- but the movie will explore their first mission together.

 

One source claims there is a reason why the Starfleet Academy idea won't be central to the film: Harve Bennett, the producer of Star Trek II-V. IGN was advised that, since the Academy idea was Bennett's and has been kicked around for so long without success, Paramount and the filmmakers are going in the "first adventure" direction.

 

No sooner had we been told this than TrekWeb.com pointed out a new interview with Bennett in the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine. "It's a complicated issue for me?" Bennett told the magazine. "Right now, no one knows for sure what the next film is going to be. I thought it was interesting that the day after the story came out about them doing a Starfleet Academy movie, J.J. Abrams came out and said, 'That's not necessarily true.' I am assuming that the current regime at Paramount didn't realize that the studio had already bought that premise and someone went, 'Hold on a minute!'"

 

Bennett added, "It's possible they might do 'young Kirk and Spock' and, depending on what they do with it, it might be something I might not contest. But if they ever decide to do a Starfleet Academy film, my feeling is that they better call us because that was our baby."

 

Sources advised us that the plot will focus more on Kirk and Spock than the other characters, with Dr. McCoy being more of a supporting role. IGN recently reported that Paramount had three actors in mind for the roles of Kirk, Spock and McCoy, respectively: Matt Damon, Adrien Brody and Gary Sinise.

 

We must stress again that these are the actors that the studio wants; it does not mean that they will indeed be cast, although we hear that Damon is closer to becoming a reality than any other rumored contender. Repeated inquiries for confirmation or denial to Damon's reps at Endeavor and to Brody and Sinise's at CAA have gone unanswered.

 

Sinise is only available to work on other projects during his hiatus from CSI: NY, which we were told is scheduled for April to August 2007. If he is indeed cast, Sinise could conceivably film his scenes in August before segueing to CSI -- especially if McCoy is not a large role. If not, then Sinise might be unavailable to do Trek. However, some actors -- such as George Clooney juggling ER and Batman and Robin or Steve Carrell with The Office and his films -- have been able to do both TV and film projects simultaneously.

 

Damon is also awaiting a script rewrite before committing to starring in The Fighter, which could lens in Massachusetts this summer. Brody, meanwhile, has been rumored for the lead role in The Incredible Hulk, which begins filming this summer in Toronto.

 

We were also advised that actor James McAvoy is basically somebody Paramount has in mind to play Scotty; that's all. It may not even go beyond that.

 

The studio's recent press release announcing Abrams' hiring as director only gave a vague fall '07 start date for Trek. In movie production terms that could mean anytime from August to November.

 

Sources also advised IGN that soundstages on the Paramount lot will start being reserved starting in May.

 

Story

IGN.com-

 

The rumor mill has been suggesting for awhile now that Scottish thesp James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) was up for the role of chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the next Star Trek movie, which will be a reboot of the beloved and long-running science fiction franchise.

 

IGN was among the outlets that heard Paramount was mulling McAvoy for the role of Scotty, but the actor himself has now dismissed all this Trek talk as "rubbish."

 

While doing press in the U.K. over the weekend for his new movie Becoming Jane, McAvoy addressed the rumors head-on. He previously acted coy when asked about the buzz, which had only fueled the flames of speculation.

 

"I'd need to read the script. I wouldn't play Scotty as written in the Original Series," McAvoy told IGN's sister site, Rotten Tomatoes-United Kingdom. "But I am a Trekkie, though. I think it came from one person somewhere deciding that because I'm Scottish and in movies I'd be a good thing for Scotty."

 

He continued, "The thing I read was that some of the American fans thought this was a bad idea because the person who should play Scotty should not in fact be an authentic Scotsman but should in fact be American for reasons of authenticity to the Original Series. What that person doesn't seem to realise is that James Doohan wasn't American; he was Canadian."

 

For more of what McAvoy had to say about the rumors and the original Star Trek series, check out UK.RottenTomatoes.com.

 

Link

I still hope he gets the role anyway...

Star Trek: The Reboot Scripters confirm new film to be a "reimagining." by IGN Staff ; March 8, 2007 - While precious little has been confirmed about Paramount's in-the-works attempt at restarting their Star Trek franchise, MTV has managed to confirm today what many fans have expected (and hoped for): that the new film will be a reboot of the franchise rather than simply a prequel.

 

While talking to the film's scripters, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, MTV.com dug up a few tidbits of precious dilithium crystal info, though they hit several roadblocks as well from the writers in their quest to confirm the many rumors swirling around the project.

 

"Orci and Kurtzman ? confirmed that the film is not in any way a prequel but a reimagining of the franchise," says MTV.com, which also adds that the plan is to simply call the film Star Trek -- with no subtitles, Roman numerals, or colons anywhere in the name.

 

"We're not going to start totally from scratch," Orci tells the site regarding the look of the film. "We want it to feel like it's updated and of the now. That's actually the discussions we're having now: how to keep the look of the universe yet have it not look like nothing's new. It's tricky."

 

The pair would not confirm casting rumors during their chat, including the talk that Matt Damon, Adrien Brody, and Gary Sinise are in the running to play Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (a rumor first reported by IGN). In fact, Orci tells MTV (apparently jokingly), "We never said Bones was in it." Kurtzman would only add, "I'm the hugest Matt Damon fan ever. If he became [Kirk], great."

 

(In fact, IGN recently reported that Dr. McCoy's role would be a small one and that the story is more focused on Kirk and Spock.)

 

Kurtzman and Orci also said that the film will be more action-packed than any of the Treks that have preceded it, and that it'll be the "biggest one" in terms of budget.

 

"The economic models of the other [films] were very much based on the fans out there and their purchasing power," says Orci. "With this one we're going for the broad audience to bring people into Trek for the first time."

 

The writers are less forthcoming in the interview about whether or not William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy will have cameos, though they do acknowledge that a starship will be an integral part of the film: "I don't know how you make Star Trek without a starship," Orci says. "You have to trek through the stars, so you need a ship for that." The pair does admit, however, that they have, along with the film's director J.J. Abrams, met with Shatner and Nimoy.

 

Paramount offered the team full access and support when approaching the franchise. That, combined with their script -- which the writers say adheres to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's original vision for the franchise - meant this was a project they couldn't pass up.

 

"Trek, more than anything, has always been about the human interactions," Orci says. "It's all about the human soul."

 

Stay tuned to IGN for more Trek news as it breaks!

 

http://movies.ign.com/articles/771/771425p1.html

 

 

Well I'm a little more excited about this now than I was a few weeks ago.

I would actually prefer Damon not to play Kirk. He's a good actor but I don't think he fits. I wouldn't want any star to play Kirk, for that matter.

why not just have a new crew?

 

 

nobody can ever be kirk or spock or picard or data or mccoy or scotty but the originals.

 

 

dont ruin things.

why not just have a new crew?

 

 

nobody can ever be kirk or spock or picard or data or mccoy or scotty but the originals.

 

 

dont ruin things.

Exactly. More evidence to the pussification of hollywood creativity.

In the new issue of Star Trek Magazine, JJ Abrams finally breaks his silence?.a tiny bit. Trek XI?s producer/director tells the official Trek mag "James T Kirk appears in the movie." Although this has been the rumor and essentially working assumption, it is actually the first time that anyone associated with the film has officially disclosed any plot detail about the film. Still no word on who will actually play Kirk in the film or any other official details from Paramount, but Abrams did offer this?

 

The respect we all have for Star Trek canon - and for a brand-new audience - is massive. The script is done. We?re now starting pre-prep, and we can?t wait to start shooting! Many more details to follow!

 

Although more of a confirmation than breaking news, it is still a bit of a coup for Star Trek Magazine to be the first to get Abrams on the record, and TrekMovie.com is told we should expect more Trek XI exclusives from the mag. It is also heartening to see Abrams finally break the total ?cone of silence? and to commit to ?more details.?

http://trekmovie.com/2007/04/18/jj-abrams-...n-star-trek-xi/

Unfortunately, that wasn't much news. I saw this on another site, and thought that this was barely worth noting.

The prequel approach for Star Trek is just idiotic and downright cowardly. You don't recast Kirk and Spock. If they want to continue Star Trek, they should put effort into making a new crew with memorable characters like the original series and TNG and continue with the plot of exploring where no man has gone before.

 

This just seems like they want to make money off the Star Trek franchise without having to exert much effort.

 

agreed, why not invent some new heroes? We know nothing's going to happen to Kirk & Spock in a prequel movie, so there's 1 negative already.

I'd say I agree (although I am not a Star Trek fan nor know much about the universe) but a lot of long running and dying franchises have been resurrected and resurrected well recently - Batman, Bond, Superman, etc.

 

Abrams is no slouch. He knows what he is doing.

Batman and Bond? Yes. Superman? No. That was, by far, the most boring superhero movie I've ever seen in my life.

Matter of opinion.

It hasn't been mentioned here, but Zachary Quinto (Heroes, 24) has been signed on for the role of a younger Mr. Spock. Leonard Nimoy will appear in this film at some point as an older Spock.

 

Some more news today:

 

IGN.com-

 

IGN has learned from a trusted source that director J.J. Abrams would like to have an A-list star cameo in his forthcoming big-screen reboot of Star Trek. According to our source -- whose scoops have always panned out in the past -- Abrams is wooing his Mission: Impossible III star Tom Cruise to cameo in Star Trek ... as Captain Christopher Pike!

 

Cruise's name first surfaced last fall as a possibility for a role in Trek, but Cruise spokesman Arnold Robinson advised TrekWeb.com at the time, "That story is not true." There was still bad blood between Cruise and Trek studio Paramount at that time, but in recent months Sumner Redstone, the Viacom honcho who ousted Cruise, has softened his rhetoric, leaving the door open for reconciliation. A Cruise cameo in Trek, however, would be a favor to Abrams and not to Paramount.

 

Again, we stress that Abrams is said to only be talking to Cruise at this point; that doesn't mean Cruise will actually agree to do it. And just so you know, Cruise's camp balked at our March scoop for the comedy Men, which Variety confirmed last month. Cruise's last big-screen cameo was in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

 

And if you think this Cruise stuff is crazy then you don't even want to know which A-lister we were told Paramount is trying to land to play the villain!

 

Trekkers know that Pike was James T. Kirk's predecessor as captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Mr. Spock's first commanding officer. Pike was the captain in the original and unaired TV pilot, "The Cage," where he was portrayed by the late Jeffrey Hunter.

 

When NBC balked at the cerebral nature of the show and wanted a new, action-heavy pilot filmed, Hunter was unavailable so a new character, Captain Kirk, was created. The unaired pilot was later recycled for the two-part first season episode "The Menagerie," which saw Spock court-martialed for trying to take a disfigured Pike back to Talos IV, the setting of "The Cage." In Trek lore, Spock served with Pike for about a decade.

 

Cruise is currently shooting Valkyrie with director Bryan Singer, himself a Trekker who made an uncredited cameo in 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis. Hunter was 38 when he shot "The Cage"; Cruise is 45.

 

Link

We now have a Chekov for the film.

 

ComingSoon.net-

 

J.J. Abrams has cast Russian-born Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett) as Pavel Chekov in Paramount Pictures' Star Trek. Chekov is the Russian-born navigator of the USS Enterprise under the command of James T. Kirk.

 

Yelchin will join Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy, who will both play the role of Mr. Spock. Casting is under way in New York and London for Kirk, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, the film's villain and the Federation captain. Abrams, who will direct the untitled film, is expected to sign bigger-name actors for the latter two parts.

 

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the story line is believed to chronicle the early days of the Enterprise crew during their time at Starfleet Academy.

 

Chekov was played by Walter Koenig on the original "Star Trek" TV series, and he is a key member of the Enterprise crew.

 

Abrams is producing the Christmas Day 2008 tentpole through his Paramount-based Bad Robot. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci wrote the screenplay and will executive produce along with Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof.

 

Link

Cruise? I'm skeptical

Don't care who they cast... Shatner is Kirk, Nimoy is Spock ...

 

Curiously Koenig reprised his role as Chekov recently in some sort of fan made episode called New Voyages: To Serve All My Days

Looks like Scotty might be played by James McAvoy.

A lot of developments have occurred since the last post on here:

 

Confirmed Casting-

-James T. Kirk: Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces)

-Montgomery Scott: Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)

-Hikaru Sulu: John Cho (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, American Pie series)

-Uhura: Zoe Saldana (Vantage Point, The Terminal)

-Nero (a Romulan villain): Eric Bana (Hulk, Troy, Black Hawk Down)

-Present Day Spock: Leonard Nimoy

 

Rumored Casting-

-Dr. McCoy: Karl Urban (LotR series, The Bourne Supremacy, Pathfinder)

Crapfest

I believe that Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) has been picked to play the part of Chekov. While I'm not exactly excited with some of the casting choices, its still too early to tell and I'll take a more "wait and see" approach to it. Atleast shooting begins next month..

 

 

Seriously, John Cho as Sulu and Karl Urban as McCoy??? :blink:

ComingSoon.net-

 

Chris Pine Confirmed for Star Trek

Source: Joe Carnahan

 

In a follow-up to this article, White Jazz director Joe Carnahan has confirmed on his official Blog that Chris Pine has bowed out of that film in order to play Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek at Paramount Pictures.

 

Pine joins a cast that includes Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana and John Cho. The studio is targeting a Christmas Day 2008 release.

 

Pine previously starred in the 2006 Lindsay Lohan movie Just My Luck. He played a neo-Nazi assassin in Carnahan's Smokin' Aces.

 

Pine was unable to take on both projects due to scheduling. Star Trek will shoot from November through March, while White Jazz has a mid-January start.

 

Link