I know I was a little let down by the Villain and Kirk castings announced earlier this week, but this shocker is more to my liking. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg has been cast as Scotty in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. Pegg joins Eric Bana (as a villain named Nero), Anton Yelchin (as Chekov), Zachary Quinto (as young Spock), Zoe Saldan (as Uhura), Leonard Nimoy (as older Spock), and possibly Chris Pine (as Kirk) who was offered the role or Kirk.
I’m a huge fan of Simon Pegg, and am glad to see him in any movie, but his casting in this film even seems strange. He’s not even on my list of the top ten people who could play Scotty (if I were to have said list). What do you guys think of Pegg’s casting?
TrekMovie is also reporting that Korean born actor John Cho has been tipped to be the new Hikaru Sulu (originally played by the great George Takei). Cho is a capable actor, but much like the rest of the Trek castings, not exactly who you might would expect for the role. Cho has mainly been seen in comedic roles, best known as Harold from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, and the Milf kid from American Pie. His demeanor is far from what many fans expect from this character.
Some fans might also be upset that Cho is Korean and not Japanese American, as the original casting sheets called for. But let us remind you that Gene Roddenberry originally envisioned the Sulu character to be more of a general representative of the Asia culture (as Uhura was for Africa).
And moviehole also broke the news today that Star Trek’s budget has ballooned to the ballpark of $150 to $160 million, which is more than double the series biggest budget film to date. If true, this is amazing, considering the cast is mostly young stars. There are no names (announced thus far) which would demand a huge contract.
Paramount will begin production in early November, and the film is scheduled to hit theaters on Christmas Day 2008.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Dude? Simon Pegg as Scotty? WORST CASTING EVER. He looks NOTHING like Scotty (unlike Paul McGillion who was PERFECT) and while Pegg rocks in comedy, does this casting mean Scotty is nothing but the comic relief of the movie?
October 12th, 2007 at 4:10 am
What a spectacular disaster this will be.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:47 am
The casting seems to be geting rather crazy - and I can’t see Simon Pegg doing a serious take on Scotty. I am suddenly getting very bad vibes from the movie now…
October 12th, 2007 at 6:42 am
That picture next to Simon isn’t Scotty anyways, its Chekov. Im not really a Star Trek nerd, I just know that isn’t actually Scotty.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:46 am
At least Im pretty sure that it isn’t Scotty
October 12th, 2007 at 6:49 am
Um… yes, that is Scotty. And I think Pegg looks almost right. A little hair die, and some practice watching Doohan’s work, and he’ll do fine.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:50 am
*dye
October 12th, 2007 at 6:50 am
It is scotty .. and Simon could easily pull this off, Die his hair black, put on a good accent and away we go
Of course Scotty was comic relief, did none of you watch Start Trek?!
October 12th, 2007 at 6:52 am
the picture is of a very young scotty, not chekov. you fail at being a trek nerd LoonDawg. much love.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Uhm… is this a joke?
Anyway, if it isn’t… still can’t wait to see this movie. I’m sure they won’t ruin it and the actors mentioned, though mostly comic actors, might just do the trick.
I’m curious about this movie and not concerned at all…
October 12th, 2007 at 7:00 am
I think the janitor guy from the Simpsons should be Scotty. “Grease me up woman!”
October 12th, 2007 at 7:01 am
Am I the only one who could care less about a new Star Trek?
October 12th, 2007 at 7:09 am
The problem here isn’t the people the cast, it’s the characters they’re casting them for. I’m just having a very difficult time accepting the idea of these characters being played by different actors (actors for the most part have spent their LIFE playing them).
That aside, Scotty as a character was always kind of a comedic… almost a stereotype at times. I think if Pegg brings enough of his own personality to the role, he will be very fun to watch.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:20 am
a.j. cares so little about a new star trek movie that he had to click the link to an article discussing the casting in said movie and then felt further compelled to leave a comment about how much he doesnt care.
I think you care a.j., I think you care so much is scares you. clever ruse my friend.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:30 am
I wasn’t interested in seeing the new Trek movie until I heard Paul McGillion was up for the role of Scotty. Since he didn’t get the part, I won’t have to go see this movie after.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Is this new Star Trek movie supposed to be in the same vein as the recent film updates of Starsky & Hutch, the Dukes of Hazzard, and Charlie’s Angels? Because, if so, then the casting choices sort of make sense.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Who’s gonnna play welshie?
October 12th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Too true Gorilladong, I had to click the link. My quest for knowledge gets me everytime. Truth is, after seeing both of his movies, I am a fan of Simon Pegg. Not to mention, Harold and Kumar was one of the funnier movies I’ve seen in recent memory starring John Cho. Now thinking about this, maybe they should make Star Trek into a comedy.
October 12th, 2007 at 8:31 am
“I wasn’t interested in seeing the new Trek movie until I heard Paul McGillion was up for the role of Scotty. Since he didn’t get the part, I won’t have to go see this movie after.”
Agreed, I was ambivalent towards this whole move until I read on the SG:A forum that McGillion was up for the part. He was so perfect for the part I thought he would get it, but apparently they’d rather cast Pegg, who I wasn’t that impressed with in Hot Fuzz.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Oh, absolutely. With all the comic actors being cast in this new Star Trek, it “should” be a comedy. Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was a absolute laugh riot with Mr. Mom/Beetlejuice in the lead…
October 12th, 2007 at 9:19 am
STAR TREK XI: SPOCK & SULU GO TO WHITE CASTLE
October 12th, 2007 at 9:27 am
No, what’s gonna doom this film, as oh so many others in the recent and not-so-recent past, is that what will be delivered will not be the creative work of someone very talented who loves the topic or the genre or the premise or the characters. What will appear in the theaters will be the best efforts of some people like that, after it has been poked, prodded, rewritten, shuffled, reworked, edited … read “essentially destroyed” — by Studio suits who clearly have no idea what constitutes a “good movie” and who think more kids will drag their parents to the theater (cha-ching!) if there’s an alien with three ears who tells sophomoric jokes.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:31 am
I wonder if their thinking that if the get a bunch of people with little or no fame and from all the different cultures, just like they did in the original, that it will pay off the same way. I hope they dont ruin Star Trek even more with another lame series, kinda like when they put out Enterprise. Scott Baccula “might be spelled wrong” is cool but deffinetly not a Star Ship Captain, Ziggy needs to find a way to get him off of the Enterprise too.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:37 am
LOL Welshie!!! WELSHIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!
October 12th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
“more of a general representative of the Asia culture”? Seriously, WTF?
It is nice to see that they are sticking so much with the original token characters, which, for the time, were ground-breaking, and now represent the worst sort of cowardice.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru - Japanese
Sulu - Filipino
October 12th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I think Daryl Hanna would make a good Scottie since they both only have 9 fingers
October 12th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
I actually John Cho is a pretty good choice. He’s actually done some nice dramatic work, go see Better Luck Tomorrow. He was actually pretty decent in that.
October 12th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Will this be SciFi or Comedy??
I’m not sure on the casting, but will Probably give it a chance.
Wonder if they will have Tribbles??? lol
October 12th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Just a note…whoever is saying they have a 150 mil budget is seriously smoking something crazy….no way in hell Paramount would chalk that up for this. NO WAY IN HELL…whoever gave moviehole that number added a 1 in front of the real number….this movie will be 80mil budget, TOPS….and who cares about the casting…its Star Trek 11…if they make anything halfway decent it will be a nice surprise…btw, i worked on Nemesis and what a piece of crap that was…
October 13th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Why are people upset about this? I these two are the best casting (besides bana) yet. And I agree with John. Not only would Paramount not pay for it, but I don’t think the film really calls for it costing 150 million. Its star trek not star wars. Don’t they sit and talk in a ship most of the time anyway?
October 13th, 2007 at 3:43 am
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October 13th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I will see anything that has Simon Pegg in it.
end of log.
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October 20th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I agree with a little hair dye and a scottish accent Pegg may pull off a fair Scotty. Will this be SciFi or Comedy? I believe that was one of the great aspects of the original Star Trek series was its balance of both comedy and scifi thrill.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Pegg is PERFECT as Scotty !
I never would have thought of him in a million years, but yes, he’d be a PERFECT young Scotty. The Scottish accent is no problem for an Englishman anyways. Better an accent by someone who actually KNOWS the REAL Scottish accents (theres more than one, you know !) than someone doing a “Willie out of the Simpsons” kind of accent, I am not impressed with any of the others, with perhaps the new Spock being a possible. He doesnt seem too tall though.
The Uhura looks like a ten a penny singer from MTV.
The new Kirk looks nothing like Shatner - who, like him or loathe him, had a presence.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 am
Actually, I was going to say what a load of…..about McGillion, but fairs fair, he looks the part.
Anyone have other ideas for the different parts ?
It wouldn’t have been difficult to find a Kirk that was more suited to the role facially than the one they chose, surely ? He looks nothing like the young Shatner.
The feller chosen for McCoy doesnt look to bad though.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:07 am
Oh yeah - James McAvoy - he would have made a decent Scotty too. His Glaswegian accent is a lot harsher than Doohan’s Aberdonian one (yes, I know he was a Canadian - hence less problem with British accents than yanks)
May 26th, 2008 at 10:11 am
get a life all of you?
May 26th, 2008 at 10:12 am
it only a movie. get a live all of you!!!!!!!