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EXCLUSIVE: Here’s another update on writer/director J.J. Abrams’ much anticipated Star Trek sequel — which is really No. 12 in the realm of Starfleet
movies – coming out on May 17, 2013 from Paramount. I’ve learned that hot British film actor Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast in a lead role in the film. No word yet on whether he’ll be a hero or villain. But Cumberbatch landed some sought-after roles recently in War Horse (as ’Major Stewart’) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (‘Peter Guillam’). He will also portray ‘Smaug the Dragon’ through motion capture and voice the ‘Necromancer’ in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There And Back Again. The 35-year-old London-born thesp is a veteran of both theatre and TV, most notably as ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in the 2010 modern BBC adaptation series Sherlock).
He also starred as ‘Stephen Hawking’ in 2004′s Hawking and received a nomination for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor and won the Golden Nymph for Television Films – Best Performance by an Actor. The British GQ magazine named him “Actor of the Year 2011″. Cumberbatch is repped by UTA and UK-based Conway van Gelder Grant LTD.
The Star Trek sequel is being co-written by Abrams with Lost’s Damon Lindelof, plus Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci. JJ is going to be making the movie in 3D. The first of Abram’s rebooted franchise opened May 8, 2009 for a $79M weekend and ultimate did $258M in North America and $130M international at the box office. The pic is being produced by all those writers and Bryan Burk, who is JJ’s Bad Robot production partner. It is anticipated that David Ellison’s Skydance will be co-financing the film with Paramount. All key cast members will be returning, like Chris Pine and Zach Quinto and Zoe Saldana.
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Another brilliant casting coup, that will only help Foreign ticket sales….Can’t wait!!
Cumberbatch’s Q-rating is through the roof in Plopshire-upon-Diddlington.
I believe “twit” is the technical English term for one who takes pride in his priorities being all mixed up.
Great news, a really wonderful actor! Sherlock is one of the rare shows that manages to be both well acted, well written, and actually fun to watch.
Uhhhh, thats a young Khan if I’ve ever seen one.
I figured Benicio del Toro was playing Khan. This guy looks like he might make a good Vulcan or Romulan.
The ages do actually fit.Ricardo Montalban was 62 when The Wrath of Khan was released, and that film was set in 2285.
Benedict Cumberbatch is 35 and the Star Trek reboot was set in the year 2258.
So, the Star Trek sequel would take place about 27 years before we first met Khan.And, I’m sure this is just a coincidence, but Cumberbatch is exactly 27 years younger than Montalban was when he played Khan.
We have a movie set 27 years before Wrath and Khan and we have an actor 27 years younger than the actor who originally played Khan.See, it works out.
Well, actually the character of Khan originally appeared on the ST original series so Wrath O Khan is not when we originally meet Khan.
(And yes, I’m proud of my geektastic knowledge) 
You are correct.I was only referring to the films.I probably shouldn’t has said when we first met Khan.But, it still fits.
Montalban was 46 when he made “Space Seed”, the actual first appearance of Khan.That episode was set in 2267, 9 years after the most recent film.Cumberbatch, as stated above, is 35.So, the version of Khan in the current films would be 9 years younger than his first appearance in the TV series, and Cumberbatch is 9 years younger than Montalban was when he first played Khan.That’s damn close.It’s only off by 2 years.
Khan was a genetic superman from the 20th Century who got himself cyrogenically frozen until Kirk found him. Therefore, if Kirk were to unfreeze him in this movie, he would look the exact same age that he was in Space Seed.
I love humans. Always seeing patterns in things that aren’t there.
The Khan rumors have been disproven with this casting. Maybe Paramount could get away with the un-PC-ness of casting a Latino to play an Indian, but a pasty white Brit? Nah. It was never Khan, and probably not a Romulan either. Why would they test so many Latinos for a Romulan role? The only answer to the conundrum of “what role can be played by a Latino or pasty Brit equally well?” is “Klingon”!! I will bet quatloos on it!
That’s it, the villain’s a Klingon! Can’t you just see that guy wearing a fu-manchu and rocking a gold lame sash? (And he has to be a villain because the lead protagonist role(s) are already cast.)
Fantastic news! He’s a great actor… let the speculation begin as to who he’s playing. For my money, I see him in a Starfleet uniform.
I don’t. I think he has baddie written all over him. And don’t you think he sounds like Snape when he speaks?
Unless the villain du jour is an Insane Starfleet Admiral(TM), he won’t be wearing command gold. And he can’t be the lead protagonist, they’ve already got two and maybe three (McCoy needs more screen time this time round!)
The Star Trek sequel will be shot in Panavision, with a possibility for small sequences to be shot in IMAX … and a slim possibility that the film will be “post converted for 3D. It WILL NOT be shot in 3D. That information contradicts recent statements from Paramount.
Wow he is hot! He would make the best young Khan!! Yeah all the good guys spots are taken.. Or are they?
Is it just me or does “Benedict Cumberbatch” sound like the name of a Harry Potter character?
Who would have thought that an actor playing Sherlock Holmes would have a sillier name than the character itself.
I wonder if he’ll ever get a traditional leading man part considering his unconventional looks? He’s commented on how he only gets to play intellectual, asexual oddballs, and I’m not sure Star Trek will be any different. I mean, I love him, but more than a few people have commented on the “alien-ness” of his appearance.
So I wonder if this is going to be yet another instance of typecasting? (Not that he should complain even if it is – most aspiring actors would kill to have that problem).
You probably read one of those articles circulating around the world that are taken out of context from an article by Daily Mail (a.k.a. Daily Fail) which took his words out of context from the original source Radio Times. Sigh….
His appearance changes in different roles he plays and he actually has bagged a great range of characters in his career. I won’t concern this too much; actually I don’t concern at all.
He’s a fantastic actor and has great on screen presence and charisma; simply great in every thing he’s in.
Look at his former co-stars Tom hardy or Johnny Lee Miller. They have done posh upper class, action roles, period dramas, low-class junkies and thugs, etc. Benedict definitely hasn’t been given a chance to do such a wide variety of parts. He is totally right when he says he’s been typecast to some degree especially classwise.
I was responded to JYN’s post, which focused on his looks, not his social class. As for the original article on Radio Times, he did mentioned some class typecast concerns, but this is a complicated issue, which would require a PHD thesis to address; I don’t think it’s possible to discuss such subject in the limited space.
With regard to Cumberbatch’s range, except for that he has not specifically played a trailer trash, his role as The Creature in Danny Boyle’s stage production Frankenstein, especially at the new “born” stage, has completely proved he also played a non-intellectual non-posh part perfectly. In addition, he has great comedian’s sense, which can be seen in Starter for 10 and Cabin Pressure. I am not that familiar with Hardy or Miller’s work, but as far as I can recall, they don’t seem to involve in a lot of comedies, do they? No intend to compare Cumberbatch with other actors, just because you mentioned them, and I think it’s really off the topic, would much rather to speculate which role Cumberbatch will play in Star Trek.
Tom Hardy and Johnny Lee Miller are comfortably within the range of “traditionally good looking movie star.” This guy ain’t.
If “mainstream part” means the lead in a romcom or a conventional blow-em-up action pic, I would hope he’d pass. The characters he’s played are always interesting and different and there is an untapped market for that. One role I would die to see him play is as Valentine Michael Smith in Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land”, which has been optioned many times but no one’s had the guts/financing to actually make it. I don’t think there’s a role that would fit Cumberbatch better, although I suspect he’d be aces in practically anything (since he already is in everything he’s done).
He did an interview with the Guardian where he expressed a desire for a Michael Fassbender/Daniel Craig/James McEvoy type career i.e. the way they can do big fun shoot-em-up blockbusters in addition to the smaller, artsier stuff.
I mean, I get your point but I can’t fault him for wanting to not have to worry about money ever again. But it’s not just that. Would Benedict be considered for a part like the one Tom Hardy played opposite him in Stuart?
The alien-ness of his looks no doubt helped him get this part. The villain is going to be some breed of alien – Romulan, Klingon or genetically frakked up hew-mon.
Big-budget Hollywood movie leading man roles are not in the cards for him, but on TV, he should continue to do well. And all the best stuff is on TV nowadays anyway (if only Star Trek would get itself back on the small screen!!!)
He is a brilliant actor – saw Frankenstein at NT and it was freaking AMAZING.
There were two versions of National Theatre Live’s production of “Frankenstein.” One with Cumberbatch as the creature and Johnny Lee Miller as Frankenstein, and one with the roles reversed. My wife and I saw both. Cumberbatch was very good as the creature, but he was much better as Frankenstein. Similarly, Miller was good as Frankenstein, but much better as the creature. I agree that Cumberbatch is an amazing actor. I can’t wait for the second season of “Sherlock.”
I saw both versions as well, agree that he’s a better Victor Frankenstein, but I don’t think his Victor is much better than Miller’s Victor. However, his Creature is much better than Miller’s Creature in terms of interpretation and performance. His creature is not the stereotypical image in those old movies, and that’s exactly what the play tried to convey.
Personally, I also thought JLM was a better monster and BC a better Frankenstein, but they were both really great. I hope they get to work together again.
Cumberbatch was also brilliant on stage in London last spring in Danny Boyle’s FRANKENSTEIN. He and co-star Jonny Lee Miller alternated roles each night as Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. I saw the version with Cumberbatch as the monster — and he was gut-wrenching. Hammer Film buffs will also be interested to know that Cumberbatch is the real-life son of Wanda Ventham who played Lady Durwood Karstein in CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER.
Interesting bit of Trivia! I recently found a DVD copy of CK:VH at one of my favourite Haunts so I’ve got another reason to watch it again. (Not that i need one!
Omg! I am spazzing out! Im so happy for Mr. Cumberbatch forclanding more and more awesome roles. Now he is going to be in Star Trek II. Oh thank the gods! He is an amazing actor and deserves more praise. I dont care if he is a villain or hero! I just want more cumberbatch because im a benADDICT!
this has my eyes watering laughing.
Gary Seven
As I stated, he will be playing Gary Seven. Featured in the last episode of the second season of the original Star Trek television series, “Assignment: Earth,” the character, originally portrayed by actor Robert Lansing was a human who lived on Earth but who worked for the inhabitants of another planet. The character was also used in subsequent novelizations in which he had numerous dealings with Khan Noonien Singh. The character will be introduced in order to create a spin-off franchise for Paramount and J.J. Abrams. Trust me.
Why would they test Latino actors for the role of Gary Seven?
Remember, what happened here is that a role that the producers though should go to a Latino went to a pasty white Brit instead. So whatever that role is, it’s got to encompass both physical types. Khan is too dark, Gary Seven is too white, Klingon is just right!
Trust me.
OMG! This wonderful news makes me root for Star Trek again! (after the latest horribel one, that is. Can’t wait!
It may be appropriate to note that one reason JJ Abrams did the alternate timeline plot of his first Star Trek effort was to liberate him (and subsequent screenwriters) from the existing Trek “universe”. Cumberbatch might be a young Khan, a Klingon, or maybe something we have not seen before.
One possibility could be a young Dr. Noonien Soong, who would eventually create Data. And there COULD be a Khan connection, since all good Trekkers know Khan’s full name was Khan Noonien Singh (who in Star Trek lore rose to power in Eugenics Wars in the then-future 1990′s). Could Cumberbatch be a heretofore unknown relative of Khan that is perhaps the father of Dr. Noonien Soong?
Who knows? But it would at least give JJ some wiggle room from the existing known villians in Trek lore.
Obviously it is Benedict Cumberbatch’s goal to be in every awesome thing in the universe.
(so. excited.)
Best actor in the world right now. Tremendous talent and deserving of top a list. I’d like to see him as Doctor Strange next (marvel should snap him up)
Amazing choice…JJ must have seen his work in Sherlock, second season first episode where he was amazing. Kudos for the casting director.
He’s not hot. Ugh
In the context of the article, “hot” is meant career-wise. I agree he’s fugly and standing next to the hotties in the Star Trek cast, he’s only going to get fuglier. But Klingons are supposed to be fugly, so that should work out well.
I think he would make a very interesting Q, and considering Q’s meddling he could mix things up even more!
Surprise I haven’t seen it yet (Gary Seven sugestion is good though), but I have I hope for this to succeed, and when I look at Benedict, well…two words….Charlie X. We’ll see. TTFN
One of the best actors around at the moment and one of the nicest, most decent people too. Sometimes good things happen to good people, even in Hollywood.
I know that Roddenberry tried to make a Gary Seven spinoff series. Did he actually have a pile of Gary Seven scripts somewhere? It might be fun to try to find the old Gary Seven scripts and reboot those.
If they do that, it also would be fun if they could include a part for Teri Garr.
He reminds me a lot of Will Decker from The Motion Picture. Given the fact that Will is younger than Kirk I think that’s unlikely to happen, but it might be cool if we get to see a younger version of Decker’s father – Matthew Decker – who was Captain of the USS Constellation.
On the villain front, his reminds me a little of the eponymous psychic from Charlie X. However, Charlie was a kid when Kirk was an adult, so that doesn’t really fit with the timeline.
I really hope they don’t go with Khan in this. Everyone remembers Khan as a fantastic villain because of Wrath of Khan… but while his first appearence worked as an episode, two hours with a “genetically engineered soldiers take over the ship” plot just seems a little bit too tame for a blockbuster movie.