BLOGS
By now, even jaded, nit-picky Star Trek fans have decided to either like the new movie along with the rest of the world or dislike it just to be contrary. Whichever you've chosen for yourself, congratulations! You either are or are not, in the Vulcan parlance, a dickhead. Now we can set about the business of figuring out which actors we want to join this merry band in the next installment. There's only a few more crew members left to show, but there are plenty of rogues, aliens and monsters to cast! Here's who we wanna make a stardate with.
Blake Lively as Nurse Christine Chapel
Dr. McCoy's right-hand woman (originally played by Gene Roddenberry's future wife, Majel Barrett) needs to be tough and blonde, two traits Lively exhibits every week on Gossip Girl. In the original series, she crushed on Mr. Spock; maybe this time she and Uhura can have an Obsession-style catfight over him?
Nick Frost as Harry Mudd
The portly, mustachioed con man who sold wives to miners and the Enterprise to a planet of androids, we can think of no one better suited to play the scheming Mudd than Frost, Simon Pegg's hetero life partner and Hot Fuzz co-star. He sported a mustache back when the pair were both on Spaced, and he looked very untrustworthy, indeed.
Laura Vandervoort as Yeoman Janice Rand
While Rand started out as Kirk's aide-de-camp and worked her way up to Communications officer, her job on the show was mainly to stand around and flirt with the Captain, as well as any other young stud who came on board. We could watch Into the Blue 2's Vandervoort stand around all day.
Antonio Banderas as Khan Noonien Singh
Online fans are pushing for Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, but only aging Spanish heartthrob Banderas has the machismo (and accent) to pull off the role. We've seen him go dark before, in Assassins, and before anyone points out that he's now pushing 50, we should remind you that Ricardo Montalban first played the cryogenically frozen super-soldier when he was 47, and reprised the role at the ripe old age of 62. Besides, if you want to cast someone to play a tyrant, why not get the man who played Italian dictator Benito Mussolini?
Christian Bale as Bele from Cheron
On the planet Cheron, all of the inhabitants have skin that is black on one side and white on the other, but those who are white on the left side fiercely hate those whose white is on the right. Given left-sider Bele's rants (courtesy of actor Frank Gorshin) about how his people are superior, we might need Bale to give Bele one of his patented American Psycho meltdowns.
Hugh Jackman as Q
Although not introduced until The Next Generation, the omnipotent, omnipresent Q Continuum has been around since the Big Bang, so there's no reason they can't pop up on the Enterprise a little earlier than planned. Hmm... who can we get to play the overly theatrical, frequent costume-changing representative of the Q? While I'm sure John DeLancie would reprise the role in a heartbeat, we're going to aim high for Jackman, as long as he plays it more like the Boy from Oz and less like Logan.
Taraji P. Henson as Guinan
Considering that the Enterprise-D's long-lived bartender was living in San Francisco at the dawn of the 20th century, we'll assume that she had to break into the space-bar-management field sometime, so why not on the original Enterprise? Henson saw some sci-fi in Benjamin Button -- maybe she'd like to see some more?
Jason Statham as Kor the Klingon
The original series showed us some freaky-looking Klingons with no cranial ridges, but we'd rather just skip that very hard-to-explain period of their history and go full Klingon for their first appearance in this alternate reality. Hopefully, Statham would be willing to put on a big forehead and armor to play a Klingon commander, as long as he was able to take off his shirt and kick some ass at the end. Maybe he could do it in the transporter room. Get it?
Khloe Kardashian as a Cardassian
We're sure any of the Kardashians could be turned into a Cardassian given enough time, makeup and facial ridges, we just thought Khloe would require the least amount of work.
Alan Tudyk as a Borg
As the voice and face of the robot in I, Robot and the stone-cold killer Alpha on Dollhouse, Tudyk would be a great representative for the Borg, a race of emotionless cyborgs who live in cubes and assimilate ships and their crews. Sure, the TNG crew discovered them, but they've been around for hundreds of thousands of years, and the sooner Kirk and Spock get to fight them, the better.
Paul Giamatti as a Ferengi
We know Giamatti isn't afraid of makeup (see him as an orangutan in the Planet of the Apes remake), so we think he'd be perfect for the race of short, weasely traders. Just imagine him muttering something about "gold-pressed latinum" and tell us he's not Ferengi material.
The Rock as a Gorn
In the original series, Kirk was forced to fight his counterpart from this lizardlike race in hand-to-hand combat, and the Gorn captain was just a guy lumbering around in a rubber suit and a gold mini-dress. We say give Dwayne Johnson some lizard-like scales and eyes, maybe a Voldemort nose, and then turn him loose on Chris Pine. We smell a smackdown!
Disagree with our casting choices? Of course you do. Let us know what we got wrong below.
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Antonio Banderas in a Star Trek movie? pleaseeeee (note the sarcasm)I can't hardly understand how this guy is succesful in the US and even here in Spain, he's an awful actor no matter what he plays
Yeah-I like the cast y'all came up with. Great actors all of them. Not a big Star Trek fan but I went to see it because I'm a big fan of "Sylar" ,Zach Quinto-think he's as cool as you get, and I have to say-that movie was pretty frickin awesome. Loved the story line and great cast. Can you find a place for Salma Hayek and Jennifer Love Hewitt? ; )
Naveen Andrews would make a much better Khan than AB. Would also like to see Terry O'Quinn as Matt Decker (Doomsday Machine) and Michael Emerson as the sadistic leader in Plato's Stepchildren.
These actors should all be available beginning in 2010.
To Lance S - Zachary Quinto was born to play Spock, IMO, and he seemed to use a lot of Sylar as an influence. I can see Salma Hayek as Elaan of Troyius.
J. Love Hewitt = Edith Keeler.
"By now, even jaded, nit-picky Star Trek fans have decided to either like the new movie along with the rest of the world or dislike it just to be contrary."
Along with the rest of the world? Talk about over-exaggerated hyperbole. The movie is popular, but not universally so. If you are going by ticket sales, then Wolverine is more popular lol And if we're following you're line of thinking, shows like "Chuck" and "Pushing Daisies" were NOT loved by the world and the people at TWOP are being contrary lol Damn, when were people who disliked something not allowed to express that point of view? I thought the new movie was ok, but no the greatest thing ever. TWOP's writers need to be less arrogant and condescending to people who don't always agree with them 100%.
And yeah, a cat-fight between Uhura and Chapel is *exactly* what the reboot series needs. Almost as contrived as love triangles and people with daddy issues...but this is a JJ Abrams project, so why not?
Antonio banderas as Khan? He's just not ...his features are too doughy. How about a real Khan instead/ I mean Shahrukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar who newsweek named one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. Take a peek:
http://beyondasiaphilia.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/shahrukh-khan1.jpg
"Along with the rest of the world? Talk about over-exaggerated hyperbole."
First off, that's a double negative -- hyperbole MEANS over-exaggerated. Second, that was the point. No wait, you're right, he must have actually meant everyone else in the world likes it. Everyone. Even those who haven't seen it. (To help you out, since you seem to have no detectable sense of humor, those last three sentences were what is generally known as sarcasm).
Apparently, you don't seem to recognize sarcasm either, Jenny, nor do you have much of a detectable sense of humor. I do, but for things which are funny. Something you are not. Well, yeah, you kind of are, just not in the way you probably think...
I think The rock would make a great Klingon.
Blake Lively? Tough and Strong?
Well thank god you're not in charge of casting.
Well,if i remember correctly,there were some Borg on Enterprise(google it if you don't remember capt QuantumBrow), so you'd be able to throw it in the sequel, but if you really want a Borg, you'd better go with David Caruso,because face it - Emotions are irrelevant :)
Live Fast and Prosper
The Rock has already been a part of the Star Trek Universe. He played a gladiatorial opponent of Seven in Voyager.
It's not a double negative, it's just redundant.
"Naveen Andrews would make a much better Khan than AB."
YES. No disrespect to Montalban, who was awesome, but Khan is clearly a Central Asian of some sort. Naveen has shown he can do the action scenes (Sayid vs. Keamy last season, anyone?), and he's a good enough actor to pull off Khan's mix of arrogance, melancholy, and rage.
I'm sorry, as much as I love Hugh Jackman, I will not accept anyone as Q except John de Lancie. But I'd love to see Alan Tudyk as a Borg (or as anything else).
I can't believe that no one has suggested Tyra Banks as the Horta. You call yourselves fans?
John Goodman as Harcourt Fenton Mudd
Oh, can't we come up with a better use of Alan Tudyk's talents than the Borg? And the less Borg we see, the happier this fan will be -- boooring!
And I think Uhura is way too classy to get into a catfight with someone like Christine Chapel.
Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell as those Klingon sisters looking to take over the Empire? I'd pay to see it.
Olivia's right, Uhura and Chapel would never get in a catfight...but a subtle, friendly rivalry would be amusing.
Also, I forgot to mention that Alan Tudyk's not meant for the Borg. I see him more as a scientist whose moral compass has gone awry, or as a Starfleet officer who maybe was stranded on a planet with especially weird aliens and he's gone native. :D
Why is every blog these days making weak lists to troll for hits? Quit being lazy and write real articles.
A) Antonio Banderas playing a guy from the Middle East? What's next advocating for a white guy to take over as Sulu?
B) Why not use Whoopie for Guinan? She looked the same in the 1800s as she did on TNG. She stopped for a facelift and changed her mind?
Total word, Mrelia, on both points.
This list is mostly lame. How about Paris Hilton as a tribble?
Trelane from the episode Squire of Gothos was a Q (according to the book Q-Squared), so this crew definitely has the potential to run into other members of the continuum! No reason for every Q they meet to be "the" Q - save that for a de Lancie cameo.
Capt. Tact, Banderas has already played someone from the Middle East - check out [i]The Thirteenth Warrior[/i] sometime.
Tyrone, all I can do is quote another famous movie at you - "Lighten up, Francis."
I want to see Alan Tudyk as Data...Or some sort of Android like Character. Come to think of that, he could pull off an Awesome, over the top Q too...
Surely Edward James Olmos as Khan? He did for the Cylons so Kirk, Spock et al can't be that much of a challenge...
Olmos would make an excellent Khan!
I can remember when it was announced about this movie. The rumors of Matt Damon as Kirk and Gary Sinese as McCoy. Sinese would have made an awesome McCoy.
I am sure Pegg will be a great Scotty but I would have casted John Simm (original Sam Tyler on Life On Mars and The Master on Doctor Who) as Scotty. Speaking of LOM, how about Jason O'Mara as Data?
I like nearly all of those, and am now starting to get excited about where the new Star Trek franchise might go. The Rock as Gorn? Bring it on!
How about Lorenzo Lamas as Khan? He could ride a space motorcycle with Bobby Sixkiller and be Khanagade.
And Alec Guiness played an asian guy. Does that make it right? There are a few Middle Eastern actors that could do the job (and need the money/work)
Money call!
How about Chaka Khan as Khan? (The late Madeline Kahn would also have been acceptable, but she's, y'know, dead.) If he's too ethnic, then I nominate Jackie Chan for the role.
With Ernest Borgnine as Janice Rand. But only if he wears the traditional skintight miniskirt and go-go boots.
Eww Eww EWW!!! Blake Lively? Oh God!!! What an insult to Majel. If blonde and tough were the defining criteria, Blake is definitely blonde. I'll give her that much. But given that criteria, Elizabeth Mitchell would make a better Nurse Christine Chapel than Blake. Hands down!
No one could ever replace Q. Especially Hugh Jack@$$. He'd be better off cast as the brown space poo on Voyager's "Night".
Eww Eww EWW!!! Blake Lively? Oh God!!! What an insult to Majel. If blonde and tough were the defining criteria, Blake is definitely blonde. I'll give her that much. But given that criteria, Elizabeth Mitchell would make a better Nurse Christine Chapel than Blake. Hands down!
No one could ever replace Q. Especially Hugh Jack@$$. He'd be better off cast as the brown space poo on Voyager's "Night".
How about Billy Boyd as Riley?
Or Thandie Newton as Spock's "wife" T'Pring...that is, if she survived the destruction of Vulcan.
Thandie Newton would be awesome (and gorgeous) as T'Pring, but perhaps a little too old. I keep picturing Shannyn Sossamon or Freida Pinto as T'Pring.
Although I don't think Blake Lively is a horrible choice, my first would be Amanda Seyfried for Christine Chapel.