Simon Pegg Pegged For Scotty [UPDATE: Doohan Responds] [UDPATE 2: McGillion Responds] October 11, 2007
by Charles Trotter , Filed under: ST09 Cast , trackback
The search for a Scot is over… and it’s an Englishman! Variety is reporting that British actor, writer and comedian Simon Pegg has won the role of Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. The 37-year-old beat out a number of others who were up for role of Trek’s most famous engineer, including Stargate’s Paul McGillion. Pegg, who is best known for starring in the hit British comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, had previously worked with Abrams and many members of his ‘Trek’ team on last year’s Mission: Impossible: III, in which Pegg played IMF technician Benji Dunn (essentially the ‘Scotty’ of M:I:III).
Hailing from Gloucester, England, Pegg began his showbiz career as a stand-up comic before moving into television and film. He first gained recognition as the creator, co-writer and star of the British sitcom Spaced, receiving a British Comedy Award as Best Male Comedy Newcomer. He then starred in and co-wrote the "romantic zombie comedy" Shaun of the Dead, which became an international success in 2004. Two years later, he made the cop comedy Hot Fuzz, which enjoyed even greater success.
Pegg is the second Star Trek cast member with a strong connection to comedy, following Eric Bana. Pegg is also the second actor cast to have previously worked with Tom Hardy (Shinzon from Star Trek Nemesis): Pegg worked with Hardy on HBO’s mini-series Band of Brothers, while Bana and Hardy both appeared in Black Hawk Down. Pegg himself is no stranger to the science fiction genre, having guest-starred on the new Doctor Who in 2005.
Not a Scot?
The original casting call for Scotty required a ‘flawless Scottish accent.’ Most English Actors are capable of doing Scottish (and American) accents and Pegg is no exception. Here is a clip from a comedy show Pegg shows off his Braveheart
UPDATE: Chris Doohan backs Pegg
James Doohan’s son Chris (who himself lobbied for the role) just sent in this note regarding Simon
Well, that came out of left field. I guess he pegged theaudition. I must say that even though Paul McGillion was my first choice, I believe that Pegg will do a great job. No,he doesn’t look like my Father and he has a little less hair then Scotty did,but his accent is passable and he’s a great actor. I send my congratulations toyou Simon and I hope you “giver all you got laddie”.
UPDATE 2: Paul McGillion on Pegg
Two weeks ago TrekMovie.com broke the news that Stargate actor Paul McGillion had audtioned for the role of Scotty, sparking a series of reports and a lot of well wishes from the geekoshere. Paul just sent TrekMovie.com a message to all the fans who wished him well:
I’d like to thank you all for your tremendous support especially Chris Doohan who rallied behind me to fill his father’s footsteps. Obviously I have close roots to Scotland; having an opportunity to play an iconic Scottish character would have been an honour.
That being said, I have not had the pleasure of "meeting" Simon Pegg but I am familiar with his work and I think he’s a terrific talent. I wish him and the rest of the cast & crew great success with the new Star Trek film
More:
Scene from MI3 (opens new window)
Trailer for Shaun of the Dead
Trailer for Hot Fuzz
Comments»
Solid– a nice nod to the indie/foreign/low-budget/whatever genre fans.
what…. seriously? I can’t really see it. They have to dye his hair at least.
It seems abit odd to read something on the internet that starts with,,,
The search for a Scot is over,,,
*sniff,,
anyhow Im looking forward to the “new” crew,,,
*smiles
and,,
FIRST !
Um wait a second Anthony, who is John Cho playing??
So much for the guy from Atlantis. I was pulling for him.
Pros
He was born in 1967-Age 37
He is not a pretty boy -character actor
he is funny-I love his movies
cons
Looks nothing like Scotty
Simon Pegg-Seriously?
dam,,, two other messages in the space of 30 secs!
gee it pays to type fast!!
make that,,,
THIRD!!
oops I mean 1970
Here’s Pegg on a British comedy show lampooning Braveheart, giving us an example of his take on a Scottish accent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PDdXJoBwBo
If the Alternative universe timeline is true
I have a feeling McCoy is going to be played by a black actor
that would be cool!
Even though he looks absolutely nothing like Doohan (the other actors have at least shared a broad similarity). Simon Pegg is made of awesome and win. One thing though… being known, well ONLY, really, as a comedic actor. I wonder if Scotty is going to be more of a comedic relief character in this film. Not that that would necessarily be bad. Especially not with someone as talented as Pegg in those shoes.
Hmm, didn’t expect that one. I was pretty set (hopefull) about Paul Magillion. I remember Pegg from end part I saw of Shawn of the Dead and the Doctor Who ep he was in but not anything else, have wanted to see “Hot Fuzz” which he’s in.
Anyway I look forward to seeing how it turns out, allthough he wasn’t a “good guy” in the who ep I though he was good.
Is John Cho Sulu? Not to like, racially profile or anything, lol… just seems like the only one that would make sense…
ooops….coming soon
This is very gutsy, interesting casting.
Simon Pegg is obviously awesome, and brings substantial comedic talent to the mix. The only danger I see is him potentially taking viewers out of the movie, so to speak; at first blush, it strikes me as borderline stunt casting, which could be distracting in terms of “hey, it’s Simon Pegg playing Scotty” instead of “it’s Scotty”. And obviously, this film is / must be a drama, not a spoof. But all that said, I have faith in J.J. and company - and Simon, who is a bonafide, hardcore megageek. I’m sure he’s jumping up and down with glee to join the crew of the Enterprise, and will commit fully and faithfully to the role.
Meanwhile, JOHN CHO HAS BEEN CAST?!?! You just snuck that in there, Anthony. When did that happen? Assuming he’s Sulu, I must admit a slight twinge of disappointment that we aren’t getting a Japanese-American in the role (just as we aren’t getting a Scot for Scotty), but John is another fantastic actor. (Though, if memory serves, in both these cases they seem to be casting a little older than originally announced.)
He certainly sounds like a FUN choice, I guess. And it’s not like Scotty is going to be central to the plot anyway; he’ll just pop up for a few scenes probably.
Can’t argue with the choice, since I love Mr. Pegg, but I do have a lot of trouble picturing him as Scotty.
“By The Power of Greyskull!”
Interesting choice. Not my first pick, for sure, but he is a very good actor (I LOVED Hot Fuzz!!!) I wonder if he will end up wearing a wig in the film though, as he is a bit thin on top.
I haven’t seen any of his movies, but I’m cautiously optimistic. At least, I don’t see this as the crushing blow that some on another thread have made it out to be.
With the comedic background, I worry too that Scotty is going to be the “buffoon Scotty” from movies IV-V rather than the tough-as-nails Scotty of “A Taste of Armageddon” (”The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank.”)
Of course, Scotty was always a source of comic relief in TOS too. “It’s … it’s … it’s *green*.”)
If Pegg can combine the two effectively, I don’t really care about the looks. I mean, they can dye his hair, and Doohan did have a bit of a grizzled look to him, even if it’s not the same grizzled look.
(Side thought, though: Pegg has red hair, is only 5′ 9″ tall, can obviously handle kick-ass violent roles, and is clearly not the prettiest guy in any room. Why exactly isn’t this guy playing Rohrshach?)
Thank you, Anthony, for your inadvertant slip-up. John Cho is PERFECT for Sulu.
John Cho as Sulu?
JJ sure likes to cast guys with heavy eyebrows !
One other, more general comment about the casting news that’s adding up:
I’m very, very relieved to see that they are casting older than the age ranges listed in the leaked character descriptions from a while back. I was having problems with a 23 year-old Uhura and a 32 year-old Scotty. But the ages are working out to be much more in line with the age spreads of the original actors, making this feel much less like a UFP 90210 in the making.
And, so far, thumbs up from me for all of the casting choices.
Anthony…
What do you mean by “ooops….coming soon”?
That tells me that you know MUCH more than you have been saying.
Are you in cahoots with JJ & Company?
Just feeding us the info on their schedule?
I am disappointed, but jaded enough not to really be surprised
So, give us the REAL scoop on Shatner.
guys keep this article focused on Pegg. make Cho comments in the Cho article
here is the behind the scenes. I had two scoops…Pegg and Cho. I had chuck writing the Pegg while I was doing the Cho. the plan was for the cho one to go up first and that is why he mentioned cho…then godamn Variety scooped me and we had to rush out the cho. The same thing happened with Chris Pine and Hollywood Reporter.
It doesn’t matter that John Cho isn’t Japanese. He’s Korean, which looks very similar, and no I don’t mean that in the cliche’ “All asian people look alike” way. Even a Japanese person would be hard pressed to distinguish between the two just by looking at them, the same way you couldn’t tell a Brit from an American just by looking at them.
SIMON PEGG IS THE WORST CHOICE FOR SCOTTY THEY COULD HAVE MADE!!
OK Anthony, I’ll buy that! LOL
Sorry you were scooped.
You could make it up with some Shatner news!!! LOL
Pegg could be fine in the role. I still have faith in JJ and his team.
I don’t know. I mean he looks NOTHING like Scotty! I like the guy, but I’m sorry he’s not Scotty, they might as well cast me as Sulu, and I’m a white dude
Harry:
No, I am the worst choice for Scotty they could have made. Some perspective, please.
Great. Why don’t they just cast Will Farrell in it? I should have known: time travel, the villain is a Romulan named Nero, and now this? They are either not making a serious Star Trek or they don’t get it.
Aintitcool news is reporting that the budget has gone way up, and that’s definitely great to hear!
I have to say I’m really disappointed. He looks nothing like Scotty and this probably means Scotty will be nothing but the comic relief… :(
You know, Scotty doesn’t necessarily have to be fat in this movie. For all we know, he was really skinny at the start of the 5-year mission. But let’s see how he looks with his hair dyed.
Frack. I want Paul McGillon.
This is really turning out to be an interesting cast. I wonder how many movies they are planning on having these guys do together.
I also wonder what will happen for the next series.
Either way, this is good news on both Pegg and Cho. I guess the only one’s left are Bones, Nurse Chapel, confirmation for Kirk, and casting news on how many Red Shirts the new film is going to have (I’d love to play that!). :D
Mr. Orci, how can you explain this obvious lapse in sanity on Abram’s part? Simon Pegg is wrong for the role of Scotty on so many levels!!
This is ridiculous. This is probably the worst casting I’ve heard in a long time.
#33 - No, Scotty wasn’t fat in TOS. You have seen Star Trek, the original series, haven’t you?
Yikes, BAD choice, IMO. Pegg for Scotty and Cho for Sulu? After a steady stream of solid casting choices, these ones are really a step down, I think. They should have gone with unknowns……..too bad.
#38 — Not only wasn’t Scotty fat in TOS, he was positively wiry in “Where No Man Has Gone Before”:
http://www.debbieohi.com/trek/pics/03scotty.JPG
It sounds like it’s going to be a really funny movie.
38 - of course I have. And Scotty seemed to get huskier with each episode.
Oh, shut up, whiners.
Do you know anything about Pegg and how seriously he takes geek stuff like Star Trek? Do you think he’s going to somehow just waltz in and make this a “funny movie”? He’s primarily known for being a comedian, but he can do serious stuff when he wants to. He’s an unconventional choice, but a great one, and one that rises above the caliber of some dude who was once on Stargate.
#30
Well as long as the STORY is still taken seriously, it shouldn’t matter if more comedic actors are cast in the roles. In fact they would probably bring a lot more life to their characters than your standard “serious” actor.
It’s Super-Svelte-Scotty!
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=25&pos=205
Who cares if he’s into geek stuff like Star Trek? That is totally irrelevent! It comes down to hiring the best cast possible and this man is lacking the talent needed to play an iconic role like Scotty! ANYBODY would have been better than casting this jack-off!
#26 Totally agree…Paul McGillion was ROBBED. Honestly, I’m obviously disappointed it’s not Paul but I was hoping it would be someone who suited and honoured the role and Doohan’s portrayal. He looks nothing like Doohan, he’s an englishman playing a Scottish hero (oooww thats not going to go down well) and he’s a comedian, they’re making a joke out of ‘Scotty’. Even if he plays it straight it’ll be taken as satire. This is the worst casting ever! And so much for all those who said Paul was ‘too old’ Simon looks OLDER then Paul!!! I was excited about this film, but now I’m not so sure, they’re making a joke out of it…
Easily the worst casting new so far. I have to agree with this last sentence:
“I was excited about this film, but now I’m not so sure, they’re making a joke out of it…”
“ANYBODY would have been better than casting this jack-off!”
So, you’re basically admitting that you don’t know the work the guy’s done, then — from Spaced, to the movies, to being the voice of Strontium Dog to being in Doctor Who, etc. etc. etc. Great, thanks for playing!
Casting like this is what Star Trek needs — people who can act, who are interesting to watch on the screen, and who don’t slavishly fit the mold of their predecessors.
This is awesome news.
So, basically, the only significant criticism of Pegg so far is that he doesn’t look as much like Doohan as McGillion does.
Um, okay.
Oh, I’ve seen this guy’s work……..and I’m NOT impressed! Abrams had THE WHOLE WORLD to pick from and THIS is the best he could come up with?? This is a sad day indeed for the franchise of Star Trek!
Harry, you are completely out of line to say Simon is “the worst choice they could have made”, “lacking the talent needed” and “anybody would have been better than this jack-off”.
Bollocks.
Pegg is one of the most gifted talents working in film today. Don’t judge him solely on “Shaun of the Dead” or “M:I:III”. Seek out “Spaced”. Watch him in “Hot Fuzz”. Heck, watch his guest shot on “Doctor Who”.
And his unabashed love for the genre is indeed most relevant. He will not just approach this as another acting gig, but as a sacred trust. Because HE’S A GEEK.
Oh, go cry into a Mugato stuffed animal or something.
This is a fantastic day for the franchise of Star Trek.
Robogeek’s right on.
Anyone who has followed Pegg’s career knows that he doesn’t tread on big sci-fi franchises lightly — have you seen how reverent Quinto’s been toward the fan base? I expect Pegg will have a few fun jibes here and there, but will treat the source material even more seriously.
And, of all the actors signed on, you know this is the one guy they’ve hired who’s actually SEEN STAR TREK BEFORE.
#49 - Hey I like Simon, he’s awesome. ‘Spaced’ rocked, and I have it, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and more in my DVD collection…and I am DYING to find time to go see ‘Run, fat Boy, Run’. But that doesn’t change the fact that he is possibly THE worst choice for Scotty EVER and thats not just looks. He’s a comedian, they’re making a joke out of the role and the character AND the film. It’s made worse by the fact the rest of the casting has tried to fit the previous actors as close as possible, and then they have someone like Simon who will stick out like a sore thumb….That I am sooooo not happy with.
You keep going back to the argument that this “actor” loves Star Trek and will treat it with respect. That means nothing! I’d much rather have an actor with charisma and talent who can bring that to THE PERFORMANCE, than some geek who has been in a few movies and now wets his pants over being in Star Trek….don’t choose enthusiasm over talent, that NEVER works!! It might if you’re digging a ditch, not when you’re making a film!
If Orci’s reading this, please sneak the line “Skip to the end…” somewhere in Scotty’s dialogue, please.
Simon Pegg is a good actor and a fine choice to play Scotty.
I’m excited to see how he’ll play him.
this guy is awesome. im so happy.
It feels good that J.J., Orci, and the gang really scrutinized these roles, and are treating them with respect. I give you all my best wishes when casting Doctor McCoy…. then were off to Iceland!
S T A R T R E K
LIVES!
I feel like a little boy again~
“skip to the end”
See? You’ve already betrayed your own argument! Suggesting that this miscast actor break from character and wink at the audience by referencing a line from some crappy movie he appeared in as a different character! Thanks for proving my point that this casting choice is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I happen to think that none of the actors look very much like the original series actors (Quinto included), and the physical appearance of the actor doesn’t matter a whole lot to me.
What DOES matter is that we get an actor who is capable enough to handle the role, is able to have the screen presence to do “what Scotty needs to do” (which is, likely, just make a few frantic “I’m working on it” calls up to the bridge and work a few transporters). We’re talking about MONTGOMERY SCOTT here, people, not Hamlet. What kind of performance are you expecting?
So, yep, to my mind, it certainly does mean something that the actor is one who, I suspect, knows original Trek better than any of the other actors cast in the film so far (save Nimoy, of course). Because, ultimately, Star Trek has a wonderful history, but it’s moving in a different direction starting with this film.
And if that means changing the characterization of Scotty somehwhat, I’m all for it if it means I can watch Simon Pegg do it. I’m excited, NOT because Pegg is “a perfect Scotty,” but because HE CAN BRING SOMETHING UNIQUE OF HIS OWN to the role. See, that’s the kind of thing that actors get excited about, and I’d rather see a movie that has dedicated actors than watch someone else try to slavishly impersonate Doohan.
“Some geek who’s been in a few movies”? You really have no idea what you’re talking about, do you, “Harry Ballz”?
Dude Sean, the casting is obviously off. Like, really off. I don’t see how you can honestly be satisfied with this guy playing Scotty. James Doohan to Simon Pegg? I like Simon Pegg, don’t get me wrong, but he’s totally off on this role. He might be good for another character in Star Trek. But not Scotty.
Doohan:
http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/scotty.jpg
Pegg:
http://cjkennedy.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/hot-fuzz-4.jpg
(most serious picture i can find where he doesn’t look like a goofball. no offense to the actor at all, he’s a comedic actor. and a great one at that.)
That “skip to the end” post was a joke, son.
Ohwait, no, this is the Internet WHERE EVERYTHING ABOUT STAR TRACK IS RALLY SERIOUSSS AND LETS ARGUE SOME MORE EMPHAATATIICALLY!!!!!!!!!!!1
Hey Wild Man, did you see the part where I mentioned that physical appearance wasn’t something that I personally found important?
Here is my photoshop attempt, still would have liked to see Magillion but will wait and see what he does with Scotty.
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3257/peggscottyka2.jpg
Didn’t James Doohans son lobby for Paul McGillion as well? Obvious Paul was ready to go in the press reports that he gave and he welcomed Doohans Blessing. There must have been a dispute over money.
Ah, nope i posed while you put up that post. Eh, no arguement there, that’s your perogative.
posted* i meant
How in the world would Doohan’s son lobbying for McGillion have any impact on whether or not they hired McGillion for the role?
With all due respect to the Doohans: It’s quite nice when the original cast’s family have a preference for an actor, but they aren’t putting up any dough for the film. The producers, the studio, the casting director, etc. are banking a lot on this film, and won’t pick someone simply because Doohan’s son expressed a preference.
And, full disclosure, until today I actually thought McGillion was the most suitable actor for the role — not aware that they could get people of the caliber of Pegg and Cho for the remaining roles (given that all of the others have gone to relative unknowns).
I think it’s unfortunate that both Pegg and Cho are mainly known to audiences for comedic roles, because they’re both perfectly capable of putting in excellent serious performances. This is just a PR timing mistake, and it’s sad to see Trekkies be so short-sighted and blow a gasket over getting good actors for these roles.
Harry, you’re being an unimaginable ass.
Pegg is indeed “an actor with charisma and talent who can bring that to THE PERFORMANCE”. If you’d bother to look at his work, you’d know that.
On top of that, Pegg _also_ brings a depth of understanding and passion for both the genre and the original material.
This equals enthusiam _plus_ talent (not “over”).
Casting-wise, that’s called having your cake and eating it too.
Which is GOOD.
(And I’d much rather have that than just someone who merely happens to more closely resemble Doohan.)
Once again as I stated in a previous thread a few glimmers and then everything goes out the damn window. Honestly how many comedic actors are good in dramatic roles and if they just turn Scotty into comic relief then i definitely won’t go see this movie. If they wanted to put humor in this movie and being the self proclaimed Trek fans that they are why not do like TOS and leave it to the verbal jibes between McCoy and Spock, those were the best. once again I am forced to say that I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now, but if i end up hating this movie you will be burned in effigy like I did for Berman (okay just to make sure nobody’s feathers get ruffled, thats called sarcasm)
#60 - Komack…respect???? Casting McAvoy would have been respectful. Casting Paul would have been respectful. Hell casting Compston or Hemphil would have been more respectfulful. Casting Pegg is NOT respectful of neither the role or the memory of Doohan and his ‘Scotty’…that REALLY upsets me. What’s right about him for the role barring he can just about do a passable Scottish accent? He’s an Englishman! And a comic (a damn fine one, but still) And just because he’s a geek has no barring. You dont have to be a geek to like Trek…
Sean. I appreciate your love affair with Simon, but being so aggressive and being the ONLY one trying to shove him down our throats without a decent arguement except your Pegg lovin’ and then being totally disrespectful of a) the character (with your, he’s only a bit part anyway), b) Trek fans and c) the geek BS just proves Harry and the rest of us right.
Calm ya self down son, you look like a numpty.
Not Pegg! Paul Mc Gillion was the best to be Scotty! I fear the worst for Kirk!
So now it is a wait and see who will play McCoy, Pike and Kirk. I wonder if it will be next week or this weekend.
Harry I share your dismay somewhat about Pegg’s casting, and kinda wish Magillion had gotten the part, but it seems like simply being fair to me to say that we should wait until the end credits roll to pass judgment on Pegg’s performance, or any of the others for that matter. You never know how it’s gonna turn out until you see it. Let’s give it a chance and hope for the best. I’m just happy that Star Trek is being brought back to the big screen, let alone getting the casting choices that I might have wanted. Let’s not abandon ship before she’s had a chance to leave drydock! I say wait for the film, then we can tear it to shreds, if that is what it deserves. If, on the other hand, it turns out great and everyone hands in a stellar performance, then we’ll be that much better off and all this speculation will be unimportant.
My turn under the Van Gelder machine, now, give it up.
Its not what they look like but what they can bring to the roles. They were’nt picked for what they looked like- although there is some consideration given to the appearance- these actors have been screen tested and were chosen for there ability to act. So weather they look exactly like the original character or not is pointless.
I have to agree that Simon Pegg is the wrong choice to play Scotty. I’m sure Pegg is a capable actor, but I don’t think he fits in the role of Scotty. Had they chosen Paul McGillion (which was my hope), they’d have an actor that can act both serious, and funny as well as having the accent and looks.
Up until now the casting has been great, but this definitely is a step in the wrong direction. Next ting we’ll hear, is probably gonna be that Robbie Williams has been chosen as the new Kirk :P
man, the casting is just off. It’s so obvious. I mean Pegg would be interesting in star trek! maybe for a different character on a different ship. But Scotty? 40 + years with doohan engrained in our memories. It’s hard to think of anyone else, for any of these characters. But Pegg? Come on.
You know, I’m thinking back to Hot Fuzz, and his grumpy demeanor in that DOES kind of remind me of Scotty at times.
So I don’t think it’s fair to suggest that Pegg will only be cracking jokes and doesn’t have the ability to be serious in the role.
“Casting Pegg is NOT respectful of neither the role or the memory of Doohan and his ‘Scotty’…that REALLY upsets me. What’s right about him for the role barring he can just about do a passable Scottish accent? He’s an Englishman! And a comic (a damn fine one, but still) And just because he’s a geek has no barring.”
How is it not respectful to Doohan? Because he doesn’t look much like Doohan? Because he’s not Scots? Oh wait, I mean, because he’s from Britain and not Canada? I’m getting confused. And of course him being a geek has relevance, we’ve been over it a few times, so I won’t bother to reiterate.
I’m certainly very “numpty,” whatever that means, but you seem very hung up on the idea of “respect” here — I’m not being “disrespectful” of the character of Scotty, just realistic. He’s the gearhead of the Enterprise, he’ll have probably 15 lines total in the script, and that’s it. That’s what “Scotty” IS. You’ve seen Star Trek before, so this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, right?
I’m blissfully disrespectful of Star Trek fans who put more emphasis on an actor’s appearance than on someone’s ability and screen presence. This kind of whining is seeming more and more like the “female Starbuck” kinds of complaints of a few years ago — that is, reactionary and not very constructive.
Star Trek’s moving on, and you don’t have to like it. Nobody’s making you go see this film.
But I’ll be camping out.
Would you rather have someone who looked like Scotty, acted like Scotty, or a blend of both? Take that into consideration.
I think Hot Fuzz is a great example of what I’m hoping to see from Pegg in this role. Will he be Doohan? Nope. Quinto won’t be Nimoy, Saldana won’t be Nichols, Cho won’t be Takei, Eric Bana won’t be Joan Linville.
Wow im shocked, Pegg came from nowhere! I was hoping for McGillion but Pegg will do nicely, hes a great actor and massive in the UK as well !
Holy shit this film is gonna be huge! Cant wait!
Like It Or Not Its Meant To Be
I Guess We’ll Have To Wait And See
But Either Way ITS HERE TO STAY!
Let STAR TREK LIVE On Christmas Day!!
HO HO HO !!!
#80 - So far they’ve cast people that ‘fit’ the original mold of the character, one’s who can be true to spirit of the original in both looks and of course acting ability to portray the role respectful to the original one. Go look at the 200+ comments over Pine for Kirk, or Vogel for Kirk the main concern and critism has been whether he LOOKS the part, the acting ability is a given, they’re not going to cast some random halfwit who cant act but is young Shatner’s twin.
Hence Quinto’s casting, he’s a dead ringer for Nimoy. That’s why they’re casting an Asian actor as Sulu, a russian as Chekov who also resembles the original and a black female actress as Uhura. If Pegg is the ONLY one who doesn’t look like the original actor or fit the part then that makes it BAD and disrespectful casting. It says to me, oh its only Scotty, who gives a crap.
And casting an englishman as a Scottish hero when they already had an actor like Paul McGillion who is also a damn fine actor, is a big Trek fan and grew up watching it, is actually Scottish AND Canadian like Doohan, already has a HUGE genre following, got a massive positive approval from fans here and the press, is the right age (1 year older then Pegg but looks younger), looks like Doohan….and the list goes on.
Not to mention Chris Doohan’s comments ARE valid. They’ve spoken to all the original actors for the other parts cast so far. So unless they hold a seyance, I think Chris is the next best thing to his Dad and his opinion IS valid.
As for the geek part, dude seriously? You say geek like its some badge of freakin honor and makes everything alright ! Let me ask you this, are you excited about going to see Trek just because Pegg’s in it, or you’re a Trek fan? I’m unashamedly a HUGE McGillion fan, and I was excited for him to play Scotty because I am also a HUGE Trek fan and thought he fit the role perfectly. And if they’d gotten an actor who fit Scotty I would be happy regardless but Pegg is no Scotty….
#84
Agreed. These actors are playing CHARACTERS, not other actors.
I’m actually excited at the idea of seeing something new and different brought to these characters (who, with the exception of the Big 3, were never that well developed anyway).
As already mentioned Simon Pegg is a great actor. But I have problems to see him as Scotty as well. Seems they somewhat want to go in a different direction regarding Scottys part. Maybe he is more the funny part than the old Scotty was.
I’m curious about it.
Please tell me they’re kidding??? They had that PERFECT guy from Stargate and they go with this??? Look, I liked Shaun of the Dead, but … Harry is right to be outraged! THUMBS DOWN.
Have to admit I’m only vaguely familiar with the guy, having seen bits of Sean of the Dead, and I’m sure he’s talented, but I don’t exactly see this. I’ve long thought Scotty was the great untapped character; that Doohan was the underutilized talent. The few times we see him on the bridge in charge of the ship; the great episode on Argelius where he’s accused of murder, when he’s drinking an alien under the table, when he’s defending his ship’s honor against the Klingons……these are all glimpses into and facets of the man I just don’t see this guy doing. Scotty had a proud swagger that in no way seemed comedic to me. The comedy came from how fiercely proud he was of his heritage and his position. From what I saw of that McGillion guy he seemed a better choice. Also Scotty seemed more of a real man than this guys seems to be.
We’ll see.
And # 87
TJ, I think you’ve pretty much hit every other thing I didn’t say. Good post.
I love this guy. He is uber talented. I’m stunned at what an excelent cast this is turning out to be. I almost can’t beleive it. WOW.
#92 Thanks. And here, here to your comments! Scotty was one of my childhood heros and to me an important part of ‘Trek’. Yeah he wasn’t in the trio of Kirk, Spock and McCoy but he wasn’t far behind! He brought charm, humour and strength to the role making him a well rounded character. This casting has me worried Scotty will merely be the bit part, comic relief . Even Sean ‘I want Pegg’s babies’ comments reflect that; he’ll only pop up now and then with some random comic moment so its ok for Pegg to play him. Respectful huh? NOT! He’s probably rigjt tho… (so not the best of parts of Pegg either).
I am so disappointed…
He will need a wig or hair transplant because is it me or does he hardly have any hair. If they do a multi film deal I do not want a picard looking engineer on the ship. Also will they dye his hair?
Pegg is a superb comic actor, one of the best. Very talented. But he is not Scotty. Oh dear…
Hey guys, don’t be so prejudiced. Let’s wait and see. Remember: Nobody wanted to have Craig as Bond and he did it great!
You attach too much importance to the look and the origin of this guy.
Let’s give him a chance. He’s very talented.
#97 - Considering all the fuss over all the other characters casting, thats double-standards. Maybe they should make McCoy a women too then they can have a wee love triangle between Spock, Kirk and McCoy and incinuate a threesome…ya know throw a little sexual tention into the mix to make it sexy.
Pegg as Scotty…..NARP!!!! ;)
oh dear - gut reaction
i thought they were going for relative unknowns for the big 7 (Pegg is far from unknown) plus actors that beared a similar look..
Bet the Stargate guy is pissed - he’s have been perfect…
Also i’m slightly concerned as in the Stargate guy thread i said i was willing to bet my life he gets cast….
God….please forgive me
Btw if a ‘name’ like Pegg is Scotty then maybe Karl urban WILL be Bones after all
BRILLIANT!
The more I think about Pegg as Scotty, the better and better it seems.
Relax. It’s all good.
Will be interesting to see if he does a “proper” scottish accent, (doubtful) or a more theatrical one like Dohhan did which, as much as I do love the guy and Scotty, was a pretty inaccurate sounding scottish accent.
My ex is from England and whenever Trek was on, she and her friends used to laugh and say, “What? He’s suppossed to be Scottish?”
ballz…final warning for spamming
comments to http://trekmovie.com/about/feedback
Yes! Excellent casting guys… I’ve been a fan of Pegg since series 1 of Spaced. Keep up the good work!
Great casting. These boys have been spot on thus far.
“He’s a comedian, they’re making a joke out of the role and the character AND the film.”
Dude, I hear ya. I mean….Michael Keaton playing Batman? MICHAEL FREAKIN KEATON!?!?!? You know all indications were that Burton was finally going to give us the Batman movie we all wanted. A Batman that was dark and serious. Then he goes and casts a freakin stand up comedian who will make a joke out of the character AND the film. Keaton is totally lacking in gravitas and the abilitiy to act or carry a serious part. I mean, hello….Mr. Mom? ugh
Burton just made a huge mistake and this is going to cost this movie dearly. Batman will flop miserably because nobody, and I mean NOBODY will ever believe that Michael Keaton (MICHAEL FREAKIN KEATON!!!) could be Batman!!
Worst. Casting. EVER.
ok i’m gotten over the shock of Pegg as Scotty now - he should be fine..but i still think the stargate guy was perfect for Scot
a couple of points..
Wonder if Pegg will dye black or wear a wig? or do a Craig and just remain…?
Also wasnt Ricky Gervais going to do the Mission Impossible Role but dropped out so Pegg took over? maybe if he had done MI 3 we’d all be crying today over DAVID BRENT playing Scotty !
Maybe Cruise WILL be Pike now…the whole MI 3 connection and all…
They did cast who?! I have to admit that I’m fairly disappointed at their chosing Simon Pegg over Paul McGillion. To my mind McGillion would have been an excellent choice and no doubt would have given depth to the character of Scotty. “Some dude who was once on Stargate” is a nasty comment that does in no way justice to the quality of his acting skills.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely opposed to Pegg because I have no idea how he can pull off a ’serious’ performance, thus won’t condemn him from the start, but I simply can’t picture him as Scotty. It’s not the looks, it’s the associations I have when I see him. No matter how fine a dramatic performance Pegg would give, I still think of him as the comedic geek, which IMHO just doesn’t fit with the role.
The good news is he’s not some young kid. The bad news is–as of now–I don’t see him as Scotty. I can see him play drama. I know he can do comedy (In fact i really enjoy his comedic work) I can see him doing sci-fi. But it just does not have the feel of, “Look, it’s Scotty!”
I did say to myself “Look, it’s Scotty” when I saw Paul Magillion.
When I read they were going to do the original crew I wondered who would play who. I thought Bodie Olmos could play Spock. They got Quinto. And I thought, yeah…I did not think of him; but he’ll actually work.
Same with Uhura and Checkov.
Hell, I was happy with Pine as Kirk. And as time goes on, I see more of a resemblance to a young Shatner in each photo I see of this guy. He’s not a spitting image, but has similar facial mannerisms.
But Pegg—I don’t see him as Scotty. At least not now. This is not as bad as their choice for Sulu. I’m a bit terrified who they’ll get for Bones.
Nope, not buying this. Is this a joke? Is this movie turning into a parody or spoof? Firstly, his Scottish accent is FAR from flawless. It is a stereotype. Secondly, he has little grounding in actual acting, and, although he might be a good comedian, I doubt he has the acting chops to pull this off.
Also, they appeared to have been staying faithful to the looks of the original cast with Quinto, Saldana and Cho, but Simon Pegg looks nothing like Scotty. Does this mean that they feel that Scotty’s (and therefore Doohan’s) input was so insignificant as not to honour both the character and the actor’s memory?
I feel that this is a mistake, and, much as I respect Simon Pegg as a COMEDIAN, unless they are looking for Scotty to be nothing but the comic relief, I feel this is a huge mistake, especially considering some of the others who have been touted for the role.
#94
I think humour has always been a very important aspect of TOS. So, we shouldn’t be too worried that Pegg being the comedy type necessarily means that the role of Scotty will be considered only as a random comic element. But, of course, your doubts are well justified: comedy and humour are two different concepts and Doohan was perfectly able to distinguish between them.
Simon Pegg is a fantastic actor, but like many my gut says no.
That said, we gotta wait till the credits roll to really judge the performance. Look, we havent seen the script - Scotty isnt going to have that much to do - they need whoever plays him to create a character right out the blocks. I wouldnt be suprised if it wasnt a “lighter role”, which Pegg would be perfect for. I just hope it doesnt bounce me out of the movie.
This seems to be the first casting to polarize internet opinion, but i’m still hopeful. I’ll just point out the Pegg is a MASSIVE STAR WARS fan. As is Abrams.
You do the math. Ah, screw it:
Go PEGG!!!
oh, and whats wrong with Michael Keatons Batman?
I like this Pegg gentlemen. Although, I have not seen his movies. The trailers seem humerous.
With that said, I would have rather seen Doohans son portray the role, or that Stargate fellow. However, that is just my humble opinion.
I’m certain the casting people know exactly what they are doing.
Unless of course, if their decisions happen to be mired in deadlines and are forced to choose among the pool they have.
As a famous Vulcan once said, you go to war with the army you have….
Yes. That worked out well too.
Of course, someone higher up in the chain of command could be pushing for comedians. Maybe we’ll see some more T&A too. McCoy could still be played by Jeri Ryan.
Stay tuned kiddos….
Didn’t see this coming at all. I live in the UK and really enjoyed Hot Fuzz and SHaun of the dead. My friends tell me that “run fat boy run” is good as well. He’s a great actor, I’m sure he’s capable of pulling Scotty off. I’m just surprised that he went for this role, he’s had quite a few movies where he was the main star. With his inclusion, I think the movie just managed to attract a big UK audience. At least it will be easier for me to ask my non-trek friends to come see the movie with me!! Cho sounds like a good choice too, though I reallt don’t know this guy that much. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m seeing this movie in a completely different light now! Also warming more towards the idea of Chris Pine as Kirk. He’s probably one of our best bets. Bring on the rest of the cast!!!
115 - yes - how do they keep these things under wraps? I was CERTAIN the stargate guy was gonna get it due to all the hype..rumours etc.
Bana came out of the blue as well - i mean there was literally no mention of him at all before he was announced. no rumours at all…it was all Crowe this Cruise that etc
115 again - yes Pegg has abit of a cult following especially in the UK..unlike the stargate guy who is a total unknown really.
The UK audience will certainly be intriged by Peggs inclusion…..and therfore it might make more due to that
113. jon1701
“oh, and whats wrong with Michael Keatons Batman? ”
Everything when The Joker is played by a certain actor named Jack.
* Cough* splutter*…what the?….SIMON PEGG???…good Lord…has the world gone mad? This is as bad as having Ewen ‘Spud out of Trainspotting’ Bremner, or comedian Greg Hemphill cast…
Some here may not like this opinion, and it’s only an opinion, albiet a strongly held one…but this casting is just dreadful….
As much as I enjoy the back catalogue of Simon’s work, this casting of the ‘Scotty’ is so awful, I can barely take it in… As I couldn’t get Gerard ‘300′ Butler, I had hoped the film-makers would get some other Scot who had a reasonably ‘commanding screen presence’, and could fit the shoes of the wonderful character fleshed out by James Doohan. And what do I get?…weedy Simon Pegg!
Well that’s it…after the other recent worrying probabilities suggested for this Movie, I can safely say that J.J. Abrams ‘vision’ is too ‘leftfield’ for me, if as the final indignity…he’s casting an ENGLISHMAN as ‘Scotty’…
Stanky was right all along…it’s ‘fake’ Trek… ;)
Worst.Casting.EVER.
Pegg is a comedy actor, and I love him to pieces, but he is NOT Scotty!
He doesn’t look like James Doohan in any way.
I was hoping for McGillion, but I’d rather James McAvoy had gotten the role over Pegg.
Pegg is also a huge Trek fan. And a fan of most ‘nerdy’ pursuits. He created Spaced, which is famous for being a sitcom for the Sci-Fi generation. He plays a comic book artists who works part time at a comic store. He’ll be great at conventions.
As said above, he is very famous in the UK. So the film will probably make a few new Trekkies over in this little island.
His character in Spaced did once say “…As sure as all odd numbered Trek movies are shit” in one episode though :P
And to think that I was against James McAvoy as being wrong and too weedy for the role… No offence Pegg fans, but James seems a fantastic choice to me now…
Ah well…from here on in I will take this Movie for the ‘alternative time-line’ re-arranged universe it so obviously must be…I mean, an English actor as ‘Scotty’ indeed!
Now bring on that ‘Enterprise’ design, so I can see where the go-faster lines and flames have been added…so I have another excuse for the wife about why I’m hitting the Romulan Ale hard…
Scotty must have a couple of “funny” scenes
#117 - Snake DUDE are you kidding me??? Stargate is the 2nd biggest TV scifi franchise 2nd only to Trek, and Paul’s character was MASSIVE and beloved worldwide. So huge in fact that the outrage caused by them killing off his character had fans compaigning on mere rumour alone nearly a year before the ep was broadcast in the US. Scifi, NBC & the producers got buried under a deluge of letters & press and summarily resurrected ‘Beckett’. NBC/Uni even quoted the reason in a press release as ‘fan outcry’. And this was all BEFORE his characters death had even airred on US TV!!
Oh and dont worry, I’m sure the ‘bet my life’ wont be cashed in on!!! ;)
#111 - Totally with you. It’s a slap in the face to Doohan’s memory that while every other character is being carefully cast to match their predacessors, Doohan’s contribution was obviously too insignificant to be honoured like that. It’s not like they had an actor a mere year older then Pegg, who had the right look, physique not to mention accent to play the role. Inside we get a spoof Scotty played by a whimpy Englishman (ouch) with a Austin Power’s ‘Fat Bastard’ accent… I say again NARP!!!
Next thing you know he’ll be playing bagpipes, eating haggis, drinking Scotch and ‘Scottifying’ his uniform with a ‘See You Jimmy’ Tam’o’shanter (minus the ginger hair because he’s got the natural variety)…thats no’ Starfleet issue…
Really must lay off the redbull….
Does anyone recall all the negative stuff about Daniel Craig when he was cast as the new James Bond?
I could not believe the enormity of the, quite honestly, stupid and juvenile comments about the actor. Wrong colour hair, wrong colour eyes, he was a wimp and would never fill the shoes of any previous Bond incarnations. There were worse comments than those above, but I can’t be bothered to say them, as they were, frankly, insulting to the actor.
But what actually happened? We got the best Bond film ever IMO.
So loosen up guys and trust the people who are making this Star Trek movie.
They won’t be letting us down.
I don’t doubt Simon Pegg’s acting abilities — on the contrary.
BUT, I was REALLY hoping for a real Scotsman as Scotty!
Scottish people and English people do not look alike, they do not sound alike, and they have very different cultures. Foisting Simon Pegg on us, calling him Scotty, and getting him to spout a canned Scottish accent will simply not cut it. He will never BE Scottish, and he will never quite BE Scotty. Okay, that’s my rant, I’ve said it — it doesn’t mean I’m boycotting the movie or anything…
Oh, and with Simon Pegg in the role, you won’t be able to spin this off into a new series if the movie does well, and that is a real impediment. Because Simon Pegg ain’t going to settle for American TV if you ask me, whereas all the others cast would probably be game.
#124
Why is it a slap in the face? Were you there at the casting? Did you see his audition? Have you read the script?
For all we know he does a spot-on James Doohan impersonation. The “scottish accent” in that sketch show was at least 8 years ago IIRC. Its the only video that comes up on youtube if you type “pegg scottish”.
I’ll admit, my gut reaction was “no”, but this guy is a sci fi fan. He is.
He wont screw around, that much i am confident of. He’s got the acting chops. I think the Costume & Make up have to sell this one.
It doesnt ring 100 percent true yet, i’ll admit.
But to suggest this is a slap in the face to Jimmy Doohan is ludicrous in the extreme.
An interesting choice to say the least. Unfortunately there’s a lot of typecasting going on here. Pegg is an actor not just a comedian. I have to admit his selection for the role is a surprise but Pegg is talented and can pull off a role like Scotty easily.
Can’t believe everyone is getting whipped into such a frenzy. Simon is a great actor, am sure his Scottish accent will be more refined than the “spoof” version in his sketches, and I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised. I imagine his accent will certainly be more true to life than Doohan’s fairly poor effort.
Remember Mr Scott often provided a bit of light relief in Star Trek, so I don’t think it’s any bad thing to have an actor known for comedy in the role.
And what’s everyone’s issue with him being English? How is that worse than a Canadian playing a Scotsman?
Ho hum…
Heh.
Seems we are getting a more measured response as the earth turns and more of us Brits are coming online…
:D
my gut reaction is “Up Your Shaft”
I do like Simon Pegg and have enjoyed many of the things he has done. But he just doesn’t look the part to me.
Yeah I know it doesn’t matter that the new actors don’t look exactly like the old actors who portrayed these characters but surely they have to look a little bit like them. I hope at the least they change the color of his hair and eyebrows because a blonde Scotty suggest to me more of a reboot than prequel. I don’t think an altered time line could change the colour of your hair, unless of course they forced his father to marry a different women ?
He had a small Role in “Land of the Dead” as a zombie because George Romero loved his tribute film to “Dawn of the dead” which was of course “Shaun of the dead”. So given that Pegg enjoys his blood and gore, I say give him the role of a red shirt and a gory death! As for him playing Scotty I am not so sure.
#126 - Because EVERY other role (barring McCoy…yet) has either been cast or rumoured, with an actor who closely physically resembles the original. Every. Single. One. So why doesn’t Doohan’s Scotty warrant the same treatment? I’m not asking for an impersonation, I’m not asking for them to play Doohan playing Scotty, but its totally double standards.
#128 - Its a Scottish thing (and considered insulting). And its not like there is an absolute wealth of great Scottish talent out there to play the role. I’d take the BLONDE McKidd over Pegg anyday. And yes, Doohan provided comic relief, but he also provided more serious sides to the role. I have seen A LOT of Simon Pegg’s work, dont get me wrong I love the guy (just check out my DVD collection to see that!) but he’s no Scotty by any stretch fo the imagination. 90% of his work is comedy or comedy cameos. And considering he’s been the lead in 3 big movies now, I’m guessing that also signals Scotty is going to be a ‘comedy cameo’ in this movie, thats the part that upsets me the most.
# 131 - Its a Scottish thing (and considered insulting).
Really? We’ve got a Scottish Prime Minister running England, so am sure the Scottish can put up with and Englishman playing Scotty.
# 131 - Because EVERY other role (barring McCoy…yet) has either been cast or rumoured, with an actor who closely physically resembles the original. Every. Single. One. So why doesn’t Doohan’s Scotty warrant the same treatment? I’m not asking for an impersonation, I’m not asking for them to play Doohan playing Scotty, but its totally double standards.
I think that with some hair dye and a shave, Simon could actually look much more similar to Doohan than you think. They’ve both got quite round faces. Though actually I don’t think it matters much if they look like each other or not particularly.
@91
I too felt that Doohan was the underutilized talent. Here’s proof from a show in which he was able to really show his range.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrKKD2n0faY
Well that was unexpected.
Right now I can’t see how Pegg will look or perform as Scotty, and I am very disappointed that a real Scot (and for my own slightly mad and pedantic reasons I exclude Paul McGillion from this) was not given the role.
I do want to see the tough, dour with occasional flashes of banter Scotty from TOS, like Cranston said at #19. I’m not convinced that Simon Pegg can pull that off.
But…for some very weird reason I’m not totally sick at the idea. I think that’s because I think Pegg is a fine actor, both comedy and serious, and he might just pull it off (as long as they give him a black hairpiece, make him spend lots of time in Scotland and work with a dialogue coach, and send him to the gym to muscle up - Scotty’s an engineer not a tech geek!).
I really hope they don’t waste his peripheral role on comic relief, that would be a shame.
I need more time to think on it.
Still would rather have had Gerard Butler, Kevin McKidd or Jamie Sives though.
Granted we want the best actors for each role, but there has been a lot of talk that the actors do not necessairily need to resmeble the original cast. I disagree with that with one point: If that were to be true, then why is Nimoy involved in the film as Spock? So far I think that casting has gone well but I am dubious about Simon Pegg. I will withhold judgement until I see him on the screen. Paul McGillion was a good match. Pegg is a good actor. We will just have to wait and see.
#131
TJ, are you scottish?
I honestly dont understand the Scottish dislike for the English. Scotsmen play englishmen all the time (DOCTOR WHO?), and i’m certainly not insulted.
Are you certain all the actors resemble the originals?
I dont see any resemblence with the girl playing Uhura or the guy playing Chekov (or Sulu for that matter).
Quinto - Yes
Pine - Sort of
#132 - I’ll have to agree to disagree on that point, I’ve seen him closely shaved and I’m not seeing it one bit….he’s too weedy, going bald not to mention looks older then Doohan did at 10 years his junior (but that could be the lack of hair). Besides that its Scotty being the ‘comedy cameo character’ that concerns me most. Not to mention casting someone who doesn’t have half the things going for him McGillion did (without wigs, dye jobs etc). Just look at the reaction to McGillion, it was majorically positive or even McAvoy, certainly a lot better then the mixed reaction Pegg is getting.
DEAR ROBERTO ORCI,
I really hope you’re paying attention to fans reaction before signing on the dotted line and sealing Scotty’s fate! Can you explain to us this departure from all the great and no doubt painstaking hard work that has been done so far done to effectively cast this movie? It feels like a complete turn around in attitude by casting someone like Pegg for the role which has pushed this from a ‘reinvigorisation’ to a total ‘reboot’ in my eyes at least. It’s certainly destroyed my enthusiasm!
I was seriously thinking about trying to watch another Trek film again, what with the promise of P McGillion possibly being Scotty. Now, it’s more like I’ll catch it on cable. I like both actors but honestly felt McGillion would have done a better job.
I’m still don’t know why they have to make an ‘early years’ Trek as it is…
Nick Frost for Kirk!!!
#131
Jon1701, I’m a mongrel (bit of Scottish, Irish, Welsh and 100% fiecely proud Celt) but I spend a lot of time in Glasgow, have Scottish friends and family and know how excited they all were at the prospect of a real Scot playing such an iconic Scottish character. Not to mention a talented actor, popular and all round nice guy in McGillion too boot. And say what you like about McGillion he was born there to Scottish parents, looks and considers himself Scottish as well as also being Canadian which was a lovely nod to Doohan (as well as the resemblence).
Quinto, perfect casting. Yeltchin, not a overly strong resemblence but has the right look and is Russian born. Salanda, again good resembelence IMO she has that strong yet gracefuly feminine beauty just like Nichelle (who I’m dying to see more off on Heroes). Pine looks a lot like Shatner too and seems to have a lot of the same mannerisms. So why go with minimum the right look/race/physicality for all the other characters and chuck that out the window on a novelty casting for Scotty?
And I’m with Barney, I’d rather see Gerard Butler, Kevin McKidd, Jamie Sives or any other solid Scottish actor in the role.
BBC says its a done deal:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7041249.stm
Simon Pegg?!?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!1
I never would have thought of that one…………… Can’t wait!!!!!!!
I really really hope this is a net rumour… being english however i think its great that an englishman is in there somewhere, but i wasnt expecting pegg. I cant think of a worst person to play scotty, except maybe the cookie monster. Pegg cant do a flawless scottish accent (that video was horse sh!t) and the fact that he’s a fantastic comedian will make alot of people unlikely to take him seriously.
Mr Orci if your reading this i think its obvious that you’ve dropped the ball and ultimately let the fans down. Your previous casting has been spot on, dont ruin it with a comedian - there is still time, PAUL McGILLION for scotty please.
Star Trek: The Joke, damn right!
His ‘Scottish’ accent was abyssmal! (I should know, I am Scottish)
He’s not even that good an actor.
And I’m not sure we want a ‘new’ take on Scotty. We all know what he should be like. If they want ‘new’, they can invent a new character, but don’t call him Scotty.
Will Pegg do his usual dragging of his lumpen mate Nick Frost into the movie? [roll eyes]
Every time a bit of news comes out about this movie, I become more and more despondent. :(
I think ‘Harry Ballz’ (if that is in fact your real name) is getting a bit worked up. Simon Pegg will be great, he’s a very talented actor, and it’s the big name (along with Eric Bana) the franchise needed to bring in non-Trekkies. Perfect choice if you ask me!
With Paul as Scotty, I said they could already count my ticket as sold.
Now…I think I can wait for Pay-per-view.
Um, Scotty?
You’ve got red on you….
I think he DOES look enough like Doohan… he has that same worried stare. And hair dye is no big deal. And he’s done dramatic parts… AND he’s a genre fan, so he knows to treat it with respect.
Now, this Pine guy for Kirk? That’s a heavier concern… and get him some colored contacts!!
I can’t understand why everyone is totally creaming themselves over Paul McGillion? Can’t you just trust the producers to pick who they want in the roles and reserve judgement until AFTER YOU’VE SEEN THE FILM?
Let’s face it, they’re the ones who have the job - not you! So take a chill pill, relax, and go watch Shaun of the Dead.
(and as a Scot, Pegg’s accent in that vid was ropey but it’s nothing a bit of dialogue coaching won’t be able to fix)
Absurd. Simon Peg is brilliant, but will be hopelessly mis-cast. Paul McGillion would have been perfect..
I sometimes wonder what drugs these casting people are on, I really do!
I agree with Harry Ballz. I hope this just some serious diinformation.
aAquestion, I thought this was goingto be a Spock centri story , wo why are we seeing as uncopnfirmed characters the rest of the Kirk clan? and Not more of Sareck and Amanda?
Gord…the only problem with waiting and seeing is if it sucks {(be that Pegg or the movie in general), hindsight and ‘I told you so’s’ aren’t going to make the damn bit of difference and kinda damped the great Trek comeback everyone is hoping for.
As for creaming over McGillion…well when you have an actor who fits the role so well, to the point that the majority of fans agreed he was right and some even assumed it was a matter of time before he was cast. And compare it to someone like Pegg who is causing a big love/hate reaction and throws all their previous casting work out the window…it does kinda boggle the mind.
Seriously, I’m hoping this is a really bad joke.
#152 - says on the BBC that the movie covers the crew’s first mission together?
It also says ‘Pegg’s manager Dawn Sedgewick said he had been offered the part, which was now subject to “the usual paperwork”. ‘
155
yeah like he’s gonna turn it down LOL
I’m Scottish and not the least bothered by the fact that the accent is going to get mangled to be honest - James Doohan’s one was OK and based on an Aberdeenshire accent if I recall, so not quite Rab C Nesbitt. It’s something you have to just get used to, look at Sean Connery’s Russian accent in Red October… the rest of the world has an obligation after that one to do dodgy Scottish accents. I’m sure the accent will be fine enough if the actor does his schooling and coaching.
I also don’t mind his being English either… we’re growing up a bit these days as a country and are in the main getting over our anti-Englishness more and more though you’ll still get the odd relic that blames the English for their own failure. Trekkies should know better ;-)
I also think he can act, he’s not going to be mugging to the camera like he did in Spaced. The director will slap him down for that surely unless it’s always planned to be a spoof movie. For all the gushy praise we’ve had for the rest of the decisions, no one has been suggesting that other than for this one piece of casting. OK, two pieces of casting. That and JJ Abhams caught buying all the Star Wrek books for ‘reference’…
However, it is also Simon Pegg’s big chance to be a Serious Act-or if the role is big enough, but remember that it may *just* be a cameo part as they want to focus on Spock for this movie. Servicing all of the cast was a big problem in all the films with the exception of ST4, so we shouldn’t expect that this is going to be an in depth origins story for all the crew unless we want a 6 hour film.
(OK, OK, so we want a 6 hour film).
Whatever they decide to do, someone will flame off about it but if they get this one right, focus on the story and the Kirk and Spock characters, then we’ll have lots of new films to follow Scotty’s new found love for Zombies and have him explain that the ginger hair thing is something that ‘they never talk about’.
My only concern in all of this is that he’s too well known for the part, but if he can act well enough then we’ll be looking at Scotty, not Simon Pegg.
And anyway, I’m really happy for him, he’s SUCH a geek he must be doing somersaults round Hollywood today…
Whoa. that one came from left field. But akk surprise aside, sure, why not, he was great in Hot Fuzz. Never saw Shaun of the Dead. Just hope they don’t tailor make some “funny” dialog for him. Scotty can be funny, but any humour created for this character needs to be in line with what we’ve already seen. He’s for the most part a serious, dedicated worker who knows how to lighten up and can let go of a quip now and again. But he’s not one to crank out one-liners all the time or do anything silly. He was great in Hot Fuzz, with the right words on the page, I can see him being a great Scotty.
Now, who will be McCoy?
I really don’t get this piece of casting, the problem is Pegg is known for his comedic skills.
He really has to play this completely straight or the film could stray in to parody and that would be a disaster.
James
I haven’t been this happy since Quinto was cast!!
Its certainly big news here in the UK…
Pegg as Scotty=Great Choice! Can’t wait to hear to inevitable “I’m givin’ it all she’s got Captain!”
Huh. While I have no idea who this guy is, have never seen any of his movies or other works, and don’t think his resemblance to Doohan is quite perfect, I want to stay optimistic. He must have done *something* right in his audition; like several people said before, it doesn’t make sense that they would go all out with the other characters casting and then pick a random comedian for Scotty, so I’m thinking that this guy went in and really impressed the casting directors. We don’t know exactly how he’ll play the role or what the casters saw in him; it could be that he’s been lobbying for the role for months, working on his Scottish accent and all, and they chose him because his audition was terrific. Maybe I’m being very overly-optimistic here, but we just don’t know.
As I said above, I am disappointed at the role not going to a Scotsman…
BUT here’s why I think they’re not going to overdo the comic relief element with Scotty: No matter what cutesy little quips he may utter in the more relaxed scenes, when the pressure is on, he manages to save the Enterprise from certain doom over and over again. In other words, likable though he is, Scotty is a serious and dependable engineer.
I can’t imagine that the writers would not honor that aspect of the Scotty character.
Well.. count me among the “he should do alright” side.
I know little about Simon Pegg so who am I to say. I have been wondering what Chris Doohan might think. At any rate, all I want is a good, well acted story. When the news first broke on this site, the only videos to base an impression on were more of a lighter nature. Glad to see the Mission Impossible clip.
It’s brilliant. It’s all good. Just relax.
All I need to make my day complete is for them to cast Tom Cruise in the movie. [/sarcasm=off]
Here’s something for the McGillion fans:
How many geeks watch Stargate: Atlantis and know who McGillion is? How many geeks watched Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz and know who Pegg is?
Regardless of the merits of the actors, of course, there are a million business reasons for them to prefer kick-starting the king of the geeky franchises with someone like Simon Pegg involved.
OK - I’m now officially sad. I’ve been a big fan of Star Trek since I can remember, and I always loved Scotty.
Simon Pegg is a good actor and is popular, but he’s English. I had hoped this time round, we might have got a Scot playing one of the most iconic Scottish characters (certainly within sci-fi).
That was one of the reasons I supported Paul McGillion. He may have spent a large part of his life in Canada, but he has always been very protective of his “Scottishness” in Stargate Atlantis, making the character very genuine without making him into the comedic Scot that appears in so many shows.
At the moment, my main feeling is disappointment.
It’s a weird feeling, but this is the first time in my life I’ve actually dreaded the opening of a Trek film. And that’s from someone who’s old enough to have watched TOS on its first run in the UK. It’s not a good feeling at all.
Anyone who thinks Pegg is going to suddenly waltz on the set and turn this into a comedy or just half-ass his way through doing a Scottish accent is an idiot. I mean, for the latter, I bet his wife would kill him. :-)
I’m enjoying this news even more, seeing how upset some fans are getting about it. This is what Trek needs — shaking up, and bringing some people who have fan bases that are not from third-rate basic-cable science fiction shows.
Well this whole project just went to hell for me. I like this guy fine but not as Scotty. This one should give ANYONE with an IQ higher than 5 a very good idea where this ISN’T going.
Thank god for reruns. RIP real Trek and Enterprise crew.
Loved Shaun of the Dead.
I guess this means Scotty is ‘comic relief.’ Or will there be zombies in the engine room? Or maybe some Benny Hillesque schtick with Rand and Uhura running around in their knickers? (Hey wait a minute, I just wrote a better movie than JJ!)
Welcome aboard, Simon!
So what if he’s not Scottish? Quinto isn’t Vulcan! That’s the scandal here.
#170
Sean - I’m glad someone brought up the fact that the man’s wife is Scottish and would likely give him quite a bit of hell for a bad accent… :P
“Best I could do in two hours”
Well, actually about 20 mins. I’m no photoshop artist…
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h314/mancjonno/peggscotty.jpg
Horrible casting. HORRIBLE CASTING! I really like Pegg in various films, but he is the completely wrong choice for Scotty. Getting a big name to flll a role is not the best reason you cast someone as iconic a character as Scotty. My level of trust in this project just fell about 10 steps. Along these lines, maybe we will still see Tom Cruise as Kirk afterall. How about John Voight as McCoy while we’re at it? I think I’ll save my $$$ for another movie next year. :-(
I too was hoping McGillon would get the role.
Pegg? Who next Jonny Vegas as Captain Christopher Pike? Peter Kaye as Gary Mitchell? :D
I’d have to see footage of him as Scotty before I’m convinced he is a good choice.
Coming soon .net mentions they are searching for KIRKS PARENTS?
maybe The Shat will appear after all eh?
It makes me laugh how everyone can get their feathers in such a ruffle and keep making pronouncements about how crap this film is going to be. Why don’t you just wait and watch the thing, then carry on with the bitching. Everyone’s allowed an opinion but people should also remain open minded until they’ve sat through it and got to the rolling end credits.
Maybe let the experts who know their stuff get on with the job. I’m sure they can do without a noisy minority of fanatical armchair producers making demands and issuing decrees.
The film may very well be horrendous. But there’s no point getting so worked up about it at this stage. It might be magnificent.
Does anyone actually believe it when someone posts “I’M GOING TO SAVE MY MONEY AND NOT SEE THIS MOVIE AND I’LL GO SEE WEDDING CRASHERS 3 INSTEAD I BET THAT’LL BE BETTER THAN THIS”?
If you’re already aware of trekmovie and posting here, you’re going to be there on the opening weekend. Stop pretending that your pain at not seeing Paul McGillion in this movie is really going to keep you from going.
So, it looks like some of you folks have already seen the movie, then?
How do you know what Abrams, Orci, Lindelof or Pegg are going to do in this movie?
None of us has any idea. Yes, its valid to disagree because you liked someone else in the role, but to say he’ll treat the role like this or that is silly.
Not one frame of film has been shot yet, nobody knows how this role will be in the movie, save for only a couple people who visit here, and I defy most of us to say we know exactly what is happening in the movie.
Movie hole reports that the budget has increased from $130 mill to 150 - 160 million
http://www.moviehole.net/news/20071012_wanna_know_the_cost_of_a_trek.html
“According to our contact, the film initially had a budget of $130 million but now J.J has been handed a few extra biccies – he’ll shoot the thing with a fat allocation in the environs of $150-160 million!
It’s a huge story they’re doing - and boy does it sound orgasmic, even for a Non-Trekkie like me – so not surprised that it’s going to cost so much, just surprised they got it! It’s not only the most expensive “Trek” ever it’s a “major gamble” for Paramount, says our insider. Sounds like someone’s got some high-up pals at Paramount. Nice!”
Sean - You’re really starting to border on the offensive and imflammatory. Face it, people who DONT want to see Simon Pegg as Scotty are just as upset as you are smug and happy, the least you could be is civil and not resort to childish behaviour. Proofs in the pudding sweetheart and by the looks of SOME of the press it’s not just the fans on here who are thinking WTF? at his casting….
#180 It’s not that simple. I really don’t like Sinmon Pegg’s ‘body of work’. So that’s the reason I won’t be there, despite posting here.
#180 It’s not that simple. I really don’t like Simon Pegg’s ‘body of work’. So that’s the reason I won’t be there, despite posting here.
Wow, did not see that one coming. Brilliant! I am suddenly very excited for this movie! Bana, Pegg, Cho, more $$$ for the budget. This is the real deal!
Thank you J.J.!!!
No Paul! You bastards! So much for creative casting.
Care to shit on me some more & not put Shatner in the film?
This is a big let down. Hey JJ while your in the mode of bad choices, why not put some bad pop rock in the movie too, like all your crappy tv shows do? How about CAPTAIN WIL TIPPON? Oh & you writer guys should know that TRANSFORMERS SUCKS. Its funny how the original G1 pilot has a better story outline then the shit you guys wrote. How can a childrens cartoon from 1985 be better then your million dollar script?
One answer, HOLLYWOOD BULLSHIT!!!!!!
Can’y wait to see the flames fly when you guys finally tell everyone you shit on Shatner too. I ‘m pissed! So much for going to the movies more then once. The first rule in business is repest customers & pissing off everyone with your 90210 cast is not a good start. Please somebody call Nick Meyer!
off topic i know but carrying on from *182*
$150 million is about the same budget as Batman Begins & Casino Royale and around $100 million more than Nemesis! ($60 million)…
(Star Wars III was ‘only’ about $110 million and War of the Worlds $130 million)
# 183 - Proofs in the pudding sweetheart
So why don’t you wait for the pudding to have baked?
# -185 - I really don’t like Sinmon Pegg’s ‘body of work’. So that’s the reason I won’t be there, despite posting here.
So you won’t see the film because you don’t like the casting of a supporting character who’ll probably only be on the screen for 5 minutes? I’m glad you’re not blowing things out of all proportion.
If it’s childish to laugh at the people who are so irate about this one bit of casting that they rush to their computers to proclaim on the Internet how irate they are for everyone to hear… well, I’m proud to be childish, then.
I maintain that the vocal whiners are a minority, and that Pegg’s casting, while risky, has a lot of potential.
Also, what is it with angry Star Trek fans losing the ability to spell when they hear a bit of casting news they don’t like? Are people so upset that their fingers lose the ability to type accurately?
Is it just me, or is this getting a tad ridiculous?
#181 Doesn’t matter what has been filmed. Point is that this isn’t classic literature whose characters can lend them to any interpretation. This is Star Trek and TOS no less which originated its success in a visual media being television with THOSE actors establishing THOSE characters. What is so hard to understand in that? Any real fan of Star Trek would respect and understand TOS as the basis for whatever series that came after. So old farts like me who know and have grown with those actors, I would imagine if TNG or DS9 was to be “re-imagined” those weaned on the teet at that time would be livid.
bizarre casting imo.
Um, I was weaned on TOS, still rewatch it often, and very much dislike TNG. I think Pegg’s signing is great news.
Don’t try to speak for all of us.
The actors chosen may all be good choices, but I am SO NOT EXCITED about the movie anymore. Honestly, PAUL McGILLION was so perfect for the role of Scotty. What is going on here? Like everything else in the film industry, when you guys have a chance to make something great, you screw around with it until you end up making a mediocre film and then wondering why it doesn’t do so well.
If you guys want to revive Star Trek, you’re going to have to listen to the voices of the SciFi fans that come to see the whole scifi genre films to start with! We know who sells guys!
Wow, there sure are a lot of childish replies. Have some self respect people, no need to spit you dummies out because you don’t like the casting of ONE minor character.
“The project has gone to hell!” “Thank God for re-runs!” Jesus Christ, how old are you people? Surely most TOS fans will be more than 7 years old? Try and act it.
I do applaud people whom are willing to give him a chance at the very least, that is what every actor deserves. A chance.
“If you guys want to revive Star Trek, you’re going to have to listen to the voices of the SciFi fans that come to see the whole scifi genre films to start with! We know who sells guys! ”
Actually, you don’t. That’s the whole point of this — if Star Trek is to become a relevant franchise again, it needs to appeal to people who do more than watch the latest Stargate show. Traditional sci-fi fans are not who are being courted with this movie — to be blunt, we’re all going to go to see it regardless of who’s in the role, because we’re sheep.
The signing of Pegg is great from a business standpoint, because it can potentially bring in fans of his other work. Geeky fans of a different sort. Fans who normally wouldn’t be caught dead watching a Star Trek film — that’s what the fan base needs to avoid becoming navel-gazing (or, well, to reverse 15 years of navel-gazing), and also what the film needs to be profitable.
[…] Montgomery Scott: Simon Pegg (NEU, passende 37 Jahre alt) […]
# 195 - If you guys want to revive Star Trek, you’re going to have to listen to the voices of the SciFi fans that come to see the whole scifi genre films to start with!
Do you know what? They really don’t. Doctor Who’s producers listened too much to their fans in the 1980’s and killed the series stone dead. It took a producer with a whole new idea for the programme to revive it and make it the success it is today.
If the producer’s of this film listen to the hardcore minority they’d make a hideously continuity laden beast of a film that no-one outside “fandom” would get and it’d tank at the box office.
Trust the experts and stop thinking fans know it all.
TO 163. That is a very nice thought that the writers would respect the original characters, but remember this is a J.J. Abrams project. He had no problem at all in giving the finger to the Mission Impossible fans and completely change the characters from the show in into the villian (Jim Phelps anyone?). You better start saying your prayers now because this may very likely be another J.J. hack job.
“If the producer’s of this film listen to the hardcore minority they’d make a hideously continuity laden beast of a film that no-one outside “fandom” would get and it’d tank at the box office.”
Wait, are we talking about Insurrection and Nemesis now? :D
Anthony…
As I seem to have missed being able to vote on the Simon Pegg for ‘Scotty’ poll…just for the record…I’d like to register that my vote would have gone towards the ‘Up your shaft’ result…
…which I note is way ahead anyway…
Thankyou.
Well it’s obvious to me that this project has some of the names literally thrown in for the weekend box office numbers, and this will be out on DVD in a couple of weeks for the REAL fans to muddle over. This isn’t going to please the old school fans, and though it may be entertaining for the visual spectacle much like Galaxy Quest it will come and go and that will be it. I will be viewing it for what it is, a parable. And I for one who has actually seen TOS from birth through life will be the first to say “told you so, this aint TOS”. :P
And you youngins who only know from TNG on will never understand that.
#189 - would you pay money to go see a sports team you don’ t like? I wouldn’t, and it’s the same with actors I don’t like - I don’t waste my money on their movies. And to date, there’s been no other casting decision on this film that so fills me with delight that I would change my mind. Perhaps, if they bring William Shatner on board, that will change.
#199 - good point. Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor was meant to be quite dark, but the fans wanted ‘light’, and by God, they got it, to their everlasting regret!! :(
“This isn’t going to please the old school fans, and though it may be entertaining for the visual spectacle much like Galaxy Quest it will come and go and that will be it. I will be viewing it for what it is, a parable. And I for one who has actually seen TOS from birth through life will be the first to say “told you so, this aint TOS”. :P”
Actually, like I said, I’m personally very excited, and I love TOS.
So, please try to refrain from speaking for all TOS fans, cuz you ain’t all TOS fans. :D
I do not care whether Simon Pegg is a right or wrong choice for the role of Scotty because what I care most is how great the storyline of movie is.
Lets listen to the fans!!!
Yeah!
Lets Have Seven of Nine’s Great, great, great Grandmother as a Starfleet Admiral and have a really really old Scott Bakula in a space wheelchair.
Lets have a timeship from the 33rd Century, and lets set it on the Enterprise AA (28th Starship to bear the name!!!)
We know what’s best folks. We kept Enterprise going…
#207 - Game, set, match.
I rest my case. ;)
You also apparently don’t understand sarcasm, YUBinit.
Intriguing casting. Good for Abrams. :)
# 204 - would you pay money to go see a sports team you don’ t like? I wouldn’t, and it’s the same with actors I don’t like - I don’t waste my money on their movies. And to date, there’s been no other casting decision on this film that so fills me with delight that I would change my mind. Perhaps, if they bring William Shatner on board, that will change.
If I supported the team but didn’t like one player, of coruse I’d watch them anyway.
# 203 - this will be out on DVD in a couple of weeks for the REAL fans to muddle over. This isn’t going to please the old school fans, and though it may be entertaining for the visual spectacle much like Galaxy Quest it will come and go and that will be it.
Will it? You make it sound like you’ve been to the future and absolutely know for sure.