This is the big one folks — 27 year-old actor Chris Pine is in talks to play James T. Kirk in the new Star Trek movie. TrekMovie.com was tipped off on the Pine talks earlier, but before it could be confirmed the story showed up at the Hollywood Reporter (which is pretty good confirmation). Pine is a relative unknown, but right now a bit of a hot commodity in Hollywood. In fact the actor is mulling over two roles (playing Kirk and a part in a new Joe Carnahan / George Clooney film) with negotiations focusing on the overlapping shooting schedules. Pine may have to choose one over the other and if he picks Clooney over Kirk, Paramount and Abrams are reported to have a number of backup options (this seems to back up our earlier report that Mike Vogel was not the leading candidate for Kirk, but was being looked at).
Pine first appeared in 2003 with some TV guest spots on shows like ER and CSI: Miami. His film debut was in the 2004 chick flick Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and he has appeared in four other films since. According to the Hollywood Reporter, it was his ‘scene stealing’ role as a neo-nazi assassin in the 2007 action film Smokin Aces that has caught the attention of producers and casting agents. Pine comes from an acting family with two grandparents, both parents and a sister in the business. His father Robert Pine appeared Star Trek Voyager (Liria in "The Chute") and Star Trek Enterprise (Tavin in "Fusion"). If Pine ends up taking Trek over the Joe Carnahan film, it will be the second time that director J.J. Abrams has nabbed something away from Carnahan. In 2005 Abrams was brought in to replace Carnahan on Mission: Impossible: III…something that Carnahan did not take well.
More:
Chris Pine at IMDB | Wikipedia | Fansite
Interview/clips with Pine and Lindsay Lohan for Just My Luck
Interview with Pine for Smokin’ Aces (launches new window)
Pine as Kirk (envisioned by TrekMovie.com community member Justin Olson)
Pretty darn good match….
He’s got family connections to Trek. His father, Robert Pine, was on both VOY and ENT.
He kinda looks like the Shat. I’d want to see a screen test first though.
Off by one Letter, the letter K. Wasn’t there a Shatner/Nimoy joke about being off by one letter somewhere in Trek lore?
I’d agree he’s a relative unknown. I’d go as far as an almost complete unknown? I’m liking all the casting so far – so this time I think I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt – but he doesn’t *look* much like Kirk, I – can’t- see – him- de-livering – the sentences – with quite! – enough – ham :-)
Do we know what else he’s been in?
Oh, and gratz on the scoop again Anthony.
uhh I don’t see it. i saw him in Princess Diaries 2. I don’t see him as Kirk…not really at all.
Hmm, take the Carnahan/Clooney project and maybe get to be on Leno once, be tops at the box office for one week, if you’re lucky springboard it to another semi-high profile project or two. OR, take the Kirk role and be adored by the most devoted fanbase on Earth for the rest of your life. Tough call…
Some footage here of Pine in an interview and in some super-cheesy romantic comedy clips with Lindsay Lohan:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vIguhUnBmcM
Have to say I like what I see…he has a solid, low voice that I can easily imagine being modified into Kirk’s. Improvement over Vogel’s skater-dude sound, I’d say.
Maybe its just the pic they chose to use, but he looks a lot like Kirk to me. Grow out the hair, and he may not be a dead ringer, but he would be a ringer.
What are the chances of getting pine, since he is also up for a cloony film?…..I think not. Would you as an actor rather have Star Trek atached with your name or have Cloony attached to your name…..If I was an actor, sorry Star Trek…I luva….but gotta go with the Cloony. Maybe they will intice him with the ST role being a bigger part, or more money. Those are two things that I could see brining Pine over to our side
Give him darker eyes and the right do, and I’d be convinced looks-wise.
Still, there’s the whole intelligence, charisma and charm aspect that is oh so key
Face it, who is really ever gonna match expectations?
That is a long shadow to fill!
I’ll just wait, then watch.
Finally some concrete news on the new Kirk!
I’m not really seeing it myself… don’t know what to think.
Only Screech can play Kirk.
Ah-ha!!! Who called it? Who called it???
(see comment #104 here: https://trekmovie.com/2007/07/27/tabloid-rumor-robbie-williams-as-kirk/)
Great choice, I think. He was outstanding in Smokin’ Aces.
I like it. He would resemble Kirk with the Kirk hair and He has the same color hair. This guy seems to be more favorable than Mike Vogal. He is just a tad to young but who cares. If he can pull it off, so be it. Also I wish Karl Urban would be cast as Pike. Yep, I can see plenty of Trek movies or television down the road with this guy as Kirk.
Again….like the villain I’d say he looks too young. Now….only IF Abrams would start with a NEW Starship and totally new characters then I’d be all for it. How hard is it to do that?
You can’t put a square peg in a round hole. Sure…you can force it but is it believable?
Eyebrows need some definite plucking!
Not as good a choice as Jesse Lee Soffer. Do an IMDB search on Soffer! It’s the logical thing to do. Roberto Orci where are you??
Ohhh, he IS very young isn’t he? And quite, dunno, gangly in that clip… but seems to have the charisma and obviously Kirk is going to have to spend at leat 1.3 of the film flirting with yeomans…
Different thread, but I like Bana though, he’s almost A-list albeit not Russell Crowe, but still big enough to draw crowds to the film on his name alone. Which can only be a good thing.
@Robo-Cop…. wasn’t that called “Enterprise”? I seem to recall it wasn’t terribly good… ;-)
Once more, thanks for all the info Anthony.
Well, he’s better than the other guy (Mike Vogel) But I’m not sure….He needs some dark contact lenses and maybe the standard Starfleet hair style….but I dunno. He still seems kinda young and a “WB teen model type”…..Gotta see gim in action before I can judge further.
P.S. He’d be a fool NOT to take the part, if the article is correct about him having a choice between Trek and the Clooney/Carnahan project.
Okay, upon further inspection, I’m gonna have to say it. To me Kirk is suposed to be handsome and in great shape. It’s really about the age I expected, somewhere around 27 to 30, but this guy… well, he’s not in Kirk physical condition (yeah, I know he expanded quite a bit by the third season) from the pictures I’ve seen… and well… I can’t seem to get over how big his head is. Like an orange on a toothpick. I’m sorry, but that’s a big noggin. That’s a virtual planetiod.
I think I could see him as Kirk! More so than Vogel anyway.
In that youtube clip with Lohan he has Star Trek sideburns. I think with some weight lifting this is our guy. I hope he does not turn the Trek role down for Clooneys movie because he would be taking a page out of George Lazenbys actions that he regretted when he didn’t play OO7 for a second time and wound up in cheap movies. Clooneys movie will be seen by a fraction campared to Trek XI with millions of fans all around the world with good marketing. This Guy will be instantly famous.
Pine looks like a kid.
This image illustrates to me how hard this aspect of the film will be to pull off. Getting the casting right for the Kirk character is going to be a tough one. If Shatner were to come onto a panel and really endosre him, then I’d give the creative team the benefit of the doubt.
This also reminds me of the early character sketches done by Filmation of the Star Trek cast as teens for TAS.
How much weight lifting is he gonna be able to do in month (less once everything’s finalized)? He might be able to put on eight pounds or so, if he starts taking every suppliment on the market and gets in the gym for several hours a day with a trainer.
@23 – there is always the worry of typecasting. That Leonard bloke spent over a decade complaining about it, wrote and book and everything. For a young actor it might seem like the end of their career before it properly starts, especially if they haven’t got any other major bodies of work on their CV.
The main difference (apart from sheer acting ability, charisma and looks) between Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford was that Ford had done a lot of work before Star Wars (hey, can I mention Star Wars on this site?) and so Hamill blamed typecasting on his career nosediving for a few years before he got to do Jay and Silent Bob.
If he’s good and steals the movie, then it shouldn’t matter, but it’s still something that he’ll have to ponder.
Of course, since most of us that read this site would happily gnaw off their own right arm to be an extra in this film, I’m sure turning down the role of Kirk would appear to be the single worst idea anyone could make.
He’s too young, he’s too much of a bland, cookie-cutter Hollywierd pretty boy.
…and he’s not Nathan Fillion.
what?
He even looks a bit like young Shat in from a few angles. He’s definately got the looks … now the acting ability?? Can he stammer his lines!?
Of course Pine looks young, but I also think he is a much better choice than Mike Vogel. Unlike Vogel I haven’t seen him in any movie so I can’t say anything about his talent as an actor, but when I look at his facial expression he could definitely be a young starfleet captain.
Well, after Bana, I’m not doubting Abrams. He’s kicking total ass in the casting
Better than Vogel but not as good as Jesse Lee Soffer. Mr. Orci, have you checked out Soffer?
correction: I’ve already seen Pine in “Just my luck”. Not outstanding, but solid. It’s not easy to compare the parts ;-). But Pine has my vote.
It would be illogical to gnaw off one’s own arm. They are evidently struggling a little with the Kirk casting, it could really make or break both this film and Trek’s future. Not sure – but then again none of us have seen Pike’s, sorry Pine’s, audition which is where it’s really at.
#27
Nathan Fillion would have been incredible as kirk.
regarding those who get concerned over matching Shatner
they are hiring actors not look-alikes and impersonators
I certainly dont see anything that disqualifies this guy and I think he was good in Smokin Aces, but for the most part I have always thought we will have to take Kirk on faith. This guy is less of an unknown than I thought they would go for, but we really havent seen this guy do anything Kirk like. That is something that JJ and his people are seeing you just have to trust him here.
By the way…I am bummed that THR beat me to this story…We reported that Vogel wasn’t the front runner last week, but i had been tipped that Pine was but needed to confirm….oh well you snooze you lose. But I am still tied with the THR for casting scoops (2-2)…and now Variety has got a point on the board.
Um… why are people saying the guy’s too young? A.) We already know they were looking for someone between the ages of 23 and 29 (Pine is 27); and B.) We’ll be seeing Kirk from at least his early twenties and maybe into his early thirties. He’s not too young, he’s just the right age.
I soooo cant wait tosee this movie,,
=)
He was good in Smoking Aces.
Hell, what do I know.
I can’t wait to see him act like Shatner, even if he’s been told not to impersonate Shatner, I’m sure he’ll slip up a couple of times…
It’s official Startrek.com sucks balls when compared to this site for news on Trek 2008
He has the presence. he has the delivery. I can see him ask Kirk quite easily except – someone please pluck the man’s eyebrows!
BTW, that’s not a girly thing if he’s reading this. Sean Connery plucked for YEARS.
Much better than Vogel.
Good – use – of – hands – to – engender – – – MEANING – in the interview clip above.
They need to announce this with news of who is playing the OLDER Kirk…
SORRY!!!!!!!!!!! HAD TO!!!
Could not – resist – temp — tation!
I kinda like the look of this guy, he bares a strong resemblence to Kirk. While they’re not going for the exact match/impersonators as AP put it, they’re still trying to get actors who match the original cast and I like the look of this guy! And for a 27 year old (eek, same age as me!) he doesn’t look ‘too young’ by any means!
And I LOVE the photoshop, nice work Justin! I’m sold!
“Not one hundred percent efficient, of course … but nothing ever is.”
he looks like Matt Damon in the pic at the top…
not a bad choice…
sounds like he will be cast from that report…
This is a good choice. I think this guy can really “become” Kirk.
Having said that…those of you who think this is an easy decision for Pine are out of your minds. Last time I checked, most Clooney films get a lot of attention and do well at the box office…and frequently end up in contention for Oscars. As much as I love Trek, I’m sure nobody thinks this will contend for Best Picture.
Also happy to hear about the Bana casting, as he’s one of my faves. No, not quite “A” list, but still a cut above the typical Trek villain for sure.
imdb has his height at
6′ 0½” (1.84 m)
Quinto is 6ft 2
The Shat was about 5 10 …(but they were always trying to make him look taller with lifts) and Nimoy about 6ft 1
so the height difference between Kirk and Spock should be fine (good cause Spock should always be taller than Kirk)
Good choice! Will look even better WHEN Shatner is cast.
I still say that Ryan Reynold would be a great Kirk… HE was amazing in Smokin’ Aces… great actor and he CAN take that role…
Well, I didn’t see it until I saw the fkaed pic above int eh uniform… he really does have a resemblance.
Based on the clips… he’ll have to be reigned in a little, but we’ll see! He seems a little goofy, without the cool reserve of the Shat, but without much to look at it’s very difficult to judge. Put a pic of him with Quinto, and they look pretty good! Facially, the more I look at him the more I see it!
Oh, and Nathan Fillion? No way… I want to see Kirk’s charm, not his nostrils. Fillian was Cap’n Tightpants… but he’s no Jim Kirk.