Paul Giamatti Joins 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' As Season 1 Villain
Giamatti will be coming from a Hostel environment in his new role
He learned how to fire a disruptor, and now it’s going to be useful. Paul Giamatti, the twice Academy Award-nominated star of Big Fat Liar and Fred Claus is boldly joining Paramount+’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series.
Giamatti, whose most recent nomination came for his role in The Holdovers, will be a recurring guest star as the first season’s main villain. Said villain is described as a man with an ominous past with a connection to one of the show’s cadets. While the cadets haven’t been cast yet, Giamatti is the second-announced cast member after Holly Hunter, who stars as the Academy’s chancellor and captain. The series revolves around “a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, and first loves.” Giamatti’s character was first mentioned in the synopsis as “a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.” Casting for the Starfleet Academy cadets and other characters are likely to come in the next couple of months as production begins later this summer.
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Series Casts Holly Hunter In Main Role
As Star Trek: Discovery heads into its final two episodes, the next Star Trek series on Paramount+ is starting to build out its cast. For Starfleet Academy, they’ve found Holly Hunter as their lead. The Academy Award-winning actress and The Incredibles
This news comes as Giamatti’s second series casting in a week, having just signed on for a TV adaptation of the Eli Roth film Hostel, before a home network or streamer has been found. He is coming off of seven seasons starring on the Showtime series Billions, with his other highest-profile television role being his Emmy-winning turn as John Adams in HBO’s miniseries.
Co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau have said “Sometimes you’re lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge Star Trek fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us. The sheer delight with which he dove in on Starfleet Academy is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast.” Kurtzman has been the franchise’s shepherd in the streaming-era television renaissance, as his Secret Hideout production company works with CBS Studios. alongside Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry, the pilot’s writer Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber also executive produce.
'X-Men' Producer Simon Kinberg In Talks To Beam To Toby Haynes’s 'Star Trek' Movie
Paramount Pictures is moving forward with its plan to progress the Star Trek film franchise from both ends. Prominent Fox-era X-Men producer Simon Kinberg is in talks to produce the film given to Andor director Toby Haynes. If an agreement is made, it would enable him to become the creative shepherd of the entire film franchise, similar to
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
First Hunter, now Giamatti. Paramount's going after the big fish for this one.