Star Trek fans just said goodbye to Discovery after five seasons, but the future is looking bright for the iconic sci-fi franchise: Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti has joined upcoming Paramount+ series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which was officially greenlit last year and is expected to begin filming this summer.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Giamatti will “have a recurring guest star role as the season’s central villain, described as a man with an ominous past with a connection to one of the show’s cadets.” He joins the previously cast Holly Hunter, who’ll play Starfleet Academy’s captain and chancellor.
THR reminds us that “Starfleet Academy revolves around a young group of cadets who unite to pursue a dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.”
Giamatti is no stranger to being vocal about fandoms and creators that he’d love to be part of—he spoke recently about how he was still bummed about not being able to accept a role in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return; we also know he’s a horror fan, and will appear in Eli Roth’s recently announced Hostel series. But it turns out, he also counts Trek among his passions.
In a statement to THR, Starfleet Academy co-showrunners and exec producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau sounded like they couldn’t believe their luck: “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.”
The concept for Starfleet Academy already had us excited, even before Hunter came aboard; now, with this Giamatti news, our anticipation is sky-high. Are you looking forward to this next chapter in the Star Trek universe?
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