Captain Pike is...

Once again, J.J. Abrams aimed high for the casting of a role in Star Trek but in the end settled for a smaller name but highly respectable actor. Abrams has hired Bruce Greenwood for the role of Captain Pike, the original captain of the Enterprise in the unaired pilot which got the 60's show commissioned by Paramount, but they would drop his character for Kirk. Pike would later be resurrected for the famous two part episode The Menagrie where in continuity it was kept that he was the ship's original Captain and Mr. Spock was his second in command. This is what Greenwood looks like. If you don't know him by name, you should recognize his face...

Greenwood is 51 and has a full CV of authoritative roles in movies such as Deja Vu, JFK and I, Robot. He has even played a president twice in Thirteen Days and the upcoming Disney movie National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets. Greenwood is a great supporting actor who should breeze through this small but important role. He's a little older than we expected (the new Kirk, Chris Pine, is 27) so they may push with the storyline that Pike is starting to feel his age. It's believed early filming has already begun on the picture, with production now set to run until March.

Other rumors have hit the web this week that 27 year old Alias actress Rachel Nichols was to be in the sci-fi reboot. Well, Trek Movie have stumbled across some quotes from the actress which she made in an interview with the Toronto Sun...

€œI€™m very restricted on what I€™m allowed to say, but yes, there€™s a good chance you€™ll see my shining face in the new Star Trek.€

Apparently she doesn't know the name of the character she is to play but that seems to be a crock to me. Of course she knows what part she has, and if you ask me it's probably the role of Janice Rand...

Janice Rand was one of the members of the original crew and appeared in a total of 8 episodes from the first season but was later fired from the show and her character written out but she would make a brief appearance in later movies. With Abrams going as far back as the original Captain Pike, you have to believe Rand would be in there somewhere and with a male dominated crew, this move just seems to make sense for so many reasons. Nichols' film career has been mostly in the horror genre with parts in The Amityville Horror, The Woods and this weekend's horror release P2. She's also in the upcoming Charlie Wilson's War. And finally, the U.K. are getting a remastered HD screening of the famous 'Pike' two part episode The Menagrie on Tuesday 13th November at 7:30pm. Here's a list of venues, all Odeon cinema's, which you can see by clicking here. source - the hollywood reporter