Chris Pine Is Captain James Tiberius Kirk

Pine-Kirk Amidst all the rather large casting announcement news regarding the upcoming new Star Trek movie (Eric Bana as the bad guy, Zach Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Scotty), almost quietly the film has apparently cast its leading man. Actor Chris Pine (Smokin Aces) is your new Captain James T. Kirk.

My exposure to Pine is limited, although I will say that his performance in Smokin Aces was one of that films redeeming qualities. The thing I like most about this casting is that Pine is still a relative unknown… and that’s exactly what was needed for a new Kirk. Big named actors bring along with them certain audience expectations perceptions and biases. A new face like Pine’s means he can just walk into the role of Kirk and make it his own, define it on his own terms without a set of pre-existing baggage that a named actor would inevitably bring along.

This news comes from Director Joe Carnahan’s blog who was hoping to land Pine in his own upcoming project “White Jazz”.

You don’t get opportunities like that often and I told him as long as he could control as much of that process as possible and not get sucked into doing lesser sequels as a result of taking this gig, then good luck and God bless.

Ultimately this casting decision will have only a modest impact on the quality of this movie. Pine isn’t going to write the dialog or the story or the action. He’s going to fill a role that is already created before he shows up for his first day. The real question is can he convince us he’s Kirk… a new Kirk? Can he make us say “Shatner who?”. That’s all yet to be seen

by: John Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 Share This

19 Comments

1. Antonio Spinozzi replies at 16th October 2007, 7:19 am :

I haven’t actually seen him in any films but in some of the photos I have seen of him, he looks too much a pretty boy BUT then on the other hand, in the photo on this page… he does look like he could be Kirk-ish.
2. 1138 replies at 16th October 2007, 7:53 am :

I could see him as Kirk as long as he can act, but unfortunately I haven’t seen him in anything. But maybe that’s a good thing. No preconceived notions. Go in fresh and thinking this is going to be great! Don’t fail us J.J.! If you screw this up your career is toast!!
3. Steve L. replies at 16th October 2007, 8:05 am :

I’d rather see Nathan Fillion in the role of Kirk.
4. John replies at 16th October 2007, 8:07 am :

Hey Steve,

I LOVE Fillion, but the reality is that he’s too old for this part.
5. Bill Clay replies at 16th October 2007, 8:13 am :

Never seen Pine before, but he does resemble a young Shanter some. The same thinly shaped eyes and tight line of his lips. Seems the same age as Zachary Quinto, so there is some continuity there and more than a little chance that we will be seeing a Starfleet Academy-era or just after setting for the storyline. Perhaps the timeline shifted by Bana and the Romulans will force Kirk and Spock along divergent paths and they will now meet prior to Kirk taking command of the Enterprise as was established by the Original series.
6. Thomas replies at 16th October 2007, 8:16 am :

Wow, I think the film is going to be dominated by Pine’s eye brows.
7. Arc Cadio replies at 16th October 2007, 9:03 am :

I hope Pine is a good actor, its going to take good acting to play a character who was played by a bad actor.

Do you think they will cast Pine in the T.J. Hooker remake? :-)
8. bassturd replies at 16th October 2007, 9:26 am :

He was really good in Smokin Aces. One of the few good parts about that movie. And he didn’t play a “pretty boy”. He was a psychotic killer.
9. slybri replies at 16th October 2007, 9:41 am :

Kirk had Hazel colored eyes. They need to slap some contacts on the kid. But I guess he’s okay.

I hope he studies up on Shatner’s mannerisims and style. Not a parody or impression of Kirk, like a thousand stand-up comedians have done before, but hinting at Shatner’s Kirk.

Success is in the details with a movie like this. Especially with the biggest and geekiest fanbase in the world obsessing over it.
10. You may click on your name and/or comment to edit. ( 14 minutes and 8 seconds)1138 replies at 16th October 2007, 9:53 am :

I know people are going to be looking for Shatner in this Kirk, but really, let this guy discover his own “KirK”. Let him become his own character…remember this is supposed to be a reboot!

I’m a huge fan of Trek and will always love the original series…wasn’t around when it aired but really enjoyed the re-runs! Love Shatner, Kelly, Nimoy, and the rest of the cast and will always hold a special place in my heart.

With that said it’s time for something fresh something new! Let’s forget this continuity crap! Besides the with all the movies and TV shows the continuity of Trek is so screwed up anyway.

If you’re going to reboot do it and let’s not cling to the past. As long as the basic sentiment and framework is there I’m OK with seeing something new.
11. 1138 replies at 16th October 2007, 9:53 am :

I know people are going to be looking for Shatner in this Kirk, but really, let this guy discover his own “KirK”. Let him become his own character…remember this is supposed to be a reboot!

I’m a huge fan of Trek and will always love the original series…wasn’t around when it aired but really enjoyed the re-runs! Love Shatner, Kelly, Nimoy, and the rest of the cast and will always hold a special place in my heart.

With that said it’s time for something fresh something new! Let’s forget this continuity crap! Besides the with all the movies and TV shows the continuity of Trek is so screwed up anyway.

If you’re going to reboot do it and let’s not cling to the past. As long as the basic sentiment and framework are there I’m OK with seeing something new.
12. AjaxLou replies at 16th October 2007, 9:56 am :

I agree casting an unknown here is the best route. Good Luck Chris!

Can you imagine the guy’s mindspace right now? “I’m playing frakking James T. Kirk!”

Trek XI co-writer Orci over at TrekMovie has stated that recapturing the triumvarate relationship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy is vital to the movie. Sure hope that original chemistry can be recreated.
13. Kristina replies at 16th October 2007, 10:38 am :

Oh yeah, they’re trying to get some females to come to this movie, clearly. He’s not hard to look at:)
14. You may click on your name and/or comment to edit. ( 8 minutes and 30 seconds)RonSalon replies at 16th October 2007, 11:15 am :

Being a huge Trek fan, (I got my first Enterprise ship in 1979 with sound effects and all…) I am pleasantly happy with the choices J.J. Abrams and Co. made with the cast. Trek needed younger actors to bring in younger fans or, of course, it would die.

Chris Pine was relatively good in “The Princess Diaries 2”. That being said, everyone can stop laughing. I like Anne Hathaway. As you may have guessed — I’m a gay man and think Captain Kirk a hot pretty boy. After all, aren’t most male protagonists cute? Do you think he knew it? Of course.

Mr. Pine is as well, and I believe he can encapsulate the viral, often womanizing charm of our captain. I loved William Shatner as James T. Kirk, just like I loved Christopher Reeve as Superman. I also loved Brandon Routh as Superman. Chris Pine as Kirk — why not?

I can’t wait for the movie or The Menagerie on November 13th at the theatre in HD. Oh, and by the way, I like the new site. Keep it up.
15. alfie replies at 16th October 2007, 12:25 pm :

They have already burdened themselves with comparisons to the original characters by keeping the same names essentially making this a remake….

forget all this reboot crap they keep talking about……

if it is a reboot and this guy is going to make it his own why not call him something else? make a completely new character?

so they can have a trailer that says “spock” “kirk” “mccoy”

and cash in on peoples nostalgia and the general goodwill the classic trek brings on with people.

I think they are burdening themselves into a tough corner of comparison going this way.

I am going to give them a chance but it just all sounds same old same old to me…..
16. alfie replies at 16th October 2007, 12:27 pm :

oh by the way the new click on your name to edit your post thingy?

awesome.

you won…

the new site rules.
17. tc replies at 16th October 2007, 1:01 pm :

Too bad his name isn’t Christopher Pike. Anyone, anyone? I am such a Star Trek nerd that this was the very first thing that I though of.
18. FilmNerdJamie replies at 16th October 2007, 3:51 pm :

My feeling about Pine is the same as when Brandon Routh was cast as Superman back in October 2004. I’ve never heard of the guy before, and that’s the right way to go. We don’t need any pre-conceived notions about this actor because the character itself is so iconic.

Pine’s fine in my book.
19. Serena replies at 16th October 2007, 5:28 pm :

I liked this actor a lot in last year’s “smoking aces” He’s probably one of the only good things I remember about it…:P I think it’s a good idea to go for a lesser known actor..I always thought this actor was Canadian…he lived in Thunder Bay,Ontario for a while…

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