In surprising news, Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter has joined the Star Trek Universe! Paramount+ announced the casting today, alongside more reboot film news. Hunter is the first cast member to be announced for the upcoming ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘. The new series will take place in the 32nd Century, the same era as Star Trek: Discovery is currently exploring. Hunter will play an as-yet-unnamed Captain, who is also Starfleet Academy’s Chancellor.
Officially announced in March 2023, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the next live-action Star Trek series. Alex Kurtzman and Noga Lanau will both serve as co-showrunners. The new series will follow a class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age and navigate life at the Academy. Pre-production has already begun, with filming set for later this summer (2024). Holly Hunter’s casting is the first for the series, with more cast members still to be revealed.
Who Is Holly Hunter?
Holly Hunter is an Academy Award-winning actress known for her versatile and powerful performances in film and television. Born in Georgia, Hunter earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University before making her mark in the entertainment industry. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Ada McGrath in the 1993 film The Piano, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Hunter has displayed a remarkable range throughout her career, effortlessly transitioning between dramatic, comedic, and voice-acting roles. Her notable film credits include Broadcast News, Raising Arizona, Thirteen, and the animated The Incredibles franchise, where she provided the voice of Elastigirl. On television, she has received acclaim for her roles in the series Saving Grace, and Top of the Lake.
Holly Hunter is a headline name with pedigree and popularity. Something that co-showrunner and franchise boss Alex Kurtzman was eager to highlight.
“It feels like we’ve spent our entire lives watching Holly Hunter be a stone-cold genius. To have her extraordinary authenticity, fearlessness, sense of humor, and across the board brilliance leading the charge on ‘Starfleet Academy’ is a gift to all of us, and to the enduring legacy of ‘Star Trek.’”
Co-Showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau via Variety
Star Trek’s Biggest Set Ever!
A recent Variety article revealed that sets were already being built. They are housed at Pinewood Toronto’s ‘Star Trek Stage’, recently re-named in honor of the franchise. According to the article, it features the “largest contiguous set ever constructed for a Star Trek series. New sets include a central academic atrium that will span two stories, an amphitheater, classrooms, a mess hall, and an idyllic walkway lined with trees.”
With its focus on higher education — from the throes of budding romance to the pressures of academic achievement to the angst of painful self-discovery — “Starfleet Academy” is part of a wider strategy to expand what a “Star Trek” show can look like.
“These are kids who’ve never had a red alert before. They never had to operate a transporter or be in a phaser fight.”
– Variety
Regarding writers, we know that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will have an interesting writers room. We know that Star Trek: Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome is a part of the team. However, she’ll also be joined by Kiley Rossetter and Gaia Violo.
Ultimately the Star Trek Academy series has been a long time coming. Since the dawn of modern Star Trek with CBS All Access, later Paramont+, there have been whispers of a potential series. Kurtzman even spoke about the series all the way back in 2021. However, it was not until March 2023 that the series was officially announced. With filming taking place in 2024 and lengthy post-production expected, we won’t see Academy until 2025.
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