Bana Joins Cast Of New "Star Trek" Flick
Australian actor Eric Bana, best known for his role in "Munich," will be playing a new villain called "Nero" in the J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Trek" movie, StarTrek.com has learned.
Little else is known about this character, but based on Bana's past performances the Aussie hunk will make a fine antagonist.
Production is slated to begin next month at Paramount, with a release date of Christmas Day 2008.
In other "Star Trek" news, the two-part remastered version of "The Menagerie" will beam onto the big screen in a special engagement with selected theatres on Nov. 13.
The screening -- a first for episodic Star Trek on this scale -- will be seen in nearly 300 venues across the U.S. and Canada.
Photos: Captain Kirk Gets Roasted
This one-night-only event will also feature a special introduction by Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, plus an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Remastered series.
"The Menagerie" will be presented in its digitally remastered, high-definition format and in Cinema Surround Sound. The screening is in part to promote the HD-DVD/DVD release the following week (Nov. 20) by CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.
The two-part "Menagerie" is the only episode to feature the casts of both the original pilot and the regular series, with Spock the only character to make the transition from the pilot to the series.
Much of the footage, of course, is taken from the rejected first pilot "The Cage." The story sees the Vulcan hell-bent on returning Captain Pike to Talos IV, the intention being that this is where his injured former commander can peacefully live out the rest of his days.
Spock risks his career in Starfleet by hijacking the Enterprise and faces a court-martial for his actions. All this is eventually revealed to be an illusion, courtesy of the Talosians and their very strong telepathic hallucinations.
Spock is then exonerated, Pike is returned and everything works out in the end. (Oops! Sorry to give it away!) "The Menagerie" was the 16th episode of Star Trek produced, and the 11th one to air.