'Star Trek' actor Simon Pegg to co-write the script for third film
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
鈥�Star Trek鈥� actor Simon Pegg is reportedly taking on another job for the upcoming third 鈥淭rek鈥� film: that of script writer.
According to , Pegg will be co-writing the script with writer Doug Jung, who has previously written for the TV series 鈥淏anshee鈥� and 鈥淏ig Love.鈥�
Pegg starred with actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, among others, in the 2009 movie 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� and the 2013 film 鈥�Star Trek: Into Darkness.鈥� The films had the actors playing younger versions of the characters featured in the original 1960s 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� TV series, with Pine taking the role of Captain James T. Kirk (originally played by actor William Shatner) and Quinto playing Spock (first played by Leonard Nimoy). Pegg portrays ship鈥檚 engineer Montgomery 鈥淪cotty鈥� Scott.聽
The actor isn鈥檛 new to the screenwriting world 鈥� he co-wrote the 2011 movie 鈥淧aul鈥� with Nick Frost and 2013鈥檚 鈥淭he World鈥檚 End鈥� with 鈥淲orld鈥� director Edgar Wright.聽
The first 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� movie starring the current cast was critically well-received and currently holds a score of 83 out of 100 on the review aggregator website . However, the second film, 鈥淒arkness,鈥� which found 鈥淭he Imitation Game鈥� actor Benedict Cumberbatch playing famous 鈥淭rek鈥� villain Khan, was less praised and currently has a score of 72 on . Our movie critic Peter Rainer gave 鈥淒arkness鈥� a B, writing that the movie 鈥渄elivers the goods, even if some of the goods are less than fresh鈥� Capt.聽James T. Kirk聽(Chris Pine) and聽Mr. Spock聽(Zachary Quinto) are the emotional core 鈥� such as it is 鈥� of this space odyssey鈥� 'Star Trek Into Darkness' is a sci-fi blow-out with overtones of the real. Series founder聽Gene Roddenberry聽would, I think, approve.鈥澛�
The planned third film has already experienced some shuffling behind the scenes. J.J. Abrams helmed the first two 鈥淭rek鈥� films with the current cast but Roberto Orci, who co-wrote the first two films, was set to direct the third movie. However, 鈥淔ast & Furious 6鈥� director Justin Lin is now set to direct the third 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� movie.
