Star Trek Actor Joins Salem’s Lot
A Star Trek actor has joined the newest take on Salem's Lot.
This article is more than 2 years old
Alfre Woodard has been named one of the most accomplished actresses of this century and is fervently beloved for her role as Lily in Star Trek: First Contact (1996). Her filmography also includes an impressively diverse list of titles ranging from tv shows like Hill Street Blues (1983) and The Practice (2003) to lending her voice for animated titles like The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie (2001). She has even has become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and most recently has portrayed the wise necromancer Paris on Apple TV+’s See (2019-2021). Now, the Star Trek veteran, according to Collider, has been cast to play Dr. Cody in the upcoming movie adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 novel Salem’s Lot.
Deadline detailed that Salem’s Lot tells the story of an author who returns to his hometown in order to find inspiration to begin writing his next novel, but when he returns, he finds that his childhood home has become inhabited by a vast population of the undead. While there are sure to be differences between the novelization of Salem’s Lot and the movie, it is clear that Alfre Woodard’s role as Dr. Cody will be decidedly different than her portrayal of Lily in Star Trek: First Contact (1996); however, there are actually some characteristics between the roles that crossover. In Star Trek, Lily assists Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) in developing the warp drive, which ultimately allows the ships to achieve warp speed. Similar to Lily assisting Zefram, Dr. Cody is tasked to assist the book’s protagonist Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman), in understanding why everyone in the town are becoming vampires and how to put a stop to it.
Even though it looks like Alfre Woodard won’t be returning to the Star Trek Universe in the foreseeable future, a lot has been in the works recently for the franchise itself. A new animated series will soon be coming to the streaming platform Paramount+ titled Star Trek: Prodigy, which will feature the renowned music talent of Michael Giacchino for its opening theme song, as well as the talent of another Star Trek veteran, Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), who was the captain of the Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager.
For fans looking to take a deep dive into the history of Star Trek: Voyager can also look forward to the release of the upcoming documentary about the show. Titled, To The Journey: Looking Back on Star Trek: Voyager, a multitude of characters returned to provide interviews for the documentary and it is sure to strike many a nostalgic cord for fans longing to revisit the often neglected program.
Perhaps even more exciting for some is that an iconic villain is also set to make an appearance on the next season of Picard. Annie Wersching will take over the role as Borg Queen and face off with Jean-Luc once again. Whether it be watching an old fan favorite take on a new role, taking a peek into new animated territory with Star Trek: Prodigy, or reliving moments of nostalgia in the various projects that have old cast members returning, it is evident that Star Trek fans have quite a lot to look forward to in the coming months and years.
