Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Casts Holly Hunter In Leading Role
Holly Hunter is joining Star Trek. According to Variety, Hunter has been cast as a lead role in the upcoming Starfleet Academy series. Hunter’s character is going to be the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy who is in charge of both the faculty and the latest class of Starfleet cadets in the 32nd century.
The First Major Cast Member Of Starfleet Academy
Co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau commented on Holly Hunter’s casting, saying, “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.”
Hunter will have to get to work soon, as Starfleet Academy is all set to begin production in Toronto later this summer. The series also has the interesting boast of having the largest contiguous set ever constructed for a series in the Star Trek franchise.
A Different Type Of Star Trek Series
Holly Hunter will get a chance to flex her acting chops on the massive Star Trek set, which is a two-story academic building that includes an amphitheater, classrooms, a mess hall, and a tree-lined walkway. Starfleet Academy also has the distinction of being the first series of the franchise that seems squarely aimed at fans of the young adult genre.
The focus on young students coming of age in a Star Trek setting is certainly an interesting premise and will give fans a wider glimpse into how these cadets are trained.
Elasti-Girl Joins Starfleet
Holly Hunter seems like she’ll be a fantastic addition to the Star Trek universe. The Oscar-winning actress is best known for her work in films like The Piano, The Firm, Raising Arizona, Incredibles, and Incredibles 2. She also starred in the recent NBC series Mr. Mayor.
Holly Hunter will also be a major face of the Star Trek TV universe going forward, as shows like the currently airing Discovery come to an end. Along with Starfleet Academy, the other major upcoming Trek TV project is the Michelle Yeoh-led streaming film Section 31. That film will follow Yeoh as she reprises her role from Discovery and explores the titular secret Starfleet division.
Starfleet Academy Starts Production Soon
The Holly Hunter-led Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series is executive produced by Kurtzman and Landau alongside Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber. For now, Hunter is the only cast member that has been announced for the series. With Starfleet Academy starting production this summer, we’ll presumably get more casting announcements soon.
Bold New Star Trek Projects In The Works
Along with the Holly Hunter-led Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31, Strange New Worlds will also lead the Paramount Trek TV lineup with its third season coming up. Meanwhile, Discovery is set to end after its current season, and the animated comedy Lower Decks will end after its upcoming fifth season. Presumably, we should see a 2025 release for Starfleet Academy, but nothing is official yet.
Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated on when you can expect to see Holly Hunter make her debut at Starfleet Academy. In the meantime, you can catch the next episode of Discovery on May 23. You can see the series finale on May 30.
Source: Variety
