Paul Giamatti is entering the “Star Trek” universe as a new villain in the upcoming Paramount+ series, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”
The streamer announced the Oscar nominee’s casting on Tuesday, confirming he’ll be a recurring guest star opposite series lead Holly Hunter.
“Every Starfleet crew has their villain,” Paramount+ and the official “Star Trek” account wrote on Instagram. “We are beyond excited to announce that Paul Giamatti has joined the cast of ‘Starfleet Academy’ as a recurring guest star!”
The new sci-fi series, produced by CBS, will follow a group of young Starfleet cadets in a coming of age story.
The official logline for the series is as follows: “Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.”
Giamatti will play the show’s antagonist for Season 1. His character is described as “a man with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets,” the team shared in a statement. Meanwhile, Hunter is playing the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy.
Series co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau further expressed their excitement about Giamatti joining the cast.
“Sometimes you’re lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge ‘Star Trek’ fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us. The sheer delight with which he dove in on ‘Starfleet Academy’ is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast,” they told TheWrap.
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” has begun shooting, and is set to release in 2025.
