After menacing Taron Egerton and Colin Firth with her deadly blade legs in February’s smashing spy caper Kingsman: The Secret Service, Sofia Boutella has landed a lead role in Star Trek 3.
No word yet on whether she’ll be on the side of the USS Enterprise or taking on a villainous role, but from the sounds of it, her involvement is a done deal.
Justin Lin (Furious 6) is directing from a script by Doug Jung (TNT’s Dark Blue) and co-star Simon Pegg. The threequel is a pivotal entry for Paramount and Skydance’s blockbuster franchise, which is currently revamping to be more faithful to the classic sci-fi series it was adapted from and is also the first new Trek film not to be helmed by J.J. Abrams.
The conclusion of Star Trek Into Darkness saw Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Scotty (Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve), Sulu (John Cho), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and the other members of the starship Enterprise setting a course for the outer reaches of space, determined to go where no one has gone before.
With Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) defeated, Star Trek 3 will feature a major villain, who may be played by either Luther star Idris Elba or Bryan Cranston, based on recent rumors. It will also include three more major female characters, including the captain of another Federation ship who clashes with Spock, the President of the United Federation of Planets and Bones’ ex-wife.
Out of those parts, Boutella seems most well-suited for the part of a powerful starship commander, perhaps one with nefarious ties. Of course, the venomous sex appeal and athleticism that she brought to her Kingsman character will make her an asset to the production regardless of what role she takes on, but we’ll keep you posted as more details emerge.
Star Trek 3 will hit theaters July 8th, 2016.