Idris Elba is in early talks to play the villain in “Star Trek 3,” sources tell Variety.
Justin Lin is directing the pic, with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and Anton Yelchin all on board to return.
J.J. Abrams will produce along with his producing partner Bryan Burke and Skydance’s David Ellison. Production is set to start in June.
Details of Elba’s role are being kept under wraps. Early rumors suggest that Klingons would be the main villains in this movie, as they have not had a full presence in previous installments, but sources would not confirm if that was the case. Paramount and Skydance had no comment.
Pegg and Doug Jung are writing the script.
Elba stars in Cary Fukunaga’s “Beasts of No Nation,” which Netflix recently acquired for distribution, and is already garnering awards buzz for the actor.
He recently finished “Bastille Day” opposite “Cinderella” star Richard Madden and also has “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and the indie “A Hundred Streets” set to bow in the near future.
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He is repped by WME, Headshell Management, The Artist Partnership and Hertz Lichtenstein & Young LLP.
