Paul Giamatti boards Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as the central villain of the new series

Star Trek fans are celebrating this afternoon after hearing about Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers, Sideways, Big Fat Liar) joining the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy for a recurring villainous role. The Oscar-nominated actor plays the central villain in the upcoming series, described as “a man with an ominious past with a connection to one of the show’s cadets.”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “introduces us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. 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.”

Last month, Holly Hunter joined the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, lending even more star power to a fan-favorite corner of the beloved science-fiction franchise. Hunter will portray the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy in the series, which is scheduled to begin production later this summer.

“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,” said co-showrunners and exec producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau.

In addition to boarding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Paul Giamatti plays a “key role” in the upcoming Hostel TV show. In 2013, Giamatti revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he almost made a cameo in the original Hostel: “Eli was shooting Hostel in Prague and I was shooting The Illusionist and I met him. We talked about me actually killing somebody in that movie but it never panned out.” Now, it looks like Giamatti and Roth will make up for lost time.

What do you think about Paul Giamatti joining the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy? The show is packed with severe cosmic heat between him and Holly Hunter. We have several Trekkies on staff who are over the moon about this news. Let us know how you feel in the comments section below.