While the film hits theaters in a matter of months, Star Trek Beyond will be undergoing some reshoots next week, and they’re significant enough to add a new cast member to the ensemble in the wake of principal photography wrapping last year. Per Deadline, House of Sand and Fog and 24 actress Shohreh Aghdashloo has been added to the Star Trek Into Darkness sequel’s cast as the High Command of the Federation, which suggests that Beyond won’t be entirely set outside of Earth.

Reshoots on major blockbusters are common, so there’s no cause for concern here. In fact, most productions now factor reshoots or additional photography into their budget, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens even undergoing some reportedly significant reshoots last summer. It doesn’t inherently mean there’s something “wrong” with the picture, and in the case of something like World War Z can sometimes significantly improve the film’s quality. So while the addition of a new cast member signals that these won’t be simple connective tissue scenes, the need for reshoots doesn’t inherently signal trouble.


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Image via Syfy

Justin Lin directs the third entry in the rebooted franchise, and judging by the film’s first trailer, the Fast Five director appears to have amped up the action and spectacle aspects of this sequel. I’ll be honest, that footage didn’t really wow me, but the fact that Simon Pegg and Doug Jung wrote the script is promising enough, and I quite like this ensemble so I still look forward to seeing what Star Trek Beyond has in store for us.

The follow-up brings Idris Elba into the mix as a mysterious villain alongside franchise newcomer Sofia Boutella, who first came to our attention with her sharp turn as a fleet-footed assassin in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Also starring Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin, Star Trek Beyond opens in theaters on July 22nd.

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Image via Paramount Pictures
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Image via Paramount Pictures

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Image via Paramount Pictures