December 4, 2012 10:20

Chris Pine calls Cumberbatch's 'Star Trek' baddie 'formidable'

Cumberbatch's character in 'Star Trek Into Darkness' may be a 'one-man weapon of mass destruction'

Chris Pine has called Benedict Cumberbatch's character in the new Star Trek movie "formidable".

Last month (November 2012), Paramount Pictures released a plot teaser for next year's Star Trek Into Darkness, revealing that Captain Kirk will "lead a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction".

Pine is back for a second appearance as Kirk, while Cumberbatch has joined the cast and is known to be playing a villain, perhaps the so-called "one-man weapon of mass destruction".

In a new Press Association interview, Pine revealed that Cumberbatch's performance as the baddie really impressed him. He said: "Obviously I can't say much, but there's one scene in it. It's a really hard scene, not for me, but for Benedict. And watching him handle that and to make something that I think, on paper, could have really been a death trap for an actor."

Rounding off his praise for Cumberbatch, Pine added: "He has great command of his instrument. He's formidable as an actor and as a character in the story. He's a great actor."

Star Trek Into Darkness, JJ Abrams' follow-up to 2009's Star Trek, is due to open worldwide on May 17, 2013. Alongside Pine and Cumberbatch, Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg will reprise their roles as Spock and Scotty. The first poster for the sequel has recently been released and you can see it here.