Is it just me, or are we hearing about new stunt casting for this movie every other day? Today's stunt is not half bad - Ben Cross will be playing Sarek, Spock's thorny ambassador father. I like Ben Cross - there's just something about his face and his quiet solemnity that I find appealing, and those exact traits, his looks and his gravitas, should make him an ideal Vulcan.

Of course, Sarek always looked younger than Amanda, and you'd expect that, given the difference in lifespans. So this makes the choice of Winona Ryder to play Amanda even more problematic. Cross is 59; Ryder is 36. Hm.