It's all systems go in Dubai, as the cast and crew have begun filming the third film in the re-boot of the science fiction series, reports AP.
Director and producer Justin Lin, executive producer Jeffrey Chernov, writers Douglas Jung and Simon Pegg and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba have trekkies in a tizzy as they take over the city.
American actor Chris Pine, who plays Capt. James T. Kirk, said at a press conference at Burj Al Arab that he was amazed to see "such a stunning city" when he drew open his blinds of his hotel room.
"It looks like whatever tomorrow will be," Pine said. "It's future land. It's incredible."
Chris Pine, Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto at the Star Trek Beyond press conference. (Twitter)
Jeffrey Chernov, one of the film's executive producers, is well acquainted with Dubai's skyscrapers and futuristic vistas. He was an executive producer in Tom Cruise's 2011's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and had to oversee the insurance nightmares when Cruise insisted on scaling parts of Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper instead of a stuntman.
Last Friday saw the normally busy Sheikh Zayed road closed for filming. A helicopter filmed along the multi-lane highway cutting through central Dubai, which includes a portion of the Dubai Metro and tall residential towers and office buildings. (Twitter)
The filming of Star Trek Beyond is another major coup for the UAE's burgeoning film industry, following blockbusters Fast & Furious and Star Wars: Episode VII, which have shot scenes in the Emirates.
Star Trek Beyond will be released on July 22 in the US, and will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise.
