Karl Urban and his Star Trek family

Karl Urban and his Star Trek family

Kiwi Karl Urban is a cast-iron bone fide Hollywood movie star.

After Lord of the Rings catapulted him into the big time, the Wellington-born actor quite simply hasn't looked back.

His latest blockbuster Star Trek Beyond, the third in this latest reboot of the cult franchise, has just hit cinemas globally.

From Middle Earth to Moscow, as a relentless Russian hitman chasing Jason Bourne in one of the best action car chases ever filmed.

Then of course, there is space, the final frontier, the voyages of the Starship Enterprise and going boldly where no Kiwi actor has gone before.

Urban's role as Bones was kickstarted by JJ Abrams when he cast him in his 2009 reboot. 

Three movies in, Urban and the crew are more like family than workmates.

"It's not often to work together with a bunch of people over a 10-year period, and I really feel  we are a family, and this was a lot of fun," co-star Zachary Quinto says.

"This was probably the most fun I have ever had shooting a movie. We're as close off screen as we are on, I know you hear that a lot, but it's really true in this case."

The filial banter did not stop there.

"I really enjoyed working with [John Cho]. Chris in the bar scene we really get to see that friendship. But I gotta say working with John was also really amazing. Not so much working together but I would look at him on set, long distance glares, and, yeah. Working with Zach though? That was the most fun," Urban says.

It's a special year for Star Trek, as it's 50 years since the very first episode was made on the soundstage on the Paramount Lot.

A select group of excited fans were recently invited onto the Lot to celebrate that, and pay tribute to the late Leonard Nimoy alongside the cast.

Bones is firmly imbedded in Trekkie hearts and minds - knowledge Urban doesn't take lightly.

For this new chapter, JJ Abrams handed over the Enterprise to Fast and Furious director Justin Lin who, as it happens, has his own favourite crew member.

"Bones has such a great storyline in this particular film," he says.

"Growing up I loved Bones. We immigrated to America when I was eight, my family was just my parents and my brothers, and Bones was like the uncle that I wanted, the curmudgeon uncle that I never had. It was so much fun with Karl on set. I love working with all the cast but Karl especially," Lin says.

With Star Trek Beyond firing into cinemas this weekend, Urban has been busy promoting the film all over the globe, from Sydney, to London, to Washington and San Diego, where the film is having a huge outdoor World Premiere for Comic-Con fans. 

He also has another movie opening in September, Disney's Pete's Dragon, which he shot in New Zealand with Robert Redford and Bryce Dallas Howard.

No rest for the wicked though, Urban will soon head to Australia's Gold Coast, where fellow Kiwi Taika Waititi has already kicked off production on Thor: Ragnarok. Urban will play the Asgardian character of Skurge opposite Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum and Tom Hiddleston.

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