Karl Urban joins 'Star Trek' cast

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- New Zealand actor Karl Urban has signed on to play Leonard "Bones" McCoy in J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" movie, the Hollywood Reporter said Thursday.

Urban, who is best-known for his roles in "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, will play the Starship Enterprise's medical officer.

Actor Chris Pine has also closed his deal to star as the young Capt. James Kirk after choosing to drop out of George Clooney's new movie, "White Jazz," because the two projects overlapped.

John Cho, Simon Pegg and Eric Bana joined the "Star Trek" crew last week. Previously cast were Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin and Zachary Quinto.

Leonard Nimoy, who originated the role of Spock and played him both on television and in films, will also be part of the latest installment, which is slated to shoot from November through March.

Although plot details are shrouded in secrecy, the movie is believed to chronicle the early days of the Enterprise crew, the trade paper said.