Paramount Pictures and director JJ Abrams have beamed Winona Ryder aboard to play the Vulcan mother of a young Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) in the upcoming Star Trek.. Now, if true, Trekkies will have their heads as it goes against the established Trek lore in which Spock is the offspring of a Vulcan father, Sarek, and a human mother named Amanda Grayson.. It could be that the rumors got it wrong in hearing she is playing ” the vulcan mother ” instead of ” the mother of the vulcan Spock..” So, we’re very intrigued to see how Abrams and his writers, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, are going to explain away the presence of a Vulcan mother - step-mum, perhaps? Foster parent? Does Spock not know at this point who his real mother is? Or are they pulling something a bit more grandiose and revisionist?

Ryder will take on a role that was made famous by the late Jane Wyatt in the original Star Trek series as well as Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1987..

Tomorrow’s Entertainment confirmed the casting overnight, bringing the actress into the fold that already includes Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Eric Bana among others..

Ryder’s last big science - fiction project was Alien Resurrection in 1997.. Ryder’s film career began with the movie Lucas in 1986, but got her big break in the 1988 film Beetle Juice with Michael Keaton.. Other notable roles include Edward Scissorhands in 1990, Girl, Interrupted in 1999 ( With Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Whoopi Goldberg ), and 2006’s A Scanner Darkly..

Ryder has been nominated for two Oscars in her career, both in the mid - 1990’s for The Age of Innocence and Little Women.. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000.. Ryder’s upcoming credits include The Informers based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel, and The Last Word from director Geoffrey Haley.. She is currently in pre - production on The Private Lives of Pippa Lee..

Earlier this week, Bruce Greenwood has signed on to star as Christopher Pike, the original Enterprise captain in JJ Abrams’ new Star Trek movie..

The character of Captain Pike appeared in the original unaired pilot that Gene Roddenberry created.. However, the pilot was rejected by CBS and by NBC.. Pike was later weaved back into Star Trek lore as the ship’s first captain and appeared in a two - part episode..

Star Trek XI is in production now under the direction of J.J. Abrams, and is expected to premiere the 25th December 2008.. You can check out the first pics at JFX Online..