Simon Pegg Says 'Star Trek 3' will 'Capture the Spirit' of Original Show

Simon Pegg as Scotty in "Star Trek: Into Darkness." (Paramount Pictures)

LOS ANGELES - Simon Pegg, who plays Scottish engineer Scotty in the upcoming "Star Trek 3" film, says the movie will capture the spirit of the original 60s TV show.

Pegg, who also co-wrote the script told Comic Book Resources that the new film will have themes familiar to longtime "Star Trek" fans. He said the film will have the same sense of optimism and adventure that the original series was known for.

"It’s a story about frontierism and adventure and optimism and fun, and that’s where we want to take it, you know, where no man has gone before — where no one has gone before, sensibly corrected for a slighter more enlightened generation,” he told the website.

The film's production has undergone a number of changes since producer J.J. Abrams first announced plans for "Star Trek 3." Abrams, who directed the first two films, has left the director's chair to produce the film and in order to helm the upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." So far a number of directors and writers have come and gone, including writer Roberto Orci who was jettisoned in favor of Justin Lin, known for his work on "Fast Five."

"Star Trek 3" is scheduled for July 2016 release by Paramount Pictures.