Jimmy Bennett has signed on to play a young James Kirk in Paramount Pictures highly anticipated space epic Star Trek. According to Ropes of Silicon, J.J. Abrams will direct the space epic which was written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Bennett will join an all-star cast that includes Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Winona Ryder, Bruce Greenwood, Rachel Nichols, Jennifer Morrison, Clifton Collins Jr. and Tyler Perry.

Star Trek is scheduled to be released in theaters on Christmas Day 2008.