Let's hope Variety is wrong on thie one.  The industry mag is reporting that Winona Ryder has been cast as the mother to young Spock (Zachary Quinto) in the new film.  In itself, this is a good thing.  However, the casting notice calls her his "Vulcan mother," a two-word combination that is sending fans into a tizzy.  (The print version of the magazine apparently contains a correction, per StarTrek.Com. Here's hoping.)  As anyone who ever watched the original series knows, Spock is half-human, half-Vulcan, with the human side coming from his mother, Amanda Grayson.  Jane Wyatt originated the role, though the character was given her best treatment in the tie-in novels written by Jean Lorrah (in this writer's not remotely humble opinion).

Meanwhile, Aint It Cool News is reporting that Rachel Nichols (Alias) has been cast as Janice Rand (originally played by Grace Lee Whitney).  Nichols told the Toronto Sun:   "I'm very restricted on what I'm allowed to say.  But yes, there's a good chance you'll see my shining face in the new Star Trek ... My mom even e-mailed me about it because she saw it (online) and I hadn't told her yet. There's a lot of buzz about it, but honestly, I don't even know the name of my character."

IESB, on the other hand, has obtained exclusive set photos from the shoot, and think they've identified Jennifer Morrison (House) as one of the folks on-set, and they're speculating she's the new Rand.