Down Under to boldly go down under

Sydney Opera House, as depicted in "The Outsiders" #42, DC Comics.

JJ Abrams' "Star Trek" movie is almost upon us, but it's just been announced that our own Sydney Opera House is the venue for the world premiere/official preview!

Paramount Pictures Australia announced yesterday that Sydney will host the special screening event in front of 1,600 "tastemakers", ah... guests - in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Tuesday, April 7.

The premiere will feature director/producer JJ Abrams and cast members Eric Bana (Nero), Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock) and Karl Urban (McCoy) presenting the movie. They will be supported by Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scott) and presumably Aussie actor, Chris Hemsworth, who's playing Kirk's father, George Kirk Sr. Following this world premiere, an international tour launches: to countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Netherlands and New Zealand.

"Not only are we honored to have JJ Abrams and the cast here in Sydney for the World Premiere of the stunning new STAR TREK," said Mike Selwyn, Managing Director of Paramount Pictures Australia, of the world premiere, "we are also very excited to present this event at one of Australia's - and the world's - most famous locations, Sydney Opera House."

It is slated to open in US cinemas on May 8, but thanks to our differing release schedules and the International Date Line, Australia gets its regular release a considerable number of hours earlier, too.

I've put out a few feelers to see if I actually rank as a "Sydney tastemaker", or even as the "nerdy friend of a Sydney tastemaker", who perhaps has a double pass and no date on the night already.

Have phaser in pocket, am pleased to see you, and will travel.

By the way, notice how Vedek Winn Adami already has a hat for the big occasion?