Star Trek Beyond premiere: Justin Lin and Zachary Quinto pay tribute to Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin

Cast members remembered the late stars as they came together for the European premiere
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Emma Powell13 July 2016
The Weekender

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Justin Lin and Zachary Quinto were among the stars who paid tribute to Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin at the European premiere of Star Trek Beyond in London.

Yelchin, who plays Chekov in the latest film, died in June after he was pinned against the metal gates on his driveway in a freak accident.

Lin, who directed the film, said he is "still processing" Yelchin's death and praised the late actor's passion and talent.

"I'm still processing, it's still very raw," Lin said. "He reminds me everyday to smile. He had so much passion and so many ideas."

Quinto remebered Nimoy and told reporters that it was vital for him to honour the late actor's legacy in the new film.

“Leonard and I became incredibly close and our relationship evolved beyond the franchise," Quinto said. "He became a powerful person in my life. It was important for me to find a way to honour his legacy throughout the narrative. He was an incredible man and I miss him a lot.”

A host of stars flocked to Leicester Square for Tuesday night's premiere including Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), who greeted John Cho with a kiss, Idris Elba (Krall) and Simon Pegg (Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott).

Pegg addressed his decision to make Sulu gay and insisted that it prevented LGBT characters being treated as out of the ordinary.

Stunning: Jaylah actress Sofia Boutella
Dave Benett

George Takei, who played the space traveller in the TV series, criticised the move last week and said film bosses should have created a new character.

Addressing Takei's comments, Pegg said: “George was a bit unsure, but our idea was to get someone we knew so it wouldn’t be such a big deal and instead something ordinary," he told reporters. "[Being LGBT] is not special, it’s just life.”

Sofia Boutella, who plays Jaylah, added a touch of glamour to the proceedings in a sheer black dress as she joined her co-stars for a group photo.

Star Trek Beyond follows Captain Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew as they face an alien threat on a hostile planet.

Star Trek Beyond is set for UK cinema release on July 22.

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