Quantum Quest, a new animated 3D film that blends science and science and science fiction, sports an voice cast including a number of Trek stars such as Bob Picardo, Brent Spiner and both Kirks, Chris Pine and William Shatner. At a panel at Comic Con on Thursday, Pine ‘appeared’ in a taped video to talk about the film, and he also talked about the new Star Trek movie…and Shatner!

Quantum Quest, written and co-directed by Harry Kloor (who also wrote some VOY episodes), is part educational tool and part entertainment and was initiated by JPL and NASA. It tells the story of Dave (voiced by Chris Pine), a photon who leaves the Sun on a quest to save his fellow photons from being annihilated by The Voice (voiced by Mark Hamill) and his anti-matter forces lead by Admiral Fear (Samuel L. Jackson). The Core (voiced by Shatner), and his team including characters voiced by Bob Picardo, Brent Spiner and others, lives in the Sun and leads the fight against The Void.

Pine stated that making the film “was a blast” and that he has always wanted to do voice work. He also noted how in making the film he has learned a lot about science, and photons and neutrinos, something that the film tries to impart to the audience.

During his taped comments, Pine discussed the new Star Trek movie and his predecessor:

Pine on Star Trek:

I will be playing James T. Kirk in the new Star Trek that comes out in May of next year. I really hope it is received well and will do well. All I can say is that we did our best and we had a lot of fun and will give people a good two hours in an air-conditioned dark room.

Pine on phasers:

Phasers are pretty rad. The phaser — we had big discussions about this on the movie — the phaser is really not modern warfare technology. Modern guns are supposed to have a heft to it. Phasers are great because they are light and they are very mobile, but they don’t have the grit, like you wouldn’t see John Wayne carrying around a phaser.

NOTE: It isn’t clear if he was speaking about phasers in general, or specifically about the ones in the new Star Trek movie.

Pine on Shatner

The interesting trivia is that William Shatner, the O.G. original James T. Kirk, is playing The Core in movie and I have a small scene in the beginning where The Core kind of surprises me, and The Core is essentially God. So Bill, Mr. Shatner, hello.

Dave the Photon (L, voiced by Pine) & The Core (R, voiced by Shatner)

So there will be a space-based sci-fi movie with Chris Pine and William Shatner next year. The voices of the two Kirks, with the help of The Doctor and Data, will face off against Luke Skywalker and Mace Windu in September 2009.

Much more information on the film is available at QQTheMovie.com.