Taylor Kitsch will climb into Pete Berg’s battleship -- UPDATED

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EXCLUSIVE: A key hole in Universal’s ‘Battleship’ has been filled: Taylor Kitsch is coming on to star as Hopper, one of the lead parts in the high-profile nautical action-adventure.

Kitsch, who stars as the title character in the upcoming action film ‘John Carter of Mars,’ is best known for his part as football player Tim Riggings in the TV series ‘Friday Night Lights,’ with which ‘Battleship’ director Pete Berg was heavily involved. More shortly.

UPDATED -- 12:32 AM: Hopper isn’t simply one of the lead parts -- it’s the lead part. The character is a young naval officer who, we’re told, leads the humans’ battle against the invading aliens. Yes, there are aliens -- this isn’t exactly the ‘B-9? You sunk my battleship’ version. More casting to come, though it’ll be a while before you can see the movie: it doesn’t come out until May 2012. That should give you almost enough time to finish a full game of Battleship.

--Steven Zeitchik

Photo: Kitsch in Friday Night Lights. Credit: NBC Universal Television