Until this weekend, not many among the moviegoing public knew the name Chris Pine, unless you happened to be a fan of films like “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” or the Lindsay Lohan rom-com clunker “Just My Luck.” But his turn as young James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot looks to be a star-making move.

And it’s not just audiences and critics who are raving about Pine’s Kirk and favorably comparing his portrayal to that of original Kirk William Shatner; Hollywood is taking notice too. Count director Kevin Smith among Pine’s growing legion of fans.