Leonard Nimoy will be putting on his ears to play a wizened Spock in J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek, but don’t expect a cameo by William Shatner as Captain Kirk. Last month, the 77-year-old actor posted a video on YouTube (see below), complaining about being left behind, and chastising Abrams, even though Shatner’s Kirk died in Star Trek Generations (1994). "I brought him back to life in one of my books, very easily," Shatner tells Abrams in the video. "I’m just sorry that I’m not in your wonderful movie."
Abrams has seen the video, of course. "I don’t know how my life has become a thing where William Shatner talks to me through YouTube," Abrams tells EW. "I was such a huge fan of his, but we wrote a scene for him in the movie and it didn’t feel right. And he said to us—he said publicly—that doing a cameo didn’t interest him. Which I totally appreciate. But we did try." EW tried to reach Shatner, but he declined to be interviewed. Through a spokesperson he said, "I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to be involved in the Star Trek universe at this point." —Benjamin Svetkey, reported by Jeff Jensen
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I can’t believe you just got me to watch a Shatner video. This feels worse than being rick-rolled.
I just don’t know how you can have such little self awareness. He obviously wasn’t trying to be funny, but he must have known that this is going to draw ridicule.
Shatner has become this whole other thing. Putting him in the new movie would be totally distracting. Good thing it didn’t work out.
You WILL respect Billy Shats you b@$tards!
Bill can easily get a ticket to the 24th century thorugh Priceline to be in the movie. No worries.
We all know JJ Abrams likes to surprise us and be creative in his marketing campaigns; ever think this is all a ruse and that Shatner may actually have a cameo in the movie and that will generate even MORE exposure once the movie comes out? Just a thought.
Actually this is a lot better than I thought it would be. I think he was diplomatic enough about it, and aware that the scene didn’t work. Maybe he was a little bitter, but this could have been far more embarrassing.
How . . . could you . . . leave ME . . . out of your movie? I don’t . . . understand . . . WHY . . . I’m not in the wonderful movie.
Bill needs to give it up. He agreed to die on screen and kill Kirk. They could not have done it without him.
He has a job on that Boston Legal show so he has money coming in and should just leave that in the past.
To paraphrase Bones: “He’s dead, Bill.”
Despite that, I’m with Brian Looney and am hoping for a surprise.
Zet, Mikey Umm I hate to tell ya but Spock was killed in WOK. Therefore he can’t be brought back oh wait they DID Bring Spock back…
All JJ has done from day one is LIE about why Shat is not in this movie.
“Because he died” BS. Every Main character has “died” in trek only to be brought back to life. Look at Terminator how many times has Ahnold
come back from death?
Cloverflop sucked… All hype & yet nothing to show for it. Now the same
lame “keep them guessing” Expect this to be BSG radically different from TOS.
I hope Paramount Looks at the Torrent
downloads of TurkeyTrek rather than the 200 tickets bought.
JJ Sucks – Hey doofus… How is J.J. lying when you just acknowledged what he said? Nimoy’s Spock probably comes from a time 20 years after Kirk “actually” died on that planet. Kirk would probably nothing but ashes now. Not to mention, Shatner is almost physically nothing like he was. Also, Spock’s death was PLANNED that way to come back and a movie was made about it. Need I go on?
Your point and post, therefore, is moot and flawed.
Bill will always be Captain Kirk. OF COURSE they could bring him back to life, even if just in memories that Spock might have about him. Any Star Trek movie should include both Kirk and Spock. Nuff said…
Bring back Shatner? Ahhh c’mon!It worked with search for spock but keep it real! How pathetic will the star trek universe be if we bring back everybody from the dead. Whatever next? Bring back Sarek?
The movie is going to be yet another STEAMING dog turd. Star Trek does not need re-imagining. Star Trek needs the original writers and directors, or at the VERY least, true FANS of the franchise, to step in and CONTINUE the story as Roddenberry would have done it. Abrams will NOT do that. So this movie will SUCK just as they ALL have sucked starting with Generations. *shrugs* Fact of life, Paramount. Stop blaming the public for your own stupidity. The fans have TOLD you what they wish to see, and you don’t do it. So, you have no one to blame but yourselves for your failtures. Want to see REAL Trek? The way it is SUPPOSED to be done? – http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/ This guys are so good, original writers, crew AND cast have jumped on board to do Trek. I can watch this and get the same warm feeling as I did when I was a kid, watching Trek.
JJ, swallow your pride and do it right. If you don’t, this one’s going nowhere.