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.
How does NOT CONTACTING HIM, & NOT TALKING TO HIM DIRECTLY about a specific idea constitute trying? They had a private conversation about a lame scene and didn’t bother to talk to the guy? They mentioned that Shatner said he wasn’t interested in a cameo, but the timeline doesn’t match, since he made that comment AFTER it was announced he wasn’t in the movie, and long after they could have talked to him.
This is a very lame effort, and Abrams is insulting our intelligence by saying he tried. Trying means direct contact. Present Shatner the scene and let the guy that made the character and already wrote a successful book bringing the character back–help.
Awful.
Am I the only one who thinks the screen has seen enough STAR TREK??? I hope the film tanks so badly it ruins the careers of everyone involved! Enough is enough already!
Good grief. Move on already. Star Trek is not the only Sci-Fi franchise in the quadrant.
J.J. doesn’t want to mess with Denny Crane! My money is on Shatner doing a cameo, all of this is hype and misdirection to surprise everyone. It wouldn’t be a Star Trek film without the Shat!
This story is about the young crew, any appearances from the previous cast (Nimoy, Shatner) would only be a cameo. It sounds like Shatner wanted it to be focused on him in a full role, which doesn’t make any sense. 1, the character is dead. 2, the main story is about the young characters. Shatner needed to realize this.
I think Shatner was very gracious about not being included in cameo. About being resurrected from the dead…c’mon..no one stays dead in movies anymore! Everyone knows that by now! As far as I’m concerned, having grown up with the original and TNG crew, Shatner will always be Captain Kirk. But I still hope the movie pumps new life into the wonderful Trek universe.
He’s dead, Jim!
I find it disappointing that someone would want to direct a movie about a subject that he doesn’t even like.
I’ll watch it anyway and have something to talk about all week.
Suck it up, Shatner. The poor Kirk-kid has enough on his plate without you hamming it up all over the set. You’re done!
I think the point here is that JJ Abrams has claimed that he approached Shatner to do a cameo, and Shatner claims this is false, that he wasn’t approached.
Shatner actually seems to have a good sense of humour about it. I can see how it wouldn’t make sense to put Shatner in… his character has died and Shatner himself has aged beyond how the character looked when he died.
Oh, get over it fat ass! You can’t be in every movie.
I have mixed views on all of this. There are just too many contradictory statements. I guess its just one that we will have to let slip away as it is really a moot point now.
As far as JJ doing the new Trek. I have enjoyed much of his work but I too asked myslef why is someone who admitedly is not a Trek fan directing a Trek film? Doesn’t seem right. Though I am a die hard Trekkie (yes I said Trekkie.) I grew up with the show and feel that we have the right to call ourselves trekkies if we want to.
And even though I feel Star Trek should be left alone I am interested in the nw film. As far as Kirk comming back. Though a fan of the classic roles I feel that character is reduced by resurrecting it repeatedly. Since Spock was still alive naturally (except the one time) I is more understandable for him to continue on. Kirk was human so had a shorter natural life. So it seems ludicrous to keep bringin him back. Let hime die in peace with some dignaty and stay that way.
Well Shatner, which is it?
It appears that JJs writers are just copying whats gone before, Id like to see real creative writing on a Kirk resurrection, thats how I see it JJ LETS SEE IT
I’m a retired NASA scientist and long time Star Trek fan. I was appalled at the new Star Trek Trailer that shows the Enterprise being constructed on the ground. This means that J. J. Abrams does not understand Star Trek and the science and engineering behind it. Building the Enterprise on the ground would be like building the namesake aircraft carrier in the middle of a desert. One of the reasons Star Trek has survived so long is it made sense no matter what decade it was shown. Evidently Abrams is going to destroy that connection by turning it into pure fantasy.