Why would Nimoy not appear in Generations, but was in Nu-Trek?

[Infern0]

I gather he didn't want to appear because there was nothing for his character to do (he was supposed to be on the enterprise B for a few minutes of screentime)

Yet in "into darkness" he pops up for 30 seconds in one of the most forced Cameos in cinematic history.

Anyone know why this is?

 

[austen_pierce]

Nimoy declined Generations stating that Spock did not make a significant contribution to the story.

Spock is critical and central to the story of ST2009.

 

[austen_pierce]

As for STID, Abrams called Nimoy in on a whim, asking for a favor and a few days of Nimoy's time. I can only Speculate on why Nimoy agreed. Perhaps it was out of respect for the man's contribution in ST09. Perhaps Nimoy did not have the other projects on his plate like he did back in the mid 90s.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Lance]

He was also in the running to direct "Generations", and I suspect that (at least in part) his back-and-forth about the size of his cameo was about playing a negotiating game with the studio, to see just how much Rick Berman actually wanted him for the movie. By saying he wanted a larger role, he was also saying that, as director, he wanted a bigger hand in making changes to the script as well. Berman turned him down, possibly on the grounds that it was a tight schedule that couldn't accomodate too many rewrites, or possibly on the grounds that he didn't want the TOS characters to overshadow the TNG ones too much. So Nimoy walked from both the cameo and the director's chair.

 

[Beyerstein]

I think when he complained about his character not having a substantial role they offered him to direct in order to still get him to appear. He wanted to have the script rewritten if he was going to direct and they said no.

i guess they just wanted to make the movie real quickly.

As far as appearing in Abrams' Trek, I guess at his age by then, maybe he considers it an honor to even be asked?

 

[Enterprise is Great]

I think that Nimoy and Abrams have become very good friends. He was able to get Nimoy to come out of retirement several times to appear on Fringe.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Because Generations was pretty lame, while ST09 was fantastic?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Nimoy turned down Generations because the lines were so generic they could have come from anyone (and they eventually did come from Scotty, and McCoy's from Chekov). In Into Darkness, only Old Spock could have given such a warning about Khan to his younger self.

Plus, Nimoy likes Abrams.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Yup. Even Mr Nimoy needs to eat.

 

[TheSubCommander]

Probably all of the above, and also I wouldn't be surprised Nimoy, despite saying how he is Shatner's friend now, still remembers their rivalry in the 1960s and part of him must relish the fact that he has been asked to do 2 cameos in the 2 reboot movies (thereby meaning his Spock has been in one more Star Trek feater film than Shatner's Kirk...I know he is in his 1980s but sometimes actors can be petty like that!), and since Abrams and Shatner despise each other, Shatner will never appear in a reboot movie, as long as Abrams has any say.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I think that Nimoy and Abrams have become very good friends. He was able to get Nimoy to come out of retirement several times to appear on Fringe.

Quinto, too. He and Nimoy are very close. The car commercial they did riffs on their real-life relationship.

 

[Relayer1]

one of the extras on STID makes a point of how close Nimoy and JJ are...

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Apparently, Nimoy changed his mind.

 

[Trek Survivor]

I know he is in his 1980s but sometimes actors can be petty like that

Holy Crappola, that's old!

 

[austen_pierce]

Because Generations was pretty lame, while ST09 was fantastic?

Thus Nimoy's respect for Abrams

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Yup. Even Mr Nimoy needs to eat.

I very much doubt Nimoy is destitute.

I think that Nimoy and Abrams have become very good friends. He was able to get Nimoy to come out of retirement several times to appear on Fringe.

Quinto, too. He and Nimoy are very close. The car commercial they did riffs on their real-life relationship.

Yes, being on good terms with those asking makes all the difference in the world.

Off topic... this reminds me of the Priceline commercial where Nimoy 'replaces' Shatner. It's all in good fun, but the final expression on Shatner's face is awesome.

 

[BillJ]

I imagine he saw what a train-wreck Generations was going to be.

 

[Commishsleer]

Yet in "into darkness" he pops up for 30 seconds in one of the most forced Cameos in cinematic history.

I disagree. His cameo was essential to nuSpock's next actions. I enjoyed seeing him again and will as long as he will appear.

The difference was that in GEN he wasn't going to be important to the script. He was going to just be there to be sad when Kirk died. That ignores the chance that Spock will be 'around' 80 years later, that he's smart and would probably have researched the Nexus like Soran did and realised that Kirk might still be alive and would have been interested in finding him.

I saw Shatner and Nimoy in Vegas 2009. Nimoy explained in a sort of comedy routine with Shatner that if he Nimoy had appeared in GEN that Kirk would never have died. Shatner pretends to doubt him but Nimoy eventually 'convinces' him. He tells Shatner he should have never appeared in the movie. If you believe Nimoy here, and I have no reason not to, he thought that Kirk shouldn't have died and not so badly (and he's not Robinson Crusoe there)

 

[austen_pierce]

Yet in "into darkness" he pops up for 30 seconds in one of the most forced Cameos in cinematic history.

I disagree. His cameo was essential to nuSpock's next actions. I enjoyed seeing him again and will as long as he will appear.

The difference was that in GEN he wasn't going to be important to the script. He was going to just be there to be sad when Kirk died. That ignores the chance that Spock will be 'around' 80 years later, that he's smart and would probably have researched the Nexus like Soran did and realised that Kirk might still be alive and would have been interested in finding him.

I saw Shatner and Nimoy in Vegas 2009. Nimoy explained in a sort of comedy routine with Shatner that if he Nimoy had appeared in GEN that Kirk would never have died. Shatner pretends to doubt him but Nimoy eventually 'convinces' him. He tells Shatner he should have never appeared in the movie. If you believe Nimoy here, and I have no reason not to, he thought that Kirk shouldn't have died and not so badly (and he's not Robinson Crusoe there)

I (and likely others here) would love to see a recording of this, if one exists.

 

[Hober Mallow]

I imagine he saw what a train-wreck Generations was going to be.

He flat-out said it. Berman asked Nimoy to direct, but Nimoy told him the script was terrible and needed a major rewrite. Berman said there was no time. Nimoy said adios.

If only Shatner had turned down being in that godawful film.