How would you feel if they said they were going to be doing another Shatner as Kirk led movie?

Having the occasional mistake does not mean that you don't care about continuity. TOS had better continuity than most shows of its day, and a decent amount of consistency. Stuff like the references to the Enterprise previously traveling to the edge of the galaxy in "By Any Other Name" and Christopher Pike being the previous Captain of the Enterprise in "Mirror, Mirror" shows that they were making an effort at that sort of thing.

 

Well, the thing about that terrible Nexus idea ... all you have to do is going into the Nexus and make it in there alive, then go back to any point in time and just undo things apparently.

They'll use de-aging and Kirk will come out looking like lumpy Mr. Potatohead Kirk.

 

So, is the Nexus like a vending machine -- press the "Kirk" button and a copy pops out, ready for new adventures! Same with Picard and Guinan.

 

I'm amazed people think there's some copy of Kirk that could pop out of the Nexus anytime it wants. Guinan was pretty clear about that. Explicit in fact. She could not come out because she already was out. She said "I can't come with you, I'm already there". Why would Kirk be any different. Guinan has the unusual 6th sense about things. She knows what she's talking about.

There are basically only two ways to do it. One is you contradict it and pretend it never happened. I wouldn't put money on that ever happening. The other is Shatner plays an older version of an alternate Kirk, like Pine's Kirk. That's doable.

Honestly, I have a feeling people would be sadly disappointed. I just saw Shatner last night. A local theater was running TWOK on the big screen and Shatner came out after to talk to the audience. No disrespect to Shatner, I really mean that, but he's out of shape and like a lot of people in their 80s he was hesitant. It actually bothered me a bit. I've never seen Shatner like this. Whenever I've seen him in the past on interviews and speeches he was sure of himself and while he's gotten a bit on the heavy side over the years (like many of us) he carried it well enough. Now, he's still funny and charming. And his personality's still there. But he left Captain Kirk behind a long time ago and I personally prefer to remember Shatner as Kirk in his prime, like TWOK. And Shatner himself says when it comes to his career he prefers to live in the moment. He's enjoying what he's doing and I got the impression he's said good bye to Kirk some time ago.

I did enjoy him talking about his friendships with Nimoy and Kelley. He didn't talk about any other cast members. But he considered both, and Nimoy in particular, to be the brother he never had (which he said as much) And that might be another reason he probably wouldn't play Kirk again, it wouldn't be the same without Nimoy.

He did take a bit of a veiled swipe at the Abrams movies. He noted how in order to profit off a movie a studio usually needs to make more than 3 times it's cost to make. The first 6 movies just made that more or less. Then they moved on to the Next Generation movies he said and it was sort of the same thing. Then the Abrams movies came along, became more like Star Wars and Paramount got what they wanted. All fine, but the swipe was that he said they sacrificed the emotional impact that Star Trek had previously. He didn't elaborate beyond that.

Another amusing moment was when a question from the audience was what was his favorite Star Trek movie. He jokingly said, well 5 he heard was a pretty good movie (he did briefly admit that movie had a lot of problems but then moved on). That got a laugh from the audience. He was coy about questions like that though. He wouldn't say what his favorite was personally.

 

I'm completely torn on this idea - I mean completely borderline

Part of me is OBSESSED (I mean totally!) and says utterly yes, Shatner MUST return one more time, the other part says 'no, his time has passed'


Maybe the vision in my head is better than real life? Shatner is possibly slightly younger in this version? I think this Shatner is circa 2005

 

Thanks for sharing, Damian, its nice to read Shatner still has that persona which has drawn so many fans to appreciate him as a person and one who loves life and ambitions. I had a lot of input from my older brother and my Dad who told me Shatner, during the time of Generations, was hoping to open the doors of what Kirk saw right before he died again. Something to which it was a clue to a novel he co-wrote with another author concerning Kirk's resurrection and with the book's success Shatner was making an attempt to develop the bestseller through Viacom in making another movie. Shatner didn't realize Viacom was done with TOS and on with TNG; it was their tune at bat now. By any chance do you know of this book, and if read would that book could've been the best way to resurrect Kirk?

 

Shatner's Kirk sailed off into the sunset pre-Generations (which never happened).

I suspect even if someone wanted to bring him back it would have to be in a smallish part of the story because it's happened before that the film completion bond (insurance) got hung up because of concerns if the film could even be completed if an aged actor's health went south or worse, the chances of which increase with age. If that happens usually it means the insurance pays up and the film is scrapped (Brainstorm notwithstanding).

 

One version was in the Shatnerverse novels. In "The Ashes of Eden" Spock observes Kirk's remains on Veridian IV disappearing in a transporter beam and the story picks up in "The Return" where Kirk is resurrected by the Romulans using Borg technology in a bid to use him against the Federation. That's the version Shatner had suggested early on when the Abrams team was working on Star Trek (2009) to make canon and explain how Kirk was resurrected. The Abrams team didn't seem interested in doing that though.

Another novel, Crucible: Kirk "The Star to Every Wandering" and that develops the idea that Kirk had seen something before dying which led to him saying "Oh, My" before he died. I forget all the details but when Kirk exited the Nexus with Picard something about him caused an issue and was leading to destruction. Kirk is pulled back into the Nexus in this alternate reality where everything around the Nexus is destroyed and he has to fix it. He eventually goes back to the Guardian of Forever and at one point ends up billions of years in the past (and the Guardian seems just as ageless then). Eventually, of course, he sets everything right and the events of Generations finish as we recall them. All 3 Crucible novels were excellent. But maybe that's the novel you're thinking of about Kirk seeing something just before he died?

 

Damian, that was information I recall from my older brother and my Dad, who were die hard Star Trek fans and brought me up into this phenomenon. From what you've read, IYO, could those books be a way to bring back Kirk, giving Shatner a final chance to play the character in a CBS Allaccess mini-series ?

 

That was Shatner's idea early on when Abrams first came on board. When he was interested at the time I think it was Bob Orci that had said that they couldn't think of a good way to bring him back since his character died in Generations. And they created an alternate timeline so that they could do what they want without blowing up all that came before. So they weren't bout to pretend Kirk's death in Generations never happened. Whatever they did was going to have to be consistent with Generations basically. Shatner has proposed the idea of making his Shatnerverse canon (or at least part of it). Now I'm not sure how much of that was tongue in cheek but whether he was serious or not the Abrams team never seemed to even consider it.

It'd be away around the death problem. Even if they didn't canonize the novels themselves but use them for inspiration. But I think that time has passed now. I got the impression Shatner is happy doing what he's doing now and has moved on and I honestly don't see interest by the PTBs either at CBS or Paramount.

I personally was never a big fan of the idea. Part of it is Shatners acting style has changed over the years. He himself said as much at the Q&A. Everyone changes. I think he'd be pretty unrecognizable at this point. Even in the films V, VI and Generations he seemed to change. Shatner was always a bit over the top but it served the character well and wasn't a distraction. By the time of TFF it seemed to edge up considerably. In TUC I think the movie was much better received and that seemed to mask Shatner's acting a bit. And in Generations he continued to follow the same trend. Now that acting style has served him well in other roles he has taken on like Boston Legal. It's not that he sucks or anything. Just that as an actor I think he's moved on to the point that if we were to see him as Captain Kirk today a lot of people would be like WTF? Who is this guy?

 

Yeah the Shatnerverse books basically had Kirk's stolen body revived by a Borg-Romulan alliance, then he lives in the 24th Century and eventually rejoins Starfleet - Shatner actually pitched it as the eighth film

There have been a ton of ideas on hwo to bring Back Shat since 2004 for TV and film:

* There were two ideas for Enterprise's fourth season - one where he plays Mirror Kirk (Emperor Tiberius) co written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens whi did the Shatnerverse books.
* The other had Daniels take the Enterprise's Chef (an ancestor of Jim) to the futureto pose at Kirk at a major historical event
* A hologram cameo in a gift from Ambassador Spock in Star Trek 2009 - written but niot seriously considered for production
* Orci's Star Trek 13 would have had Kirk Prime revived in timey-wimey shananigans. The rumour was that Shatner and Nimoy would appear as older Pine and Quinto.

Think that's everything

It has to happen one day... right?! (though Shatner has aged over 25 years since Generations. Very visible in that 2013 Oscars sketch he did with Seth McFarlane)

There have been of course many fan ideas, including this brilliant trailer:

 

Having seen William Shatner live a couple of weeks ago, I can safely say that I think having him take the lead role in another Trek film at this point would be a massive mistake. He's almost 90 years old at this point and he's not the captain most of the viewing public remembers.

I could see him showing up in a cameo or such, but as the lead, I think it's past time to let him rest. Treasure your memories of him.

 

I have and always shall consider that to be Star Trek XI (maybe that's what the 'Star Trek Avengers' film was going to be after Nemesis)

 

I would feel like it's going to be like "Star Trek XII: So Very Tired" as advertised on TV when Bart, Lisa and Grandpa Simpson were sitting around watching.

Kor

 

Yes very much so! It weaves the plot threads well together. And Kirk in the Nx-01 feels like that mooted Enterprise episode he didn’t do . It’s still one of my favourite fan videos. My favourite scene is the sickbay one. The four classic characters in modern uniforms in a Voyager style sickbay. I could analyse and talk about it for hours.

im gutted that Shatner and Nimoy never got to do Kirk and Spock together one more time.

 

All good things must come to an end. Abbott and Costello...Bogie and Bacall...etc.

 

I'm not sure Kirk and Spock were ever going to get better than TWOK or TUC in any case.

 

I'd never expect them to be back as the main s tars, rather special guest stars.

TUC is my favourite of the original 6, a grand ending and the cast looked great.

 

Honestly, Shatner and Nimoy could've ended their run with The Voyage Home; leave the series at it's highest achievement and have audiences begging for more. Bow out before the scale slides down which was the TFF and TUC.

 

I'd agree on TFF, but TUC was a return to form and one of the best TOS movies.