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Sean Connery as Sybok

Khan 2.0

Khan 2.0

Commodore
Commodore
just saw Shatners tribute tweet to Connery
Saddened to hear about the death of Sean Connery. I didn’t know him but he was a remarkable actor.
https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1322576869133230080
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as we know Sybok was written with him in mind resulting in the famous ShaKaRee/SeanConnery thing
William Shatner originally wanted Sean Connery to play the role of Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Shatner had tremendous respect for Connery's acting talents, and knew that his presence would be a great bonus in that the film would draw a foreign box office business. Before Paramount could close the deal with him, Connery accepted a role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which was scheduled to film at the same time as Star Trek V. Shatner was deeply disappointed to learn of Connery's unavailability. Despite this, the writers kept the reference to Connery – Sha Ka Ree – in the film.

In Shatner's search for Connery's replacement, he looked at other foreign actors which might bring in overseas business. "We considered several people," he said, "and were especially intrigued by one well-known Swedish actor (Max von Sydow) who I consider very talented. But when we found out how expensive he was, that idea quickly flew out the window."
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Performers_considered_for_film_roles#Sean_Connery)
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But had he not had the offer he couldn't refuse of Last Crusade (Spielberg/Lucas/Ford) i imagine hed have probably done Trek V as IV was such a big success and he wasnt adverse to appearing in iffy SciFi (Zardoz, Highlander 2, LXG)
 
I think it absoltuely was for the best. Star Trek V would have been that one "with Sean Connery as Spock's brother." Instead we got an actor who truly became the part. I loved Connery, but he didn't change his voice pretty much ever, so Sybok would have been all: "Shpock! You've developed a shense of humuh after awl!"
 
I think most established actors were probably happy to walk away from that movie, especially afterwards. The casting was good. For the movie's faults, Luckinbill isn't one of them. I might have tried to get Topol for the roll, if it were me, but its easy to second guess those things.
 
No disrespect to Luckinbill, his performance is magical and the definite outlier among Star Trek movie antagonists in not being out and out evil. But I can totally see Connery as Sybok. And that's because it was clearly created with him in mind. They basically carried over the character's look and style they hoped to pitch Sean and Luckinbill was lucky to run with it instead. He had a real religious cult leader charisma. But yeah, Connery would've taken that dangerous attraction to a whole other level, as to why anyone would follow him.
 
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I'm not so sure the legend is completely true. I mean, no doubt they wanted Connery...but it probably wasn't just the Last Crusade clash that put the kibosh on it. If Shatner couldn't afford von Sydow, there is no way he could have afforded Connery.
 
Honestly and after reading Lisabeth Shatner's account of the making of TFF, Connery was dream casting and never even close to a possibility.
 
well there was also the potential stigma of appearing in 'star trek' even though TVH was a huge break out hit like a Crocodile Dundee almost (so the next movie was something of a sure thing if ever there was), Trek still had that 'for nerds' thing (overseas anyway) .. so had Indy not been an option maybe it wouldve depended on if Connery was abit of a fan as his people/agent etc might be saying 'oof! you dont wanna do star trek!' to which hed mightve said 'yesh i do im a huge shtar trek fan and cant wait to get on the Enterprisesh shet with Kirk & Shpock!'

additional problems coulve been the script wasnt great (even for star trek) and playing Spocks bro mightve been abit 'eh? they want me to wear the earsh?' (then again as previously mentioned Connery went on to do Highlander 2 so quality obviously wasnt such a big deal if the money was right!)
 
I remember reading years ago in The Making of Trek Films or maybe Cinefantastique that Shatner had a pay dispute for TVH which resulted in he and Nimoy getting 2m each. and then pretty sure it said they were on 4m for TUC (with Kelly on either 1m or 500k and the rest on either 250k or 125k) .. so Shatner/Nimoy probably took home 3m a piece for TFF (Shatner probably more due to directing) so I imagine if there had been an offer to Connery it probably would've been around 3m (just looking at his IMDB he got 4m for Red October a year later for Paramount and that was the lead role, so 3m-3.5m sounds about right for Trek V..which was probably what he got for Last Crusade. Whether Bennett & Winter would've been able to stump up that amount is another matter!)
 
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Or their huge salaries was exactly why they couldn't afford anyone remotely expensive. Again, if von Sydow was too expensive...
 
Khan 2.0 said:
just saw Shatners tribute tweet to Connery

as we know Sybok was written with him in mind resulting in the famous ShaKaRee/SeanConnery thing


But had he not had the offer he couldn't refuse of Last Crusade (Spielberg/Lucas/Ford) i imagine hed have probably done Trek V as IV was such a big success and he wasnt adverse to appearing in iffy SciFi (Zardoz, Highlander 2, LXG)
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Nice! Could have been good but I like The Last Crusade too much to butterfly it away for Trek 5 as it is. Maybe with a rewrite and better SFX it could be better. However, I like the thread you made a couple of years ago where you wondered how Beyond would have gone as Star Trek V, with Sean Connery as Krall, David Warner as Manas etc. THAT would have been a fun film.
 
somebuddyx said:
Nice! Could have been good but I like The Last Crusade too much to butterfly it away for Trek 5 as it is. Maybe with a rewrite and better SFX it could be better. However, I like the thread you made a couple of years ago where you wondered how Beyond would have gone as Star Trek V, with Sean Connery as Krall, David Warner as Manas etc. THAT would have been a fun film.
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Oh yes think its in the Fan Fiction section, yes that would've been the Trek V for Connery! :D
Edit: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/beyond-as-trek-v-in-1989.286218/
 
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just reading Harrison Fords tribute to Connery and noticed this rather unique pov in the comments (not me btw)
Even though Connery is my all time favorite actor, I always thought that Richard Attenoborough would have been a truer choice for Jones Sr. going by the description. Connery does get to really bring it when he tells off the Nazi about reading books instead of burning them, but other than that, it mostly feels like stunt casting. I know he took this instead of playing Spock’s half-brother in STAR TREK 5, but given his record of excellent work in less-than-excellent movies, I think he’d have contributed more — and more effectively — to Shatner’s film.
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sean-connery-dies-indiana-jones-harrison-ford-i-1234821547/
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Connery as Sybok might have disappointed the audience. Sybok was sort of a non action villain. His power was through persuasion, not through fists. If Connery were Sybok, the audience would expect him to rough it up with Spock and/or Kirk, and would be disappointed when he doesn't do that. Even Connery's role of Henry Jones Sr. allowed him to rough it up with the villains despite the character being a nerdy professor type.
 
Well Connery did quite a load of stinker films in the 70's and early 80's , something of a Nic Cage or Bruce Willis now with doing everything that comes down the pike. I would have enjoyed Connery as Sybok, bit more chrisma, done a bit better at the box office, maybe a bit better written for Connery's sake.
who knows.. Some alternate reality has this.. and I want to see it!!
 
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