Shatner

[Ryann866]

Does it worry anybody else that it seems like Abrams and company developed the story and script for the new movie with the concept of having the older Spock character (Nimoy) involved in the plot but not Kirk/Shatner?

The comments that they are now "trying to find a way to fit Kirk in" after the script has been approved seems like a recipe for disaster to me. Why not conceive of a story with BOTH Nimoy and Shatner from the start?

I fear some last minute re-write to insert Shatner into the story will be disastrous.

 

[bdb]

I am a little worried, because Kirk died. So, they are probably going to have to use some sort of gimmick to get him in the movie.

 

[Sharr Khan]

Ryann866 said:
Does it worry anybody else that it seems like Abrams and company developed the story and script for the new movie with the concept of having the older Spock character (Nimoy) involved in the plot but not Kirk/Shatner?

The comments that they are now "trying to find a way to fit Kirk in" after the script has been approved seems like a recipe for disaster to me. Why not conceive of a story with BOTH Nimoy and Shatner from the start?

I fear some last minute re-write to insert Shatner into the story will be disastrous.

Most scripts evolve beyond where they're started out (For that matter films continue to change and morph even in the editing room - now more so) at once they've been "approved" and chances are Shatner won't be in this... which is ok with me...

Sharr

 

[DeafPoet]

Or they`re just blowing smoke up our asses and Shatner`s not going to be in it. Which I would actually prefer. This movie doesn`t need him from what I can tell and IMO.

If I were J.J. I would be telling the fans they`re "trying to squeeze him in" too. Beats flat out confirming his absence and getting death threats in the mail.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Ryann866 said:
Does it worry anybody else that it seems like Abrams and company developed the story and script for the new movie with the concept of having the older Spock character (Nimoy) involved in the plot but not Kirk/Shatner?

Not in the least.

They have a particular story that they want to tell, and from their statements in the "Star Trek" magazine interview they obviously consider Spock to be a character who somewhat transcends Trek itself. Apparently Old Spock is simply essential to their story and Old Kirk is not. Therefore, he ain't in it.

It doesn't look as if they wrote this thing backward from a laundry list of marketing-driven requirements (ie, "Put Shatner and Nimoy in") and that is tremendously encouraging.

 

[fudgefase]

Maybe they'll do one of these time travel type ones and have the younger Shat in it - as Cpt Kirk - or they might go for a full length "Trouble with Tribbles" type script, so they can have him in it, but not present day.
Is this making any sense? I know what I'm trying to say, but it's coming out wrong.

 

[Franklin]

It would've been nice, but it doesn't bother me that Shatner's apparently not in it. It's the word "apparently" that's beginning to bother me. The notion that they're trying (or have tried) to work him in.
It'd be nice (and refreshing) if Abrams just flat out said once and for all that all involved are happy with the script as it is, and Shatner's not in it. That's it. Final word. Let's move on.

Being seen as playing Hamlet with it (Is he? Isn't he? Should he? Shouldn't he? Will he? Won't he? Can they? Can't they?) is different than building suspsense over it. It gets old. If they've decided, let's know. If not, tell us.

Frankly, I'd think Shatner would be on board by now if he's involved at all. What I've been wondering is how important the character of Kirk (at any age) really is to this movie. Especially since Nimoy and Quinto are basically touring the world like newlyweds as the very visible front men for the film.

 

[Borgminister]

Oh heck, Shatner was in Generations without Nimoy, wasn't he?

I for one think the actors they get to portray the character of Kirk--not Shatner--and other characters is much more important than paying any one actor their "due".

 

[Jon1701]

Old Kirk is dead. No Katra. No living Spirit. Dead. Fell off a bridge. Fait accompli.

Only way out is to go back in to the Nexus somehow and...

You see, I just can't finish that line. I dont want to. It would be bad. It would suck balls. And that, my friends is why Shatner is not in the new movie.

That and money.

 

[seigezunt]

I doubt he's going to be in it. He will be missed by this fan, but I'm still looking forward to see what they cook up.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

why should it bother me that they wrote the movie they wanted to write and talked Paramount into putting a $100 mil plus behind it. Why should it bother me that they have not just written into it the original Spock, but woven him integrally to the story? Why should it bother me that they are respecting the Trek history that makes the inclusion of Kirk problematic due to his demise in Generations?

What would bother me is if they really did 'shove' Shatner into the movie awkwardly as so many are 'demanding'

 

[Franklin]

Borgminister said:
Oh heck, Shatner was in Generations without Nimoy, wasn't he?

I for one think the actors they get to portray the character of Kirk--not Shatner--and other characters is much more important than paying any one actor their "due".

Yes, but Nimoy was offered a chance to be Spock in GEN and turned it down.

As to your second point, that's certainly true. And sensitive to that point, right now, Quinto is spending oodles of time learning Spock from the master. Nimoy even gave input to the type of person he believed was needed to successfully pull off the character.

The actor who will play Kirk? Maybe he'll meet Shatner, maybe not.

I don't know, maybe I'm just creating a weird dichotomy where there isnt' one. Casting is supposed to be crucial. Getting this iconic roles right is supposed to be crucial. To that end, while Quinto is learning about Spock and TOS from Nimoy, Shatner apparently has no imput on the new Kirk. Maybe he'll meet the actor, maybe not. After all, the start of filming is only about eight weeks away (early November, right?).

 

[Jon1701]

^On Generations :

[Leonard Nimoy] There was no Spock part in that movie [/Leonard Nimoy]

 

[ancient]

jon1701 said:
^On Generations :

[Leonard Nimoy] There was no Spock part in that movie [/Leonard Nimoy]

He was right. There was a techobabble inverse-the-main-deflector role. Which was the extent of Braga's knowledge of the character apparently.

As for Kirk being inserted into this movie: ain't gonna happen. Abrams was just throwing the BBK crowd a bone.

 

[Franklin]

jon1701 said:
^On Generations :

[Leonard Nimoy] There was no Spock part in that movie [/Leonard Nimoy]

Off topic, but didn't Nimoy mean any character could've delivered the lines that were written for Spock? I always thought he said no thanks because there was no MEANINGFUL part for Spock in the story. It wasn't worth it. I could be wrong.

 

[Woulfe]

What would create more buzz for the film ?

News saying - Shat-ner is in it, period.
- OR -
News saying - Shat-ner may or may not be in it.

Paramont could save a fortune in advance buzz just by stateing that Shat-ner may or may not be in it, look at the buzz it's made so far, most of it just by word of mouth.

Star Trek fans are good for creating a buzz like this, give them little or no info and let them just go online and speculate for months on end.

Hell, let Shat-ner in on the plan, did any of you see Invasion Iowa at all ? If the Shat can pull one over an entire town could he pull one over all the Star Trek Fans too ?

Yea, tell everyone you're not in it at all, that'll create buzz like nobody's business, Bill, we know you can do it, you did it for Invasion Iowa, this is just on a larger scale, that's all.

I can just picture that conversation back at Paramont a few months ago in my head, can't you ?

Best of all Paramont doesn't have to spend a DIME on advance buzz, they just let all of us do it for them, the sneaky bastards

It also happens to be how JJ does things, give them as little info to go on and sit back and watch the buzz happen all on it's own.

Like with LOST.

Like with Transformers.

Like with 1/18/8 or WhatEverIt'sCalledThisWeek.

I'm starting to think that William H. Castle was reincarnated into JJ Abrams

SEE ! Horrors beyond your imagination !
( Thanks to 3-D glasses of course )
HERE ! Things that you never heard before !
( Thanks to stereo sound in films )
FEEL ! The spine-tingleing sensation !
( He put buzzers on the theater seats that sent a mild shock to folks )

Somewhere on the old film posters was the title among all the big bold claims of what the film would have in it

- W -
* J.J. Abrams might of just took a page from William H. Castle's book to tell the truth, not be him reincarnated *

 

[seigezunt]

Shatner is The Tingler!

 

[Franklin]

Woulfe said:
What would create more buzz for the film ?

News saying - Shat-ner is in it, period.
- OR -
News saying - Shat-ner may or may not be in it.

But at some point a person has to well, you know, use the toilet or get off of it, so to speak. There's keeping fans and the public in suspense, then there's the idea of folks thinking it's indecision, then there's the idea of folks thinking their being jerked around.

To that end, I'd have to bet all involved in the movie know by now if Shatner is in it or not. It's time to fess up. Whether he's in it or not shouldn't be important any more. The story has played out, IMO. It's time to move on. This late in it all, it does begin to look as if they are still working fevorishly to tweak the script to meet fanboy-type demands that Shatner be in it (even though I'd only bet 10 cents that is really happening).

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Franklin said:
To that end, I'd have to bet all involved in the movie know by now if Shatner is in it or not.

It probably remains a matter of money.

 

[Ryann866]

My feeling is that if Old Spock is used as anything more than just a framing device for the story and if this film is supposed to capture the essence of original Trek then Old Kirk should be a part of it... If the story turns out to be a great Spock vehicle and Kirk has no obvious place in it, then fine, I have nothing against Shatner's absence. But this IS Star Trek and being that Shatner is viable, it would provide a great and appropriate opportunity to show the chemistry between him and Nimoy one last time -- especially because this film recasts them.

What I hope they avoid is the feeling Generations had -- scenes of Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov hanging out together (obviously written for Spock and Bones) which created the sensation that something was off key or missing. It just didn't "feel" right.

As for the the fact that Kirk died in that film -- assuming they are paying attention to the continuity at all (and why should they?) they could always "de-age" Nimoy and Shatner like they did to Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in X-Men 3 and set the "current" scenes sometime after Trek VI and before Generations.