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10/21/11

William Shatner IGN Interview

Relevant excerpt from IGN’s recent interview with Shatner:

SC: I have to ask you a geeky question to finish it out. Will you play Kirk again? Is there a possibility for that?

WS: If J.J. were to ask me, I would certainly consider it. It's a great role, and they were writing it so beautifully as the aging Kirk. The stages that human beings go through as they age -- it seems to be a great interest in tackling Star Trek. I don't know how he'd allow for the 45 years that have gone on since I was there, but, you know, that's science fiction.

8/1/11

Anthony Pascale Interview with William Shatner


Anthony Pascale recently interviewed Shatner at an Epix outdoor screening of The Captains.  Anthony states:

I described to Mr. Shatner how there indeed was a Star Trek 2009 scene written for him and how they had worked out a way to bring him back as a recording of Kirk. Shatner (wryly) pondered "why didn’t they tell me [about the scene]?" And when I asked that if they used this recording method, would he consider doing a "short scene" for the Star Trek sequel. Shatner would only say (with a smile) "It depends on the short scene.”

7/21/11

StarTrek.com Interviews Shatner

Relevant excerpt from StarTrek.com’s recent interview with Shatner:

You stated at a convention pretty recently that you will not be in the next Star Trek feature. But if J.J. Abrams called you tomorrow and asked you to participate, how willing would you be to at least meet and hear the man out?

Shatner: I would probably trip on my way out the door to fall at his feet.

6/11/11

Rumor from Calgary Expo

According to rumor, at Calgary Expo in Canada, when asked a question regarding Star Trek XII, Shatner stated:

"I’ve become an acquaintance of J.J. of late…But, I’m afraid no, no I will not be in Star Trek 2."

3/4/11

The Press Association Shatner Interview

Relevant excerpt from The Press Association’s recent interview with William Shatner:

The veteran actor played the role of Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek for 19 years said that, just as his original co-star, Leonard Nimoy, had made an appearance in JJ Abrams' 2009 Star Trek revamp, he would also be pleased to have a role in the sequel to the movie saying: "I'd be delighted".

He added that one of the main motivations for wanting to appear in the film, which is due out in 2012, was so he can feel larger than life next to JJ Abrams. He joked: "I've become acquainted with JJ Abrams and he's smaller than I am. I like to find people I can stand next to that I can tower over."

3/3/11

Shatner Interview with Seattle Times

William Shatner was recently interviewed by The Seattle Times.  Relevant excerpts:

Q. Would you want to be in the next movie?

A. I'd like to be in it, but I think it'll be difficult to rationalize how Capt. Kirk got to my age and looks like me, you know, being 6 feet 2 inches, muscular in the shoulders and 180 pounds.

2/26/11

CourierMail Interviews Shatner

Relevant excerpts from CourierMail’s recent interview with William Shatner:

Shatner: ``I would be so interested in doing it, especially with that wonderful director J.J. Abrams, but I don't see how it's possible and maybe we all have gone beyond that,'' he says.

11/8/10

StarTrek.com Interviews Chris Pine

Relevant excerpt from Chris Pine’s recent interview with StarTrek.com:

Zachary Quinto got his shot at working with Leonard Nimoy in the first film. What are your thoughts on having Shatner on board for the next film? Is it a great idea or too much of a stretch since they’d just done something similar with Nimoy?

Pine: It just isn’t, quite honestly, my decision to make. I think Mr. Shatner will forever be Captain Kirk. I think it would be, certainly, an interesting thing to bring him back. I don’t know if he necessarily wants to at this point or not. But it’s not my decision.

Shatner, on his website, has footage of the two of you meeting for the very first time. How did you enjoy that moment?

Pine: It was great. It was a very brief moment. It was at his charity event, so it had nothing to do with us meeting. It was more about raising money for his charity. But he was a lovely guy, really complimentary and very nice.

10/21/10

Nbcconnecticut Interview with Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof

Relevant excerpt from nbcconnecticut’s interview:

Kurtzman: “The trick is you have to do it in a way that’s not a gimmick, and when we put Spock in our version of Trek, we knew that it was not going to be a gimmick. There was a lot of discussion and we even wrote a scene for Shatner, but ultimately it felt like it wasn’t doing service to what he represents to the Star Trek legacy. So if we all feel like we can do that effectively, we can do it right, then sure – it’s a conversation. But until then we feel that we have to protect and make sure that the integrity of Star Trek is kept alive.”

9/30/10

Vanity Fair Interviews Shatner

Relevant excerpt from Vanity Fair’s recent interview with William Shatner:

Leonard Nimoy had a big cameo in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie, but you were left out. Are you lobbying to be in the sequel?

I'm doing everything I can. J.J. and I used to go out for sushi and argue about the movie, but he's gotten busy. He's directing something else, something that isn't Star Trek. He needs to focus on what's important, which is planning the next Star Trek movie and figuring out how to put me in it. (Laughs.)

9/23/10

Shatner’s Vulture Interview

William Shatner was recently interviewed by Vulture.  Relevant excerpts:

One last thing - when the Star Trek remake came out, there were reports of contentiousness between you and director J.J. Abrams over not being cast in the movie. Are you guys all squared away now?

Well, he's so busy with his new series that I can't get him on the phone anymore. And I'm busy with my series, he can't get me on the phone anymore. But we're going to meet for sushi one of these days.

Would you lobby for a role in the Star Trek sequel?


He can have a role on my series. Up to now he hasn't turned it down.

9/20/10

Shatner’s Collider Interview

Relevant excerpts from Collider’s recent interview with William Shatner:

Are you  hopeful that something is going to work out for the next Star Trek film, now that you've been in touch with J. J. Abrams and his people?

William: I've become a buddy of J. J., but I don't know if they can solve the problem of how you put the body I'm in now with the Kirk that we remember from 40 years ago.

Did you see echoes of your own performances as Kirk, in what Chris Pine did?

William: I appreciated his performance. I didn't see what some people have written about, but I'm not that observant.

8/18/10

Chicago Sun Times Interview with William Shatner

The Chicago Sun Times recently interviewed William Shatner.  Relevant excerpts:

Q. Last year's "Star Trek" served as a relaunch for the franchise. What did you think of it?

A.
It was a wonderful ride. I tweeted after I saw it that you know you're old when you're part of a science-fiction series that goes back in time, and you're still old.

8/3/10

Showbiz Spy Interview with William Shatner

Relevant excerpts from Showbiz Spy’s recent interview with William Shatner:

"I've become a buddy of JJ but I don't know if they can solve the problem of how do you put the body I'm in now with the Kirk that we remember forty years ago," [Shatner] said.  "They just did a ‘Tron' with Jeff Bridges and de-aged him but I don't know how they did that. It's going to take a lot of electronics on me!"

5/24/10

Shatner Interview with The Los Angeles Times

William Shatner was recently interviewed by The Los Angeles Times.  Relevant excerpts:

GB: There will be another "Star Trek" film coming from J.J. Abrams and his team, and I'm wondering what you thought of the first. For me, I loved the spirit of the movie...

WS:
I agree with you. That's my opinion too. It was a wonderful ride. I think J.J. Abrams did a wonderful job in enlarging the franchise and constructing a foundation for the sequel. I don't know anything about that sequel. I didn't know anything about the first one. I know even less about the second one. I know less than nothing about the sequel, if that's possible.

5/17/10

MovieWeb Interviews Leonard Nimoy

Relevant excerpts from MovieWeb’s recent interview with Leonard Nimoy:

I just wanted to follow-up a little more on the announcement of your retirement, the finale for Fringe next week, and also - there were some lingering reports online that you might actually be in the next Star Trek film. Doesn't sound like that's going to happen, but any word on maybe whether or not your good friend, William Shatner, might be in the next film?

Leonard Nimoy: I have no idea about the next film regarding Bill Shatner. I'm quite sure - I think I can be definitive about the fact that I will not be in it. I have said that I think it's time for me to get off the stage and make some room for Zachary Quinto who is the new Spock and a wonderful actor, looks a lot like me. And I'm very flattered that the character will be continued by an actor of that caliber. He's very well trained and very talented. I have no expectations whatsoever even being asked to be in the next Star Trek film. I cannot speak for J.J. Abrams or William Shatner. If they have a common interest, I hope it works out.

5/2/10

Shatner Video Interview

Relevant excerpt from Shatner’s interview with On The Red Carpet:

J.J. Abrams and I are Twitter friends. Twitter friends and acquaintances. He’s a wonderful artist and I would love to work with him,” he said. But as for the Star Trek XII sequel? “I would play very hard to get,” he joked. “That’s not a no. That’s not a yes. Yes, no, yes.”

1/13/10

William Shatner Howard Stern Interview

Star Trek star William Shatner was a guest on the Howard Stern Radio Show.  Relevant excerpts:

Quivers: Are you lobbying to be in the next [Star Trek]?

Shatner: I wouldn't mind [laughs]

Stern: But you would have preferred to have been in this first one

Shatner: Of course I would have loved to have been part of this historic event. But how do you bring back to life this dead...I died my character died.

Stern: He did a great job with it. And the kid who played you was fabulous. And I can't believe that you are not going to see this kid who played you.

Shatner: All right. So JJ said to me, he would have a screening at Paramount. I thought "wow what a glamorous thing." He'll rent the theater, it seats two or three hundred people, I'll invite my family and friends and we'll have it catered and we'll all watch. So I haven't done that yet, but I am about to. In fact, if JJ is listening, and I think he does, JJ get ready, I am going to take you up on your offer.

Stern: The plot of the movie does leave it open that you could appear, there are ways for you to be in this.

Shatner: Well I hope they desperately search them out. But I am very expensive.

11/17/09

William Shatner GQ Interview

GQ Magazine has an extensive feature and interview with Star Trek star William Shatner and here is an excerpt courtesy of TrekMovie.com:

Here is what Shatner had to say about his recent meeting with J.J. Abrams  "[JJ]'s so funny. I texted him. He wants to have a meeting with me. He told me a couple months ago...so, a couple weeks ago I texted, I said "when the f-k is the meeting, I'm not going to live much longer, and you better have a meeting with me before I die. And he texted back saying "well, don't die before next week"

11/18/09

Newsarama Roberto Orci Interview

Newsarama posted a new interview with Star Trek writer Roberto Orci.  Relevant excerpt:

NramaSo, Shatner accepting a Scream Award for JJ Abrams...does that mean anything?  That he might show up in the sequel?

Orci:  Well, we wrote a scene for him in the first one and I got outvoted in terms of where it ended up.  I'll write another one and we'll see what happens.  [laughs]

10/17/09

William Shatner Canadian Press Interview

The Canadian Press posted a new interview with Star Trek star William Shatner. 

Regarding an appearance in Star Trek XII, Shatner states: "I think the problem they have is getting the character I played into it, and the physical change I've had in 45 years, and how do you rationalize it in the story - I don't know," he said. "If they should write a decent involvement in the story to what I would do, I would certainly consider it."

10/8/09

IESB/Collider J.J. Abrams Interview

IESB and Collider interviewed Star Trek director J.J. Abrams.  Relevant excerpt:

Q
: You've said that the hardest decision for you was to not include William Shatner in the movie. Are you thinking about putting him in the next movie at all?

Abrams: The Shatner thing comes up quite a bit. As someone who was a William Shatner fan, in a huge way, just because of The Twilight Zone episodes he did, and then completely appreciating what he did in Star Trek, but not really becoming a fan until I started working on this movie, it was a foregone conclusion that we wanted Shatner in the movie. The problem was that his character died, on screen, in one of the Trek films, and because we decided, very early on, that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon, as best we could, which was a huge challenge, because even the original series, in many ways, didn't always adhere to Trek canon, the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do, given the story we wanted to tell, and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with. It was this thing where it would have felt like a gimmick, in order to get Shatner in the movie, which would have honestly, to me, been distracting. Having said that, would it have been fun to have him in the movie? Of course. Would it be great to work with him? No doubt. I was as excited to work with him, as I was Mr. Nimoy, who we luckily did have in the film. In terms of moving forward, I am open to anything. I would love to figure out something, given the challenge of introducing these new characters and given the burden of having to cast these people. I feel like the first movie did some of the heavy lifting that needed to be done, in order to free us to continue, going forward. Maybe there's less of a burden and there's going to be more opportunity to work with him again. I would love to work with him. We speak. We actually have a lunch date planned. I'm a fan. I'm a friend of his. Or, he's at least a friend of mine. He may say otherwise on his blog today. I have no idea. But, I really couldn't like him more and would love to work with him.

5/15/09

MTV J.J. Abrams Interview

MTV posted a new interview with Star Trek director J.J. Abrams.  Relevant excerpts:

"The fun of this [new alternate 'Trek' reality] is that the destiny of these characters is in their hands - it's not constrained by the pre-existing films or TV series," Abrams explained. "Believe me, whether it's William Shatner or Khan ... it would be ridiculous to not be open to those ideas."

Regarding Shatner's Kirk, Abrams said "I wouldn't rule out anything. The point of creating this independent timeline is to not have the restrictions we had coming into this one. And one of those restrictions was that Kirk was dead."

"But this all assumes that there's another story that's going to be told," Abrams cautioned, saying that there's a lot of work to be done before such ideas can be sorted out. "We're all still coming down from making this movie."

5/11/09

Orci and Kurtzman Reveal The Originally Planned Shatner Cameo

io9 posted a new interview with Star Trek writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and here are few excerpts.

Did that [Shatner scene] even get tossed around at all?

Orci: We wrote it, it was in the script.

Kurtzman: The very last scene when Spock and Spock meet each other, finally. And elder Spock is convincing young Spock that he couldn't interfere, because it would have diverted [Kirk and Spock] away from their friendship. And that their friendship is the key to the whole sort of shebang.

Orci: He gave him a recorded message from Kirk.

Kurtzman: He [elder Spock] said, "Don't take my word for it." And he handed him [younger Spock] a little holographic device and it projected Shatner. It was basically a Happy Birthday wish knowing that Spock was going to go off to Romulus, and Kirk would probably be dead by the time...

Orci: It turned into a voiceover, at the end of the movie.

Whew!  Well, once again we dodged a bullet.  If Shatner had been given a cameo in Star Trek XI, it would NOT have reversed his death in Generations.  And he probably wouldn’t have appeared in another film after that.  So it’s probably for the best that Shatner didn’t appear in THIS film.

5/8/09

J.J. Abrams Buzzine Interview

Buzzine posted a new interview with J.J. Abrams. Relevant excerpt:

EI: Have you spoken to William Shatner? He seemed upset that he wasn't in the film.

JJA: We spoke to him in the beginning. He wanted to be in the film. He made it clear to us that he didn't want to do a cameo, which meant not only changing our story significantly but also bringing his character to life since he died. Every time we tried to figure out a version of that, it felt like we were just trying to bring a character back to life that we liked. But if we're lucky and there will be another movie, I'm sure there will be another opportunity to work with him.

5/7/09

Trekmovie.com J.J. Abrams Interview

TrekMovie.com posted a new interview with Star Trek director J.J. Abrams.  Relevant excerpts:

I think the hardest decision that I felt was not having William Shatner in the movie. And that really was because, as a non-fan, you feel like ‘you got to have Shatner in the movie - come on!' And then I realized he had died in [Star Trek: Generations], which I had not seen before I was working on the film, that getting him back in the movie would literally mean starting from scratch and coming up with a new story. And the decision to move forward, despite the necessity given our story, and to exclude the guy that everybody associates with the series - that bothered me. And yet I felt like we had to do this for this movie. Talk about the wrath. I thought we are going to eat it, fans are going to kill us. And yet the reason why I felt it might ultimately work for us is it felt like the righteous decision. It felt like we need to do it for the story, but the righteous decision is not always the easiest.

TrekMovie:
So when you said at Comic Con 2007 that you were working hard to find a way, you really meant that.

Abrams:
No question. Why in a million years would we not want him in the movie. It would only be better to have him in the film. But even before everyone was talking about ‘Trek canon'. Everyone was like ‘we want you to follow canon'. Now I know, in fact the first sequence of the movie, veers hard left from Trek canon, but that is the point. As much as we could we wanted to be consistent with the thread that had been established. A lot of the same people who were saying ‘you must follow canon!' were saying ‘Shatner has got to be in the movie!' Dude, how do you do both of these things!? We could have created some sort of time travel detour thing, but literally when you start going down that path, especially with Mr. Shatner saying he did not want to do a cameo, it became this whole thing that would literally be a reinvention of our reinvention. It is just too hard.

TrekMovie: I would have to agree after seeing the film that it wouldn't work with this film, unless you wanted to bring up the word ‘Nexus'

Abrams:
Exactly [laughs] which we were not going to do.

TrekMovie: But hey, you got the sequel...

Abrams:
That's actually a possibility.

4/30/09

RadarOnline.com Shatner Interview

RadarOnline.com posted a brief interview with Star Trek star William Shatner.

Shatner said:  "I'm delighted that there has been new blood coursing through the veins of STAR TREK with J.J. Abrams and his team."

"I'm sure we can look forward to many more iterations of the beloved franchise.  And who knows?  Perhaps the old Kirk will meet the new Kirk." he said.

 4/26/09      

IESB.net interview with J.J. Abrams.

IESB.net posted a new interview with Star Trek director J.J. Abrams.  When asked why he didn’t put Shatner in the film, Abrams responded:

Nothing would have made us happier than to have William Shatner in this movie. His character died on screen, in one of the films. When we tried figure out a way to put him in, every time we did it, it was a gimmick. Every time we figured out a way that we thought it could work, it ended up being a gimmick, unless the whole story was about bringing him back, and that would have changed the entire story that we wanted to tell. So, it was either change everything or do it without him. But, we definitely love Mr. Shatner. Working with him is something that we would obviously be thrilled to do, and wanted to do. It just literally didn't work for our story, and he didn't want to just do a cameo. We could have done a flashback, but he didn't want to do that. And, if we had reinvented everything, it would have just been crazy. And, the YouTube thing happened because I was interviewed about it and I said, which was true, that we tried many different ways to get him in the movie and it just didn't work. I guess he heard it and thought that they were saying that we had tried to get him in, and called him and were making efforts, so he did this video saying, "You didn't call me." So, then I had to respond to that and say, "No, no, no, I don't mean we called you. We were trying, internally, to tell a story that was worthy of you and worthy of the audience." There was no way to do it and have it not be a cameo, so it didn't work in this one. But, all is good.”

4/24/09

William Shatner Extra Interview

Extra posted a new interview with Star Trek star William Shatner. Relevant excerpts:

Shatner says there's no feud between him and the new cast of "Star Trek." "I wish them all the best," he tells "Extra." "I certainly hope it's a great success."

"There's no bad blood. It's great fun. J.J. [Abrams] and I have been jousting with each other on the airways... we were having fun." he said.

Shatner is also reaching out to the new Kirk, actor Chris Pine, saying, "Chris, good luck... and hold your breath. It's going to be a whirlwind."

When asked if he plans to see the movie, Shatner said, "I will eventually." Will he ever return in a future Star Trek sequel ? "I would love to," he admitted. "If the movie is successful and they make another one, never say never as James Bond... I loved 'Star Trek' in all its many phases. I dearly would love to be a part of it."

4/23/09

Shatner Wizard Interview

Wizard posted a new interview with Star Trek star William Shatner. Relevant excerpts.

Well, if you're going to ask [Leonard Nimoy] about anything, why not the new "Star Trek" movie? Has he spilled any details?

Not only has he not talked to me about it, he hasn't let me think about it. I don't know when it's coming out, I don't know what the plot is, I don't know who's in it. I literally know nothing.

We hear you've been calling out director J.J. Abrams in a series of online videos.

Well, I've been pulling his leg on the Web a bit. Pulling the Web over his eyes! I believe he said something like, "I don't know when my life became answering Shatner on the Web!" So I've just been keeping at him. He has to call me!

Were you ever approached to be in the film?

When they were thinking about doing the movie, they talked to me a couple of times, I don't know what it really was all about, and then they stopped talking to me and went their way. But you just know it's going to be wonderful because J.J. Abrams is such a good moviemaker.

We think it's kind of silly that they're using the excuse that you died in "Generations." Dude, everyone on "Star Trek" died at one time or another and came back!

Yes, including the ship! I keep thinking about amber, how they have these insects that are trapped in this liquid for millions of years, fossilized, and how they're talking about being able to extract DNA from them. And therein lies the mystery of Kirk's return!

Are you seriously bumming that you're not in the movie?

I can't understand it as a business decision. I could be talking to you about the Bluewater comics and the movie, but I'm not in the movie, so I have nothing to say! I just regret that I'm not a part of it. But if it's successful, then maybe there will be a call.

4/2/09

Rumor Mill: Shatner Appearing In Star Trek XII

According to ABC Action News, Star Trek star William Shatner may have a role in Star Trek XII, the upcoming sequel to the new Star Trek movie, likely to be released in 2011. Here is an excerpt of the article.

According to the article sources, officials at Paramount Pictures are reportedly keen to get Shatner to be in Star Trek XII.

A source tells Britain's Daily Express newspaper:

"It's well known Bill was disappointed not to get a cameo (in the 2009 film). But now Paramount Pictures has been given the go-ahead for a sequel and there are hopes he'll make a brief appearance."

"It's now felt it would be fitting finally to have Shatner back, Hopefully they can work something out," said another source.

Just rumor, take it with a grain of salt.

3/25/09

Orci/Kurtzman Sci Fi Wire Interview

Sci Fi Wire posted a new interview with Star Trek movie writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Regarding a Shatner appearance, Kurtzman stated:

 “There's been a lot of debate about that. ... We just, we really tried very hard to get him in there in a way that felt organic, but the problem was that because he died in continuity [in Star Trek: Generations], ... I think it would have felt a little bit cheap, is what we all decided. And, you know, we really struggled with it, because we wrote a scene that we really loved, and, ultimately, I think it might have felt like an add-on, you know? Whereas our story, without giving away too much, Spock [played by Leonard Nimoy] is such a critical part of the story that literally the story cannot be told without him.”

3/20/09

Shatner Absolute Radio Interview

In an interview, Shatner told Absolute Radio:

"I find it incredible [that I'm not in the new movie] but I've lived with this for a year so I've began to salve the wound. Actually I called J.J. Abrams who is producing and directing the other day and I invited him to come to the party of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. We've had some laughs and I urged him to bring the cast of Star Trek to the movie so they may well do so."

2/26/09

Shatner IGN Interview

IGN posted a new interview with Star Trek star William Shatner. Relevant excerpt:

IGN: Of course, we can't let you go without asking about the upcoming Star Trek film...What are your thoughts on seeing this classic series reimagined?

SHATNER: Well, first of all, I have no involvement. None whatsoever. To the point where I have no idea what the script is about, even though Leonard is in it. He was obligated not to tell me anything. I know nothing. As for my feelings, I regret not being a part of that Star Trek revival. I hope it goes well. Star Trek is a wonderful vehicle. It's unfortunate that I'm not in it, in that I could have lent my own persona and publicity and my help to make it successful. But I'm not involved one iota!

1/15/09

J.J. Abrams Sci Fi Wire Interview

Sci Fi Wire posted a new interview with Star Trek director J.J. Abrams.  Relevant excerpt:

Regarding William Shatner, Abrams said "I was quoted as saying we tried to get him in the movie. What I meant was we were trying internally to find a way to take a dead character and resurrect him without it seeming lame. We couldn't figure out a way to do it. I think that when I said we tried to get him into the movie, he read it as if we were trying to call him. I would not have wasted his time with a bad idea."

11/08/08

Shatner in Star Trek Magazine

The September/October issue of Star Trek Magazine features an interview with William Shatner and here are more excerpts.

Regarding the new Star Trek movie, Shatner said "I had a couple of meetings with J.J. Abrams, but I dont know what those meetings were about when I look back. I have no idea what they were about. And so I have no connection with the film whatsoever. It's the strangest thing. Even my dear friend Leonard [Nimoy] won't tell me what it's about. He clams up. I think perhaps there's an explosive charge in his head, that Abrams put in there, and should he say the words 'Star Trek' it goes off. And he thinks it's a migraine, but it's really his death."



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