I’ve said it before here on The Movie Blog and I’ll say it again: A new Star Trek movie just going back to tell the story of a younger Captain James T. Kirk is a STUPID idea of the highest order. Unless the folks at the USS Paramout decide to do a complete re-imagining of the Star Trek franchise (much liken unto what they’ve done with Battlestar Galactica) then just going backwards isn’t going to do ANYTHING to gain new viewers for this franchise that hasn’t gained new fans in almost 15 years. It might keep some of the pre-existing Star Trek fans happy… but it’s been proven the pre-existing fan base IS NOT ENOUGH.
This new franchise needs new blood in the worst way imaginable… maybe even a total transfusion if it’s going to survive (it’s dead franchise as it is).
Anyway, recently William Shatner made a comment that I totally agree with. The good folks at M&C give us this:
he 75-year-old actor, who rose to fame as the ‘Star Trek’ captain in the 1960s, joked in a recent TVGuide.com interview that TV producer J.J. Abrahm`s attempts to recast the role for his ongoing work would prove fruitless. ‘I think it`s essentially uncastable,’ Shatner said of the role.
Now, I’m of the belief that WHO plays a role (the actor) is NOT as important as the character itself. BUT… having said that… there is something unique about Shatner’s relationship with Kirk. You see… he still is Kirk.
This isn’t like Magnum PI where Tom Selleck stopped being Magnum almost 20 years ago. This isn’t like David Hasselhoff and Michael Knight. William Shatner still is Kirk for all intents and purposes, and I just don’t know that re-casting him is going to fly at all. Any new actor wouldn’t have to play the role of Kirk… they’d have to play the role of William Shatner playing Kirk.
Just forget it Paramount. Please don’t go down this road. And if you MUST use the Kirk character.. .then just blow everything up and do a total re-start. Anything else will just be dumb.
