back to article Shocked Shatner shunted from Star Trek XI

William Shatner has expressed his shock and disappointment at not being invited to cameo in the forthcoming 11th celluloid outing for Star Trek - despite director J J Abrams apparently having said the ageing stacatto-delivery star "probably would have a part in the film". Shatner, 76, told AP: "I couldn't believe it. I'm not …

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  1. Chris Walker
    IT Angle

    Planet Shatner?

    I can understand why the egomaniac Bill Shatner feels left out but I think the producers are missing a trick here. Sure, plot holes may appear if you simply allow the camera hogging bloatware* that is our man Kirk to take part but there are other roles for him to play... with only the most basic makeup, he could easily pass as a planet.

    *Despicable attempt to make this comment and therefore by extension the article in any way relevant to technical gubbins.

  2. Leigh Smith

    What I heard was...

    ...Shatner refused a cameo role and had asked for a proper part in the film. One wasn't available so he isn't in it. Apparently Bill feels he is too important to be limited to doing a Stan Lee walk on.

    However the normal internet rumour mill rules apply so have your salt ready.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Shatner will still be involved in the film...

    ... "Popcorn!!!! Get your popcorn!!!"

  4. James Le Cuirot
    Stop

    Kellogs All-Bran Crunchy Oatbakes!

    Stick to cereal ads, Bill.

  5. Slappy
    Coat

    Ah well

    Picard was better anyway ;p

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    I feel an on-line petition coming on...

    Come on, there must be someone out there with lots of time on their hands who can setup a web site dedicated to getting the Shatner back onto the silver screen…

    Oh wait, even better.. How about a facebook group?

  7. Ash
    Flame

    Let the flame wars commence...

    Janeway ftw.

    *Ducks*

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    I hate to be boring but...

    As Kirk wasn't on the Enterprise on the early missions (i.e. the pilot) and neither was Bones you have to ask yourself what is going on here as they weren't all together at Star Fleet Academy.

    I really must get out more

  9. Chris Walker
    Thumb Down

    Janeway? LOLZ11!1!11

    I remember her. I landed on the SciFi channel having first played "High Cable Channel Number Roulette" and wondered what the hell was going on.

    It was difficult to tell her apart from the furniture.

  10. mahoney

    Picard for President

    Jean-Luc will forever be the Captain of my heart.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Only

    Reason for going to see Generations was to see Shatner/Kirk killed.

    Efros

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    let the flames continue

    With regard to Ash...

    Ivanova for FTW actually because "Babylon 5 was better"

  13. H'arj Imladd
    Coat

    Name game

    I always thought it would be great if Bill Shatner married the sit com character Hyancith Bucket...

    What a great mental picture that paints as he'd then be Willian Shatner-Bucket.

    Gets coat...

    P.S. No arguments, Picard is THE DADDY!

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    RE: Janeway ftw

    Starfleet gave her a desktop so they didn't lose another ship for 7 years.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: Re: Janeway ftw

    How true. Woman drivers. pfft.

  16. Lyndon Barry

    RE: Janeway ftw

    she couldn't even get that right, sending the Enterprise E off into the Romulan zone to get spanked by Picard's clone.

    Nemesis was pretty dire..

    Mind you, TNG was dire for about 6 seasons with maybe a seasons worth of good material.

    DS9 ripped off B5 ((watch the fanboi's reactions here)

    Voyager was dire for 7 seasons with maybe half a dozen decent episodes.

    Enterprise was ridiculous. A ship that's supposed to be a 100 years older than the Kirk Enterprise but was actually superior in all the ways that mattered.

  17. Chris Walker
    Alien

    Still no toilets though eh?

    "A ship that's supposed to be a 100 years older than the Kirk Enterprise but was actually superior in all the ways that mattered."

    They still hadn't thought to put in seat belts or toilets though. Even Voyager had a shower, but no loos. I can only imagine that after a hard episode's worth of Romulan bashing the poor Federation types were busting for a wee (hence I presume the dark easy-dry trousers).

    B5 was great, although I'm disappointed nobody had the foresight to kick Delenn out of an airlock early on... she made The Riddler look positively succinct.

  18. Steve Charlton
    Black Helicopters

    If we're going to get into best space-faring TV series...

    then its got to be:-

    Firefly/Serenity

    ST:TOS

    B5

    ST:TNG

    UFO

    Space 1999

    Fireball XL5

  19. Chris Cheale
    Flame

    agreed

    Ivanova for FTW actually because "Babylon 5 was better"

    -- aggreed! although you missed the word "significantly" ;)

  20. Tawakalna

    you're all way behind the times..

    ..there's been a campaign for years to get Kirk back in the Captain's chair and to re-integrate all the ST stories back together

    http://www.bringbackkirk.com/

    and a surprisingly good fan-based continuation of TOS

    http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/

  21. Scott Wichall

    :Steve Charlton

    Firefly......Oh yeah. Fantastic:-)

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shocked! I. AM! Shocked - Khhhaaaaaaannnn!!!!

    Time to see if Gordon Brown is as shallow as his predecessor.

    Do you think we could get an official response to a petition on the Number 10 Website demanding El Shat's inclusion in the new merchandising adventure?

  23. Jason
    Coat

    Pfft.

    Muppets!

    Obviously you've all forgotten Farscape. Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) FTW!

    As for Kirk, I think he must be under the impression he's got cult status like the Hoff or Chuck Norris. Sadly for him his memo was spelt wrong ... it didn't say "People think you're a cult ...".

    For those with hangovers "l" and "n" are relatively near each other on the keyboard .... ; )

  24. Garth

    Heh.

    "DS9 ripped off B5 ((watch the fanboi's reactions here)"

    I loved B5 and cared not so much for DS9. However, B5 is Lord of the Rings in space. So you can't really talk much of rip offs.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    " Leonard, God bless his heart, ..."

    You should have continued that quote, because the very next line makes it plain *why* he's not in the new film:

    "I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision."

    No, Bill, it's a decision not to subject the rest of the cast to your fat-headed self-admiring arrogance. You're making a right Bulgarian airbag of yourself, best if you were to shut up now ...

  26. Ivan Frimmel
    Alert

    Lexx anyone ?

    I see your Farscape and raise you a Lexx..

  27. Sam

    incorrect

    "For those with hangovers "l" and "n" are relatively near each other on the keyboard .... ; )"

    No they're not, you tovver....

  28. Daniel

    hmmm buried bones...?

    I thought that bones died a while ago, or am i missing something?

  29. RRRoamer

    Yeah, but...

    "Enterprise was ridiculous. A ship that's supposed to be a 100 years older than the Kirk Enterprise but was actually superior in all the ways that mattered."

    Probably because the original ST came out about the time the transistor (bulk, in the little metal can with three wires coming out of it...) was hitting it's stride. They had NO concept of what computer systems and electronics would be capable in 30 years, let alone 200. Let's face it, your average smart phone has 10 times the processing power and at least as good of communication ability as the original ST series Enterprise.

    Let's face it: when Enterprise (the series) came out, they really had NO choice but to update the electronics to something that was a bit more realistic based on what we can do now.

    But it is kind of funny!

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    B5 = LOTR In space?

    That's okay, LOTR is based heavily on the Nibelungleid. Everything is a ripoff of something older.

  31. laird cummings

    Priceline negotiations...

    ...Have failed.

    Right. That's me for the door, then.

  32. Kurt Guntheroth
    Stop

    no loo?

    They don't need a loo. They set the transporter on narrow-beam and just dematerialize the material. Oh sure there's some, uh, buildup, as the transporter is operated in an uncalibrated "safe" mode that doesn't try to get every morsel. But as the life expectancy of a constitution-class starship crew is only about 3 seasons anyway, the long term health effects are minimal. But if you wonder why McCoy always looks so cranky, all you have to do is imagine the chief complaint at sick call.

    I rather liked Janeway, though I got tired of the "unexplored-nebula-of-the-week" format of Voyager. And for those of you who think William Shatner can't act (which pretty much covers everyone who's seen him), he was in an early Twilight Zone episode (gremlins tearing up an airplane engine) where he showed potential. Perhaps he's just hard to direct.

  33. Garth

    Disapppointed

    This Yank is disappointed none have offered Red Dwarf, yet.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    b5 or trek

    i know i am doomed for even sayin this

    but i belive the question of which was better was already solved...

    check out star wrek: the pirking...

    for a fan movie it was done quite well.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Give the poor guy a break...

    So he's pushing 80 years old and he's not as trim and fit as he was in the 60s when he was on the original series. So what? Obviously he couldn't play Kirk, but he could still play Kirk's grandfather or an entirely different character. Shatner, despite his cheesiness has still done more for the franchise and to promote interest in Sci-Fi & space travel than most anyone else. (with apologies for the ridiculous TJ Hooker schlock he was involved with in the 80's) At least he had the graciousness to react to not being chosen with some dignity, only expressing his disappointment in the decision. I can only imagine what Paris Hilton would do if not chosen for something. (and there's your Paris angle)

  36. Highlander

    Ah, the usual faboi comments and Shatner hate

    A question for all you Shatner haters. What is it about your own lives that is so horrible that you need to hate a 70+ year old Canadian actor so much? I mean, what do any of you know about him as a person, or his life? How many of you have walked an inch in his shoes, never mind a mile? It's all so very clever to spew hate on some semi-anonymous comment board isn't it?

  37. Anonymous John

    Why has nobody

    mentioned Dr Who yet?

  38. Andy Bright
    Happy

    I'll see your Space 1999

    and raise you one Blake's Seven and a side of Sapphire and Steel..

    I would say the new Battlestar Galactica shits all over any of the shows mentioned so far - but apparently this a retro reminiscence.

    (Babylon 5 was brilliant to start with, but the last couple seasons were a bit on the dodgy side).

    I don't need to get out more, I'm perfectly happy in my sad little HDTV world of scifi.

  39. laird cummings
    Alien

    @Highlander; fanboi

    Ah, yes! Fanboi accusations... How ironic.

    Relax. I *have* met the man. He has a sense of humor. When I met him, he was busy ripping jokes at his own expense. Rather good ones, at that. Somehow, I don't think he much gives a rat's buttocks *what* we say about him.

    Carry on, folks!

  40. Des

    @I'll see your Space 1999

    Battlestar Galactica ripped off the shaky camera work from Firefly - a surprisingly good series that was prematurely canned just as it was getting into it's stride. Such a shame as the cast had really started to gel.

    Battlestar Galactica's script just doesn't do anything for me - all my sympathy lies with the Cylons.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    What about Battlestar Galactica??

    I can't believe the number of "sci fi fans" (and I use that term under advisement) posting here that have missed the new Battlestar Galactica, which is self-evidently the best sci-fi series in the history of ever. Adama ftw!

    (dons flame retardant coat, and runs)

  42. RK
    Alien

    @highlander

    "A question for all you Shatner haters. What is it about your own lives that is so horrible that you need to hate a 70+ year old Canadian actor so much? I mean, what do any of you know about him as a person, or his life? How many of you have walked an inch in his shoes, never mind a mile?"

    Well, for me it was "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," but i think the real nail in the coffin was Msr. Montalban blowing Shatner out of the water in "The Wrath of Khan" (far and away the best ST movie). It really was sad how bad Shatner looked contrasted with R.M., scene to scene.

    Then Picard came along and showed us how a *real* actor captains the Starship Enterprise. No flings with alien floozies for him, no sir! He was a military man, through and through, with Shakespearean diction, to boot! Even if No. 1 was generally stiff and Wesley Crusher inspired a desire to have his head crushed mercilessly in an airlock door, Picard kept us (me) coming back, week after week. (and Troi's very large....er, hair.)

    While i would agree that Shatner has done a lot to promote science fiction over the years (books and bad movies and the original series), let's face it, he's a terrible actor, and the only original cast member who pulls in the viewers is Leonard Nimoy, period. (willfully forgetting his stab at the Top 40, back in the day, of course. *wink wink*)

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Simon Pegg as Scotty ???

    Shatner's comment suggests why he won't be there. Whatever the director intends for ST XI he doesn't want an actor playing it for irony. How Hollywood. How 20th century.

    It would have been nice to see what Sergio Leone might have done with ST.

  44. M Neligan

    TOS

    TOS retains its power; Voyager tried to emulate it - and it had Seven of Nine! Picard and Data could not save NG from it's verbosity and touchy-feeliness.

    After TOS, I'd rate the original Outer Limits, Lexx and Red Dwarf.

    Shatner inhabits Mt Olympus. His enemies will be crushed and put to flight like the cattle they are.

  45. Andy Bright
    Happy

    Firefly

    At first I thought, NO - cowboy cliches do NOT belong on my SciFi channel, but actually like most people here I started to get into it just as they killed the series off. Even the movie wasn't too shabby.

    Camera shake, I feel fans of Star Trek TOS will have something to say about that - and perhaps someone ought to break the real reason he wasn't included in the new Star Trek film to Mr. Shatner - a few less biscuits sir, and I think you might have got back in.

  46. Michael

    @Highlander

    "What is it about your own lives that is so horrible that you need to hate a 70+ year old Canadian actor so much?"

    I fear you've answered you own question there...

    You see, the real tragedy of Canada is that while they could have had British culture, French cooking and American technology, they instead got American culture, British cooking, and French technology.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    William Shatner

    <kirk imitation>Thank............. God......... </kirk imitation>

    If they really want to do the movie going public a huge favor, I say they splice some stock footage of Scotty horsing around with the transporters and then pay the actor who plays Picard to stare into the camera and state: "Mr. Scott, beam his ass into a wall!"

  48. Snert Lee

    The ideal role

    The ideal role for Shatner would be as the president of Priceline, barging into a Starfleet Admiral's office in an attempt to negotiate for the rights to sell the Enterprise's unassigned crew space as staterooms for as a luxury space cruise.

  49. David

    William Shattered

    He could have played his great grandfather or other fitting role, surely?

  50. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    @M Neligan

    Seven.......

    Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  51. Sam

    incorrect

    "For those with hangovers "l" and "n" are relatively near each other on the keyboard .... ; )"

    No they're not, you tovver....

  52. Jon Styer
    Thumb Up

    FIREFLY!!!!

    Just needed to cast my vote for Firefly... I was hooked after the first ten minutes of the pilot. And then it was gone.... I still can't believe they killed off Walsh in the movie though! Tragic...

  53. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Battlestar Galactica, AKA...

    ...War On Terror In Space.

    Seriously, it's so up it's own patriotic fire-in-the-hole that it's just unbearable.

    "Oh look at all the seemingly immoral/impratical/stupid decisions that your President must do to protect you from a threat you don't understand."

    Christ/Elijah/etc on a bike -- I know sci-fi has always been used to give an allegory to modern society, but that tub-thumping, jingo-istic sh!te should never have been commissioned.

    It's blasphemy against the name of the single best tech demo ever![*]

    [*] The original Battlestar Galactica was reputedly filmed as an effects vehicle for Industrial Light and Magic in order to drum up more Hollywood interest. Hence tech demo.

  54. Daniel B.
    Thumb Up

    This is James T. Kirk ...

    Well, maybe Shatner has been a little bit of an ass in his later life, but he *is* the one and true Captain of the Enterprise. Actually, as a kid I kind of liked the TOS characters more, maybe because of the movies? I just seem to like better the TOS crew than the TNG one.

    That said, the TNG crew rocks too! ;) but I'm more fond of the original ones ...

  55. Darryl

    Battlestar Troi

    Deanna Troi? Naw, Dr. Crusher was waaaaay hotter. And I still can't think of Battlestar Galactica without thinking of Mad Magazine's "Cattlecar Galactica" with commander Odammit.

    Anyways, my vote's for Firefly too.

  56. unitron

    Re: DS9

    "DS9 ripped off B5"

    And the result was two excellent shows.

    What I want to see is a movie/TV version of the novel "Final Frontier" with Captain Robert April and Kirk's father.

  57. David
    Alien

    Have to add my vote..

    Not that anyone's counting

    B5 - #1 by a long shot..

    Firefly

    Galactica original

    Lexx

    Dr Who (modern)

    Galactica new

    Lots of movies and whatnot (inc SW:ANH-ROJ followed by ST:TPM-ROS

    DS9

    Trek movies

    Voyager

    TOS

    All the rest that is Sci-Fi, bar for those I have forgotten that should be above, and TNG, which is a lot further down the list, below all other Sci Fi, and all stuff that isn't Sci Fi, and all that isn't even watchable. [comic-guy voice] Worst... crap... ever...

  58. David S

    @Des

    Funnily enough, I've also found myself siding with the cylons a bit; I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that's intentional. They're written as increasingly sympathetic characters as the story progresses.

    Anyway. Aeryn Sun FTW. End of.

  59. David S
    Happy

    although...

    ...I wouldn't kick seven of nine out of bed for trying to inject me with nanites...

  60. Jeremy
    Coat

    Vote

    Dr. Who ( The old ones the new one is ok but not great)

    Blakes 7

    Battlestar Galactica (The old one though I wish they had actually finished the story)

    Firefly

    STTNG Picard rules

  61. Kim Rasmussen

    Another vote for Red Dwarf

    'Ace' Rimmer. What a guy.

    -- Stoke me a Clipper, I'll be back for Christmas

  62. Cardinal

    Why has Shatner Been Shunned?

    And the answer is ......42 !

  63. Jolyon Smith

    Who's Too Important...?

    "Apparently Bill feels he is too important to be limited to doing a Stan Lee walk on."

    Am I the only one who wishes STAN LEE was too important to do a STAN LEE walk on....?

    (Oh, and for the "League Table of Sci Fi"....)

    Hyperdrive

    and an honorary mention for "Spaced"

    :D

  64. Lukin Brewer

    The cult stuff that men do lives after them...

    ...the rest is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Shatner.

    I have seen ST: Generations. I watched the plot, dialogue and pacing twist, creak and stumble as its creators tried to give Kirk a glorious, feature-length end, having pulled him out of the (plot) hole in which he had been quietly existing. It messed up the film. Also, putting Shatner up alongside a real actor really showed up his deficiencies. Personally, I think he should throw posterity (and ST) a bone and quit while he’s still ahead.

  65. Glen Goergen

    thank the lord for small favors!

    He couldn't act when the series started, what makes him thinh he's learned any new techniques at 76? Send him off to keep scotty company and the world safe

    Glen

  66. Wookieman
    Flame

    Magyver in Space!

    Anything from the first 5 seasons of StarGate was pretty nifty....and I still rate it higher than any of the Trek stuff.

    Star Wars movies were WAY better than the Trek ones...and I mean WAY better.

    Last I heard Shattner was big enough to play the part of a PLANET, rather than a captain...

    Firefly, Lexx ftw

  67. Butch Kaniecki
    Dead Vulture

    The best of all.......

    There has been no mention of what is undeniably the best Sci-Fi space show ever made.

    LOST IN SPACE!!

    Dr.Smith is the best Sci-fi character of all time - and I believe that is how Shatner has modeled his later life attitude and material.

    Ohhh - The Pain The Pain.......

  68. Matt Owen
    Alien

    Lost In Space

    I LOVE the 1999 Lost In Space Movie.

    No seriously, it's great. Matt le Blanc rocks in it, and Gary Oldman is as usual in fine form. Even the slightly ropey plot couldn't keep this great film down. If you haven't seen it again since it cmae out, I really do suggest you dust it off and give it another airing!

    At the moment tho, I am really loving Stargate:Atlantis. No reason, just am.

    -Jar

  69. milan

    Will it ever stop

    With that quote put into context from Shatner is looks like the right decision was made over the geriatric windbags participation.

    and sorry, but DS9 comes first with Jadzia Dax, closely followed by Voyager...Seven anyone?

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