Posted:
02:59:15 on April 27
By: GustavoLeao
Dept: General Star Trek
The latest issue of the Star Trek Communicator magazine features an exclusive interview with 'Star Trek' star William Shatner, who talks about a variety of subjects : his thoughts on charities, his late wife, his upcoming 'Star Trek' novels, and his current TV and movie projects. Shatner also discusses the current state of the 'Trek' franchise (including the 'prequel' rumors for the next 'Trek' series) and the possibillity of the return of 'James T. Kirk' to the big-screen. Here are some excerpts of the extensive interview, conducted by journalist and publisher Dan Madsen.
Tell me about your new Star Trek novels.
Shatner : "I'm working on a new trilogy. The working theme is love in its various forms. They are very close to my chest, as you know, reflecting many of my passages. I have broken it down to first three books, then there were three books in the middle, and now I am doing the last three. Although you can read each one individually, there seems to be symmetry in several of the books. I expect the first book out at the end of this year. I also have a book coming out in a few months called 'I'm Woking On That' which deals with the face of tecnology in Star Trek compared to today. You know, when Professor Stephen Hawking was show the set of the bridge of the Enterprise, his first comment was "I'm working on that !". So I used that title. It's being published by Pocket Books. But on the Star Trek novels, they reflect a little bit of me and my sensibilities and we are giving them to Captain Kirk. He is dealing with things that are happening in my life but in Star Trek' terms.
A lot of the fans felt Kirk deserved a more fitting and heroic end in Star Trek Generations. What are you thoughts on that today ?
Shatner : "Well, it was probably as much my fault as anybody's. I rememver at the time thinking 'I can make this work' in terms of crossing over from life to death. It didn't quite worked out the way I had wanted it to. I would love to play the part again. In these Star Trek books, I am trying to combine characters from the various Star Treks in interesting situations and doing some things with Kirk I would like to see. But, I must say, it would be too much extravagant for Paramount to do on film."
You don't think we'll ever see Kirk again on the big screen ?
Shatner : "I really don't. I don't see how they could do it. But, you know, never say never !"
As you know, Paramount is now working on a new, fifth Star Trek series, which is rumored to take place before the original adventures of Kirk and Spock. If that is the case, how you feel about that ?
Shatner : "You know, I have written three books that talk about a young kid who wants to be a starship captain and takes place before the original series adventures. It certainly is a valid area for examination but it will be a tough one to bring alive in that the Star Trek formula has something in it that seems to attract a universal mind. Can that be achieved out of the Star Trek formula ? The new series would be young people prior to the original Star Trek. So, it will work ? It will be a tough one. I guess we'll wait and see."
What do you predict is the future of Star Trek ?
Shatner : "It is hard to say. I think it may very well have run its course. I think Paramount will know very soon as to where it's going with their new movie and new series. So I think Star Trek hangs in the balance with the new film and television series. I don't think the new Star Treks have been as cutting edge as the original series was but, by the same token, I think people are now also saying "What else is there ? Show me something different." Star Trek has more competition today."
For the full, extensive interview with Shatner, check out issue 132 of the Star Trek Communicator, on sale now.
