William Shatner’s Excluded Star Trek Scene
This past summer, Leonard Nimoy appeared in JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek reboot as his iconic character Mr. Spock alongside his replacement Zachary Quinto. A lot of us thought that William Shatner would do the same and reprise his role as Captain Kirk, but were disappointed when it didn’t happen. It turns out that the actor was written into the original screenplay, and a scene featuring Shatner has been dug up for all to see.
Over at TrekMovie, they’ve gotten their hands on a script page that features the scene that Shatner was supposed to appear in. It would fit at the end of the film as an alternative to the scenes between Spock Prime (Nimoy) and Spock (Quinto) in the hangar, and the award ceremony with Kirk, Pike and the Commandant. In terms of its timeline, it would have taken place before Star Trek Generations since that’s the sequel Kirk was killed in. Here’s a snippet of what we would have seen had everything gone according to plan.
ALTERNATE SCENE B
SPOCK PRIME
Then I ask that you do yourself a
favor… put away logic, and do what
feels right. The world you’ve inherited
lives in the shadow of incalculable
devastation… but there’s no reason you
must face it alone.And from around his neck, he removes the PENDANT that
until now, we’ve only caught glimpses of. Places it on
the table beside his younger self. The feeling in his
eyes is profound…SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
This was a gift to me. Representing…
a dream. One we were unable to fulfill.
(softly)
The way you can now.And moves to the door. Stops. Offers the VULCAN SALUTE:
SPOCK PRIME (CONT’D)
As my customary farewell would appear
oddly self serving, I will simply say…
good luck.Their eyes hold. Spock turns, disappearing into the
corridor. Young Spock stares at the empty doorway a
beat, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Looks to the
pendant… and realizes it’s a HOLO-EMITTER. After
considering a beat, he hits an activation button and a
MOVING HOLOGRAPHIC MESSAGE materializes before him:CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK. WILLIAM SHATNER. As always,
brash, wry, confident — and SINGING:KIRK/ SHATNER
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to
you…
(stops, grins)
I know I know, it’s illogical to
celebrate something you had nothing to do
with, but I haven’t had the chance to
congratulate you on your appointment to
the ambassadorship so I thought I’d seize
the occasion… Bravo, Spock — they tell
me your first mission may take you away
for awhile, so I’ll be the first to wish
you luck… and to say…
(beat, emotional)
I miss you, old friend.… and we’re PUSHING IN on Young Spock, taking in the
image of Kirk’s future self, the message, but above all —
the clear, unquestionable friendship these two men had…INT. CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
As Spock Prime walks off down the corridor, he passes
right by a man conferring with a nurse — the man pauses,
turns… it’s SAREK. Suddenly overcome by a feeling that
the stranger who’s just passed him is… oddly familiar.KIRK/SHATNER (V.O.)
I suppose I’d always imagined us…
outgrowing Starfleet together. Watching
life swing us into our Emeritus years…
Why didn’t William Shatner want to do this movie again? I’m not even a Trekkie and I can see the wasted opportunity in this. Hopefully he’ll make an appearance in the second film and finally let us see him in the captain’s chair one last time.
What do you think of Shatner’s scene?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:38AM
I love Shatner but honestly he kind of already passed the torch in Generations, he didn't need to do it again. I was fine that Spock passed the torch to Quinto in this movie. I wouldn't mind seeing him do a cameo in the second one though.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:07PM
Yeah, he was allowed to die a heroic death twice in Generations. What better way to pass the torch than that?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:20PM
The franchise needs to do away with anything and everything from the past. The current cast are capable of making it a success, let them do their jobs.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:02PM
I personally think that Shatner has really settled in to the roles where he is half way making fun of his own characters. Kirk never really did this. Shatner grew through this roles as his character grew. He really humorous in the roles that he's been playing lately and it would almost be a shame to force him back into a more 'gun's blazing' while trying to figure out how to get out of impossible situations again. He would have to be the owner of an of world bar or such…. yeah… that's it…
The old trek stigmas have been replayed over and over again (blue girls and all) so what else is there… perhaps if Kirk and Picard started an anti-federation coallition (in the 'star wars' fashion)… a mystery enemy is taking down the federation from the futu….. oh wait… time warps…. been done…. hmmm…
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:39PM
It's not that Shatner didn't want to do this, from what I know, he really did- but the people behind the movie just couldn't find a place for him that wouldn't make it feel a bit redundant.
Besides, there's the whole bit about Kirk being dead and all in the original time-line. (According to Shatner books, there's a fix for that though.) Point is, they're trying to get him in somehow in the next one.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:58PM
If he couldn't kiss it in a dreamy gaussian blur or fight it in some sand, it wasn't in the episode.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:01AM
I’m pretty sure Shatner WANTED to be in the movie, but J.J and co didn’t sign him on.
Infact, I think Shatner was kinda pissed when he wasn’t offered a part.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:23PM
Don't you guys remember? He wanted to do this really bad but they didn't want him in the movie. That might have been a first draft script or something before they had made all the casting decisions, and this actually happens in scripts quite a bit.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:57PM
I read in an interview that the main reason he wasn't in the movie was because of the continuity considering he dies in Star Trek Generations. Honestly I don't really care about that anyway bring on the Shatner.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:05PM
I was under the impression that he wanted to do the movie but wasn't offered a role, mostly because he's a jerk.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:06PM
There is a video about this on the Star Trek Bonus DVD, they said that they had to leave him out because Kirk is dead already, so he couldn't come back. So don't expect him …
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:29PM
There is only one Star Trek imo – all follow-on versions are pathetic.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 3:46PM
Shatner was pissed Nimoy was in it and he wasn't. He has said as much in interviews. I think multiple reasons they didn't want him – 1. Hes an ass. 2. It didn't fit well with the movie.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 4:04PM
ST was awesome. The connection to Original Spock Nimoy was integral to the plot. That scene above with Shatner Kirk is terrible. Glad it was cut.
I'm with the other commenter(s) who feels this new cast can carry it on their own now. ANY more appearances by the old cast seems like it would detract from the new/better direction the franchise is taking. Meh, I guess there's a *possibility* of an ok potential Nimoy tie-in again, being that he lives in that universe now…but I wouldn't. And a Shatner Kirk or any original cast appearances would be a LOUSY choice at this point.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 4:17PM
He isn't dead, or rather, he may not be. The entire timeline has been re-written so who knows what this timeline has in store for Kirk. That was the genius of J.J.s vision, he can now take any direction and not contridict anything that came before because that was a different chain of events.
Having said that, I think the only way you could work the Shat-man in without going too cheesy is in a flash forward.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 5:12PM
Are you kidding?
"According to Shatner books"?! Have you ever watched Star Trek? Of course there"s a "fix for that"… there's pretty much a fix for anything in the Star Trek universe. In fact, if you consider the character "Q" for a moment… not to mention the many demonstrated instances of parallel dimensions and time travel… they've designed a show where literally anything is possible.
I don't think we need Shatner to tell us that!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:23PM
This comment would make sense if it weren't for Nimoy being in the last movie.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:25PM
But they are now in an alternate timeline (for better or for worse) and all bets are off – anything that did happen may not happen – or whatever.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:07AM
Generations was about killing off Kirk so that audiences would accept Picard as feature film Captain of the Enterprise. The Next Generation people didn’t care about Kirk or they would have killed him in a more heroic way than having him fall off a bridge (the subtext was intentional, I’m sure.) The Kirk character should have died in combat.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 9:56PM
I would like to start a petition that Kal Penn (Kumar) be cast as Khan in a sequel……
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:11PM
William has discussed this in a video available on his website. You can probably google for it and find it on youtube. He was never approached to do the part at all. He doesn't hold any animosity at all to JJ Abrams and he thought the new Star Trek movie was fantastic. But he was simply never asked by anyone in JJ's camp to do the part at all.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:31PM
I wish ppl would get over their Shatner guy crush and stop acting like the original series is some kind of religious mecca that has to be visited every year. A ST story with Kirk and without Shatner is REFRESHING. Stop trying to ruin it for everyone.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 3:29AM
With Vulcan destroyed, the Star Trek history, as we know it, has drastically changed. This is essentially the perfect "reboot" of franchise. A fork the timeline cleans the slate so that a new events can be written.
So, Khan may never be found. I hope they don't have to resort to rehashing plots from the series, because I would be severely disappointed.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 12:38PM
For the older Trek fans the inclusion of Shatner would have been wonderful. With time travel, Nexus remnants from Generations and all the twists the Trek universe has had, it would have been possible to fit him in.
Does he need to be in every ST movie? Of course not.
Should he have been in this one? Absolutely. The onscreen chemistry between him and Spock would have been fantastic and could have been very integral to the whole premise of the film.
Missed opportunity – what a shame.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 4:14PM
You "think" he was pissed? Now why would you say this? If you were a friend of his then why report this on this silly thread and not somewhere, anywhere else? That is about the dumbest statement I've read in any internet post. Hence, the response.
Saturday, November 28, 2009 6:03AM
I am confused about the timeline of this film. From all appearances, the film's timeline is at *least* 10 years prior to the timeline of the original television series (certainly long before Capt. Pike is catastrophically injured and ends up all scarred in that chair). In this film, however, Spock's human mother is killed off, yet she appears many times throughout the TV series. What's up with that?!? I'm totally lost!
Saturday, November 28, 2009 2:15PM
Huge fan of the original Series – but loved the new movie and honestly didn't miss Shatner at all. Nimoy was great and his presence seemed integral to the plot. Throwing the bloated Shatner into the mix (much as i love him) would have really just seemed like an unnecessary gesture and would have messed up the suspension of disbelief. I will say that Generations was a lame movie and that it's a shame that Shatner's Kirk met such a anticlimactic end. But hey – Bill signed on for it. Looking forward to much more from J.J. and the new cast.
LL&P
Saturday, November 28, 2009 9:11PM
I NEED SHATNER IN THE FILE!!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:00PM
An early draught for a scene with William Shatner, that was never filmed
Saturday, December 12, 2009 5:40PM
Yeah. They could just slap a goatee on him and have him play evil Mirror Universe Kirk.
Sunday, December 13, 2009 4:55AM
according to Shatner he was never contacted for the new trek movie, and dissapointed. lil shame
Friday, December 25, 2009 9:27AM
I liked the movie alot…Missed seeing the fat old Kirk