Koenig Talks Star Trek XI And InAlienable
2 min readDon’t worry about canon, says Walter Koenig, Star Trek‘s original Chekov.
As reported by the TrekZone Network, Koenig encourages fans not to prejudge Star Trek XI or get overly concerned with past Star Trek history. “I think if [fans] just put away any prejudice and not worry about canon they’ll have a good time,” he said. “You know, nothing is carved into stone. Star Trek isn’t based on historical facts. It’s just imaginary, creation. People’s imagination. It’s fictitious. So, if they take something and change it, go with it, accept it for what it’s like and have a good time!” While Star Trek XI was filming, Koenig visited the set one day and met Anton Yelchin, who is playing Chekov in the movie. “We talked a little about the role,” said Koenig. “I told him that he has to make it his own. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to imitate me. I don’t think that was his intention anyway.”
“[Yelchin’s] a very pleasant young man,” said Koenig. “And his career is already going very well. He’s done several movies.”
Koenig doesn’t worry about Yelchin’s ability to do the Russian accent. “He is originally, his parents are from Russia,” explained Koenig. “He’s been born there but he’s been living in the States since he’s a few months old. His grandparents are very, very much Russian. So I think he got some help with the dialect from his own family.”
InAlienable, Koenig’s movie project released last year as a pay-per-download video on the Internet, will soon be available on DVD. Fans who purchase the movie will receive a free copy of Of Gods and Men. InAlienable will be released in a novel form if Koenig can find a publisher. “It is written,” he said. I am trying to sell it. I’m trying to get a publisher to buy it.”