William Shatner: I Would Love To Play Kirk Again

When 'Star Trek: Generations' was originally filmed, William Shatner thought James T. Kirk's death would be a fitting send-off for the character. But now that several years have passed, Shatner would like to have a chance to bring closure to the character in a different way.

"It was probably as much my fault as anybody's," he told Dan Madsen at the Star Trek Communicator (via TrekWeb). "I remember at the time thinking, 'I can make this work,' in terms of crossing over from life to death. It didn't quite work out the way I had wanted it to. I would love to play the part again."

Over the past few years, Shatner has written books such as 'The Return' and 'Preserver,' in which Kirk was brought back to life and paired up with Captain Picard. Though Shatner would like to see these adventures on the screen, he realised that is likely not going to happen. "It would be too much extravagant for Paramount to do on film," he admitted, and added that he didn't think we'd ever see Kirk again on the screen. "I really don't. I don't see how they could do it. But, you know, never say never!"

Most of the current Star Trek attention is directed at the franchise's small-screen future, with the new series likely being set before the Original Series. Shatner thought that in principle, this might work.

"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," he said. "Can that be achieved out of the Star Trek formula? The new series would be young people prior to the original Star Trek. So, will it work? It will be a tough one. I guess we'll wait and see."

Shatner was also undecided on how the future of the whole Star Trek franchise looks. "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."

In the full interview, Shatner talked about the many projects he is currently working on, including his new trilogy of Star Trek novels and his current TV and movie projects. However, he also discussed his late wife and his thoughts on charities. You can find the interview in the new issue of the Star Trek Communicator, which you can subscribe to by following this link. In addition, a few more quotes from Shatner about his new line of Star Trek novels can be found here at TrekWeb.

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