If you have been a fan of the Original Star Trek and are familiar with William Shatner, you know one of his favorite topics of conversation is himself. Because of that, he has spent a great deal of time looking back on his career, especially since he just released his latest memoir. That retrospective thinking includes discussions about the life and death of Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise.
While at the IC Collectors Convention in Nashville, Shatner discussed about how the decision to kill Kirk in Star Trek Generations came about. As Shatner recalls it, the death was a financial decision more than a creative one. He explained by recalling a conversation with one of the film’s producers.
“So the Producer said, ‘We’re going to kill Kirk because we think that The Next Generation will make more money at the box office,’ and I said ‘Why? Why do you want to kill the Captain?’” Shatner said. “[They said] ‘Ah, the box office, expenses, the budget, and the box office.’ And they said, ‘Do you want to be a part of it?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’ll be a part of it.'”
This not the first time Shatner has suggested this scenario as he has made similar comments in previous interviews saying that he felt he had little choice in the final decision.
“Well, I didn’t think I had any choice in the matter,” Shatner says. “Paramount had decided that the ceiling that they could reach in our box office had been reached and they thought that by putting in The Next Generation cast, that they would reach a higher box office. That decision had been made. It was either I was going to appear and die, or they were going to say he died. So, I chose the more practical of the two. That was their theory. It didn’t work out that way, but that is the way it was.”
All that being said, Shatner has not ruled out entirely the idea of reprising his role as Kirk (much like Ser Patrick Stewart has for Jean Luc Picard) if given the right script and circumstances.
“It will have to pass through enormous hurdles including permission from Paramount,” Shatner explained, “and then they’ll have to get back to me and see where things are at.”
Would Star Trek fan’s like to see a Captain Kirk return in the same manner of Patrick Stewart if even for an episode? Or are you of the feeling that it’s better to let sleeping Kirks lie? You now have the power of resurrection if you choose to wield it. Let us know your decision at GVNation.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
