William Shatner’s Captain Kirk returns from the dead in a newStar Trekshort celebrating the 30th anniversary ofStar Trek: Generations. Shatner’s Kirk helmed the starship Enterprise beginning with the original 1960s series and continuing through six original-cast feature films. The last on-screen appearance for the most iconicStar Trekcaptaincame in 1994’sGenerations, a bridge film handing the reins ofTrekfrom the stars ofTOSto theTNGcast.
It’s now been 30 years since Kirk met his somewhat unceremonious end in the much-malignedGenerations, but the OG Enterprise captain is back in a short film celebrating that three-decade anniversary, courtesy ofOTOY. Also appearing in the clip, titled765874 - Unification, are Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, along with Robin Curtis as Saavik, Mahé Thaissa as J.M. Colt, and Gary Lockwood as Gary Mitchell. To create Kirk and Spock respectively, digital prosthetics were added to live action performers Sam Witwer and Lawrence Sellek. Carlos Baena directed the clip from a story by Jules Urbach, while Oscar-nominated composer Michael Giacchino provided the music.
Creatives behind764874 - Unificationreacted to the short’s release via social media:
What 765874 – Unification Means For Star Trek
Kirk Gets A Better Ending Than He Received In Generations
1994’sStar Trek: Generationsprovided a necessary bridge between the OGTrekmovies, starring theTOScast, and a new run of films headed up by the stars ofThe Next Generation. Unfortunately, only three OGTrekcharacters – Kirk, Scotty and Chehov – were on-hand to pass the baton to their younger successors. Adding another sour note to what should have been a rousing farewell, Kirk’s eventual death in the film was criticized for being anticlimactic after decades of thrilling space-hopping adventures.
Unificationnow brings Kirk back for one lastStar Trekbow, and the send-off he receives is more emotionally satisfying than the disappointing ending he suffered inGenerations. The short also features return appearances from some deep cutTrekcharacters, including the Vulcan Saavik, OGTrekcharacter Colt and Kirk friend Gary Mitchell. But the highlight has to be the return of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, whom Kirk encounters during the short film’s depiction of what appears to beStar Trekheaven.
Our Take On Shatner’s Return To Star Trek
This Might Not Be The Last Time Shatner’s Kirk Appears On-Screen
Shatner himself contributed toUnificationby acting as executive producer, in which capacity he offered creative direction, and by doing some voice over narration. The physical Kirk character is not Shatner of course, but actor Witmer in costume wearing a digitally created Shatner face. There’s some uncanny valley effect to the digitally-rendered Kirk and Spock, but overall the clip succeeds in conjuring the spirit of the iconic characters.
Unificationnow brings Kirk back for one lastStar Trekbow, and the send-off he receives is more emotionally satisfying than the disappointing ending he suffered inGenerations.
Shatner has notoriously been shut out of theStar Trekfranchisesince his appearance inGenerations, and it seems the door will not be open to the star any time soon. That being the case, the only avenue for Shatner’s version of Kirk to return toTrekis as the sort of computer-generated character featured inUnification. The technology used to craft such digital recreations is only getting better with time, and soon it will be possible to convincingly resurrect retired and deceased performers.
The ethics of such resurrections will continue to be debated, of course, but in the meantime, Hollywood will likely not hold back in boldly going where the industry has never gone before. Unification had the blessing of Nimoy’s estate in using his likeness for a digital Spock, and as long as such permission is granted, things will seem above-board. If things continue on their present course, audiences may soon be seeing Shatner’s Kirk and Nimoy’s Spock back on the big screen in a new original time-lineStar Trekmovie.
Source:OTOY/YouTube
Star Trek
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
