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Chris Pine Says Re-Create William Shatner Performance Would be a Mistake

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By GustavoLeao / 18:31, 21 January 2008 / Feature Films

Entertainment Weekly caught up with actor Chris Pine at the Sundance festival, where he talked about his role as the new James Tiberius Kirk in the next Star Trek movie. Here are few excerpts from the article. Beware of minor spoilers.

You're shooting some small movie, right?

Yes, it's a small independent back in Los Angeles. It's kind of like Star Wars and Spaceballs combined. I think they're calling it Star Trek. It's going very well. We're having a lot of fun. It comes out later this year, sometime near Christmastime. I think people will really enjoy it.


You wear a wig in your Sundance movie. Do you wear a wig as Captain Kirk?


Uh, I do not wear a wig in Star Trek like I did in Bottle Shock, thank God. Bottle Shock will be the last wig movie I ever do.


Are you feeling any pressure to evoke William Shatner?

I actually feel the exact opposite. I think the biggest mistake I could ever do would be to try to re-create what Mr. Shatner did. There are certain qualities that Kirk has that are vital for someone who is a leader of men. And those qualities, I definitely wanted to take from what Mr. Shatner did in the original series. But my job is to take something new, to take that and build upon it, really do my own thing. I just feel no pressure when it comes to that.


Is the pressure coming more from the fanboys and their off-the-charts expectations?

Yeah, sure, the Internet is not my friend in this case. Best to stay away. I can understand, I don't have that many credits and people are very worried that their Kirk is going to be destroyed. But I can only say that we're having a great time. J.J. [Abrams, the director] has been wonderful and the cast is phenomenal. I think what we're doing is very special.


Have you talked with Shatner?

I have not talked to Shatner. I wrote him a letter early on in the process and corresponded that way. I got a letter back from him, which is very nice. And I've met Mr. [Leonard] Nimoy a couple of times. He's been on set and we have a couple of scenes in the film, which will be nice, and I'm excited for those.

The full interview can be found here.



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more continuity questions | Report this post to moderator
By: SkyGuy (Odo's file, contact) @ 07:32:33 on Jan 23, 2008

Okay, I'm the last one around to get my shorts in a twist about continuity, but I recall that Kirk was actually surprised by the idea of time travel at the end of "The Naked Time," as though the idea were a novelty to him. Wonder where this new twist will leave us.

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GET A LIFE,
will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it's just a TV show!.... You've turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME! -- William Shatner on Saturday Night Live (1986)


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Time Travel | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 15:47:37 on Jan 22, 2008

Since Old Spock meets Young Kirk, I hope time travel is done in this movie in an original and exciting way.

Gustavo

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TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor



gl2000@uol.com.br


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What voice is on the page? | Report this post to moderator
By: Yorik (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:04:11 on Jan 22, 2008

I was thinking the other day what voices did the screenwriters "hear" when writing dialogue for the film. As the script comes before the casting, some part of all of the original cast's performances will almost certainly filter through.


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Pine's Smart | Report this post to moderator
By: Gary Seven and a Half (Odo's file, contact) @ 08:41:15 on Jan 22, 2008

He's right. He should simply play Kirk as written on the page. Shatner (though great) wasn't even the first choice for the role.

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"The nail that sticks out, gets hammered" - Old Chinese Proverb


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RE: Pine's Smart by Yelojack @ 14:05:23 on Jan 22

Sun Shines on Pine | Report this post to moderator
By: TRexx (Odo's file, contact) @ 04:53:00 on Jan 22, 2008


Chris Pine also spoke to Canada's Sun Media about ST:XI and the uncertainty factor that still surrounds William Shatner: "I know he wants to be part of it, and I know they're still talking that he might be part of it. I don't know where it stands."

As with other actors involved with this project, Pine is mindful of what he reveals to the media. "Everybody talks about (Abrams') secrecy and it can be claustrophobic while you're making it. While I'm talking to you I'm going through my head of what I can and cannot say. I've signed so many confidentiality agreements at this point I don't know where I am legally."


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Beowulf -- O.S.T.

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Works for me | Report this post to moderator
By: sb2004 (Odo's file, contact) @ 22:18:33 on Jan 21, 2008

Pine's got the right idea. His job isn't to impersonate Shatner. They could have probably recreated him (and the rest of the cast) with CG if they wanted a carbon copy. I'm not expecting Quinto to copy Nimoy either (although he'll have a harder time making his own mark because Nimoy is present). Not having Shatner in the film is probably the best thing that Pine could hope for. Let him make his own mark.

Al


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RE: Works for me by StillKirok @ 04:21:33 on Jan 22
    RE: Works for me by OV-101 @ 12:12:40 on Jan 22
    RE: Works for me by TRexx @ 06:24:57 on Jan 22
       RE: by rassmguy @ 06:34:15 on Jan 22

RE: | Report this post to moderator
By: Ro (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 21:59:05 on Jan 21, 2008

The 'calculated-for-maximum-controversy' quality of that headline cracks me up. You couldn't have just called it 'Chris Pine talks about his approach to playing the Kirk character'? ;)

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The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on

my skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their

breath and disappeared, my heart went cold, and

only hollow rhythms resounded from within.




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RE: by GustavoLeao @ 14:27:26 on Jan 22
RE: by NKDi @ 00:31:06 on Jan 22

Sounds like he has the right attitude | Report this post to moderator
By: TonyDP (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:55:13 on Jan 21, 2008

Chris Pine seems to get it. It would be a mistake to ape Shatner's acting style - he'd be immediately written off. Better to take the qualities of the characters (strength, leadership, personal magnetism) and put his own spin on those.

And young Kirk meets old Spock. Interesting....


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Minor Spoilers | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 18:35:04 on Jan 21, 2008

So Young Kirk (Pine) meets Old Spock (Nimoy) in this movie, according to Pine. I think this confirms it is a time travel story after all.

Gustavo

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TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor



gl2000@uol.com.br


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RE: Minor Spoilers by Cymro @ 02:54:07 on Jan 22
Promenade










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