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TOS Remastered Producer Dave Rossi on Recasting Kirk for Star Trek XI

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By GustavoLeao / 13:38, 30 April 2007 / Star Trek: Nemesis

Here are excerpts from TOS Remastered producer Dave Rossi column from the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, in which he gave some thoughts on some the hassles that producer/director J.J. Abrams will no doubt have when it comes to recasting the role of Captain Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek XI movie.

"Star Trek fans want to like Star Trek." wrote Rossi "If the stories are good, if the characters are compelling, if there's balanced doses of action, humour, and drama, people will watch. Not surprising then that Paramount chose to go with Star Trek The Original Series and moreover Mr. Abrams. It's not quite that simple though. While there are a lot of factors to consider in an undertaking like this, one of the biggest is casting."


"The Shat Factor ranks pretty high. You're recasting a role that has become synonymous with William Shatner. His mannerisms, his inflections, tone; all these things make up what we know as Captain Kirk. I think it's deadly to cast someone with the instructions to ‘play Shatner playing Kirk'. Can't be done. No sir. That begs the question: Can the millions of ST: TOS fans wrap their heads around, not just a new Kirk, but a new everybody? I'll admit that if I like this movie, I'll feel a little dirty for doing so knowing that someone else is playing Kirk. But I want to like this movie."

"Having worked on this Remastered project, I know that the die-hard fans will ultimately pick this new movie apart regardless. It 's the nature of the beast. And while the nit-pickers do what they do best, I hope the rest of us will look at this with fresh eyes and a nod towards what Roddenberry was going for: not that Shatner was Kirk and Nimoy was Spock, but a story about heroes thrust into extraordinary adventures, armed only with their humanity (okay, and phasers too) as a guide."


More from Rossi can be found at Sci Fi Pulse.

To read the full article, get the new issue of Star Trek Magazine at your local newsstand.



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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 15:32:15 on Apr 30, 2007 | Edit History (1)

Everybody here knows how I feel about the recasting of the iconic roles of James Tiberius Kirk and Spock, but I will say it again nevertheless (sorry for that) - in my opinion Kirk is Shatner, Shatner is Kirk. Spock is Nimoy, Nimoy is Spock. And yes, I am an old-school purist.

Gustavo

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TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor

gl2000@uol.com.br

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: c.p. (Odo's file, contact) @ 08:50:41 on May 01, 2007

Way to take in and digest what Rossi was trying to say. The thing about STAR TREK that can never change it seems, is some fans' black and white attitudes towards it.

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: ArgonautFleecey (Odo's file, contact) @ 22:01:14 on Apr 30, 2007

Whine whine whine. See the movie before you judge it.

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RE: Recasting will never work by Cylykon @ 23:16:09 on Apr 30
    RE: Recasting will never work by GustavoLeao @ 23:24:44 on Apr 30

RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: GreatCzarsGhost (Odo's file, contact) @ 20:02:46 on Apr 30, 2007

You may very well be right but for the sake of Star Trek I hope your wrong.

The general public will not be turned off by new actors playing old characters. My sister and several friends who are not "Trek Fans" but know of Star Trek and will probably see the film all talk of the new actors playing Kirk and company in the same manor as the different James Bonds. They will go because it's a big event movie about a show they are familiar with. These are the people who will make hundreds of millions of dollars for Paramount, not us.

Time will tell.

--------

Somewhere in Texas there's a village missing an idiot

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: Brannon (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:46:51 on Apr 30, 2007

What a pile of hoody hoo....

So by that line of reasoning, James Bond, Dracula, King Kong, Danny Ocean, The Seven Samurai, Superman, Batman, and Willy Wonka should have never been recast?

Should we just be satisfied with the original and never explore the possibility that someone else could bring a fresh perspective to the role? Not necessarily better or worse, but different?

Ridiculous.

Granted, some recasts are better than others...and Sean Connery will forever be known as Bond, but so will Moore, and Brosnan.

You can't, with any real accuracy, predict if this incarnation of Kirk, Spock, et al, will bring a fresh perspective to the characters or will be the worst idea since New Coke.

Your opinion is as valid as anyone else's, and you could turn out to be right, but right now it's just your opinion.

I, for one, prefer to give it a chance.....Boldly go....

--------

"With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people-Yes We Can."

"Yeah, I don't do cowering."-Barack Obama

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RE: Recasting will never work by Writer4GoodTrek @ 14:53:52 on May 02

RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: dwd201969 (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:45:40 on Apr 30, 2007 | Edit History (1)

I've been watching the re-mastered TOS lately and I had forgotten how over the top the acting was. I wouldn't say it was flat out bad, but there was a different style to film acting in this era that wasn't particularly believable.

Film acting has since become embedded in realism. I for one will be interested to see actors that have been trained in this more realistic style of acting take on these roles.

I think that if the writing supports it, the performances could have an emotional impact. Unfortunately, it's being directed by the guy who did MI:3 so we'll have to settle for an incomprehensible plot that plays out between explosions.

Just my opinion.

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: SciFiNut (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:42:08 on Apr 30, 2007 | Edit History (1)

There are many things that could make or break Star Trek 11, if they get good recast of actors that work well together, a Good plot, then theres what star trek fans want, FREASH NEW ADVENTURES if JJ attemps to remake an existing story from TOS, or any already told story (from any of the ST series) the show will fail, many TOS fans quit on the next gen because of this, too many storys remade from TOS, but in later seasons some came back as there were NEW STORIES to watch.

I hope JJ takes a lesson from Star Trek New Voyages continuing the 5 years mission from where TOS left off!

Actuall with over 20 million downloads he should just hire them to do Trek 11!!!!!!!!!!

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RE: Recasting will never work by Cylykon @ 23:21:04 on Apr 30

RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: Fort N'zur (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:48:04 on Apr 30, 2007

Now wait just a damn minute.

What happened to the optimistic core of Star Trek?

Will it be strange to have a different Kirk, Spock, McCoy? You bet.

Is it impossible? Of course not. If one thing Star Trek has taught us, it's that there are ALWAYS possibilites.

This movie may tank.

This movie may soar.

My suggestion is to see it before we pass judgement.

I hated the concept of a new Battlestar Galactica. I thought it wouldn't last six episodes.

It's nice to proven wrong a time or two. I, for one, embrace the optimistic spirit of adventure that is at the core of what Trek has to say.



--------

"...and a class 2 comet, Wow, this is certainly worthy of our attention." -Picard "A comet! Drop us out of warp, we'll study it for a few weeks, what do you think Trip?" -Archer

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RE: Recasting will never work by falcon @ 10:16:42 on May 02

RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: Glassman Cometh (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:46:26 on Apr 30, 2007

To state that a re-cast can not be done, with out seeing it, is about short sighted as one can be.

This is the same crap BOND fans said when they recasted Connery. Oh, you can argue Connery was the best, but the others did JUST fine in terms of stories. And the last time I checked, The JAMES BOND franchise is just as loved as our precious TREK universe. I actually think this new bond is just as good, if not better than, Pierce..and can, in time, even be as good as Sean Connery

I also remember when they were making the first SUPERMAN movie. And all those losers lamenting "no one can replace George Reeves"..yada yada yada...

Then came the Galactica fans...

Here's what it comes down to. Shatner's 'mannerisms' don't really show up in that season. He pretty much plays the role in a subtle way. Its not until you get in to the second half of season two, and really season three, that his style really comes into play..

STAR TREK is no more famous than SUPERMAN and JAMES BOND. Those franchises can recast...So can we. To deny that is even a possibility is to confrim the fact that some Star Trek fans really need to listen to Shatner...and get a life

Please...give the notion that the world is round to be explored before you demand to stay to your notion that it is flat...that is all we ask

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: Lizard2112 (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 14:42:27 on Apr 30, 2007

I have to disagree...I know what you're saying but to use Battlestar Galactica as an example...

Starbuck was Dirk Benedict, without question, in the original BSG. Katee Sackhoff, despite how some people feel about her, has definitely made the role into her own. She has played it with few, if any, of the inflections of ol' Dirk but the show is highly rated and her character is utterly compelling.

Ditto for Commander Adama...Lorne Greene you might say was practically irreplaceable, but Edward James Olmos is absolutely stunning in the role made famous by LG. In some regards I have to say he is an even finer actor and has brought a depth to Adama that was never defined in the old series.

I don't see how recasting the iconic roles of ST:TOS will be challenging, except in getting great actors to assume the roles, not just mediocre no-names. That's where the whole thing could either hit or miss!

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RE: Recasting will never work | Report this post to moderator
By: Lizard2112 (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 14:41:21 on Apr 30, 2007 | Edit History (1)

Double post, sorry.

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