A new fan-funded documentary about Star Trek’s first captain is in the works, and William Shatner will be at San Diego Comic-Con in July to show off the first footage.
William Shatner: The Documentary
Today Legion M and Exhibit A Pictures announced a new documentary directed by Alexandre O. Philippe (The People vs. George Lucas) all about William Shatner. According to the announcement, for the documentary “William Shatner takes off the countless masks he’s worn throughout his storied career, to reveal the man behind one of the most recognizable faces in the world.”
Said director Alexandre O. Philippe in a statement: “I grew up watching Bill Shatner on a black-and-white television in Switzerland. My first memories of him are from Columbo and The Twilight Zone. He is a modern Renaissance man. Ubiquitous. Unavoidable. His range as an actor (Roger Corman’s The Intruder, anyone..?) is as staggering as the depth of his wisdom and curiosity; and I couldn’t be more excited by this opportunity to craft an up close and personal portrait of a man who fascinates me, through some of the important themes he openly tackles in his most vulnerable autobiographical songs. This intimate film will illuminate little-known and rarely seen aspects of Bill’s career and philosophy, and also re-examine some of his most iconic roles and cultural moments through a brand-new lens.”
Speaking about the project, Shatner said in a statement: “For years I’ve had people approaching me to do a documentary about my life, but I turned them all down because it didn’t feel like the right fit. Alexandre and I hit it off right away, and when I heard how Legion M wanted to incorporate audiences to be a part of it, it was perfect. Fans have been responsible for my career — it only seems right that they should own this doc.”
Fan-owned Legion M is inviting fans to invest directly in the documentary, and unlike crowd-funding projects, investors not only fund the production but also share in any profits. Beginning today fans can sign up to make a non-binding, no-obligation reservation HERE.
William Shatner (Legion M)
Shatner at Comic-Con
The producers will be providing an early look at the documentary at San Diego Comic-Con in a Hall H panel featuring Shatner and moderated by comedian/director Kevin Smith. The panel will be on Thursday, July 21 at 4:30 PM.
And Legion M will be celebrating Shatner all day long in San Diego, starting with a handprint ceremony in the lobby of Theatre Box San Diego, followed by signing and photo ops. There will also be an evening event and performance from Shatner, starting at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the Thursday Theatre Box events can be purchased HERE.
William Shatner at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 (Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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Truly, a life well lived. His Kirk was a great inspiration to me as I was growing up. Respect.
nostalgia is such a big thing now i get the feeling Trek XIV is going to be The Search For Kirk (Shatner)
Legion M is a great resource. This does seem like a nice fit.
Normally I’d think it was a bad idea to start a big, expensive project whose star is 90 years old and could die or have a stroke at any moment. But Shatner seems ageless. Or perhaps that’s just good acting. :-)
Maybe Shatner knows something that prompted him to suddenly embrace this project. Or the producers made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
I wasn’t thinking from Shatner’s perspective but from that of the maker of the film. What do you do if Shatner dies on you when you’re half finished?
The life of William Shatner up Until Age 46?
Dude is amazing. He looks 75 if not younger.
He does. It could be plastic surgery, though. :-)
Could be? The guy has been living under the knife for decades. I do think he benefitted from Marcy’s influence healthwise for a time, plus he obviously has some good genes someplace, but the surgery has been pretty obvious. Geez, he and Burt Reynolds almost started looking Asian they were so squinty-tight in the face during the 90s.
We just rewatched THE INTRUDER a month or so back, and it is just as good as it ever was. IMO, definitely the best role Shatner ever had in terms of a character who allowed him to do all the things he liked to do and did well, without it seeming OTT or inappropriate.
I haven’t seen The Intruder; I’ll have to check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
Ditto, thanks for that. I’ve never heard of that movie – I’ll be checking it out for sure.
Just ordered that movie on Blu-Ray (last copy at Amazon-France).
Thanks for the recommendation. Keep em coming — I also got the Rodenberry Vault Blu-Ray for $10 based on your note a couple months back.
I just wish I had taken my own advice about the VAULT, it sold out before I could place an order!
I don’t know if all the DVDs for it are called THE INTRUDER or not .. it was also titled SHAME and I HATE YOUR GUTS at various times, so you might find different versions too.
Another compliment from me on The Intruder here. I have to say that is probably the best movie that very little people have seen. Absolutely the best of Shatner for sure. If anyone wants a suggestion for another “crazy” Shatner flick check out “Incubus”. It was made in the made up language of Esperanto but it is truly a creeping horror story that is made extra creepy by the using of this artificial language.
Check out The Shat in THE EXPLOSIVE GENERATION (1961). He plays a high school teacher with a liberal outlook when it comes to permitting student expression in the classroom.
that’s teh most William Shatner headline I’ve read in a long time :-D
his mask?
like the one in ‘Halloween’?