The original Captain Kirk faces off against an alien from the 1967 TV series.
More than four decades after they first squared off on an isolated desert planet, William Shatner comes face-to-face again with the menacing Gorn species of Star Trek fame… but this time the battle begins on a comfy sofa with the two former foes seated in front of a video screen as they fight again in promotion for the April 23 release of Namco Bandai and Paramount Pictures new Star Trek: The Video Game.
The original Kirk-Gorn duel was seen in the classic 1967 Arena episode of the Star Trek series. In the promotional video, Shatner and a stunt man in a replica Gorn suit are seen casually playing the game when a dispute leads to a friendly fight re-enacting actual choreographed punches from the classic TV brawl blow-for-blow. This time, however, couch pillows replace what appeared to be “space rocks” that were thrown the first time around.
The promotional video was produced in-house under the creative direction of Senior Vice President Brian Miller and shot on location in a ranch-style home in suburban Los Angeles.
“What better way to spotlight the adventure and fun everyone can have actually playing as Capt. Kirk in the new game, than to team up the legendary former captain himself to play one of his old foes,” commented LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures, the studio releasing the game. “Mr. Shatner is such a great sport and that Gorn had absolutely no chance of coming out on top this time.”
After spending a day on the set with the Gorn to create the video, veteran actor Shatner said: “It never ceases to amaze me how many people still ask me about that scene. It’s 46 years later, and he hasn’t aged as well as I have.”
The new game features a vastly updated version of the Gorn as the key foe to legendary duo Kirk and Spock. Players take on the roles of Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) from the new JJ Abrams films. This duo works together to get to the heart of a mysterious attack by an enemy with unimaginable strength – a re-imagined version of the Gorn. In an entirely original story, written by BAFTA award winner Marianne Krawczyk, the Gorn is a terrifying threat, with an army that could overwhelm Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise. The game was developed by Digital Extremes and will be available for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 23.
