J.J. Abrams on William Shatner: ‘How Did This Become My Life?’

Despite the likelihood of William Shatner enlisting his daughter for an aggrieved response as we write this, it is with some certainty that we report the official end of hostilities between the original Captain Kirk and the man rebooting the Star Trek franchise without him, J.J. Abrams. In a new interview, even Abrams himself appears to have had little idea that their putative feud had escalated to “DVD-extra” levels of multimedia debate, but such is the fury of a Shat scorned. For the last time, follow the jump for Abrams’s earnest defence and our brief, ceremonial farewell to the whole sad mess.

Frankly, we’re much more intrigued by the filmmaker’s indirect swipe at bloated blockbuster contemporaries like The Dark Knight and Watchmen (“I’m sick of these two hours and forty-five minute movies. Seriously, it’s like I don’t have enough time to stay two hours and forty-five minutes. I’m exhausted just saying that twice. I can’t stand it.”) and the revelation that cast member Simon Pegg allegedly cried when Abrams showed him rough footage from the film. Short-and-moving sells us every time — which, again, is not Mr. Shatner’s cue to return to his Webcam for an affected! Appeal! For help! In the trenchant words of Ringo Starr: Peace and love, Bill, but leave us alone now.

• ‘Star Trek’ Director J.J. Abrams Clears Up Confusion… [MTV]