William Shatner’s Other Sci-Fi Series Is Being Rebooted
It looks like William Shatner will reboot another popular sci-fi series that he helped create decades ago. This one is an ambitious venture
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William Shatner might be 90-years-young, but that isn’t stopping him from taking on new projects, be it in the entertainment space or even heading off into the actual cosmos. Known, obviously, for his iconic role in Star Trek, Shatner does have another series out there, one that came about a couple of decades ago. That was TekWar and according to Deadline, it looks like Shatner and company will be rebooting the story for a modern age, adding in a layer of fan immersion that could be groundbreaking if they pull it off.
This latest offering is a joint venture between William Shatner and Pure Imagination Studios and will bring TekWar back to life. Currently, the plan is for it to be a mixed-reality animated adult series with a standalone story and narrative. But things are ramped up a notch because viewers will be able to interact with the story as well, becoming a part of the world through a variety of different devices and alternate reality modalities. Apparently, according to the reporting, those opting in to the story this way will have a significantly more curated experience with the new show. It sounds pretty awesome and yet another way entertainment is pushing into the new world.
William Shatner originally developed TekWar back in 1989. He came up with the idea of a futuristic society in which a new drug “Tek” has become a major part of the world. This drug is in the form of a microchip which, itself, alters reality for those using it. The series follows the main character Jake Cardigan who was once a police officer but is now an ex-con framed for selling Tek. While this book series was originally Shatner’s idea, he didn’t actually pen the novels. Those were ghost-written by author Ron Goulart.
Back in the early 90s, TekWar did get a series treatment on USA and the Sci Fi Channel. It lasted for two seasons and critical reception trended mostly on the negative side. It is unclear what role William Shatner will have in this new series beyond just a producer. While he originally outlined the idea and helped bring the first series to life, this next story looks like a much more in-depth production especially considering the technical aspects of the viewer integration.
And it isn’t like Willaim Shatner isn’t busy with other projects and initiatives these days. Hell, this dude is about to be the oldest person ever launched into space. It was announced last week that he will take part in a Blue Origin launch with Jeff Bezos. This will put Captain Kirk up into actual orbit for the first time. In terms of career arcs, this one is about perfect considering Shatner first came on the scene in a big way when he starred as Captain Kirk in the groundbreaking and iconic Star Trek series. He even posted a hilarious roast video taking down everyone who’s tried to impersonate his version of the character over the years.
While William Shatner and company announced TekWar as an upcoming project, it’s unclear at this point where it will land in terms of broadcast partner/ streaming service.
