Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner 'Star Trek 3'

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner have thrown some cold water on the rumors that they would be returning as older versions of their iconic “Star Trek” characters, Mr. Spock and Captain James T. Kirk, in the franchise’s next film.

Shatner, who was famously irked that he didn’t get a cameo in the popular 2009 reboot directed by J.J. Abrams, took to Twitter to let fans know he was clueless about any possible new role.

https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/514561851519033344

Nimoy himself told 50 Plus Senior News earlier this month that if another role as Spock opened up, he “would take [the] call, but doubt I’d do any acting. I don’t want to go off on location again. I’m enjoying life with my family too much.”

The 83-year-old actor was recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, due to his younger years as a smoker.

“LLAP” stands for “Live long and prosper,” the famous Vulcan phrase forever tied to Leonard Nimoy’s ultra-logical Mr. Spock.

For his part, Roberto Orci, director of the so-far-untitled “Star Trek 3,” sounded an ambivalent note when commenting at TrekMovie.com, saying he had little reason to definitively answer the question of the possible reunion.

Not in my interest to confirm or deny anything because it limits my options while maintaining my integrity as a truth teller.

The movie is not the movie till it is in the theater. Until then, everything is a rumor.

The rumored roles would apparently be fairly important to the plot of the next film, third in the rebooted series of “Star Trek” movies begun with J.J. Abrams’ 2009 entry.

The last time Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner appeared on film together as their most famous characters was “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” in 1991.

[photo credit: Brian Wilkins via photopin cc]

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