This week marks the thirtieth anniversary of William Shatner's poignant farewell as Captain James T. Kirk in the cinematic landmark, Star Trek: Generations. Amidst the heart-wrenching scene where Kirk succumbs to fate, with Captain Picard mournfully by his side, they save an inhabited planet from total destruction. Yet, for many devoted fans, Kirk's swan song left an unsatisfying void. The pairing with Patrick Stewart's Picard on screen was undeniably intriguing, but their fleeting encounter seemed insufficient. The presence of Leonard Nimoy's Spock during Kirk's final journey beyond the mortal realm would have held infinitely greater significance. Regrettably, such a reunion was not meant to be – until now.
Through Trek Movie, we have been informed that, three decades after Star Trek: Generations premiered in theaters, the Roddenberry Archive, collaborating with OTOY, has righted this wrong with a poignant short film titled 765874 – Unification. Spanish filmmaker Carlos Baena helmed this endeavor, with Shatner himself and the Leonard Nimoy estate lending their support. This predominantly silent short film is a tearjerker for seasoned Star Trek enthusiasts, particularly those who longed for a final, poignant reunion between Kirk and Spock. Viewers can watch it in its entirety above.
By merging live-action footage with computer-generated imagery, this short film explores a hypothetical scenario where Captain Kirk leaves the Nexus, a dimension where he was trapped in a suspended state for eighty years, to visit Spock on his deathbed, many decades later. 765874 – Unification is peppered with Star Trek Easter eggs. Notably, the title itself is shared with a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that focused on middle-aged Spock (approximately 120 years old in Vulcan years). Actor Lawrence Selleck portrays Spock, enhanced with CGI to resemble Nimoy.
Gary Lockwood, who once played Kirk's buddy Gary Mitchell, reprises his role after nearly six decades. Mitchell ascended to godhood in Star Trek's second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," implying that he leveraged his divine powers to facilitate Kirk's reunion with Spock in his dying moments. Such divine intervention was indeed necessary, as Spock expired off-screen in Star Trek Beyond, located in a separate universe known as the Kelvin timeline from the modern J.J. Abrams films.
Robin Curtis, who portrayed the Vulcan Lt. Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, also makes a cameo appearance. The younger Kirk's body is provided by Sam Witwer, well-known to fans as the voice of Darth Maul in animated Star Wars series. Other notable Trek luminaries involved include Michael Giacchino, composer of the modern Kelvin-verse Star Trek films, and David Blass, the production designer for Picard. Perhaps the most obscure reference in the film is a character named Yor from Star Trek: Discovery, who crossed from the Kelvin Universe to the Prime Universe.
Although Shatner's Kirk and Nimoy's Spock never shared a cinematic goodbye, 765874 – Unification undoubtedly serves as the next best thing.
