William Shatner 'returns' as Captain Kirk in emotional new Star Trek short film, and it might be one of the best examples of de-aging we've seen yet
A new short film has arrived to commemorate the anniversary of Star Trek Generations
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
A short film has been released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek Generations, and it sees William Shatner 'return' as Captain Kirk.
The ten-minute film, titled Unification, was by the Roddenberry Archive and their technology partner OTOY in collaboration with Paramount (H/T Trek Movie). The pic was created using a combination of live-action footage and computer-generated imagery, and is described as a "mind-bending Star Trek experience celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek Generations." You can watch the short film below.
A de-aged Captain Kirk appears in the film, with Shatner having worked with OTOY to "fine-tune the technical and creative direction required to bring his interpretation of Kirk back to live action." Shatner described the process itself during a screening of the film during the Star Trek tour in Ticonderoga, New York on November 17, saying, that it "takes years off of your face, so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are."
Star Trek Generations hit United States theaters on November 18, 1994, and grossed $118 million against a $35 million budget. Directed by David Carson, the cast includes Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Levar Burton, Brent Spiner, James Doohan, Malcolm McDowell, and of course, Shatner.
Star Trek Generations is streaming now on Paramount Plus and Prime Video. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or check out our lists of the best Prime shows and the best Prime movies to stream right now.
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.


