William Shatner has risked incurring the wrath of Star Wars fans by claiming the legendary sci-fi franchise is simply "special effects" In a video posted on his YouTube page, Shatner suggested George Lucas' creation was derivative of Star Trek, of which he starred in the original series and six feature films.
Discussing both shows with his daughter Lisabeth, Shatner argued his show had "relationships and conflict.and philosophical questions", whereas Star Wars was simply the work of visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic. The actor, who played James T. Kirk in Star Trek, explained, "Star Wars was special effects.Star Wars was derivative of Star Trek by 10.15.20 years.derivative!", adding, "There's a big difference between Star Wars and Star Trek". Later in the video, William suggests Star Trek could be on the verge of a resurgence with 'Lost' creator Jj Abrams at the helm of the franchise, saying, "With JJ Abram pouring on the special effects.I would say there's a resurgence of Star Trek in a big movie frame that supersedes Star Wars".
Shatner has often spoken of his desire to appear in future Star Trek projects, although American actor Chris Pine played Captain Kirk in the 2009 hit movie. Pine is likely to reprise the role for a planned sequel - expected to be released in 2012.