By Luqman Adeniyi
NEW YORK (AP) --Adam Nimoy has found a way to spend countless hours with his late father Leonard Nimoy: He's creating a documentary for the actor who played Spock on "Star Trek."
Nimoy said the "Spockumentary" funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $600,000 will focus on the pop icon and his legacy. The TV director and film professor said it would explore his father's life onscreen and off-screen.
"For the Love of Spock" began as a project for the father and son duo before Leonard's Nimoy's death in February at age 83. Nimoy said his father wanted to keep it Spock-centric, but once he passed he knew he had to include more about his father.
"I think it's going to be a nice kind of way just to work through all these feelings I am having and to move on with my own life," Nimoy said.
Nimoy turned to crowdfunding because he was not getting the financial support he expected from studios. The documentary will include clips from the "Star Trek" films and TV shows, Nimoy's other works and interviews from fans and family as well as William Shatner who played Capt. James T. Kirk; J.J. Abrams who directed the 2009 film reboot, and celebrity fans like Seth McFarlane. Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the new movie franchise, will narrate the film.
"Dad passed the torch to Zachary. He is the anointed one to carry on the tradition of Mr. Spock and all that entails," Nimoy said. "He's now such a part of the tradition that it just seems like he would be a major force to really come up with a dynamic product."
This will be Nimoy's second project with his dad: He previously produced "Leonard Nimoy's Boston," a documentary about his father's childhood in Boston. His sister Julie Nimoy announced in April she was partnering with her fiancé to create a film on COPD, the disease that killed her father.
Nimoy said when he was growing up, his father took on traits of his character and was distant and worked a lot.
"He often said early on in life he … majored in career and minored in family," Nimoy said.
Nimoy said his father's alcoholism and his own substance-abuse strained their relationship.
"(We had to) work on our own issues before we were able to rebound together and have the loving relationship we had the last five years of our lives," he said.
With this film he hopes he can tie in everything he loves about his father, their lives together and the character he played.
"It's my gift to my Dad, it's my gift to Mr. Spock who I love and adore, it's my gift to the fans who have supported us all these years," Nimoy said. "It's a gift really to myself to say something definitive about an incredibly interesting character who has inspired millions of people."
"For the Love of Spock" is expected to be released in time for the 50th anniversary of the "Star Trek" series in 2016.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More