William Shatner directedStar Trek V: The Final Frontier,Star Trek’s most noble movie failure. Released June 03, 2025,Star Trek Vmarks its 35th anniversary in 2024. Shatner picked up the reins of theStar Trekmovie franchise from Leonard Nimoy, who directed the successfulStar Trek III: The Search for Spockand the blockbusterStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home. From a budget of $33 million,Star Trek Venjoyed a $17 million opening weekend beforenegative reviews and bad word of mouth sank William Shatner’s loneStar Trekmovie, which tapped out with a worldwide gross of $70 million and nearly ended theStar Trekmovie franchise.
Director William Shatneralso conceived the story ofStar Trek V: The Final Frontier,often summed up as ‘the crew of the Starship Enterprise meets God.’ Shatner was inspired by the televangelists of the 1980s to create a villain named Zar (later renamed Sybok and played by Lawrence Luckinbill). Sybok was a holy man who steals the Enterprise to search for God, and Shatner hoped for Sean Connery to portray hisStar Trekmovie villain. As a first-time feature film director,William Shatner encountered numerous problems bringingStar Trek Vto the screen, including a premise that producer Harve Bennett felt wouldn’t work. And whileStar Trek Vdid flounder, at its core was William Shatner’s hope of delivering something special forStar Trekfans.
Shatner envisioned an epic Star Trek adventure
William Shatner had lofty ambitions forStar Trek V: The Final Frontier. Whileproducer Harve Bennett was correct that Shatner’s ideafor Captain James T. Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), the Starship Enterprise crew to find God was unworkable, would alienate audiences, and wasn’t"fun,“Shatner wanted to reaffirm the eternal friendship between Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy(DeForest Kelley). This is evident in the campfire scenes that bookendStar Trek V;bonding moments between USS Enterprise’s central trio that have an easy charm, and convey that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are each other’s found family.
Thankfully,Sybok was unlike otherStar Trekvillains. William Shatner did not attempt to replicate what Ricardo Montalban did with Khan inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Montalban’s genetically engineered tyrant was a malevolent force hellbent on revenge against Captain Kirk. Sybok did not have anger in his heart; rather, Spock’s Vulcan half-brother was driven by his pursuit of God. Khan was a monster, but Sybok was a believer. Decidedly non-violent, Sybok used his Vulcan telepathy to heal others' pain. This was a means to an end for Sybok to create followers. However, the Vulcan heretic truly believed he was chosen by God, andSybok made a heroic sacrificewhen he realized “God” (George Murdock) was an evil pretender.
Shatner literally wanted the Enterprise to boldly go where no one has gone before.
William Shatner also conceivedStar Trek Vto be an epic adventure. This is evident in the design of the failed desert boomtown of Paradise City on theplanet Nimbus III, and the Starship Enterprise breaking through the Great Barrier to reach the fabled world of Sha Ka Ree. Shatner literally wanted the Enterprise to boldly go where no one has gone before.Star Trek Vwas meant to be a voyage to fantastic places that also would be a journey withinfor Captain Kirk and his crew to find the ineffable. It didn’t work out that way, but William Shatner was laudably striving for something grand.
Shatner faced insurmountable budget, story, and special effects issues
William Shatner successfully directed episodes of hishit seriesT.J. Hooker,but aStar Trekfeature film was an entirely different animal. Shatner faced problems withStar Trek V’s story, budget, and visual effects that proved insurmountable. Even with a budget of $33 million, which was 50% more than Leonard Nimoy had onStar Trek IV,Shatner couldn’t realize his ambitious vision, and Paramount wasn’t willing to giveStar Trek Vmore money. Shatner wantedStar Trek V’s third act to include legions of angels, demons, and gargoyles to fight Captain Kirk and his friends, butStar Trek Vhad neither the budget nor the special effects expertise to make that happen.
Producer Harve Bennett edited Star Trek V to create a final film with a workable narrative.
BecauseStar Trek V’s release date was summer 1989, Industrial Light and Magic, which did the visual effects for the previousStar Trekmovies, already committed its best people to work on other films. As a cost-saving measure,Star Trek V’s producers hired Associates and Ferren to createStar Trek V’s visual effects, and their work was sub-parcompared to ILM’s expertise.Star Trek V’s critical final act collapsed as “God” turned out to be a ghostly projection, William Shatner’s 10 rock men for Kirk to fight turned intoone unconvincing rock monsterthat was quickly scrapped, and there were no gargoyles or heavenly hosts. Unlike ILM, Associates and Ferren also had no experience filming the Starship Enterprise, delivering unconvincing outer space visuals.
Would Star Trek V Have Been Better If William Shatner’s Vision Was Fulfilled?
What if Star Trek V was the movie William Shatner set out to make?
It’s difficult to say if William Shatner’s original vision forStar Trek Vwould have worked, butit likely would have been more interesting, either as a success or a failure.Shatner wanted Captain Kirk and the Enterprise to actually meet God before he was talked into “God” instead being an alien posing as the Almighty. That compromise underwhelms compared to Shatner’s original idea, but it’s understandable why Harve Bennett and Paramount feared how audiences would respond toStar Trek Vdefining who and what Godis.
Leonard Nimoy wanted to play both Spock and Sybok but that idea was nixed by William Shatner andStar Trek V’s producers.
William Shatner also intended for Spock and Dr. McCoy to betray Kirk and join forces with Sybok. After the Vulcan revealed their innermost pain, Spock and McCoy would have turned on Kirk, leaving the Captain to stand alone against Sybok. WhileKirk never shares his pain with Spock’s brother,Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley balked at Spock and Bones turning on Kirkafter everything the Enterprise trio has been through together. Bill acquiesced with Leonard and De, but the result was Kirk, Spock, and McCoy following Sybok to Sha Ka Ree more out of curiosity than anything else.
Star Trek Brought Back Spock’s Brother Sybok
Sybok has become Star Trek V’s legacy
Star Trekcreator Gene Roddenberry, in particular, hatedStar Trek Vcreating Sybok as Spock’s heretofore never-mentioned half-brother. Roddenberry considered Sybok apocryphal, and, afterStar Trek Vfailed at the box office,Star Trektacitly agreed. For decades, Sybok was not mentioned inStar Trekcanon - untilStar Trek: Strange New Worldsbrought Sybok backin a shocker. The end ofStrange New Worldsseason 1, episode 7, “The Serene Squall” revealedSybok was in a Vulcan prisonoverseen by Spock’s (Ethan Peck) fiancée, T’Pring (Gia Sandhu), about 25 years before the events ofStar Trek V.
Laurence Luckinbill On His Star Trek V Memories & Playing Spock’s Brother
Screen Rant interviews Laurence Luckinbill about his remarkable life as an actor and playing Spock’s brother Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Thanks toStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, Sybok has becomeStar Trek V’s most enduring legacy.Star Trek: Prodigyseason 1 also revealed that Nimbus III still existsin the 24th century, butStrange New Worldsis now poised to shed more light on Sybok’s backstory for the first time in 35 years. Even with its numerous flaws,Star Trek Vis watchable comfort foodand has its share of fans who appreciate William Shatner’s movie.Star Trek V: The Final Frontieris not the movie William Shatner set out to make, but at least he aimed for the heavens.
