William Shatner's TekWar novel series is set to become a mixed-reality adult animation show, produced by Shatner through his Shatner Universe, together with Pure Imagination Studios.
According to Deadline, the new series will be developed and written by Matt Michnovetz, who has previously served as a writer on Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the more recent Disney+ show Star Wars: The Bad Batch. The plan is to adapt the sci-fi world of the TekWar novels to bring it to the screen as a mixed-reality, adult animated series.
The mixed reality element of the project will reportedly encourage viewer participation across different forms of technology, including mobile, tablets or wearable devices. The idea is to immerse audiences into the show's narrative by giving them the option to become part of it themselves, though viewers can also watch the series without having to interact with it.
As reported by Deadline, Shatner's TekWar novels are set in the year 2043 and present a cyberpunk-esque mystery centered around a former detective who is framed for dealing an illegal mind-altering drug in the form of a bio-digital microchip that poses a great threat to humanity and has the potential to become a virus that will lead to an unrecoverable future.
"We are very excited to work with the legendary William Shatner to reimagine the world of TekWar at a post-pandemic time," said John P. Roberts, CCO of Pure Imagination. "TekWar was truly ahead of its time envisioning a future filled with AI and the world of simulated reality. It's becoming our reality now, and we’re excited to build a storyverse around it."
"We want to do something that hasn't been done before," added Joshua Wexler, Pure Imagination's Chief Executive of Fun. "The world and story of TekWar transcends traditional linear media and has the potential to be experienced on multiple entertainment platforms, some that exist today and some we'll have to invent, and we can’t wait to get started."
"My association with Pure Imagination is beyond my sheer imagination," Shatner said of the project, which is being viewed as the first step towards building a real-time multiverse around a property. "Imagine bringing to life this wonderful character in a variety of ways, so technologically advanced. This is the future, and I am looking forward to it."
Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series, steering the USS Enterprise through its voyages between 1966 and 1969. He reprised his role in Star Trek: The Animated Series, as well as Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He played Kirk in the next six Star Trek films prior to the character's demise.
The legendary actor has been involved with plenty of pioneering projects before. For his birthday this year, the Star Trek legend announced a special collaboration with Los Angeles-based tech company StoryFile and revealed that they would be creating an interactive AI-powered video of himself, so family and friends could interact with him for years to come.
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.