New Stars Rise, Old Feuds Rest in 'Star Trek'

May 4, 2009 -- "This isn't your father's 'Star Trek,'" the ubiquitous taglines say. And if you ask one of the new film's stars, he'll agree. "It will change the face of 'Star Trek,'" said Zachary Quinto, who plays the young Spock.

"Star Trek," opening in theaters May 8, reboots the iconic series by giving original stories to the main characters: Capt. James T. Kirk (played in this movie by Chris Pine); Spock (Quinto); Uhura (Zoe Saldana); Chekhov (Anton Yelchin); Bones (Karl Urban); Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Sulu (John Cho).

In an interview for ABC News Now's "Popcorn With Peter Travers," Quinto, 31, denied that Trekkies will reject the movie. If anything, he claimed, die-hard fans will embrace Jeffrey "J.J." Abrams as the director of their iconic series as long as he doesn't radically alter it.

The movie has been making headlines throughout its production. In 2007, William Shatner, the original Capt. James T. Kirk, caused a stir when he complained that Abrams didn't ask him to be in the film.

"How could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that was being resurrected? That doesn't make good business sense to me!" Shatner told "Extra!" at a signing for his book, "Star Trek Academy: Collision Course" in November 2007.

In September 2008, Abrams talked about wanting Shatner in his iteration of "Star Trek," telling AMC that his team "tried desperately to put him in the movie." Shatner responded with a video blog posted on YouTube in which he said no one had ever reached out to him or anyone from his camp.

Now, on the eve of the movie's premiere, it appears the so-called feud was all in good fun.

"There was never a fight. It was always a good natured thing," Abrams told ABC News Radio's Dave Alpert at "Star Trek's" Los Angeles press junket.

Late last month, Shatner told "Extra!," "I wish them all the best. I certainly hope it's a great success," and offered a bit of advice to the actor taking on his role: "Chris, good luck, and hold your breath. It's going to be a whirlwind."