Simon Pegg has addressed speculation that he and original ‘Star Trek’ actor George Takei have had a falling out, over the sexuality of character Hikaru Sulu.
It was recently announced that in the upcoming film ‘Star Trek Beyond’, Sulu - played by George Takei in the original sci-fi series - would be coming out as gay.
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George Takei as Sulu in 1969
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However, George, who came out as gay in an interview with Frontier magazine in 2005, had a surprisingly displeased reaction to the news, calling it “unfortunate” and a “twist” to the sci-fi series’ creators’ original vision.
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George Takei
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Simon - who was partly responsible for the decision, as one of the film’s co-writers - has now addressed George’s comments, telling BANG Showbiz: “We were emailing the other day, you know it’s discussion.
“We’re adults, we’re not catty fighters writing comments to each other on the Internet, we’re grown men.”
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Simon Pegg at the 'Star Trek Beyond' premiere
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Speaking about fans’ reactions, Simon continued: “I think the reaction has been brilliant. It’s been amazing.
“The debate has never been about whether there should be an LGBT character in ‘Star Trek’, it’s been about who it should be, whether it should be a new character or an existing character.
“We felt that this universe - this reality - is that it’s ours now; it’s different to George Takei’s ‘Star Trek’. It’s a new reality and we have the freedom within that to play with things a little bit, and we should play with things a little bit, you shouldn’t hang on to the past.”
‘Star Trek Beyond’ arrives in UK cinemas on 22 July 2016. Tap the image below to launch the slideshow...
Best And Worst Film Adaptations Of TV Shows
'Sex And The City'(01 of12)
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Although it divided critics, the 'Sex And The City' film is a pleasant enough watch, especially for die-hard fans of the original show, with a few laugh-out-loud moments and other more serious themes explored.
Plus, anything that puts Jennifer Hudson on the big screen is OK by us.
The second film though? Let's not go there. (credit:Snap Stills/Rex/Shutterstock)
'Charlie's Angels'(02 of12)
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The dream team of Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore helped put a brilliant spin on 'Charlie's Angels', giving it a modern make-over. (credit:c.Columbia/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
'Entourage'(03 of12)
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Unlike 'Charlie's Angels', however, the 'Entourage' film made no attempt to update the show for a modern audience.
In fact, as several reviews blasting the film's flagrant sexism and misogyny, it felt like a massive step in the wrong direction (though, fortunately, only a handful of people actually ever saw it). (credit:Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection/REX/Shutterstock)
'The Simpsons'(04 of12)
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'The Simpsons Movie' was never going to live up to the hype surrounding it, and at the time it fell a little flat with fans.
In hindsight, it's actually a decent watch, and simply feels like an extended - though slightly more exaggerated - episode of the show (and stands up a lot better than more recent 'Simpsons' offerings). (credit:c.20thC.Fox/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
'The Inbetweeners'(05 of12)
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Another film that divided critics, original fans of the 'Inbetweeners' series were glad to see the original gang back together and on their first holiday, while more casual followers were put off. (credit:c.Everett Collection/REX/Shutterstock)
'Bewitched'(06 of12)
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Let's not beat around the bush here, 'Bewitched' is one of the worst films ever made. Moving on... (credit:Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock)
'The X Files'(07 of12)
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Like 'The Simpsons Movie', the 'X Files' film's main criticism was that it didn't vary enough from the original series, and instead felt like an extended episode.
Still, that was hardly an issue for devotees of the sci-fi show, and a sequel came a decade later. (credit:c.20thC.Fox/Everett /REX/Shutterstock)
'Mr Bean'(08 of12)
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This was a film that literally zero people were crying out for. A typical episode of 'Mr Bean' was 20 minutes, usually in silence, so both 'Bean: The Movie' and 'Mr Bean's Holiday' suffered from feeling very stretched out. (credit:c.Universal/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
'Star Trek'(09 of12)
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Director JJ Abrams has received heaps of praise for breathing new life into the 'Star Trek' franchise, later producing two sequels. (credit:Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)
'Starsky & Hutch'(10 of12)
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Rebooting an iconic show like 'Starsky & Hutch' is always a risk, but Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller (plus Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell and the rest of the usual suspects) managed to pull it off.
Good hat on Snoop Dogg, too. (credit:Warner Bros)
'Dad's Army'(11 of12)
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Talk about divisive - The Independent claimed that 'Dad's Army' "surpassed" the original sitcom, giving it a five star review, while The Guardian branded it "a waste of talent" and "pointless". (credit:Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection/REX/Shutterstock)
'Lizzie McGuire'(12 of12)
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More musical numbers from Hillary Duff, please. (credit:c.W. Disney/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)