As William Shatner celebrates his 93rd birthday, Legion M will release You Can Call Me Bill, a documentary portrait of Shatner’s 70+ year career across film, television, and the arts.
Release Date
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, You Can Call Me Bill world premiered at the 2023 SXSW film festival and opens in select theaters on March 22, 2024.
Synopsis
Directed by the visionary filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, Memory: The Origins of Alien), William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill is an intimate exploration of the life and career of William Shatner. From his unforgettable portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek to his diverse accomplishments of a 70+ year career across film, television, and the arts, the documentary captures the essence of Shatner’s journey and his extraordinary contributions to the entertainment industry.
This documentary was entirely financed by over 1,200 fans via Legion M’s innovative “Fan-First-Financing,” which allowed people to invest as little as $100 to own a financial stake in the film and any profits it generates.
“This film was made possible by fans,” said William Shatner. “Fans of independent film, fans of documentaries, and fans whose support has given me a career in this industry. Legion M’s approach of uniting the audience to make movies is brilliant. I’m honored to stand with those who invested, and proud to be a part of the work they helped create. I hope everyone comes out to join our celebration when the film releases in theaters on March 22.”
Reviews
Variety review described the film as a “fun documentary”, writing, The documentary captures how Shatner, as he began to make a career out of performing his public legend, merged his very identity with that of the hambone thespian inside him. In “You Can Call Me Bill,” Shatner, the words pouring out of him, speaks with fervor about the environmental crisis of the Earth. One can’t help but feel that Shatner experiences it, in some way, as a Kirkian conundrum. It’s his to solve! Yet the passion is real. He’s an infectious spieler, even as the thoughts turn repetitive (which isn’t his fault; it’s Philippe’s decision to keep the focus so completely on Shatner, turning the film into a winking piece of superfan obsessiveness). Shatner describes being raised, in a conservative Jewish household in Montreal, by his stern clothes-manufacturer father and a mother who lacked all maternal instinct, and what you feel, in the luscious theatricality of Shatner’s emotionalism, is almost a desire to act out the love he never got from his mother.
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for You Can Call Me Bill.