William Shatner is to return as Captain James T Kirk in video game version of Star Trek.

The star said he hoped the new release, adapted from all five series of the show, will revitalise its image. "The interest in Star Trek has waned in the last couple years," he told Reuters. "It's been around a long time, it's a staple of American life and I think we need something new and different.

"If it's a good game, keeping true to the characters the best they can and having an interesting story that branches, I think a game can bring a freshness to a franchise like Star Trek."

He added that he did not play computer games much but had been keen to take the part. "I couldn't imagine someone else playing Captain Kirk," he explained. "Even in a video game, so I kind of got a little territorial."