Yesterday, Internet nerddom lit up with the new Uber Eats ad campaign with three commercials featuring Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Patrick Stewart facing off against Star Wars star Mark Hamill. In a new interview, the pair of sci-fi icons talk about the campaign and what it would be like if their franchises combined.
Stewart and Hamill on a Skywalker in Starfleet
Mark Hamill and Sir Patrick Stewart were asked by Men’s Journal how they felt about comparisons between Star Trek and Star Wars. Hamill replied first:
MH: I have to say that difference between Star Wars and Star Trek to me is that Trek is classic science fiction, with humans going out to space and encountering aliens. Star Wars was purposely set in a galaxy far, far away because it is fantasy, not science fiction. I remember a good friend that I had in the 1980s was up for a part in what was going to be a new Star Trek. I told him I was shocked they were doing another one, but he said it was going to be “this whole new thing.” I said good luck at the time, because the show was already so iconic that redoing it without Spock and Kirk seemed crazy. That friend was Brent Spiner, who not only got the part and had a wonderful career playing Data but proved me wrong as far as the ability to take the series and make it their own.
I have been asked on multiple occasions about a rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek, but I have to say I feel like it is really apples and oranges. You can like either or both, or none of them. That is why this campaign struck me as funny, because I knew what they were doing pitting us up against each other.
For his part, Stewart didn’t see a rivalry, but a potential union:
PS: I will admit that, at least for us on Star Trek, we have fantasied about a combined universe between Star Wars and Trek movie. There have been a lot of ideas thrown about on putting together two iconic universes and having all of these great characters coming into contact. I would personally get such a kick out of that.
Fan art of Luke Skywalker as Starfleet officer (DeviantArt: BrandTK)
Stewart and Hamill went on to talk about what it would be like for Captain Picard and Luke Skywalker to meet:
PS: I would think that Picard would want Skywalker on his crew, but would be sure to keep a careful eye on him. Because he has a few personality traits that Picard might want to keep tabs on.
MH: [Laughs] I think Luke would very much respect Picard and the Starfleet force as a whole. The Rebel Alliance that he is a part of is much less organized, and would be put to shame as far as execution by what he would see on the Enterprise. I also believe Luke is a lifelong student, despite the fact he becomes a Jedi Master, and I think he would have a lot to learn from Picard.
According to Adweek, Stewart and Hamill filmed the spots in a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles in August. The production had to take “extra precautions” to deal with social distancing due to the coronavirus as well as wildfires. COVID-19 testing was required for those on set.
The Uber Eats online and TV campaign will will run in the USA, Canada, and Australia. There will also be a print campaign with the tagline “Tonight, I’ll be eating better than him.”
Stewart and Hamill in new Uber Eats campaign
Star Wars and Star Trek
While an official crossover of the two big Star franchises is almost certainly never going to happen, both franchises have referred to the other via Easter eggs. This leaves the crossing over to the Internet, which is where you can find this popular College Humor animation from 2015.
Keep up with all the Star Trek Great Links at TrekMovie.com.