Fans of William Shatner have responded generously to a crowdfunding appeal for a new documentary about his life, You Can Call Me Bill, to be directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. In less than a week, nearly 1,400 investors contributed almost 0,000 to the project, exceeding the funding goal.

According to the film’s official synopsis: “A peerless maverick thespian, electrifying performer, and international cultural treasure, Bill (as he prefers to be called), now 91 years young, is the living embodiment of his classic line ‘to boldly go where no man has gone before.’ In unprecedented fashion, You Can Call Me Bill strips away all the masks he has worn to embody countless characters, revealing the man behind it all.”

The fundraising initiative was managed by Legion M, which offers contributors an equity stake in the project. In this case, investors could contribute a minimum of $100 for the privilege of being able to recoup their money before profits are shared with Shatner or Exhibit A Pictures, which will produce the film.

In reporting the outcome of the campaign, Legion M co-founders Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison declared: “We heard loud and clear from our community that they were interested in direct investments into our projects and they backed that up by raising over $750,000 — fully funding a feature film before we even had a chance to announce the offering was open, Our signature fan-first financing model puts audience investors at the front of the line and we’re excited for the success of this to serve as a prototype to build towards future projects with higher budgets.”

Shatner told fans at San Diego Comic-Con last summer what motivated him to get involved in the proposed film: “For years I’ve had people approaching me to do a documentary about my life, but I turned them all down because it didn’t feel like the right fit. When I heard how Legion M wanted to incorporate audiences to be a part of it, it was perfect. Fans have been responsible for my career — it only seems right that they should own this doc.

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The Canadian-born actor is best known for portraying Captain Kirk in the Star Trek series. In 2021, when he was 90, Shatner became the oldest “astronaut” on Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin shuttle.. The experience left a profound impact as he reflected on the fragility of the planet.

Upon returning to earth, he bemoaned how “Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna. My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral.”

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