Editing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

{{short description|1982 US science fiction film by Nicholas Meyer}}
{{redirect|Star Trek 2|the 2013 sequel to the 2009 film|Star Trek Into Darkness{{!}}''Star Trek Into Darkness''|the proposed TV series|Star Trek: Phase II{{!}}''Star Trek: Phase II''}}
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{{Infobox film
| name           = Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
| image          = Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan.png
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster art by [[Bob Peak]]
| director       = [[Nicholas Meyer]]
| producer       = Robert Sallin
| screenplay     = [[Jack B. Sowards]]
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harve Bennett]]
* Jack B. Sowards
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''|[[Gene Roddenberry]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[William Shatner]]
* [[Leonard Nimoy]]
* [[DeForest Kelley]]
* [[James Doohan]]
* [[Walter Koenig]]
* [[George Takei]]
* [[Nichelle Nichols]]
* [[Bibi Besch]]
* [[Merritt Butrick]]
* [[Paul Winfield]]
* [[Kirstie Alley]]
* [[Ricardo Montalbán]]}}
| music          = [[James Horner]]
| cinematography = [[Gayne Rescher]]
| editing        = William Paul Dornisch
| studio   = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| distributor = Paramount Pictures
| released       = {{Film date|1982|06|04}}
| runtime        = 113 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 112:35--><ref>{{cite web|title=''Star Trek II — The Wrath of Khan'' (A) (''Cut'')|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-ii-wrath-khan-1970-6|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419203051/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-ii-wrath-khan-1970-6|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 19, 2013|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=June 16, 1982|access-date=February 26, 2013}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $12&nbsp;million<ref name="|57202">{{AFI film|57202}}</ref><ref name="nytimes_1986-11-02">{{cite news |title=New 'Star Trek' plan reflects symbiosis of TV and movies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/02/arts/new-star-trek-plan-reflects-symbiosis-of-tv-and-movies.html |website=The New York Times |date=November 2, 1986 |access-date=March 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112231731/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/02/arts/new-star-trek-plan-reflects-symbiosis-of-tv-and-movies.html |url-status=live |last1=Harmetz |first1=Aljean }}</ref>
| gross          = $97&nbsp;million<ref name="Eller">{{cite news|last=Eller|first=Claudia|title=Lower Costs Energize 'Trek' Film Profits|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 11, 1998|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-11-fi-52785-story.html|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118040221/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-11-fi-52785-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

'''''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''''' is a 1982 American [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Nicholas Meyer]] and based on the television series ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''. It is the second film in the [[Star Trek (film series)|''Star Trek'' film series]] following ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' (1979), and is a [[sequel]] to the television episode "[[Space Seed]]" (1967). The plot features Admiral [[James T. Kirk]] ([[William Shatner]]) and the crew of the starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] facing off against the genetically engineered tyrant [[Khan Noonien Singh]] ([[Ricardo Montalbán]]). When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the ''Enterprise'' must stop him from acquiring a powerful [[terraforming]] device named Genesis. The film is the beginning of a three-film [[story arc]] that continues with the film ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' (1984) and concludes with the film ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' (1986).

After the lackluster critical response to the first film, series creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] was forced out of the sequel's production. Executive producer [[Harve Bennett]] wrote the film's original outline, which [[Jack B. Sowards]] developed into a full script. Director Nicholas Meyer completed its final script in twelve days, without accepting a writing credit. Meyer's approach evoked the [[Swashbuckler#Swashbuckler, a fiction and film genre|swashbuckling]] atmosphere of the original series, referring to the film as "[[Horatio Hornblower]] in space", a theme reinforced by [[James Horner]]'s musical score. Leonard Nimoy had not intended to have a role in the sequel, but was enticed back on the promise that his character would be given a dramatic death scene. Negative test audience reaction to Spock's death led to significant revisions of the ending over Meyer's objections. The production team used various [[cost reduction|cost-cutting]] techniques to keep within budget, including using miniature models from past projects and reusing sets, effects footage, and costumes from the first film.  The film was the first feature film to contain a sequence created entirely with [[computer animation|computer graphics]].

''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' was released in North America on June 4, 1982, by [[Paramount Pictures]]. It was a box office success, earning {{US$|97{{spaces}}million}} worldwide and setting a world record for its first-day box office gross. Critical reaction to the film was positive; reviewers highlighted Khan's character, Meyer's direction, improved performances, the film's pacing, and the character interactions as strong elements. Negative reactions focused on weak special effects and some of the acting. ''The Wrath of Khan'' is often considered to be the best film in the ''Star Trek'' series, and is often credited with renewing interest in the franchise. In 2024, the film was selected by the United States [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].

==Plot==
In 2285, Admiral [[James T. Kirk]] oversees a simulator session of Captain [[Spock]]'s trainees. In the simulation, Lieutenant [[Saavik]] commands the [[starship]] {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701|6}} on a rescue mission to save the crew of the damaged ship ''[[Kobayashi Maru]]'', but is attacked by [[Klingon]] cruisers and critically damaged. The simulation is a [[No-win situation|no-win scenario]] designed to test the character of [[Starfleet]] officers. Later, [[Dr. Leonard McCoy]] visits Kirk on his birthday; seeing Kirk in low spirits due to his age, the doctor advises Kirk to get a new command instead of growing old behind a desk.

{{anchor|Genesis Device}}Meanwhile, the starship ''Reliant'' is on a mission to search for a lifeless planet to test the Genesis Device, a technology designed to reorganize dead matter into [[terraforming|habitable worlds]]. ''Reliant'''s Captain [[List of Star Trek characters (T–Z)#T|Clark Terrell]] and first officer Commander [[Pavel Chekov]] [[Transporter (Star Trek)|beam down]] to evaluate a planet they mistakenly believe to be Ceti Alpha VI. Once there, they are captured by the genetically-engineered tyrant [[Khan Noonien Singh]], who explains that they are on Ceti Alpha V. Fifteen years prior, Kirk exiled Khan and his followers there after they [[Space Seed|attempted to take over ''Enterprise'']]; six months later, Ceti Alpha VI exploded, shifting the orbit of Ceti Alpha V and turning it into a desert wasteland. The catastrophe killed many of Khan's followers, while others, including his wife, were killed by native parasitic Ceti eels.

Khan implants Chekov and Terrell with eel larvae, rendering them susceptible to mind control, and uses the pair to capture ''Reliant''. While Khan's lieutenant, Joachim, suggests abandoning his quest for revenge, Khan insists on killing Kirk. Learning of the Genesis Device, Khan attacks space station ''Regula I'', where the device is being developed by Kirk's former lover, Dr. [[List of Star Trek characters (G–M)#M|Carol Marcus]], and their son, [[List of Star Trek characters (G–M)#M|David]].

Kirk assumes command of ''Enterprise'' after the ship, deployed on a training cruise, receives a distress call from ''Regula I''. En route, ''Enterprise'' is ambushed and crippled by ''Reliant''. Khan offers to spare Kirk's crew if they relinquish all material related to Genesis; Kirk instead stalls for time and, taking advantage of Khan's unfamiliarity with starships, remotely lowers ''Reliant''{{'}}s [[Shields (Star Trek)|shields]], enabling a counter-attack. Khan is forced to retreat and effect repairs, while ''Enterprise'' limps to ''Regula I''. Kirk, McCoy, and Saavik beam to the station and find Terrell and Chekov alive and Carol Marcus's team slaughtered. They find Carol and David hiding Genesis deep inside the nearby planetoid. Khan, having used Terrell and Chekov as spies, orders them to kill Kirk; Terrell resists the eel's influence and kills himself, while Chekov collapses as the eel leaves his body. Khan transports Genesis aboard ''Reliant'', intending to maroon Kirk on the planetoid, but is tricked by Kirk and Spock's coded arrangements for a rendezvous. Kirk directs ''Enterprise'' into the nearby Mutara Nebula, successfully taunting Khan into following him; conditions inside the nebula render shields useless and compromise targeting systems, making ''Enterprise'' and ''Reliant'' evenly matched. Spock notes that Khan's tactics indicate inexperience in three-dimensional combat, which Kirk exploits to disable ''Reliant''.

Mortally wounded, Khan activates Genesis, quoting [[Captain Ahab]] as he dies. Kirk's crew detects the activation and attempts to move out of range, but with the ship's [[warp drive]] damaged, they cannot escape the nebula in time. Spock goes to the irradiated engine room to restore warp power. When McCoy tries to prevent Spock's entry, Spock incapacitates him with a [[Vulcan nerve pinch]] and performs a [[Vulcan (Star Trek)#Mind melds|mind meld]], telling him to "remember". Spock repairs the warp drive, and ''Enterprise'' jumps to warp, escaping the explosion, which forms a new planet. Before dying of [[Acute radiation syndrome|radiation poisoning]], Spock urges Kirk not to grieve, as his decision to sacrifice himself to save ''Enterprise'' was a logical one. Kirk and the ship's crew host a [[space burial]] for Spock, whose casket lands on the new Genesis planet.<ref name="st-plot">{{cite web|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/MOV/002/synopsis/82.html|title='Wrath of Khan' Plot summary|website= StarTrek.com |publisher=Viacom|access-date=September 14, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314120301/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/MOV/002/synopsis/82.html|archive-date=March 14, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="roth">{{cite journal | title=Death and Rebirth in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | author=Roth, Lane | journal=Extrapolation |date=June 1987 | volume=28 | issue=2 | pages=159–66| doi=10.3828/extr.1987.28.2.159 }}</ref><ref name="Adaptation">{{cite book | title=Adaptations: From Text to Screen, Screen to Text | publisher=Routledge |author1=Cartmell, Deborah |author2=Whelehan, Imelda | author-link=Routledge | year=1999 | location=New York | pages=179–181 | isbn=0-415-16738-8}}</ref>

==Cast==
''The Wrath of Khan''{{'}}s cast includes all the major characters from the original television series, as well as new actors and characters.
* [[William Shatner]] as [[James T. Kirk]], a Starfleet admiral and former commander of the ''Enterprise''. Kirk and Khan never confront each other face-to-face during the film; all of their interactions are over a viewscreen or through communicators, and their scenes were filmed four months apart.<ref>Shatner.</ref> Meyer described Shatner as an actor who was naturally protective of his character and himself, and who performed better over multiple takes.<ref name="meyer"/>
* [[Ricardo Montalbán]] as [[Khan Noonien Singh]], a genetically enhanced superhuman who had used his strength and intellect to briefly rule much of Earth in the 1990s. Montalbán said that he believed all good villains do villainous things, but think that they are acting for the "right" reasons; in this way, Khan uses his anger at the death of his wife to justify his pursuit of Kirk.<ref name="cast">{{cite AV media|people=''Star Trek'' cast and crew|date=August 6, 2002|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Directors Edition: Special Features|publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]]|medium=DVD; Disc 2/2}}</ref> Contrary to speculation that Montalbán used a prosthetic chest, the director insisted no artificial devices were added to Montalbán's muscular physique.<ref name=meyer>{{cite AV media|people=[[Nicholas Meyer|Meyer, Nicholas]]|date=August 6, 2002|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Directors Edition: Audio commentary|publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]]|medium=DVD; Disc 1/2}}</ref> Montalbán enjoyed making the film, so much so that he played the role for much less than was offered him, and counted the role as a career highlight. His major complaint was that he was never face-to-face with Shatner for a scene. "I had to do my lines with the script girl, who, as you might imagine, sounded nothing like Bill [Shatner]", he explained.<ref>{{cite news|author=Spelling, Ian|date=August 7, 1994|title=From Deep Space to Heaven|work=[[The Toronto Sun]]|page=TV6}}</ref> Bennett noted that the film was close to getting the [[green-light|green light]] when it occurred to the producers that no one had asked Montalbán if he could take a break from filming the television series ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' to take part.<ref name="cast"/>
* [[Leonard Nimoy]] as [[Spock]], the captain of the ''Enterprise'' who relinquishes command to Kirk after Starfleet sends the ship to Regula I. Nimoy had not intended to have a role in ''The Motion Picture''{{'}}s sequel, but was enticed back on the promise that his character would be given a dramatic death scene.<ref name=rioux>{{cite book | title=From Sawdust to Stardust: The biography of DeForest Kelley | publisher=Pocket Books | author=Rioux, Terry Lee | year=2005 | location=New York | pages=362 | isbn=0-7434-5762-5}}</ref>{{rp|243}} Nimoy reasoned that since ''The Wrath of Khan'' would be the final ''Star Trek'' film, having Spock "go out in a blaze of glory" seemed like a good way to end the character.<ref name="cast"/>
* [[DeForest Kelley]] as [[Leonard McCoy]], the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s chief medical officer and a close friend of Kirk and Spock. Kelley was dissatisfied with an early version of the script to the point that he considered not taking part.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|243}} Kelley noted his character spoke many of the film's funnier lines, and felt that this role was essential in bringing a lighter side to the onscreen drama.<ref name="cast"/>
* [[James Doohan]] as [[Montgomery Scott]], the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s chief engineer. Kelley felt that McCoy speaking his catchphrase "he's dead, Jim" during Spock's death scene would ruin the moment's seriousness, so Doohan instead says the line "he's dead already" to Kirk.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|249}} Scott loses his young nephew following Khan's attacks on ''Enterprise''. The cadet, played by [[Ike Eisenmann]], had many of his lines cut from the original theatrical release, including a scene that explains he is Scott's relative. These scenes were reintroduced in a television edit and in the director's edition, making Scott's grief at the crewman's death more understandable.<ref name="okuda">{{cite AV media|people=Okuda, Michael|date=August 6, 2002|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Directors Edition: Commentary|publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]]|medium=DVD; Disc 1/2}}</ref>
* [[George Takei]] as [[Hikaru Sulu]], ''Enterprise''{{'}}s helm officer. Takei had not wanted to reprise his role for ''The Wrath of Khan'', but Shatner persuaded him to return.<ref name="okuda"/>
* [[Walter Koenig]] as [[Pavel Chekov]], the ''Reliant''{{'}}s first officer and former ''Enterprise'' crewmember. During filming, Kelley noted that Chekov never met Khan in "Space Seed" (Koenig had not yet joined the cast), and thus Khan's recognizing Chekov on Ceti Alpha did not make sense. [[Star Trek canon|Non-canon]] ''Star Trek'' books attempted to rationalize this discrepancy; in the film's novelization by [[Vonda N. McIntyre]], Chekov met Khan during "Space Seed" in an off-screen scene,<ref name="jenkins"/>{{rp|104}} while the novel ''[[To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh]]'' has Chekov escort Khan to the surface of Ceti Alpha after the events of the television episode. The real cause of the error was a simple oversight by the filmmakers. Meyer defended the mistake by noting that [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] made similar oversights in his [[Sherlock Holmes]] stories.<ref name="meyer"/> Chekov's screaming while being infested by the Ceti eel caused Koenig to jokingly dub the film ''Star Trek II: Chekov Screams Again'', in reference to a similar screaming scene in ''The Motion Picture''.<ref name="okuda"/>
* [[Nichelle Nichols]] as [[Uhura]], the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s communications officer. Nichols helped convince Meyer and Bennet to marginally cut back their vision of a more militaristic depiction of Starfleet, which ''Star Trek'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] also took issue with.<ref name="uhura-251"/>{{rp|248–9}}
* [[Bibi Besch]] as [[Carol Marcus (Star Trek)|Carol Marcus]], the lead scientist working on Project Genesis, and the mother of Kirk's son. Meyer wanted an actress for the role who was beautiful enough that it was plausible a womanizer such as Kirk would fall for her, yet who could also project a sense of intelligence.<ref name="meyer"/>
* [[Merritt Butrick]] as [[David Marcus (Star Trek)|David Marcus]], a Project Genesis scientist and Kirk's son. Meyer liked that Butrick's hair was blond like Besch's and curly like Shatner's, making him a plausible child of the two.<ref name="meyer"/>
* [[Paul Winfield]] as [[Clark Terrell]], the captain of ''Reliant''. Meyer had seen Winfield's work in films such as ''[[Sounder (film)|Sounder]]'' and thought highly of him; there was no reason for casting the actor as the ''Reliant''{{'}}s captain other than Meyer's desire to direct him. Meyer thought in retrospect that the Ceti eel scenes might have been corny, but felt that Winfield's performance helped add gravity.<ref name="meyer"/>
* [[Kirstie Alley]] as [[Saavik]], Spock's protege and a Starfleet commander-in-training aboard ''Enterprise''. The movie was Alley's first feature film role. Serving on board as the navigator in Chekov's absence, she has a strong habit of questioning Kirk's eccentric heroic methods, preferring a more by-the-book approach. Saavik cries during Spock's funeral. Meyer said that during filming someone asked him, {{" '}}Are you going to let her do that?' And I said, 'Yeah', and they said, 'But Vulcans don't cry', and I said, 'Well, that's what makes this such an interesting Vulcan.{{' "}}<ref name="meyer"/> The character's emotional outbursts can be partly explained by the fact that Saavik was described as of mixed Vulcan-[[Romulan (Star Trek)|Romulan]] heritage in the script, though no indication is given on film.<ref name="okuda"/> Alley was so fond of her Vulcan ears that she would take them home with her at the end of each day.<ref name="meyer"/>
* [[Judson Scott]] as [[Joachim (Star Trek)|Joachim]], Khan's chief henchman. Scott took the role believing that it would be more prominent and requested top billing. When Paramount refused, Scott waived billing, believing that he would still appear in the end credits. Instead his performance went uncredited.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=July 8, 2022 |title=The Star Trek Actor Who Negotiated Himself Out of Getting Credited For His Role |url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-wrath-of-khan-actor-negotiated-opening-credits-uncredited/ |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:Gene Roddenberry crop.jpg|thumb|left|Gene Roddenberry was removed from a direct role in the development of ''The Wrath of Khan'' due to concerns that he was the main reason behind ''The Motion Picture''{{'s}} lukewarm reception.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|240–241}}]]

After the release of ''The Motion Picture'', executive producer Gene Roddenberry wrote his own sequel. In his plot, the ''Enterprise'' crew travel back in time to set right a corrupted time line after Klingons use the [[Guardian of Forever]] to prevent the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Dillard | first = J.M. | author-link = Jeanne Kalogridis | title = Star Trek: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" — A History in Pictures | publisher = Pocket Books | year = 1994 | pages=71 | isbn = 0-671-51149-1}}</ref><ref name="shatner">{{cite book | title=Star Trek Movie Memories | publisher=Harper Collins | author1=Shatner, William | author2=Kreski, Chris | name-list-style=amp | year=2005 | location=New York | isbn=0-06-109235-5 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061092350/page/306 306] | url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061092350 | url-access=registration }}</ref>{{rp|161}} This was rejected by Paramount executives, who blamed the tepid reception and costs of the first film on its plodding pace and the constant rewrites Roddenberry demanded.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|240–241}} As a consequence, Roddenberry was removed from the production and, according to Shatner, "kicked upstairs" to the ceremonial position of executive consultant.<ref name="shatner" />{{rp|99}}

[[Harve Bennett]], a new Paramount television producer, was made producer for the next ''Star Trek'' film.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|240–242}} According to Bennett, he was called in front of a group including [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] and [[Michael Eisner]] and asked if he thought he could make a better film than ''The Motion Picture'', which Bennett confessed he found "really boring".<ref name="reeves-stevens">{{cite book|last=Reeves-Stevens|first=Judith and Garfield|author-link=Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens|title=The Art of Star Trek|publisher=[[Pocket Books]]|year=1995|pages=203–205|isbn=0-671-89804-3}}</ref> When Bennett replied in the affirmative, [[Charles Bluhdorn]] asked, "Can you make it for less than forty-five-fucking-million-dollars?" Bennett replied that "Where I come from, I can make five movies for that."<ref name=rioux />{{rp|240}} Bennett realized he faced a serious challenge in developing the new ''Star Trek'' film, partly due to his never having seen the television series.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|240}} Watching episodes of the show convinced Bennett that what the first picture lacked was a real villain; after seeing the episode "[[Space Seed]]", he decided that the character of Khan Noonien Singh was the perfect enemy for the new film.<ref name="robinson">{{cite journal |editor=Robinson, Ben |date=September 2002 |title=Special 'The Wrath of Khan' Issue |journal=[[Star Trek: The Magazine]] |publisher=Fabbri Publishing |volume=3 |issue=5}}</ref> Bennett selected Robert Sallin, a director of television commercials and a college friend, to produce the film. Sallin's job would be to produce ''Star Trek II'' quickly and cheaply. Bennett hired [[Michael Minor]] as art director to shape the direction of the film.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite journal | title='Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan': How the TV series became a hit movie, at last | last=Anderson |first=Kay | journal=[[Cinefantastique]] | year=1982 | volume=12 | issue=5–6 | pages=50–74}}</ref>

Bennett wrote his first [[film treatment]] in November 1980. In his version, titled ''The War of the Generations'', Kirk investigates a rebellion on a distant world and discovers that his son is the leader of the rebels. Khan is the mastermind behind the plot, and Kirk and son join forces to defeat the tyrant. Bennett then hired [[Jack B. Sowards]], an avid ''Star Trek'' fan, to turn his outline into a filmable script. Sowards wrote an initial script before a writer's strike in 1981. Sowards' draft, ''The Omega Syndrome'', involved the theft of the Federation's ultimate weapon, the "Omega system".<ref name="robinson"/> Sowards was concerned that his weapon was too negative, and Bennett wanted something more uplifting "and as fundamental in the 23rd century as recombinant DNA is in our time", Minor recalled.<ref name="Anderson"/> Minor suggested to Bennett that the device be turned into a [[terraforming]] tool instead. At the story conference the next day, Bennett hugged Minor and declared that he had saved ''Star Trek''.<ref name="Anderson"/> In recognition of the Biblical power of the weapon, Sowards renamed the "Omega system" to the "[[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] Device".<ref name="robinson"/>

By April 1981, Sowards had produced a draft that moved Spock's death to later in the story,<ref name="robinson" /> because of fan dissatisfaction of the event after the script was leaked.<ref name="meyer"/> Spock had originally died in the first act, in a shocking demise that Bennett compared to [[Janet Leigh]]'s early death in ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Dillard | first = J.M. | author-link = Jeanne Kalogridis | title = Star Trek: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" — A History in Pictures | publisher = Pocket Books | year = 1994 | pages=77 | isbn = 0-671-51149-1}}</ref> This draft had a twelve-page face-to-face confrontation between Kirk and Khan inside the Genesis cave.<ref>{{cite book|last=Goldberg|first=Lee|date=1995|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0899509185/page/196/mode/1up?view=theater|title= Science fiction filmmaking in the 1980s|publisher= McFarland|pages=197–8|isbn=0-89950-918-5}}</ref><ref name="hughes">{{cite book|last=Hughes|first=David|title=The Greatest Science Fiction Movies Never Made|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=2008|pages=29|isbn=978-1-84576-755-6}}</ref> Sowards' draft introduced a male character named Saavik.<ref name="robinson" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Best of Trek 6|last=Irwin|first=Walter|publisher=Signet|year=1983|isbn=0-451-12493-6|location=United States|pages=68}}</ref> As pre-production began, [[Samuel A. Peeples]], writer of the ''Star Trek'' episode "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", was invited to offer his own script. Peeples' draft replaced Khan with two new villains named Sojin and Moray; the alien beings are so powerful they almost destroy Earth by mistake. This script was considered inadequate;<ref name="hughes"/> the aliens resembled too closely the [[Villain of the week|villains on a typical ''TOS'' (''Star Trek: The Original Series'') episode]].{{r|anders20130320}} Deadlines loomed for special effects production to begin (which required detailed storyboards based on a finished script), which did not exist.<ref name="robinson" />

[[File:Nicholas Meyer (2008-11-17).jpg|thumb|right|Director Nicholas Meyer (pictured in 2008) had never seen an episode of ''Star Trek'' when approached to direct the film and rewrite the script.]]
Karen Moore, a Paramount executive, suggested that [[Nicholas Meyer]], writer of ''[[The Seven-Per-Cent Solution]]'' and director of ''[[Time After Time (1979 film)|Time After Time]]'', could help resolve the screenplay issues.<ref name="cast"/> Meyer had also never seen an episode of ''Star Trek''.<ref name="dillard-96">{{cite book | last = Dillard | first = J.M. | author-link = Jeanne Kalogridis | title = Star Trek: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" — A History in Pictures | publisher = Pocket Books | year = 1994 | pages=96 | isbn = 0-671-51149-1}}</ref> He had the idea of making a list consisting of everything that the creative team had liked from the preceding drafts&mdash;"it could be a character, it could be a scene, it could be a plot, it could be a subplot, [...] it could be a line of dialogue"&mdash;so that he could use that list as the basis of a new screenplay made from all the best aspects of the previous ones.<ref name="cast"/>{{r|anders20130320}} To offset fan expectation that Spock would die, Meyer had the character "killed" in the Kobayashi Maru simulator in the opening scene.<ref name="meyer"/>{{r|anders20130320}} The effects company required a completed script in just 12 days. Meyer wrote the screenplay uncredited and for no pay before the deadline, surprising the actors and producers,<ref name="cast"/> and rapidly produced subsequent rewrites as necessary. One draft, for example, had a baby in Khan's group, who is killed with the others in the Genesis detonation.{{r|anders20130320}} Meyer later said:

{{blockquote|The chief contribution I brought to ''Star Trek II'' was a healthy disrespect ... ''Star Trek'' was human [[allegory]] in a space format. That was both its strength and, ultimately, its weakness. I tried through irreverence to make them more human and a little less wooden. I didn't insist that Captain Kirk go to the bathroom, but did ''Star Trek'' have to be so sanctified?<ref name="harmetz19861102">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/02/arts/new-star-trek-plan-reflects-symbiosis-of-tv-and-movies.html?pagewanted=all | title=New 'Star Trek' Plan Reflects Symbiosis of TV and Movies | work=The New York Times | date=November 2, 1986 | access-date=2015-02-11 | last=Harmetz | first=Aljean | page=31 | archive-date=February 12, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212145559/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/02/arts/new-star-trek-plan-reflects-symbiosis-of-tv-and-movies.html?pagewanted=all | url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Meyer described his script as "[[Horatio Hornblower|'Hornblower']] in outer space", using nautical references and a swashbuckling atmosphere.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|243}} (Hornblower was an inspiration to Roddenberry and Shatner when making the show, although Meyer was unaware of this.)<ref>{{cite web|title=Spotlight: Meyer Speaks Proudly of "Khan"|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=Viacom|date=August 6, 2002|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/125294.html|access-date=January 2, 2009|archive-date=February 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204202728/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/125294.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Sallin was impressed with Meyer's vision for the film: "His ideas brought dimension that broadened the scope of the material as we were working on it."<ref name="Anderson"/> Gene Roddenberry disagreed with the script's naval texture and Khan's [[Moby-Dick#Ahab|Captain Ahab]] undertones, but was mostly ignored by the creative team.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|245}}

===Design===
Meyer attempted to change the look of ''Star Trek'' to match the nautical atmosphere he envisioned while staying within budget.<ref name="cast"/> The ''Enterprise'', for example, was given a [[ship's bell]], [[boatswain's call]],<ref name="robinson" /> and more blinking lights and signage.<ref name="reeves-stevens"/> Meyer had a "No Smoking" sign added to the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s bridge, which he recalled "Everyone had a fit over [...] I said, 'Why, have they stopped smoking in the future? They've been smoking for four hundred years, you think it's going to stop in the next two?'"<ref name="reeves-stevens"/> The sign appeared in the first shot of the film, but was removed for all others appearing in the final cut.<ref name="okuda"/>

To save money on set design, production designer Joseph Jennings used existing elements from ''The Motion Picture'' that had been left standing after filming was completed.<ref name="robinson" /> Sixty-five percent of the film was shot on the same set; the [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] of the ''Reliant'' and the "bridge simulator" from the opening scene were [[Set redress|redresses]] of the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s bridge.<ref name="cast"/> The Klingon bridge from ''The Motion Picture'' was redressed as the Regula I transporter room and the ''Enterprise'''s torpedo bay.<ref name="reeves-stevens"/> The filmmakers stretched ''The Wrath of Khan''{{'}}s budget by reusing models and footage from the first film, including footage of ''Enterprise'' in spacedock.<ref name="okuda"/> The original ship miniatures were used where possible, or modified to stand in as new constructions. The orbital office complex from ''The Motion Picture'' was inverted and retouched to become the Regula I space station.<ref name="robinson" /> Elements of the cancelled ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'' television show, such as bulkheads, railings, and sets, were cannibalized and reused.<ref name="okuda"/> A major concern for the designers was that ''Reliant'' should be easily distinguishable from ''Enterprise''. The ship's design was flipped after Bennett accidentally opened and approved the preliminary ''Reliant'' designs upside-down.<ref name="cast"/>

[[File:Starfleet uniform as introduced in The Wrath of Khan (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Uniform example from ''The Wrath of Khan'' on display at [[Star Trek: The Experience]]]]
Designer [[Robert Fletcher (costume designer)|Robert Fletcher]] was brought in to redesign existing costumes and create new ones. Fletcher decided on a scheme of "corrupt colors", using materials with colors slightly off from the pure color. "They're not colors you see today, so in a subtle way [they] indicate another time."<ref name="Anderson" /> Meyer did not like the [[Starfleet uniforms]] from either the television series or ''The Motion Picture'' and wanted them changed,<ref name="dillard-96"/> but could not be discarded entirely because of the budget. Dye tests of the fabric showed that the old uniforms took three colors well: blue-gray, gold, and dark red. Fletcher decided to use the dark red due to the strong contrast it provided with the background. The resulting naval-inspired designs would be used in ''Star Trek'' films until ''[[Star Trek: First Contact|First Contact]]'' (1996). The first versions of the uniforms had stiff black collars, but Sallin suggested changing it to a turtleneck, using a form of vertical quilting called ''[[Trapunto quilting|trapunto]]''. The method creates a bas-relief effect to the material by stuffing the outlined areas with soft thread shot via air pressure through a hollow needle.<ref name="Anderson"/> By the time of ''The Wrath of Khan''{{'}}s production, the machines and needles needed to produce ''trapunto'' were rare, and Fletcher was only able to find one needle for the wardrobe department.<ref name="robinson" /> The crew was so worried about losing or breaking the needle that one of the department's workers took it home with him as a security measure, leading Fletcher to think it had been stolen.<ref name="Anderson"/>

For Khan and his followers, Fletcher created a strong contrast with the highly organized Starfleet uniforms; his idea was that the exiles' costumes were made out of whatever they could find.<ref name="cast"/> Fletcher said, "My intention with Khan was to express the fact that they had been marooned on that planet with no technical infrastructure, so they had to cannibalize from the spaceship whatever they used or wore. Therefore, I tried to make it look as if they had dressed themselves out of pieces of upholstery and electrical equipment that composed the ship."<ref name="cast"/> Khan's costume was designed with an open chest to show Ricardo Montalbán's physique. Fletcher also designed smocks for the Regula I scientists, and civilian clothes for Kirk and McCoy that were designed to look practical and comfortable.<ref name="cast"/>

===Filming===
[[Principal photography]] began on November 9, 1981, and ended on January 29, 1982.<ref name="Anderson"/> ''The Wrath of Khan'' was more action-oriented than its predecessor, but less costly to make. The project was supervised by Paramount's television unit rather than its theatrical division.<ref name="Anderson"/> Bennett, a respected television veteran, made ''The Wrath of Khan'' on a budget of $12&nbsp;million.<ref name="nytimes_1986-11-02"/> The budget was initially lower at $8.5&nbsp;million, but it rose when the producers were impressed by the first two weeks of footage.<ref name="reeves-stevens"/> Meyer used camera and set tricks to spare the construction of large and expensive sets. For a scene taking place at [[Starfleet Academy]], a [[forced perspective]] was created by placing scenery close to the camera to give the sense the set was larger than it really was. To present the illusion that the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s elevators moved between decks, corridor pieces were wheeled out of sight to change the hall configuration while the turbolift doors were closed.<ref name="okuda"/> Background equipment such as computer terminals were rented when possible instead of purchased outright. Some designed props, such as a redesigned phaser and communicator, were vetoed by Paramount executives in favor of existing materials from ''The Motion Picture''.<ref name="Anderson"/> Additional communicator props were built by [[John Zabrucky]] of Modern Props.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=1982|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IicnAQAAIAAJ|title=Cinefantastique|volume=12|magazine=[[Cinefantastique]]|page=60|access-date=February 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-01-03/modern-props-closes-its-doors|title=His props starred in hundreds of Hollywood movies and TV shows. Now he's exiting the stage after 42 years|last=Perman|first=Stacy|date=January 3, 2020|website=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=February 9, 2023}}</ref>

The ''Enterprise'' was refurbished for its space shots, with its shiny exterior dulled down and extra detail added to the frame.<ref name="Anderson"/> Compared to the newly built ''Reliant'', the ''Enterprise'' was hated by the effects artists and cameramen; it took eight people to mount the model, and a forklift truck to move it.<ref name="Anderson"/> The ''Reliant'', meanwhile, was lighter and had less complex internal wiring. The spaceship miniatures were photographed against a blue screen, which in post production allowed them to be composited with background scenery which had itself been photographed independently of the foreground miniatures. Any reflection of blue on the ship's hull would appear as a hole on the film; the gaps had to be patched frame by frame for the final film. The [[Dykstraflex]] [[Motion control photography|motion control system]] was used for filming the [[Miniature effect|miniature photography]] shots of the ''Enterprise'' and other ship exteriors.<ref name="Anderson"/>

The barren desert surface of Ceti Alpha V was simulated on stage 8, the largest sound stage at Paramount's studio. The set was elevated 25 feet off the ground and covered in wooden mats, over which tons of colored sand and powder were dumped. A [[cyclorama]] was painted and wrapped around the set, while massive industrial fans created a sandstorm. The filming was uncomfortable for actors and crew alike. The spandex environmental suits Koenig and Winfield wore were unventilated, and the actors had to signal by microphone when they needed air. Filming equipment was wrapped in plastic to prevent mechanical troubles and everyone on set wore boots, masks, and coveralls as protection from flying sand.<ref name="Anderson"/>

Spock's death was shot over three days, during which no visitors were allowed on set.<ref name="meyer"/> Spock's death was to be irrevocable, but Nimoy had such a positive experience during filming that he asked if he could add a way for Spock to return in a later film. The mind meld sequence was initially filmed without Kelley's prior knowledge of what was going on.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|248}} Shatner disagreed with having a clear glass separation between Spock and Kirk during the death scene; he instead wanted a translucent divider allowing viewers to see only Spock's silhouette, but his objection was overruled. During Spock's funeral sequence Meyer wanted the camera to track the torpedo that served as Spock's coffin as it was placed in a long trough and slid into the launcher. The camera crew thought the entire set would have to be rebuilt to accommodate the shot, but Sallin suggested putting a dolly into the trough and controlling it from above with an offset arm.<ref name="cast"/> Scott's rendition of "[[Amazing Grace]]" on the bagpipes was [[James Doohan]]'s idea.<ref name="uhura-251">{{cite book | title=Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories | publisher=GP Putnam's Sons | author=Nichols, Nichelle | year=1994 | location=New York | pages=[https://archive.org/details/beyonduhurastart00nich/page/251 251] | isbn=0-399-13993-1 | url=https://archive.org/details/beyonduhurastart00nich/page/251 }}</ref>{{rp|251}}

Spock's death in the film was widely reported during production. "[[Trekkie]]s" wrote letters to protest, one paid for [[trade press]] advertisements urging Paramount to change the plot, and Nimoy even received death threats.<ref name="anderson19820704">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WV5GAAAAIBAJ&pg=3893,491641 | agency=Copley News Service | title=Trekkies wrath worse than Khan's | work=Newburgh Evening News | date=July 4, 1982 | access-date=May 3, 2011 | author=Anderson, Nancy | pages=14E | archive-date=March 13, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313122722/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WV5GAAAAIBAJ&pg=3893%2C491641 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ap19820603">{{cite news | agency=Associated Press | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kG8RAAAAIBAJ&pg=2635,627083 | title=Spock dies &mdash; but wait! He'll be back! | work=Eugene Register-Guard | date=June 3, 1982 | access-date=May 3, 2011 | pages=1D | archive-date=March 13, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313122742/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kG8RAAAAIBAJ&pg=2635%2C627083 | url-status=live }}</ref> Test audiences reacted badly to Spock's death and the film's ending's dark tone,<ref name="cast"/> so it was made more uplifting by Bennett. The scene of Spock's casket on the planet and Nimoy's closing monologue were added; Meyer objected, but did not stand in the way of the modifications.<ref name=rioux />{{rp|249}} Nimoy did not know about the scene until he saw the film,<ref name="boucher20100612">Boucher, Geoff. "[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/06/leonard-nimoy-riffs-on-william-shatner-zachary-quinto-andjimi-hendrix.html Leonard Nimoy riffs on William Shatner, George Lucas and ... Jimi Hendrix?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614213907/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/06/leonard-nimoy-riffs-on-william-shatner-zachary-quinto-andjimi-hendrix.html |date=June 14, 2010 }} ''Los Angeles Times'', June 12, 2010.</ref> but before it opened, the media reassured fans that "Spock will live" again.{{r|ap19820603}} Due to time constraints, the casket scene was filmed in an overgrown corner of San Francisco's [[Golden Gate Park]], using smoke machines to add a primal atmosphere. The shoot lasted from midday to evening, as the team was well aware there would be no time for reshoots.<ref name="ralston-1052">{{cite journal |author=Ralston, Ken |date=October 1982 |title=Special Effects for 'Star Trek II': Mama eel and the nebula |journal=[[American Cinematographer]] }}</ref>

Special consideration was given during filming to allow for integration of the planned special effects. Television monitors standing in for computer displays were specially calibrated so that their [[refresh rate]] did not result in banding on film.<ref name="okuda"/> Due to a loss of resolution and quality resulting from rephotographing an element in an optical printer, live action sequences for effects were shot in [[70 mm film|65mm]] or [[VistaVision]] formats to compensate. When the larger prints were reduced through an anamorphic lens on the printer, the result was a [[Panavision]] composite.<ref name="veilleux" >{{cite journal|author=Veilleux, Jim|date=October 1982|title=Special Effects for 'Star Trek II': Warp Speed and Beyond|journal=[[American Cinematographer]]}}</ref>{{rp|1055}}

===Effects===
With a short timeframe to complete ''The Wrath of Khan''{{'s}} special effects sequences, effects supervisor Jim Veilleux, Meyer, Jennings, Sallin, and Minor worked to transform the written ideas for the script into concrete storyboards and visuals.  The detailed sequences were essential to keep the film's effects from spiraling out of control and driving up costs, as had occurred with ''The Motion Picture''.  Each special and optical effect, and the duration of the sequences, was listed.<ref name="Anderson" />  By the end of six weeks, the producers determined the basic look and construction of nearly all the effects; the resulting shots were combined with film footage five months later.<ref name="veilleux" />{{rp|1032}}  [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM) produced many of the effects, and created the new models; the ''Reliant'' was the first non-''Constitution''-class Federation starship seen in the series.  Originally, the ''Reliant'' was conceived as a ''Constitution''-class starship identical to the ''Enterprise'', but it was felt audiences would have difficulty distinguishing between two alike ships, especially during the battle scene in the Mutara Nebula.  As the script called for the ''Reliant'' and ''Enterprise'' to inflict significant damage on each other, ILM developed techniques to illustrate the damage without physically harming the models.<ref name="robinson" /> Rather than move the models on a [[chroma key|bluescreen]] during shooting, the VistaVision camera was panned and tracked to give the illusion of movement.<ref name="cast"/> Damage to the ''Enterprise'' was cosmetic, and simulated with pieces of aluminum that were colored or peeled off. Phaser damage was created using [[stop motion]]. The script called for large-scale damage to the ''Reliant'', so larger versions of the ship's model were created to be blown up.<ref name="robinson" />

[[File:S02-battle in the mutara nebula.png|thumb|''Enterprise'' (left) maneuvers away from the severely damaged ''Reliant'' in the Mutara Nebula.  The sparks coming from ''Reliant''{{'s}} nacelle were hand-animated, frame by frame.]]
The battle in the nebula was a difficult sequence to accomplish without the aid of computer-generated models. The swirling nebula was created by injecting a latex rubber and ammonia mixture into a cloud tank filled with fresh and salt water.  All the footage was shot at two frames per second to give the illusion of faster movement. The vibrant abstract colors of the nebula were simulated by lighting the tank using [[color gel|colored gels]]. Additional light effects such as auroras were created by the ILM animation department.<ref name="ralston-1052" /> The ships were combined with the nebula background plates via bluescreen mattes to complete the shot.  The destruction of the ''Reliant''{{'s}} engine nacelle was created by superimposing shots of the engine blowing apart and explosions over the model.<ref name="cast"/>

The scene in which Terrell kills Jedda, a Regula scientist, by vaporizing him with a phaser was filmed in two takes. Winfield and the related actors first played out the scene; this footage became the background plate. A blue screen was wheeled onto the set and actor [[John Vargas]], the recipient of the phaser blast, acted out his response to being hit with the energy weapon. A phaser beam element was placed on top of the background plate, and Vargas' shots were optically dissolved into an airbrushed disintegration effect which matched Vargas' position in every frame.<ref name="veilleux" />{{rp|1034}}

The Ceti eel shots used several models, overseen by visual effects supervisor [[Ken Ralston]], who had just finished creature design for ''[[Return of the Jedi]]''. He tied a string to the eels to inch the models across the actors' faces before they entered the ear canal.<ref name="cast"/> The scene of a more mature eel leaving Chekov's ear was simulated by threading a microfilament through the floor of the set up to Koenig's ear. The scene was filmed with three variations, which Ralston described as "a dry shot, one with some blood, and the ''[[Fangoria]]'' shot, with a lot of gore."<ref name="Anderson"/> Footage of a giant model of Koenig's ear was discarded from the theatrical release due to the visceral reaction it elicited in test audiences.<ref name="okuda"/>

Additional optical effects were provided by Visual Concept Engineering (VCE), a small effects company headed by Peter Kuran; Kuran had previously worked at ILM and left after finishing ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''.<ref name="Anderson"/> VCE provided effects including phaser beams, the ''Enterprise'' reactor, additional sand on Ceti Alpha V, and an updated transporter effect. Meyer and the production staff were adamant about not using freeze frames for the transporter, as had been done in the original television series. Scenes were shot so that conversations would continue while characters were in mid-transport,<ref name="okuda"/> although much of the matte work VCE created was discarded when the production decided not to have as much action during transports.<ref name="Anderson"/> Computer graphics company [[Evans & Sutherland]] used the computer graphics-based [[Digistar]] planetarium system to generate the fields of stars, based on a [[Bright Star Catalogue|database of real stars]].<ref>{{cite magazine
 |author       = Judith Rubin
 |title        = Jeri in the Sky with Diamonds: Jeri Panek's lifetime of achievement
 |url          = http://www.inparkmagazine.com/jeri-in-the-sky-with-diamonds-jeri-paneks-lifetime-of-achievement/
 |magazine     = In Park Magazine
 |publisher    = Immersive Media Entertainment, Research, Science, and Arts
 |date         = April 15, 2014
|access-date  = October 30, 2019
|archive-date = October 31, 2019
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20191031190611/http://www.inparkmagazine.com/jeri-in-the-sky-with-diamonds-jeri-paneks-lifetime-of-achievement/
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref><ref name="alvy" >{{cite journal|author=Smith, Alvy Ray|date=October 1982|title=Special Effects for 'Star Trek II': The Genesis Demo Instant Evolution with Computer Graphics|journal=[[American Cinematographer]]}}</ref>{{rp|1038}} The models of the ships were composited atop the star fields.<ref>{{cite magazine
| author     =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
| title      = Behind the Scenes ILM: Visual Effects
| url        = https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_4/page/20
| magazine   = Star Trek the Magazine Collector's Edition
| page       = 21
| publisher  = Fabbri Publishing
| date       = September 2002
| access-date= October 30, 2019
}}</ref>  The Evans & Sutherland team also produced the [[vector graphics]] tactical displays seen on the ''Enterprise'' and the simulator bridge.<ref name="veilleux" />{{rp|1034}}

''The Wrath of Khan'' was one of the first films to extensively use [[computer-generated imagery|computer graphics]] to improve the visual quality and production speed of special effects shots. Among the film's technical achievements was cinema's first entirely computer-generated sequence, ILM's animation for the demonstration of the effects of the Genesis Device on a barren planet.<ref name=catmull>{{cite book |last1=Catmull |first1=Ed |author1-link=Edwin Catmull |last2=Wallace |first2=Amy |author2-link=Amy Wallace |date=2009-07-24 |title=Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration |publisher=[[Random House]] |page=20 |isbn=9780812993011}}</ref><ref name="wpost-incredible">{{cite news|author=Pegoraro, Rob|date=June 29, 2008|title=Incredibles, Inc; The story of how computer programmers transformed the art of movie animation|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=W8}}</ref> The first concept for the shot took the form of a laboratory demonstration, where a rock would be placed in a chamber and turned into a flower.<ref name="cast"/> Veilleux suggested the sequence's scope be expanded to show the Genesis effect taking over a planet. While Paramount appreciated the more dramatic presentation, they wanted the simulation to be more impressive than traditional animation.<ref name="veilleux" />{{rp|1034}} Having seen research done by Lucasfilm's computer graphics group, Veilleux offered them the task. Introducing the novel technique of [[particle system]]s<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reeves |first1=William |date=1983 |title=Particle Systems&mdash;A Technique for Modeling a Class of Fuzzy Objects |url=https://cal.cs.umbc.edu/Courses/CS6967-F08/Papers/Reeves-1983-PSA.pdf |journal=[[ACM Transactions on Graphics]] |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=91–108 |doi=10.1145/357318.357320 |s2cid=181508 |access-date=June 13, 2018 |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215000249/https://cal.cs.umbc.edu/Courses/CS6967-F08/Papers/Reeves-1983-PSA.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> for the sixty-second sequence, the graphics team paid attention to detail such as ensuring that the stars visible in the background matched those visible from a real star light-years from Earth. The animators hoped it would serve as a "commercial" for the studio's talents. The studio would later branch off from Lucasfilm to form [[Pixar]], now a [[subsidiary]] of [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]], a division of [[Disney Entertainment]], which is owned by [[The Walt Disney Company]], one of [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[Paramount Global]]'s rivals.<ref name="wpost-incredible"/> The sequence would be reused in two sequels, ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' and ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'', as well as in the unrelated [[LaserDisc]]-based stand-up video [[arcade game]] ''[[Astron Belt]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=dragons-lair-and-the-laser-game-craze&all=1 |title=Dragon's Lair and the Laser Game Craze - Daring Discs |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2013 |website=thedoteaters.com |access-date=June 13, 2018 |archive-date=November 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130161446/http://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=dragons-lair-and-the-laser-game-craze&all=1 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan}}
[[Jerry Goldsmith]] had composed the music for ''The Motion Picture'', but was not an option for ''The Wrath of Khan'' given the reduced budget; Meyer's composer for ''Time After Time'', [[Miklós Rózsa]], was likewise prohibitively expensive.<ref name=eagle>{{cite book|author=Bond, Jeff|year=1999|title=The Music of Star Trek|publisher=Lone Eagle Publishing Company|isbn=1-58065-012-0}}</ref>{{rp|105}} Bennett and Meyer wanted the music for the film to go in a different direction, but had not decided on a composer by the time filming began. Meyer initially hoped to hire an associate named John Morgan, but Morgan lacked film experience, which would have troubled the studio.<ref name="bond">{{cite AV media notes |title= Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|others=[[James Horner]] |year= 2009|first=Jeff|last=Bond|first2= Lukas |last2= Kendall|first3= Alexander |last3= Kaplan |publisher= Retrograde Records}}</ref>{{rp|5}}

Paramount's vice-president of music Joel Sill took a liking to a 28-year-old composer named [[James Horner]], feeling that his demo tapes stood out from generic film music.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|6}} Horner was introduced to Bennett, Meyer and Sallin.<ref name="Anderson"/> Horner said that "[The producers] did not want the kind of score they had gotten before. They did not want a [[John Williams]] score, ''per se''. They wanted something different, more modern."<ref name="james horner interview">{{cite journal|author=Larson, Randall|date=Fall 1982| title=Interview: James Horner and Star Trek II|journal=[[CinemaScore]]|issue=10}}</ref> When asked about how he landed the assignment, the composer replied that "the producers loved my work for ''[[Wolfen (film)|Wolfen]]'', and had heard my music for several other projects, and I think, so far as I've been told, they liked my versatility very much. I wanted the assignment, and I met with them, we all got along well, they were impressed with my music, and that's how it happened."<ref name="james horner interview 2">{{cite journal|last= Larson| first= Randall| date=Fall–Winter 1982|title=A Conversation with James Horner|journal=[[CinemaScore]]|issue=11–12 (Double Issue)<!-- http://www.hornershrine.com/interviews/interview1.html -->}}</ref> Horner agreed with the producers' expectations and agreed to begin work in mid-January 1982.<ref name= Anderson />

In keeping with the nautical tone, Meyer wanted music evocative of seafaring and swashbuckling, and the director and composer worked together closely, becoming friends in the process.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|6}} As a classical music fan, Meyer was able to describe the effects and sounds he wanted in the music.<ref name="james horner interview"/> While Horner's style was described as "echoing both the bombastic and elegiac elements of John Williams' ''Star Wars'' and Goldsmith's original ''Star Trek'' (The Motion Picture) scores,"<ref name="post-music">{{cite news|last= Harrington| first= Richard|date=July 25, 1982|title=Sounds Of the Summer Screen|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=L1}}</ref> Horner was expressly told to not use any of Goldsmith's score. Instead Horner adapted the opening fanfare of [[Alexander Courage]]'s ''Star Trek'' television theme. "The fanfare draws you in immediately — you know you're going to get a good movie," Horner said.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|9}}

In comparison to the flowing main theme, Khan's [[leitmotif]] was designed as a percussive texture that could be overlaid with other music and emphasized the character's insanity.<ref name="Anderson"/> The seven-note brass theme was [[echoplex]]ed to emphasize the character's ruminations about the past while on Ceti Alpha V, but does not play fully until ''Reliant''{{'}}s attack on the ''Enterprise''. Many elements drew from Horner's previous work (a rhythm that accompanies Khan's theme during the surprise attack borrows from an attack theme from ''Wolfen'', in turn influenced by Goldsmith's score for ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''). Musical moments from the original television series are also heard during investigation of the Regula space station and elsewhere.<ref name=eagle />{{rp|106–107}}

To Horner, the "stuff underneath" the main story was what needed to be addressed by the score; in ''The Wrath of Khan'', this was the relationship between Kirk and Spock. The main theme serves as Kirk's theme, with a mellower section following that is the theme for the Starship ''Enterprise''.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|8}} Horner also wrote a motif for Spock, to emphasize the character's depth: "By putting a theme over Spock, it warms him and he becomes three-dimensional rather than a collection of schticks."<ref name="Anderson"/> The difference in the short, [[French horn]]-based cues for the villain and longer melodies for the heroes helped to differentiate characters and ships during the battle sequences.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|9}}

The soundtrack was Horner's first major film score,<ref name="post-music"/> and was written in four and a half weeks. The resulting 72 minutes of music was then performed by a 91-piece orchestra.<ref name="james horner interview"/> Recording sessions for the score began on April 12, 1982, at the [[Warner Bros.]] lot, The Burbank Studios and continued until April 15.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|9}} A pickup session was held on April 30 to record music for the Mutara nebula battle, while another session held on May 3 was used to cover the recently changed epilogue.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|10}} Horner used synthesizers for ancillary effects; at the time, science fiction films such as ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' and ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'' were eschewing the synthesizer in favor of more traditional orchestras.<ref>{{cite news|last= Sterritt| first= David|date=August 17, 1982|title=Films: zing go the strings of a polymoog|work=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|page=1}}</ref> [[Craig Huxley]] performed his invented instrument—the [[Blaster beam]]—during recording, as well as composing and performing electronic music for the Genesis Project video.<ref name="bond" />{{rp|17}} While most of the film was "locked in" by the time Horner had begun composing music, he had to change musical cue orchestration after the integration of special effects caused changes in scene durations.<ref name="james horner interview"/>

==Themes==

''The Wrath of Khan'' features several recurring themes, including death, resurrection, and growing old.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kraemer, Ross |author2=Cassidy, William |author3=Schwartz, Susan |year=2003|title=Religions of Star Trek|publisher=Perseus Books Group|isbn=0-8133-4115-9}}</ref> Upon writing his script, Meyer hit upon a link between Spock's death and the age of the characters. "This was going to be a story in which Spock died, so it was going to be a story about death, and it was only a short hop, skip, and a jump to realize that it was going to be about old age and friendship," Meyer said. "I don't think that any of [the other preliminary] scripts were about old age, friendship, and death."<ref name="meyer"/> In keeping with the theme of death and rebirth symbolized by Spock's sacrifice and the Genesis Device, Meyer wanted to call the film ''The Undiscovered Country'', in reference to [[Prince Hamlet]]'s description of death in [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]'', but the title was changed during editing without his knowledge.<ref name="meyer"/> Meyer disliked ''Wrath of Khan'', but it was chosen because the preferred ''Vengeance of Khan'' conflicted with [[Lucasfilm]]'s forthcoming ''[[Revenge of the Jedi]]'' (renamed ''Return of the Jedi'' late in production).<ref name="anders20130320">{{cite web | url=http://io9.com/inside-secrets-of-the-making-of-star-trek-ii-wrath-of-457250013 | title=Inside Secrets of the Making of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan and "Space Seed"! | work=io9 | date=March 20, 2013 | access-date=March 20, 2013 | author=Anders, Charlie Jane | archive-date=March 23, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323071148/http://io9.com/inside-secrets-of-the-making-of-star-trek-ii-wrath-of-457250013 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Meyer added elements to reinforce the aging of the characters. Kirk's unhappiness about his birthday is compounded by McCoy's gift of reading glasses. The script stated that Kirk was 49, but Shatner was unsure about being specific about Kirk's age.<ref name="meyer"/> Bennett remembers that Shatner was hesitant about portraying a middle-aged version of himself, and believed that with proper makeup he could continue playing a younger Kirk. Bennett convinced Shatner that he could age gracefully like [[Spencer Tracy]]; the producer did not know that Shatner had worked with Tracy on ''[[Judgment at Nuremberg]]'' (1961), and was fond of the actor.<ref name="cast"/> Meyer made sure to emphasize Kirk's parallel to [[Sherlock Holmes]] in that both characters waste away in the absence of their stimuli; new cases, in Holmes' case, and starship adventures in Kirk's.<ref name="meyer"/>

Khan's pursuit of Kirk is central to the film's theme of vengeance, and ''The Wrath of Khan'' deliberately borrows heavily from [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]''.<ref name="hinds-ahab">{{cite journal|author=Hinds, Jane|year=1997|title=The Wrath of Ahab; or, Herman Melville Meets Gene Roddenberry|journal=The Journal of American Culture|volume=20|issue=1|pages=43–46|doi=10.1111/j.1542-734X.1997.00043.x}}</ref> To make the parallels clear to viewers, Meyer added a visible copy of ''Moby-Dick'' to Khan's dwelling.<ref name="meyer"/> Khan liberally paraphrases Ahab, with "I'll chase him round the moons of Nibia and round the Antares maelstrom and round perdition's flames before I give him up!" Khan quotes Ahab's tirade at the end of the novel verbatim with his final lines: "To the last I grapple with thee; from Hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."<ref name="hinds-ahab"/><ref>Melville, 427. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cYKYYypj8UAC&q=moby+dick online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129121112/https://books.google.com/books?id=cYKYYypj8UAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=moby+dick&client=safari#PPA427,M1 |date=November 29, 2016 }}</ref>

==Release==
The film's novelization, written by [[Vonda N. McIntyre]], stayed on the [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' paperback bestsellers list]] for more than three weeks.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=July 25, 1982|title=Paperback Best Sellers: Mass Market|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=24, section 7}}</ref> Unlike the previous film, ''Wrath of Khan'' was not promoted with a toy line, although [[Playmates Toys]] created Khan and Saavik figures in the 1990s, and in 2007 [[Art Asylum]] crafted a full series of action figures to mark the film's 25th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|author=Tenuto, John|title=The Collective: TRU Exclusive Figure Revealed + Timeless Geordi Arrives|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|date=December 17, 2008|url=http://trekmovie.com/2008/12/17/the-collective-tru-exclusive-figure-revealed-timeless-geordi-arrives/|access-date=December 17, 2008|archive-date=December 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219152527/http://trekmovie.com/2008/12/17/the-collective-tru-exclusive-figure-revealed-timeless-geordi-arrives/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, [[IDW Publishing]] released a comic adaptation of the film,<ref>{{cite web| date= December 15, 2008|author=Dallas, Keith| title=Andy Schmidt: IDW's Star Trek Captain|publisher=[[Comics Bulletin]]| url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/12294024469740.htm|access-date=December 18, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081217103520/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/12294024469740.htm <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=December 17, 2008}}</ref> and ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'' released an expanded score.<ref>{{cite web|author=Tenuto, John|date=July 20, 2009|url=http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/20/fsm-releasing-complete-soundtrack-for-star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan/|title=FSM Releasing Complete Soundtrack For Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|access-date=September 3, 2009|archive-date=August 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820010917/http://trekmovie.com/2009/07/20/fsm-releasing-complete-soundtrack-for-star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''The Wrath of Khan'' opened on June 4, 1982, in 1,621 theaters in the United States. It made $14,347,221 in its opening weekend, at the time the largest opening weekend gross in history.<ref name="nytimes-office">{{cite news|author=Harmetz, Aljean|date=June 8, 1982|title='Star Trek II' Sets Mark for Sales at Opening|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=C11}}</ref> It went on to earn $78,912,963 in the US,<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek2.htm|title=''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 5, 2008|archive-date=February 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212225127/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek2.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm|title=All Time Domestic Box Office Results|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=December 12, 2008|archive-date=December 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205064427/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It made $97,000,000 worldwide.<ref name="Eller"/> Although the total gross of ''The Wrath of Khan'' was less than that of ''The Motion Picture'', it was more profitable due to its much lower production cost.<ref name="nytimes-office"/>

==Reception==
Critical response was positive.<ref>{{cite book|author=Meyers, Richard|year=1990|title=The Great Science Fiction Films|location=New York|publisher=Carol Publishing Group|isbn=0-8065-1084-6|pages=229–231}}</ref> Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports that 86% of 73 critics have given the film a positive review, recording an average score of 8.1/10.<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_ii_the_wrath_of_khan|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=September 4, 2022|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023011314/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_ii_the_wrath_of_khan|url-status=live}}</ref> After the lukewarm reaction to the first film, fan response to ''The Wrath of Khan'' was highly positive. The film's success was credited with renewing interest in the franchise.<ref name="jenkins">{{cite book|author=Jenkins, Henry|year=1992|title=Textual Poachers: Television Fans & Participatory Culture|publisher=Routledge|pages=|isbn=0-415-90572-9}}</ref>{{rp|250}} Mark Bernardin of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' went further, calling ''The Wrath of Khan'' "the film that, by most accounts, saved ''Star Trek'' as we know it";<ref name="ew-best">{{cite magazine|author=Bernardin, Mark|date=August 13, 2002|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2002/08/16/star-trek-ii-wrath-khan-directors-edition|title=Review; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Director's Edition|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=August 5, 2008|archive-date=September 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929211750/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,335196,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> it is now considered one of the best films in the series.<ref name="jenkins"/><ref name="ew-best"/><ref>{{cite journal|author=Takis, John|year=2003|title=Where no note has gone before| journal=Film Score Monthly|volume=8|issue=1|pages=26–27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Null, Christopher |year=2002 |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1982/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan/ |title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan |publisher=FilmCritic |access-date=April 10, 2010 |author-link=Christopher Null |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614085048/http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1982/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan/ |archive-date=June 14, 2011 }}</ref> [[Pauline Kael]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called the film "wonderful dumb fun."<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |title=J.J. Abrams' ''Star Trek'' Offers Proof a Franchise Can Live Long and Prosper |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/film/jj-abrams-star-trek-offers-proof-a-franchise-can-live-long-and-prosper-6398422 |work=Dallas Observer |date=May 7, 2009 |access-date=October 15, 2018 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807081805/https://www.dallasobserver.com/film/jj-abrams-star-trek-offers-proof-a-franchise-can-live-long-and-prosper-6398422 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kael |first=Pauline |title=Reviews; Star Trek II |date=2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7bgeAQAAMAAJ&q=%22wonderful+dumb+fun%22 |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=October 15, 2018 |archive-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313122723/https://books.google.com/books?id=7bgeAQAAMAAJ&q=%22wonderful+dumb+fun%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] gave the film three and a half stars out of four, calling it "a flat-out winner, full of appealing characters in engaging relationships in a futuristic film that has a delightfully old-fashioned sense of majesty about its characters and the predicaments they get into."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (June 4, 1982). "Second 'Star Trek' film is light years beyond the first". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 3, p. 3.</ref>

The film's pacing was praised by reviewers in ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[The Washington Post]]'' as being much swifter than its predecessor and closer to that of the television series.<ref name="nyt-review">{{cite news|author=Maslin, Janet|date=June 4, 1982|title=New 'Star Trek' full of gadgets and fun|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=C12}}</ref><ref name="wash-review">{{cite news|author=Arnold, Gary|date=June 4, 1982|title=Cashing in on the Spock market; 'Star Trek II' shows little enterprise|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=D1}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''The New York Times'' credited the film with a stronger story than ''The Motion Picture'' and stated the sequel was everything the first film should have been.<ref name="nyt-review"/> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' agreed that ''The Wrath of Khan'' was closer to the original spirit of ''Star Trek'' than its predecessor.<ref name="variety-rev">{{cite web|author=Staff|date=January 1, 1982|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795162.html|title=Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| access-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref> Strong character interaction was cited as a strong feature of the film,<ref name="bbc-rev">{{cite news|author=Cramp, Nick|date=September 3, 2001|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_ii_wrath_of_kahn_1982_review.shtml|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn (1982)|work=[[bbc.co.uk]]|access-date=September 12, 2008|archive-date=April 5, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050405210541/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_ii_wrath_of_kahn_1982_review.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> as was Montalbán's portrayal of Khan.<ref name="ebert-rev">{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|date=January 1, 1982|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19820101/REVIEWS/201010345/1023|title=Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=September 13, 2008|author-link=Roger Ebert|archive-date=September 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916105635/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19820101%2FREVIEWS%2F201010345%2F1023|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, ''[[Playboy]]'' ranked the film number four on its list of ''15 Sequels That Are Way Better Than The Originals''.<ref name="Playboy">{{cite magazine | title = Revenge of the Movie: 15 Sequels That Are Way Better Than The Originals | magazine = [[Playboy]] | url = http://www.playboy.com/articles/15-sequels-better-than-the-original | date = March 15, 2016 | access-date = July 16, 2016 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160726093750/http://www.playboy.com/articles/15-sequels-better-than-the-original | archive-date = July 26, 2016 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' would later rate Spock's death the tenth greatest scene in science fiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/g19609370/best-moments-sci-fi-movies/|title=The 50 Best Moments in Sci-Fi History|last=Orf|first=Darren|date=April 9, 2018|website=Popular Mechanics|language=en-US|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123100720/https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/g19609370/best-moments-sci-fi-movies/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' and Derek Adams of ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' complained about what were seen as tepid battle sequences<ref name="ebert-rev"/> and perceived melodrama.<ref name="wash-review"/><ref name="timeout-rev">{{cite web|author=Adams, Derek |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/75286/star_trek_ii-the_wrath_of_khan.html |title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) |work=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] |access-date=September 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202073346/http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/75286/star_trek_ii-the_wrath_of_khan.html |archive-date=February 2, 2009 }}</ref> While Ebert and ''[[TV Guide]]'' felt that Spock's death was dramatic and well-handled,<ref name="ebert-rev"/><ref name="tv-review">{{cite web|author=Staff|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/star-trek-ii-wrath-khan/review/109954|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Review|work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=September 1, 2008|archive-date=January 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123200224/http://movies.tvguide.com/star-trek-ii-wrath-khan/review/109954|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s Gary Arnold stated Spock's death "feels like an unnecessary twist, and the filmmakers are obviously well-prepared to fudge in case the public demands another sequel".<ref name="wash-review"/> Negative reviews of the film focused on some of the acting,<ref name="wash-review"/><ref name="chicago-review">{{cite web|author=Kehr, David|date=January 1, 1982|url=http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/11462_STAR_TREK_THE_WRATH_OF_KHAN_STAR_TREK_TWO_THE_WRATH_OF_KHAN|title=Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Capsule review|work=[[Chicago Reader]]|access-date=October 1, 2008|archive-date=July 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723200014/http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/11462_STAR_TREK_THE_WRATH_OF_KHAN_STAR_TREK_TWO_THE_WRATH_OF_KHAN|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' singled out the "dodgy coiffures" and "[[Santa Claus]] tunics" as elements of the film that had not aged well.<ref>{{cite web|author=Errigo, Angie|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132702|title=Empire Reviews: Star Trek II|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|access-date=December 10, 2008|archive-date=December 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111220002505/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132702|url-status=live}}</ref>

Christopher John reviewed ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' in ''[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]]'' No. 13 and commented that "By not taking itself so seriously – that is, realizing the film should be an action adventure with elements of pathos and philosophy gently added – ''The Wrath of Khan'' succeeded brilliantly. For those who loved the series, it was a dream come true (to such an extent that many refuse to acknowledge the existence of the first film as part of the ''Star Trek'' epos)."<ref name="Ares">{{cite journal | last=John | first=Christopher | title=Film & Television | journal=[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]] | publisher=[[TSR, Inc.]] | date=Winter 1983| issue=13 | page=40}}</ref>

''The Wrath of Khan'' won two [[Saturn Award]]s in 1982, for best actor (Shatner) and best direction (Meyer).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#filmactor |title=Past Saturn Awards: Best Actor |work=SaturnAwards.org |publisher=Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films |access-date=December 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207072429/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=February 7, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#direction |title=Past Saturn Awards: Best Direction |work=SaturnAwards.org |publisher=Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films |access-date=December 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207072429/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=February 7, 2008 }}</ref> The film was also nominated in the "best dramatic presentation" category for the 1983 [[Hugo Award]]s, but lost to ''[[Blade Runner]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=36|title=The Hugo Awards: 1983|work=TheHugoAwards.org|date=July 26, 2007 |publisher=World Science Fiction Society|access-date=December 12, 2008|archive-date=January 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113083831/http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=36|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Wrath of Khan'' has influenced later movies: Meyer's rejected title for the film, ''The Undiscovered Country'', was finally put to use when Meyer directed the [[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country|sixth film]], which retained the nautical influences.<ref name="meyer"/> Director [[Bryan Singer]] cited the film as an influence on ''[[X2 (film)|X2]]'' and his abandoned sequel to ''[[Superman Returns]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pascale, Anthony|title=Interview: Bryan Singer On Trek|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|date=May 12, 2007|url=http://trekmovie.com/2007/05/12/interview-bryan-singer-on-trek/|access-date=October 3, 2008|archive-date=February 15, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215043816/http://trekmovie.com/2007/05/12/interview-bryan-singer-on-trek/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film is also a favorite of director [[J. J. Abrams]], producer [[Damon Lindelof]], and writers [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]], the creative team behind the franchise relaunch film ''[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Staff|title=Can J.J. Abrams save Star Trek?|journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=July 2006|pages=56}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Pascale, Anthony|title=Interview – Roberto Orci On Why He Is A Trekkie & Making Trek Big Again|publisher=TrekMovie|date=October 4, 2007|url=http://trekmovie.com/2007/10/04/interview-roberto-orci-on-why-he-is-a-trekkie/|access-date=October 3, 2008|archive-date=July 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701181219/http://trekmovie.com/2007/10/04/interview-roberto-orci-on-why-he-is-a-trekkie/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Pascale, Anthony|title=Exclusive: Lindelof Talks Trek Essentials + Lost/Trek Connections|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|date=February 28, 2008|url=http://trekmovie.com/2008/02/28/exclusive-lindelof-talks-trek-essentials-losttrek-connections/|access-date=October 3, 2008|archive-date=October 7, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007062618/http://trekmovie.com/2008/02/28/exclusive-lindelof-talks-trek-essentials-losttrek-connections/|url-status=live}}</ref> Abrams' second entry in the relaunched film series, ''[[Star Trek Into Darkness]]'', drew significantly from ''Wrath of Khan''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://collider.com/jj-abrams-star-trek-into-darkness-wrath-of-kahn/|title=J.J. Abrams Admits 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Had Too Many 'Wrath of Khan' Nods|date=November 23, 2015|work=Collider|access-date=September 17, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=May 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528170453/http://collider.com/jj-abrams-star-trek-into-darkness-wrath-of-kahn/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-darkness-wrath-khan-references-abrams/|title=J.J. Abrams: Star Trek Into Darkness Had Too Many Wrath of Khan Nods|date=November 24, 2015|work=Screen Rant|access-date=September 17, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=April 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403032222/http://screenrant.com/star-trek-darkness-wrath-khan-references-abrams/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In December 2024, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]]. <ref name="washpost_2024-12-17">{{cite news|last=Floyd|first=Thomas|date=December 17, 2024|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/12/17/national-film-registry-2024-star-trek-social-network/|title='Star Trek II,' 'The Social Network' added to National Film Registry|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=December 17, 2024}}</ref>

==Home media==
Paramount released ''The Wrath of Khan'' on RCA [[CED Videodisc]] in 1982 and on [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]] in 1983. The studio sold the VHS for $39.95, $40 below contemporary movie cassette prices<ref name=video>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startrek.com/article/space-seed-khan-forever-changed-vhs-releases|title="Space Seed," Khan Forever Changed VHS Releases|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS Entertainment|language=en|access-date=May 23, 2020|last=Tenuto|first=John and Maria Jose|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704132922/https://www.startrek.com/article/space-seed-khan-forever-changed-vhs-releases|url-status=live}}</ref> and it sold a [[List of best-selling films in the United States|record]] 120,000 copies.<ref name=video/> The successful experiment was credited with instigating more competitive VHS pricing, an increase in the adoption of increasingly cheaper VHS players, and an industry-wide move away from rentals to sales as the bulk of videotape revenue.<ref name="adweek-vhs">{{cite news|author=Sharkey, Betsy|date=December 17, 1984|title=Billion-Dollar VCR Boom Stuffs Agency Stockings|work=[[Adweek]]}}</ref><ref name="salmans19831212">{{cite news | title=Hollywood Gambles on Video | work=The New York Times | date=December 12, 1983 | author=Salmans, Sandra | pages=1|id = {{ProQuest|424852643}}}}</ref>

Paramount released ''The Wrath of Khan'' on [[DVD]] in 2000; no special features were included on the disc.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kirkland, Bruce|date=July 1, 2000|title=Trekking to DVD|work=[[The Toronto Sun]]|page=36}}</ref> Montalbán drew hundreds of fans of the film to [[Universal City, California]] where he signed copies of the DVD to commemorate its release.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff |date=July 12, 2000 |url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/112011.html |title=Dispatch: The Autograph of Khan |work=StarTrek.com |publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030815141216/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/112011.html |archive-date=August 15, 2003 }}</ref> In August 2002, the film was re-released in a highly anticipated<ref>{{cite news|author=McKay, John|date=December 7, 2001|title=DVDs soaring in popularity|work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]]|page=F4}}</ref> two-disc "Director's Edition" format.<ref name="ign-collector">{{cite web|author=Conrad, Jeremy|date=July 26, 2002|url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/366/366006p1.html|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Director's Edition|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=September 14, 2008|archive-date=September 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927094458/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/366/366006p1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to remastered picture quality and 5.1 [[Dolby Laboratories|Dolby]] [[surround sound]], the DVD set included [[Audio commentary|director commentary]], cast interviews, [[storyboard]]s and the theatrical trailer.<ref name="ign-collector2">{{cite web|author=Conrad, Jeremy|date=July 26, 2002|url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/366/366006p2.html|title=Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Director's Edition (page 2)|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=September 14, 2008|archive-date=April 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412150614/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/366/366006p2.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The expanded cut of the film was given a Hollywood premiere before the release of the DVD. Meyer stated that he didn't believe directors' cuts of films were necessarily better than the original but that the re-release gave him a chance to add elements that had been removed from the theatrical release by Paramount.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=August 1, 2002|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/125240.html|title=Meyer, Montalban Unveil "Khan" Director's Cut|work=StarTrek.com|publisher=Viacom|access-date=October 6, 2008|archive-date=October 14, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014201845/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/125240.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The four hours of bonus content and expanded director's cut were favorably received.<ref name="ign-collector2"/><ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=May 17, 2002|title=Trek II out on DVD|work=[[The Toronto Sun]]|page=86}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=November 30, 2002|title=Essentials: Top five sci-fi films on DVD|work=[[The Times]]|page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Frank, Alan|date=January 4, 2002| title=Alan Frank's Video View|work=[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]|page=33}}</ref>

The film's original theatrical cut was released on [[Blu-ray Disc]] in May 2009 to coincide with the new ''Star Trek'' feature, along with the other five films featuring the original crew in ''Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection''.<ref name="BD">{{cite web|author=Pascale, Anthony|date=February 16, 2009|url=http://trekmovie.com/2009/02/16/cbs-paramount-announce-first-star-trek-blu-ray-sets-tos-s1-all-tos-movies-coming-aprilmay/|title=TrekMovie: CBS & Paramount Announce First Star Trek Blu-ray sets – TOS S1 & All TOS movies coming April/May|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|access-date=May 15, 2009|archive-date=October 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021002603/http://trekmovie.com/2009/02/16/cbs-paramount-announce-first-star-trek-blu-ray-sets-tos-s1-all-tos-movies-coming-aprilmay/|url-status=live}}</ref> Of all six original films, ''Wrath of Khan'' was the only one to be remastered in [[1080p]] [[High-definition video|high-definition]] from the original negative. Nicholas Meyer stated that the ''Wrath of Khan'' negative "was in terrible shape," which is why it needed extensive restoration. All six films in the set have new 7.1 [[Dolby TrueHD]] audio. The disc also features a new commentary track by director Nicholas Meyer and ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' showrunner [[Manny Coto]].<ref name="BD" /> On April 24, 2016, Paramount Pictures announced the Director's Edition of the film would be released for Blu-ray Disc on June 7, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startrek.com/article/khan-directors-edition-coming-to-blu-ray|title=Khan Director's Edition Coming To Blu-Ray|author=Staff|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS Entertainment|date=April 24, 2016|access-date=April 24, 2016|archive-date=December 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205002618/https://www.startrek.com/article/khan-directors-edition-coming-to-blu-ray|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 7, 2021, it was announced that the first four films in the ''Star Trek'' franchise (including both the theatrical cut and the Director's Edition of ''The Wrath of Khan'') would be released on [[4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]] on September 7 of that year to commemorate the franchise's 55th anniversary, alongside individual remastered Blu-rays of the same films.<ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrate the 55th Anniversary with These New Star Trek Releases and More |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/celebrate-the-55th-anniversary-with-these-new-star-trek-releases-and-more |access-date=July 8, 2021 |work=StarTrek.com |publisher=[[CBS Studios]] |date=July 7, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=July 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708180609/https://www.startrek.com/news/celebrate-the-55th-anniversary-with-these-new-star-trek-releases-and-more |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Star Trek (film series)|''Star Trek'' film series]]
* [[List of films featuring extraterrestrials]]
* [[List of films featuring space stations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title|0084726}}
{{Memory Alpha|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''}}

{{Star Trek}}
{{Nicholas Meyer}}
{{Star Trek: The Original Series}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Star Trek 02: The Wrath Of Khan}}
[[Category:1982 films]]
[[Category:Films based on Star Trek: The Original Series|Wrath of Khan]]
[[Category:1980s science fiction adventure films]]
[[Category:American science fiction adventure films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
[[Category:Films set in the 23rd century]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Midlife crisis films]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films scored by James Horner]]
[[Category:Films directed by Nicholas Meyer]]
[[Category:Films produced by Harve Bennett]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Harve Bennett]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Nicholas Meyer]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jack B. Sowards]]
[[Category:Sequel films to television series]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1982 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction adventure films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]