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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

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" A Dying Planet. A Fight For Life. The Search For Spock. "

" All that they loved, all that they fought for, all that they stood for will now be put to the test… Join us on this, the final voyage of the starship Enterprise . "

Admiral James T. Kirk's defeat of Khan and the creation of the Genesis planet are empty victories. Spock is dead and McCoy is inexplicably being driven insane. An unexpected visit from Sarek, Spock's father, provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock's living essence. With one friend alive and one not, but both in pain, Kirk attempts to help his friends by stealing the Enterprise and defying Starfleet's Genesis planet quarantine. But the Klingons have also learned of Genesis and race to meet Kirk in a deadly rendezvous.

• 1.1 Act One
• 1.2 Act Two
• 1.3 Act Three
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1.1 Spock's rebirth
• 4.1.2 Destruction of the Enterprise
• 4.1.3 Deleted scenes
• 4.1.4.1 Concept art
• 4.1.4.2 Production gallery
• 4.1.4.3 Publicity photos
• 4.5.1 Trivia
• 4.6.1 Awards and honors
• 4.7 Merchandise gallery
• 4.8 Apocrypha
• 5.1.1 Opening credits
• 5.1.2 Closing credits
• 5.2.1 LCARS references
• 5.2.2 Meta references
• 5.2.3 Unreferenced material
• 5.3 External links

Summary [ ]

Act one [ ].

Limping home

As a result of Khan Noonien Singh 's attempt to kill James T. Kirk using the Genesis Device , Spock is dead and a new planet has been created from matter within the Mutara Nebula . Dejected over the loss of Spock, the crew returns to port aboard the Enterprise for essential repairs to their ship, which was severely damaged in the fierce battle against Khan .

A little over two hours away from the Spacedock One , Kirk asks Commander Pavel Chekov to take the science station – Spock's old post – for a pre-approach scan. He asks Uhura about an inquiry he made on Project Genesis : Uhura replies that there was not yet a response from Starfleet Command , which he finds odd. He then gets a status report from Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott , who says automation will be ready in time for docking, and states he can have the ship repaired for her next cruise within two weeks, compared to his usual recommended repair time of eight weeks. Kirk observes that Scott always multiplies his repair estimates by a factor of four in order to maintain his reputation as a miracle worker. Before leaving the bridge , handing Hikaru Sulu the command con, Foster , one of the few remaining Starfleet Academy cadets still aboard asks if a reception will greet them when they arrive at Earth. " A hero's welcome, son? Is that what you'd like? " Kirk asks the cadet. He adds in observation, " Well, God knows there should be. This time we paid for the party with our dearest blood. " With that, he enters an empty turbolift and becomes emotional about the loss of his old friend as the lift descends towards his quarters .

Kruge learns about Genesis

Meanwhile, somewhere off in space, a freighter with a female Klingon, Valkris , awaits somebody. That somebody is her lover, the warrior Kruge , who suddenly decloaks in a Klingon Bird-of-Prey , which dwarfs the freighter. Once there, she transmits data to the Bird-of-Prey, which from brief flashes can be ascertained to relate to Project Genesis. When Valkris reveals that she had seen the data, Kruge reluctantly determines that she must die, and subtly relays this to Valkris, who understands. After conveying their mutual admiration for each other, Kruge destroys the freighter with the Bird-of-Prey's disruptors . This also means he does not need to pay the freighter's crew for their work. After the freighter's destruction, he sets course for the Federation-Klingon neutral zone and orders one of his crew to feed his pet .

Welcome home, Enterprise

The Enterprise reaches Earth and approaches the mammoth Spacedock One . During the approach, they see a new ship: USS Excelsior , a part of " The Great Experiment ", an attempt at transwarp drive . Although Sulu seems to be in awe of the possible capabilities of the ship, Scott is less than impressed, commenting " If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon… " " Come, come, Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas. Be tolerant, " Kirk gently chides him. After the Enterprise is moored at the spacedock, Chekov, who is sitting at the science station, notes to Kirk that someone has entered Spock's quarters. When Uhura adds that the sealed room's door was forced open, Kirk goes down to investigate. After running down a corridor to Spock's quarters flanked by two security guards, he slowly enters through the damaged doors and, inside, he hears Spock's voice. " Jim, help me. You left me… on Genesis. Why did you do that? Help me… " Kirk runs forward and grabs the shadowed figure, finding the individual to be Dr. Leonard McCoy , mumbling about locations on Vulcan , particularly Mount Seleya , before fainting. Kirk calls Uhura to send medics to Spock's quarters, immediately.

" Uhura, get the medics down here! Get them now! "

Once Enterprise is docked, they are met by Fleet Admiral Morrow , Commander, Starfleet . In the ship's torpedo bay , he states that all crewmembers will be given the highest commendation of the Federation as well as extended shore leave , all except for Commander Scott who is being promoted to Captain and will serve as chief engineer aboard the Excelsior . Scott appreciates the sentiment, but would rather remain and help with the refit of the Enterprise. Morrow explains that the Enterprise is not to be refit, but is to be decommissioned instead. When Kirk protests, Morrow states to him, " Jim, the Enterprise is twenty years old. We feel her day is over. " Kirk voices his hope that one day, the Enterprise will be able to return to Genesis, but Morrow says that is out of the question, as, in Kirk's absence, Genesis has become a galactic controversy. Morrow orders the Enterprise crew that they are not to discuss with anyone their knowledge about Genesis. " Consider it a quarantined planet… and a forbidden subject. "

Life from lifelessness?

On the Bird-of-Prey, Kruge and his most trusted officers, Maltz and Torg , view the data on Project Genesis . The Klingons are impressed by the power, but Kruge bristles at the idea of the Federation making new planets for themselves. He resolves to travel to Genesis and seize whatever information he can. Kruge regards what he calls the " Genesis torpedo " as a powerful weapon, not a means of creating life. After he dismisses Maltz, he tells Torg that they will seize the secret of this supposed "weapon" for the preservation of their race.

The USS Grissom , with Lieutenant Saavik and Dr. David Marcus aboard, arrives at Genesis and begins using sensors to explore the surface. During the initial scans of the planet's biosphere, its sensor scans discover Spock's photon torpedo casket on the surface harboring a lifeform that they cannot identify. Saavik and David Marcus try to convince Captain J.T. Esteban to allow them to beam down and investigate closer. Due to the sensitive nature of Genesis, Esteban keeps Starfleet in the loop with their every move. However, he reluctantly permits them to beam down and check it out.

Kirk reviews the Battle in the Mutara Nebula

At Kirk's apartment in San Francisco on Earth, he, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura toast to "absent friends." Kirk reveals that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned. McCoy is sedated at home, apparently suffering "exhaustion," and promises he will behave himself. A chime at the door is anticipated by Kirk to be Scott, but is instead Sarek , who demands a word alone with him. After Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura leave, Sarek is upset that Kirk did not follow what would have been Spock's final wishes, but Kirk is unaware of any particular request Spock would have made, and had no physical contact with him in the immediate moment of his death. Sarek believed Kirk would hold Spock's katra , his living spirit, but after conducting a mind meld with Kirk, Sarek does not find it – since they were on opposite sides of a wall, Spock would not have been able to meld with him. Sarek dejectedly says that, since the katra was not passed to Kirk, all of Spock is lost forever and silently turns to leave.

Before he reaches the door, Kirk asks him to wait, since he knows that, if the katra is as important as Sarek suggests, one way or another, Spock would have found some way to save it. After reviewing flight recorder tapes from the time of Spock's death, they find out that it was Dr. McCoy that received his katra . Although it will be very difficult, Kirk swears to Sarek he will get Spock's body back and return him and Dr. McCoy to Mount Seleya on Vulcan so they can find peace.

The search is on

Back at Genesis, Saavik and David transport down to the surface to conduct a closer examination of the unidentified lifeform. The duo discovers them to be an evolved form of microbe that had been present on the casket's surface when it was launched from the Enterprise . Opening the casket, they are puzzled to find Spock's body missing entirely, although they recover his burial robe. Before the scientists can speculate further, they are interrupted by what sounds like somebody screaming in the distance, and Saavik and Marcus set off to find the source.

Act Two [ ]

" The word is no. I am therefore going anyway. "

Kirk's attempt to get the Enterprise back runs afoul of Admiral Morrow. In a bar at Starfleet Headquarters , despite Kirk's plea, Morrow does not give him back Enterprise , and explicitly orders him not to return to Genesis, warning him, as a friend, to stop obsessing over this or it will ruin his career and he will destroy himself. Considering Morrow's words for just a moment, Kirk tells the admiral that he hears him and says he had to at least try. Kirk thanks Morrow for the drink and gets up to leave. Upon seeing Sulu and Chekov standing near the bar's exit, Kirk tells them, " The word – is "no." I am therefore going anyway. " With the help of his loyal crew, Kirk then begins to put his plan into motion.

Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy, influenced by the katra , attempts to charter a black market civilian ship to Genesis, independent of his shipmates' efforts. Upon meeting his nameless alien contact, McCoy attempts to negotiate terms of passage without revealing the exact details of his ultimate destination, but the alien presses harder, and as the conversation escalates, McCoy reveals that the destination is the Genesis planet. The alien refuses very loudly, due to the planet's recent forbidden status, but McCoy persists when he is interrupted by Federation Security and arrested. He tries to nerve pinch the security officer, but is unsuccessful. " You're going to have a nice, long rest doctor, " the officer says while McCoy raises an eyebrow. Kirk and Sulu are subsequently forced to rescue the doctor. In the process they assault Federation personnel and the trio barely escape from the brig before the security officers arrive.

" How many fingers do I have up? "

Despite being reassigned to Excelsior , Scott has been secretly making essential repairs to the Enterprise in addition to slaving the ship's controls to the main bridge. The commanding officer of the Excelsior , Captain Lawrence H. Styles , makes an offhanded remark to Scott about looking forward to breaking the speed records of the Enterprise the next day, which doesn't sit well with Scott at all. After asking the Excelsior 's turbolift to take him to the transporter room and the computer thanks him, he responds " Up your shaft. " Uhura accepts a post as a transporter operator at Old City Station in San Francisco , with the covert task of beaming Kirk and company aboard the Enterprise at the required moment. Kirk and his crew arrive in the transporter station and Uhura locks the junior officer in the closet while she beams the officers to the Enterprise . Before she energizes she tells her friends that she will meet them at rendezvous point and says to Kirk " all my hopes " and the crew are beamed to Enterprise , which is still docked within spacedock.

" Someone is stealing the Enterprise ! "

Scott has set up an automation system to allow control of the Enterprise just from the bridge. " A chimpanzee and two trainees could run her, " he assures the admiral. Although Kirk cannot ask his friends to go further, and that only he and McCoy must continue, Sulu, Chekov, and Scott hear none of it and insist on joining the flight. Kirk orders one-quarter impulse and the Enterprise begins its departure from spacedock. Unable to stop the Enterprise from opening the massive bay doors in spacedock, the Excelsior is ordered to pursue. Styles sends a message to Kirk threatening him that if he goes through with this he will never sit in a captain's chair again. Kirk considers this for a brief moment but refuses to give up on Spock. " Warp speed, " Kirk orders Sulu. The Enterprise engages warp drive. Styles prepares to send the Excelsior into transwarp to intercept the Enterprise as soon as possible. However, due to sabotage carried out on its transwarp computer drive by Scott, the Excelsior 's transwarp drive fails to activate and comes to a rough halt as the Enterprise escapes at warp speed. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise , Scott hands McCoy a handful of parts from Excelsior 's transwarp drive computer as a souvenir " from one surgeon to another. " Commenting on the excellent work, Kirk jokes that he will recommend his crew for promotions… " in whatever fleet we end up serving. " The Enterprise goes to its best possible speed, bound for Genesis.

The Vulcan child

Unaware of events back in the Sol system, Saavik and Dr. Marcus locate a young Vulcan boy in the snow among large cactus and conclude that it is Spock, somehow regenerated by the same process that created the Genesis planet. Relaying this surprising information to the Grissom , Captain Esteban is reluctant to permit Spock to be beamed aboard the ship immediately, and would prefer to contact Starfleet Command to receive instructions. This turns out to be fortuitous; shortly afterward, Kruge's Bird-of-Prey decloaks. The USS Grissom is unintentionally destroyed by a "lucky shot" from the ship's gunner. Kruge is furious, as he had desired to take the science ship, and its data, intact, and the crew as prisoners. Kruge summarily executes the gunner, vaporizing him with his disruptor. Torg points out to Kruge that there are life signs on the planet and surmises that it is a landing party , which pleases Kruge. Now marooned on the surface and in danger of being captured, Saavik, Marcus, and Spock flee to more defensible ground.

The cruise of Enterprise to the Genesis planet goes well. As Kirk asks for a scan ahead for any vessels pursuing the stolen Federation ship, Dr. McCoy, who is at the science station, gives an impression of Spock while reporting that they have not detected any vessels in pursuit of the Enterprise , to Kirk's amusement. Later on, Chekov reports that Starfleet is transmitting a message to Grissom , warning them of the approach of the stolen Enterprise , but that Grissom is not responding. Kirk wonders aloud what Grissom is up to, having not responded to earlier messages, and wonders how the science vessel will respond when Enterprise arrives at Genesis: whether she'll join Enterprise or fire on her. He orders Chekov to break radio silence and send his compliments to Captain Esteban.

Vulcan mating season

Kruge and several members of his crew beam to the surface of the Genesis planet to pursue the surviving crew of the Grissom . Saavik finally finds out why the Genesis planet is changing so rapidly: David had used protomatter in the Genesis matrix, a substance known to be unstable. The Genesis planet is not likely to remain stable for very long, and it is causing the rapid evolution of the lifeforms on the planet as well as making Spock age rapidly. As night falls on the planet, David guards the location where he, Saavik and Spock are hiding. After discussing Spock's difficult adolescence that lies ahead of him, David detects life forms approaching their position from his tricorder . Saavik offers to confront them but David instead insists on intercepting them, asking for her phaser . Later, Spock, now aged to adolescence, begins to experience pon farr . Saavik determines that the only way Spock will make it through this portion of his accelerated growth would be for her to mate with him.

Sitting duck

Spock, Saavik, and David held prisoner by Kruge

As Enterprise approaches the Genesis planet, they briefly detect a ship, but it vanishes. They scan the planet, looking for life on it, and attempt to hail the Grissom . Meanwhile, as day breaks at their hiding place, Saavik and Spock are captured by the Klingons, as well as a beaten David Marcus. Kruge demands to know the secrets of the Genesis Project, but neither Marcus nor Saavik are forthcoming, and tell Kruge that the project was a failure. Shortly after, Kruge returns to his Bird-of-Prey to confront the Enterprise . As they sneak closer, Kirk and Sulu notice spatial distortions caused by the Bird-of-Prey's cloaking device. As soon as the Klingon vessel decloaks, Enterprise reflexively fires two photon torpedoes, both hitting the Bird-of-Prey's hull . The advantage proves short-lived however as, after the initial shock of being hit, the Klingons swiftly regain control of their vessel and bear down on the Enterprise . Chekov tries to raise the Enterprise 's shields , but finds the system non-responsive, and Scott reports that the automation system is overloading under the strain of the unexpected combat situation. The Bird-of-Prey fires one plasma charge , which strikes the Enterprise near the bridge, causing a series of internal explosions. The crew recovers and Kirk orders emergency power be engaged and to return fire; before Scott can do so though, the helm console sparks and bursts into flames, and Scott grimly informs Kirk that the automation system has been destroyed by the Klingon blast, leaving him having no control over any system, the ship dead in space. " So – we're a sitting duck, " Kirk grimly notes.

" Admiral, David is dead. "

" You Klingon bastards, you've killed my son! "

Aboard the Bird-of-Prey, Kruge becomes suspicious that the Enterprise isn't putting up more of a fight, considering it has far heavier armaments than his ship. Kirk then hails the Bird-of-Prey, demanding that the crew surrender within two minutes or face destruction. Kruge determines that Enterprise is less of a threat than Kirk is letting on, and calls Kirk's bluff, ordering him to surrender instead. He reveals that he has prisoners on the surface. Both Marcus and Saavik speak to Kirk by communicator and Saavik reveals that Spock is with them, alive. Marcus says that he can't believe that Kruge would kill them for Genesis, since the project was a failure. Kruge challenges that by ordering his men on the surface to kill any one of the prisoners. One of the men stalks behind the Grissom prisoners with his d'k tahg knife unsheathed. He chooses Saavik. However, as he rears back to sink the blade into the Vulcan's back, Marcus jumps backward and attacks the Klingon. Thoroughly outmatched physically, Marcus is knocked down and stabbed through the heart, while both Spock and Saavik can only watch and do nothing. With the Klingon communicator forced in her face, Saavik simply intones, " Admiral, David is dead. "

The death of the Enterprise

Completely devastated, Kirk stumbles back, and falls to the deck in front of his chair, cursing the Klingons for the needless death of his only son. Kruge is unmoved however, and threatens to have Saavik and Spock killed if Kirk refuses to surrender. The admiral finally gives in, and Kruge gives Kirk two minutes to prepare to be boarded. After taking a moment to quietly grieve David's death, Kirk consults with Sulu as to the crew numbers of a Bird-of-Prey, realizing that their only chance of survival is to eliminate as many of the Klingons as possible in one go. Kirk orders McCoy and Sulu to go to the transporter room and set beam-down coordinates for the planet below, while he, Scott, and Chekov activate the ship's auto-destruct sequence from the science station. With the sixty-second countdown begun, Kirk, Scott, and Chekov make a hasty departure to the transporter room, and then the five crewmembers leave the Enterprise for the last time. Moments later, the Klingons board the ship and begin stalking their way to the bridge. Torg becomes suspicious while storming through the Enterprise 's corridors with his men, finding no crewmembers to confront them.

"My God, Bones… what have I done?"

The Enterprise burning in Genesis' atmosphere

Arriving on the bridge, Torg signals Kruge and informs him the ship is deserted, the only voice coming from the computer as it counts down to zero. Kruge frantically tries to warn his crew to get off the ship; however, it is too late and the auto-destruct detonates: the bridge is engulfed in explosions that instantly kill the Klingon boarding party. As the saucer disintegrates in a series of explosions, a final detonation destroys the primary hull and knocks the lifeless hulk that was once the USS Enterprise out of orbit and into the atmosphere of Genesis. Safe on the planet's surface, Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, and Chekov watch on a plateau as their starship streaks across the atmosphere, burning up when it contacts the planet's atmosphere. Blinking hard to fight back tears, Kirk asks McCoy for guidance. All McCoy can offer is that Kirk did what he had to do and what he always has done: turn death into a fighting chance to live.

Act Three [ ]

Kirk observes Armageddon

Sulu detects lifeforms with his tricorder only a few kilometers away, and more worryingly that the planet's structure is beginning to totally destabilize. In that direction, Spock is going through a series of painful physical changes. He throws one of his two remaining Klingon guards to their death. The Enterprise crew finds them, and Kirk shoots the remaining Klingon. As McCoy examines Spock, who is now physically near his actual age, Kirk tends to David's body, covering him with his jacket. Saavik tells Kirk he gave his life to save her and Spock. McCoy says Spock is rapidly aging, but has no mind; McCoy suspects he possesses all of Spock's mentality .

Kirk taunts Kruge, who is mourning his crew, as a way to goad him into beaming them aboard the ship before the planet destroys itself. Kruge himself beams down to the planet instead and holds them all at gunpoint, ordering Maltz to beam up Sulu, Chekov, Scott, McCoy, and Saavik, but leaving Kirk and Spock. Kruge demands Genesis, over Kirk's protests that it is a failure, evidenced by the disintegrating planet they're on. Kruge and Kirk fight; Kruge is prepared to kill himself in the battle. The two eventually end up on a cliff-side overlooking a lava stream, and Kruge nearly falls to his death when part of the cliff breaks off. Kirk offers to save Kruge's life by extending his hand to help, but he tries to drag Kirk into the chasm along with him, and Kirk finally declares that he has had enough of the Klingon and kicks him in the face three times until he falls off the side of the cliff. As he plummets, the Klingon commander disappears in a flash of flame. Kirk retrieves Spock, who is now unconscious, but back to the physical age he was when he died, and tricks Maltz into beaming him on board the Bird-of-Prey by impersonating Kruge. Maltz, the last remaining member of his crew, surrenders, and Kirk gives him the choice of helping the Enterprise crew or dying, and Maltz is content to let the ship be destroyed when the planet below explodes. " Fine, I'll kill you later, " Kirk says. Scott, Sulu, and Chekov figure out the Klingon propulsion systems, and they set a course for Vulcan as the Genesis planet finally begins to blow itself apart. Once safely away from the self-destructing planet, Kirk quietly says his farewell to his son. He then orders Chekov to hold Maltz prisoner, but Maltz protests that Kirk stated he would kill him. Kirk intones, " I lied, " and stands by his order.

In a medical bay aboard the Klingon vessel, McCoy tries to converse with Spock's unconscious body. McCoy tells Spock of the katra that he had put into him in the Enterprise 's engine room , asking him to remember that. Still getting no response, McCoy tells his old Vulcan rival that he is going to say something that he never thought he'd hear himself say – he has missed Spock since his death and he doesn't know if he could stand to lose him again.

The Bird-of-Prey lands near Mount Seleya, where it is greeted by Sarek and Uhura. After Spock's body is taken up telekinetically to Mount Seleya, followed by Sarek, Kirk and company, a ceremony is then officiated by the Vulcan priestess T'Lar , who determines that Spock, indeed, is alive. Sarek, stating that his logic is uncertain as far as his son is concerned, requests that Spock's katra be reintegrated with its body in the fal-tor-pan ceremony. McCoy agrees to this despite being warned that there are risks involved. T'Lar initiates a mind meld with Spock and McCoy, and begins the ritual to restore Spock's soul.

The ceremony proceeds through the long night. As day breaks, T'Lar is escorted away in her sedan as McCoy wearily informs Kirk that's he's all right. When Kirk asks Sarek about Spock, the Vulcan can only reply "Only time will answer." As he begins to thank Kirk for his actions, the admiral cuts in saying that he did what he had to do. Sarek, with a hint of sorrow, asks Kirk if the price he paid with the loss of the Enterprise and his son was worth all of the effort. Kirk replies that if he hadn't tried, he would have paid with his own soul.

" My father says that you have been my friend… you came back for me. "

At first, Spock and two Vulcan priests walk past the Enterprise crew without a glance, but Spock removes his hood, turns back and then regards each of them, trying to remember a fragment of a memory of any of them. As he approaches Kirk, he regards him carefully and states that Sarek has told him that Kirk was his friend, that he came back for him. Kirk replies that Spock would have done the same for him. Spock, puzzled, asks why Kirk would do such a thing. Remembering what Spock had told him as he slowly died in the engine room of the Enterprise about the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, Kirk turns it back and explains to Spock that in this case, " the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many. "

The needs of the one

In Spock, the memory begins to surface and he echoes back to Kirk " I have been and ever shall be your friend. " Kirk, encouraging, tells Spock that he is correct. He also remembers more from his last meeting with Kirk, asking if the Enterprise is out of the danger that Khan had forced them into. Kirk tries to continue to jog Spock's memory by telling him he saved the ship – he saved them all. Spock, considering Kirk, looks at him guardedly: " Jim. Your name… is Jim… " Kirk smiles and says " Yes! " Spock, almost contented with the success, regards Dr. McCoy who taps his finger to his head knowingly and in a moment of overwhelming joy, the rest of the Enterprise crew welcomes Spock back as the sun rises over Vulcan.

" … and the Adventure continues … "

Log entries [ ]

" USS Enterprise , Captain's personal log . With most of our battle damage repaired, we're almost home. Yet I feel uneasy, and I wonder why. Perhaps it's the emptiness of this vessel. Most of our trainee crew have been reassigned. Lieutenant Saavik and my son, David, are exploring the Genesis planet which he helped create. And Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No, more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. It seems I have left the noblest part of myself back there… on that newborn planet. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" And Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No, more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. "

" Sir? I was wondering… are they planning a ceremony when we get in? I mean a reception? " " A hero's welcome, son? Is that what you'd like? Well, God knows there should be. This time we paid for the party with our dearest blood. "

" Until the Federation Council makes policy, you are all under orders not to discuss with anyone your knowledge of Genesis. Consider it a quarantined planet and a forbidden subject. "

" Impressive. They can make planets. " " Oh, yes. New cities and homes in the country. Your woman at your side. Children playing at your feet, and overhead, fluttering in the breeze, the flag of the Federation! Charming. "

" Regulations specifically state nothing shall be beamed aboard until danger of contamination has been eliminated. "

" Beaming down to the surface is permitted. " "If the Captain decides that the mission is vital and reasonably free of danger. "

" To absent friends. "

" The Council has ordered that no one but the science team goes to Genesis! "

" What'll it be? " " Altair water. " (giggles) " That's not your usual poison. " " To expect one to order poison in a bar is not logical. "

" All right, dammit! It's Genesis! The name of the place we're going is Genesis!" " GENESIS!? " " Yes! Genesis!! How can you be deaf with ears like that!? " " Genesis allowed, is not! It's planet forbidden! "

" Sir, I'm sorry, but your voice is carrying. I don't think you want to be discussing this subject in public. " " I'll discuss what I like! And who in the hell are you? " " Could I offer you a ride home, Dr. McCoy? " " Where's the logic in offering me a ride home, you idiot? If I wanted a ride home, would I be trying to charter a space flight? "

" Make it quick, Admiral. They're moving him to the Federation funny farm. " " Yes, poor friend. I hear he's nutty as a fruitcake. "

" How many fingers do I have up? " (Makes a Vulcan hand salute) " That's not very damn funny. " " Your sense of humor's returned. " " The hell it has! "

" You're suffering from a Vulcan mind meld, doctor. " " That green-blooded son of a bitch! It's his revenge for all the arguments he lost. "

" Keeping you busy? " " Don't get smart, Tiny. "

" That's Admiral Kirk, my God! " " Very good for you, Lieutenant. " " But it's damned irregular. No destination orders. No encoded IDs. " " All true. " " Well, what are we going to do about it? " " I'm not going to do anything about it. You're going to sit in the closet. " " The closet ? What, have you lost all your sense of reality? " " This isn't reality. " (turns and points a phaser at him) " This is fantasy ! You wanted adventure, how's this? The old adrenaline going, huh? Good boy. Now get in the closet! " " Okay, um… " " Go on, go on. " " I'll just get in the closet. "

" I'm glad you're on our side. "

" Ah, Mr. Scott! Calling it a night? " " Uh, yes sir. " " Turning in myself, looking forward to breaking the Enterprise 's speed records tomorrow. " " Ah, yes sir. Good night. "

" Level, please. " " Transporter room. " " Thank you. " " Up your shaft. "

" A chimpanzee and two trainees could run her. " " Thank you, Mister Scott. I'll try not to take that personally. "

" And… now, Mr. Scott. " " Sir? " " The doors, Mr. Scott! " " Aye, sir, I'm working on it! "

" Kirk! If you do this, you'll never sit in the captain's chair again. "

" Scotty… as good as your word. " " Aye, sir. The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain! (to McCoy) Here, doctor. Souvenirs… from one surgeon to another. I took them out of her main transwarp computer drive. "

" Gentlemen, your work today has been outstanding. I intend to recommend you all for promotion… in whatever fleet we end up serving. "

" Sir, may I suggest… " (points his weapon at Torg) " Say the wrong thing, Torg!! " " That if it's prisoners you want, there are life signs on the planet, perhaps the very scientists you seek. " (lowers his weapon) " Very good. "

" How are we doing? " " How are we doing? Funny you should put it that way, Jim. We are doing fine. But I'd feel a lot safer giving him one of my kidneys than what's scrambled in my brain! "

" Hello, sir. It's David. " " I'm sorry I'm late. " " It's OK; I should've known you'd come. But Saavik's right. This planet is unstable; it's going to destroy itself in a matter of hours. " " David, what went wrong? " I went wrong. " " I don't understand. " " I'm sorry, sir. Just don't surrender. Genesis doesn't work. I can't believe they'd kill us for it. "

" You Klingon bastard! You've killed my son! "

" There are two more prisoners, Admiral. You want them killed, too? Surrender your vessel. "

" Bones, you and Sulu to the transporter room. The rest of you with me, we have a job to do. "

" Destruct sequence completed and engaged. Awaiting final code for one minute countdown. " " Code zero, zero, zero...destruct...zero. " " Destruct sequence is activated. "

" Nine, eight, seven, six, five... " " GET OUT! GET OUT OF THERE! GET OUT! " " ...One... "

" My God, Bones. What have I done? " " What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live. "

" Klingon Commander! This is Admiral James T. Kirk! I'm alive and well on the planet surface! I know this will come as a pleasant surprise for you, but our ship was a victim of an unfortunate accident! Sorry about your crew, but as we say on Earth, c'est la vie . I have what you want. I have the secret of Genesis. But you're gonna have to bring us up there to get it. You hear me? I'm waiting for you! What is your answer? "

" You fool, look around you! The planet's destroying itself. " " Yes! Exhilarating, isn't it? " " If we don't help each other, we'll die here. " " Perfect. Then that's the way it shall be! "

" You – help us or die. " " I do not deserve to live. " " Fine, I'll kill you later. "

" Where's the damn antimatter inducer? " " This? No, this. " " That, or nothing! "

" Wait! You said you would kill me! " " I lied. "

" I'm going to tell you something that I never thought I'd hear myself say. But it seems that I've missed you. And I don't know if I could stand to lose you again. "

" What you seek has not been done since ages past, and then only in legend. Your request is not logical. " " Forgive me, T'Lar. My logic is uncertain where my son is concerned. "

" McCoy, son of David, since thou art Human, we cannot expect thee to understand fully what Sarek has requested. Spock's body lives. With your approval, we shall use all our powers to return to his body that which you possess. "

" The danger to thyself is as grave as the danger to Spock. You must make the choice. " " I choose the danger! " (muttered) " Hell of a time to ask… "

" Kirk, I thank you. What you've done is – " " What I've done, I had to do. " " But at what cost? Your ship. Your son. " " If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul. "

" My father says that you have been my friend. You came back for me. " " You would have done the same for me. " " Why would you do this? " " Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many. "

" Jim. Your name is Jim. "

Background information [ ]

Production [ ].

• Harve Bennett 's twenty-page outline for this film was entitled Return To Genesis and is dated 16 September 1982 . [1] Bennett has said in various interviews and the Star Trek III DVD that the script was the easiest he had ever written, starting at the end of the movie with Spock alive again and working backwards from that point. Bennett also said that Paramount green-lighted this film faster than any film he ever worked on, having been told to "Start writing Star Trek III " within days of the release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
• According to an article on io9.com Harve Bennett's original outline for Star Trek III would have involved Romulans coming to Genesis instead of Klingons and them finding the world very rich in dilithium. The Romulans then begin to mine the planet until the miners begin being killed by a feral Spock, whose aging was still tied to the aging of the planet. At the same time, Vulcan, upon hearing of the Genesis Device, is so horrified to discover that the Federation created such a potential weapon they want to secede from the Federation. This would have sent Kirk to Vulcan, with the crew of the Enterprise , to face the angry Vulcans. In the article, Robert Meyer Burnett argues that this would have been a more serious, "perilous" and above all epic story than the actual produced and released film – and it would have featured a Romulan commander along the lines of the thoughtful antagonist from the original Romulan story, " Balance of Terror ".
• In an early draft of the script, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was originally to be a stolen Romulan vessel (the red "feather design" of the wings' underside was designed with the original Romulan Bird-of-Prey in mind), but that detail was dropped from the final draft.
• A copy of Bennett's original storyline was leaked to fans in February 1983 , forcing him to rewrite the script, changing many of the film's original details and events. This forced the original release date to change from the Christmas of 1983, when production was delayed until 15 August 1983 , partially due to the rewrite. ( Starlog #77, December 1983 , p. 15)
• After filming on Star Trek III began on Monday, 15 August 1983 . The opening scene on the Enterprise bridge was the first to be filmed. The last shot was taken at Thursday, 20 October 1983 on the Excelsior bridge . When the film was released, the box office receipts were strong. The film grossed US$16.7 million in its opening weekend, approximately US$2.4 million more than Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan made when it first opened. In the long run, however, Star Trek III grossed a total of US$76.5 million domestically, falling just short of Star Trek II 's US$78.9 million gross.
• During production, a fire broke out behind the Paramount lot which caused minor damage to the Genesis Planet set. Among those who assisted in putting out the fire was actor William Shatner. According to his Star Trek Movie Memories , Shatner was in full Kirk costume and makeup when he helped with the fire. Shatner also accounted in his book that he was terrified the fire was going to hold up filming and thereby make him late for reporting back to start filming the new season of TJ Hooker , the police drama that Shatner was starring in at the time that Star Trek III (and later Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ) was filmed.

Spock's rebirth [ ]

• Actor and director Leonard Nimoy also worked on the film's story, but his contribution went uncredited. " The only time there was any conflict about the movie's content happened during pre-production, when I said I was satisfied with the final script, and was ready to start shooting. The executives had some reservations about ending the picture on Vulcan. I felt, very, very strongly about that final sequence. I wanted to end the film by bringing Spock to Vulcan, and going through the ritual. I believed it would work, and that the audience would enjoy it. " Nimoy explained, " Not being so familiar with Star Trek , the executives didn't understand what that sequence would mean to the audience. They were worried about it, and tried to convince me to substitute a different ending. They wanted to end with the dramatic escape from the Genesis planet, getting Kirk and Spock on board the Klingon Bird of Prey , reviving Spock in the sick bay, doing a little tag scene and going home. " To that end, Nimoy said he " argue vehemently that we had to have the sequence on Vulcan. Showing Spock on his planet, among his people, trying to remember his friends, would be a moving scene. I managed to convince them that I wanted to do it my way, and they agreed. I didn't discuss the film with them again until I showed them my first cut. " ( Starlog #106, May 1986 , p. 52)
• There is an extra long pause between William Shatner's name and DeForest Kelley's during the opening credits where Leonard Nimoy's name would have been. To keep secret Leonard Nimoy's participation in this movie as an actor, official daily call sheets mentioned the adult Spock character only as "Nacluv" ("Vulcan" spelled backwards), played by " Frank Force ". Nimoy continued the joke by using the pseudonym in the end credits for his cameo role as the ( Excelsior ) elevator voice.
• After the Enterprise escapes from Spacedock, when Kirk orders a scan "for vessels in pursuit," an off-screen McCoy responds " scanning: indications negative at this time. " However, it is in actuality the voice of Leonard Nimoy that the audience hears. This is left as an open-ended question to whether it is McCoy performing an impersonation, or more likely, another manifestation of Spock's katra (spirit), as witnessed in the scene in Spock's quarters, in which McCoy sits in the shadows, but speaks in Spock's voice.

Destruction of the Enterprise [ ]

• According to director/producer commentary for the two-disc DVD release, the destruction of the Enterprise was to be a secret (like Luke Skywalker's father in the Star Wars franchise), but the Paramount promotional department made this the biggest point of the initial trailers, calling it "The Death of the Enterprise "; Harve Bennett had objected to this and tried to have the trailers changed so as to not spoil the surprise, but lost out. Despite the heightened security precautions implemented during filming, word of the ship's destruction was leaked during production, in an incident that some have attributed to Gene Roddenberry himself.
• In a 1987 interview with the Official Star Trek Fan Club magazine, Harve Bennett said that the destruction of the Enterprise was not in the original drafts of the script and was added later in writing when he and Leonard Nimoy realized they needed a dramatic life or death decision. After the film was finished, Bennett said he quietly vowed to restore the Enterprise at the proper time. The Enterprise was restored in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with the introduction of the USS Enterprise -A .

Deleted scenes [ ]

The filming of the turbolift scene

• A scene between Kirk and McCoy in a turbolift was filmed for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock but was ultimately cut. ( Starlog , issue 87, p. 20) This scene was included in the comic Star Trek III: The Search for Spock adaptation. An image from the production of this scene, with Leonard Nimoy directing William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , was published in Starlog (issue 88, p. 23).
• Scene 276 : A scene scripted to feature the Enterprise crew carrying Spock up the stairs to Mount Seleya . In this scene, credited actress Katherine Blum – as the Vulcan child – released herself from her father and went to Spock, performed the Vulcan salute , and said " Live long and prosper, Spock. "

• Another scene which was filmed for the movie but eventually omitted was set inside the Vulcan Hall of Ancient Thought . ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 61; Cinefantastique , Vol. 17, No. 3/4, p. 68; The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 53)

Behind the scenes [ ]

Concept art [ ].

Production gallery [ ]

Publicity photos [ ]

• Leonard Nimoy originally wanted Edward James Olmos as Kruge , but Paramount Pictures nixed the casting, while Olmos went on to play William Adama in Ronald D. Moore 's Battlestar Galactica revival in 2003.
• This movie marks the first live-action appearance of Ambassador Sarek ( Mark Lenard ) since his introduction seventeen years earlier in TOS : " Journey to Babel ". In the interim, he appeared in TAS : " Yesteryear ".
• Judi Durand voices her first computer in this movie. She can be heard announcing that the space doors are closed. She went on to play the Cardassian Computer Voice in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
• Paramount continued its practice of seeking design patents for designs from the Star Trek movies with this film as well. It obtained patents for several props, the Excelsior , and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
• During the scene where Kirk asks Admiral Morrow for permission to return to the Genesis Planet, part of the Epsilon IX station from Star Trek: The Motion Picture can be seen as a wall decoration hanging in the background, and when they reach the turbo shaft, the other half can be seen.

The Klingon D'k tagh

• The Klingon d'k tahg is first introduced in this film.
• Several costumes, props, and set dressing from this film were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a pair of Vulcan gloves, [2] a lot of Genesis microbes , [3] Scott McGinnis ' undershirt, [4] and one of Robin Curtis ' costumes. [5]
• The bar in San Francisco, in which McCoy meets the alien, is a reused part from the sickbay of the Enterprise .
• For the bridge of the Grissom , the regular Enterprise bridge was used, with the captain's chair and the helm console twisted around. The covers of the seats were changed from white to pink.
• For the transporter complex, where Uhura beamed Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu to the Enterprise , the interiors from the Regula I space station were used.
• The climactic fight between Kirk and Kruge was originally supposed to feature huge boulders that would "burst" up from the ground. On the day of shooting, however, the boulders failed to work properly and the scene was shot without them (however, one of them worked correctly and was used to propel Kruge into the air to attack Kirk at the onset of their fight).

Reception [ ]

• This film failed to impress Ronald Reagan , when he viewed it at the White House on 23 June 1984 . Reagan mentioned the film in his diaries, commenting, " After dinner we ran Star Trek III . It wasn't too good. " Despite this, he watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home two years later. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 160 , p. 53)
• In Britain, the film was released on 27 July 1984 . It reached no.2 in the box office charts, but eventually rose to no.1 late in its run. It was however the lowest performing Star Trek film at the UK box office overall with only £1,096,042. [8]
• Star Trek III: The Search For Spock had its broadcast network television premiere on ABC on September 28, 1987 (coinciding with the syndicated debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation ), to compensate for the loss of that evening's Monday Night Football (due to the 1987 NFL strike).

Awards and honors [ ]

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock received the following awards and honors:

Merchandise gallery [ ]

Apocrypha [ ]

The novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock shows that from her transporter station, Uhura was monitoring Starfleet channels and helping to jam and distort channels in order to aid in Kirk and company's escape attempt. Also, after Excelsior was disabled, it issued a distress call, and Uhura intercepted and dumped it, thinking that as Styles had usurped what was supposed to be Sulu's command, that he could sit out there and stew for a while. After the escape of Enterprise , Uhura quickly ran to the Vulcan Embassy and asked for asylum from Sarek, which he granted to her despite the protestations of Starfleet security who had followed Uhura there.

In the novelization, after their escape from Genesis, Saavik speculates to Kirk that billions of years in the future, the matter that formed the Genesis system may again coalesce into another star system, this time lacking the protomatter that doomed it and this time, the system should be stable and may well turn out in the way that David and Carol and their friends all intended. The novelization and the children's read-along storybook also referenced the intended fate for the Genesis planet in the shooting script: it was to fall into its sun (parts of this are seen in the finished film: as the Bird-of-Prey begins to make its escape, the planet is clearly shown to be very close to the sun, as well as the fact that Kirk's face seems to get yellower as he calls for beam-out). In the novel, the planet falls into its sun, and the sun itself expands and is reduced to a cloud of plasma.

The novelization also includes several scenes that were not in the film or script at all, such as a wake aboard the Enterprise for Spock (and by extension, everyone who died in The Wrath of Khan ) that goes badly; a debriefing with Captain Esteban that ends with a rift forming between Kirk and David; the recovery of bodies from the Regula One laboratory; the escape of two survivors from the merchant ship that was destroyed by the Bird of Prey; Sulu being informed that, because he was aboard the Enterprise during events that were going to be classified by Starfleet, command of the Excelsior was being given to Styles; a relationship forming between David and Saavik; and the discovery that the plants in the Genesis Cave had mutated and secreted a substance that was a powerful narcotic.

Links and references [ ]

Credits [ ], opening credits [ ].

• William Shatner
• DeForest Kelley
• James Doohan
• George Takei
• Walter Koenig
• Nichelle Nichols
• Mark Lenard as Sarek
• Merritt Butrick as David
• Dame Judith Anderson
• Robin Curtis as Lt. Saavik
• Christopher Lloyd as Kruge
• Gene Roddenberry
• James Horner
• Ralph Winter
• Robert F. Shugrue
• John E. Chilberg II
• Charles Correll , ASC
• Gary Nardino
• Harve Bennett
• Leonard Nimoy

Closing credits [ ]

• James B. Sikking
• Allan Miller
• Carl Steven
• Vadia Potenza
• Stephen Manley
• Joe W. Davis
• Michael P. Schoenbrun
• James Hockridge
• Ken Stringer
• Robert Fletcher
• David Nowell , SOC
• Robert A. Torres
• Alfredo R. Sepulveda
• Michael Scott , SOC
• Norman E. Parker
• Gene S. Cantamessa , CAS
• Raul A. Bruce
• Agnes G. Henry
• Jean Merrick
• Dan Bronson
• Joseph Markham
• The Burman Studio ( Barney Burman & Rob Burman )
• James L. McCoy
• Silvia Abascal
• Paul Abascal
• Carol O'Connell
• Lily La Cava
• Norm Glasser
• "Big" Ed Cooper
• Dennis Harper
• Clarence Ebert
• Jon Falkengren
• Ronald E. Greenwood
• Jerry Kobold
• Charlie Russo
• Ron Galloway
• Thomas R. Homsher
• Dennis K. Petersen
• Tony Vandenecker
• Peter G. Evangelatos
• Scott Goodale
• Ed Charnock, Jr.
• Dennis C. Ivanjack
• Cameron Birnie
• Blake Russell
• Robert D. Mayne
• Lynn Harman
• Robert Morgan
• John Shannon
• Martin X. Chielens
• John A. Hagger
• Terry P. Haggar
• Cecelia Hall
• George Watters II
• John Leveque
• Paul Bruce Richardson
• Sean Hanley
• Ron Horwitz
• Pamela Bentkowski
• Dan O'Connell
• Ellen Heuer
• Danniel F. Finnerty
• Bruce D. Fortune
• Alan Howarth
• Frank Serafine
• Tom Johnson
• Robert Badami
• Greig Mc Ritchie
• David J. Hudson
• Robert W. Glass, Jr.
• Dr. Richard H. Green
• Marc Okrand
• Debbie Schwab
• Cynthia Riddle
• Joel Marston
• Andre Tayir
• Barbara Arms
• Barbara Harris
• Sylvia Rubinstein
• Teresa E. Victor
• Deborah Arakelian
• Industrial Light & Magic , Marin County, California
• Kenneth Ralston
• David Carson
• Kenneth F. Smith
• Scott Farrar
• Selwyn Eddy III
• Peter Daulton
• Robert Hill
• Patrick McArdle
• Ray Gilberti
• Toby Heindel
• Donald Clark
• Ralph Gordon
• David Berry
• Warren Franklin
• Laurie Vermont
• Steve Gawley
• William George
• William Beck
• Richard Davis
• Michael Fulmer
• David Sosalla
• Michael Pangrazio
• Chris Evans
• Frank Ordaz
• Craig Barron
• Charles Mullen
• Bruce Walters
• Phillip Norwood
• Bill Kimberlin
• Jay Ignaszewski
• Ted Moehnke
• ILM Stage Crew
• Terry Chostner
• Michael MacKenzie
• The Burbank Studios
• Hal Landaker
• Alan Landaker
• Rick Whitfield
• Symbolics, Inc. , Graphics Division
• Omnibus Video, Inc.
• Strayframes
• Stuart Jensen
• Elza Bergeron
• Mary Ann Barton
• Kirk – William Shatner
• Spock – Leonard Nimoy
• McCoy – DeForest Kelley
• Scotty – James Doohan
• Chekov – Walter Koenig
• Sulu – George Takei
• Uhura – Nichelle Nichols
• Saavik – Robin Curtis
• David – Merritt Butrick
• Trainee Foster – Phil Morris
• " Mr. Adventure " – Scott McGinnis
• Admiral Morrow – Robert Hooks
• Spock...Age 9 – Carl Steven
• Spock...Age 13 – Vadia Potenza
• Spock...Age 17 – Stephen Manley
• Spock...Age 25 – Joe W. Davis
• Captain – Paul Sorensen
• Valkris – Cathie Shirriff
• Kruge – Christopher Lloyd
• Torg – Stephen Liska
• Maltz – John Larroquette
• Sergeant – Dave Cadiente
• Gunner #1 – Bob Cummings
• Gunner #2 – Branscombe Richmond
• Captain Esteban – Phillip Richard Allen
• Helm – Jeanne Mori
• Communications – Mario Marcelino
• Alien – Allan Miller
• Waitress – Sharon Thomas
• Civilian Agent – Conroy Gedeon
• Captain Styles – James B. Sikking
• First Officer – Miguel Ferrer
• Sarek – Mark Lenard
• Child – Katherine Blum
• High Priestess – Dame Judith Anderson
• Prison Guard #1 – Gary Faga
• Prison Guard #2 – Douglas Alan Shanklin
• Woman in Cafeteria – Grace Lee Whitney
• Robin Kellick
• Kimberly L. Ryusaki ( Bar alien / Trainee Enterprise crewmember )
• Phil Weyland (for William Shatner / Starfleet crewman )
• Steve Blalock (for Leonard Nimoy / Vulcan guard )
• Spock Screams – Frank Welker
• Enterprise Computer – Teresa E. Victor
• Flight Recorder – Harve Bennett
• Space Dock Controller – Judi Durand
• Elevator Voice – Frank Force
• Background Voices – The Loop Group
• Al Jones ( Klingon crewman )
• Steve Blalock ( Trainee crewman )
• David Burton (stunt double for Merritt Butrick)
• Kenny Endoso
• Jim Halty ( San Francisco bar patron )
• Chuck Hicks ( Stunt double for Paul Sorensen )
• Jeff Jensen ( Stunt double for Douglas Alan Shanklin )
• Don Charles McGovern ( Klingon crewman )
• Tom Morga ( Merchantman alien crewman / Starfleet officer / Klingon officer )
• Alan Oliney
• Chuck Picerni, Jr. ( Klingon crewman )
• Danny Rogers ( Merchantman first officer )
• Frank James Sparks
• David Zellitti ( Klingon crewman )
• Ron Stein & R.A. Rondell
• Movie Magic
• Hollywood Armor
• United States Marine Corp. – Air / Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, California
• Music by Alexander Courage
• Craig Hundley
• Johnny Mercer & Victor Schertzinger
• Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen
• Panavision ®
• Glen Glenn Sound
• Cinema Group Venture
• Capitol Records and XDR™ cassettes
• Shirley Anthony as Vulcan priestess
• David Armstrong as Vulcan apprentice
• Benjie Bancroft as Vulcan attendant
• Bibi Besch as Carol Marcus (archive footage)
• Jessie Biscardi as a Vulcan maiden
• Suzy Born as a Vulcan maiden
• Barney Burman as a bar alien ( deleted scene )
• Charles Correll as a Spacedock worker
• Debra Dilley as a Vulcan maiden
• Claudia Lowndes as an Officer's wife
• Danny Nero as Vulcan guard
• Paulette as a Vulcan maiden
• Michael Prokopuk as Excelsior crewmember
• Nanci Rogers as a bar waitress
• Teresa Sloan as a bar patron
• Rebecca Soladay as a Vulcan maiden
• John Staible as Enterprise crewman
• Cheryl Wallack as Vulcan priestess
• Bar alien with bald tattooed head
• Bar alien with metallic faceplates
• Bar dart player
• Female bar patron
• Female Starfleet officer in bar
• Male Human bar patron
• Enterprise security officer 1
• Enterprise Security officer 2
• Alien Enterprise crewmember
• Deltan Excelsior officer
• Excelsior helmsman
• Excelsior engineer
• Excelsior bridge crewmembers
• Grissom navigator
• Morrow's personal aide
• Spacedock controllers 1 and 2
• Vulcan at ritual 1 and 2
• Vulcan apprentices 1 – 4
• Vulcan attendant 1
• Vulcan maiden
• Vulcan musician
• Vulcan priests 1 and 2
• Lightning Bear
• Jean Coulter as stunt double for Sharon Thomas ( deleted scene )
• Eric Mansker as bartender ( deleted scene )
• Bari Burman – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Thomas R. Burman – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Edward Goehring – Creative Consultant: Stray Frames Ltd.
• Steve LaPorte – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Kenneth A. Larson – Propmaker
• Tony McVey – Sculptor
• Leonard Nimoy – Writer
• Rick Stratton – Makeup Artist
• Professional VisionCare Associates – Contact Lens company

References [ ]

2265 ; 40 Eridani A ; accident ; act of war ; acting ; adrenaline ; adventure ; agent ; aging ; animal ; area ; Altair water ; alternative ; answer ; antimatter inducer ; approach control ; Arcanis Lager ; argument ; " at regular intervals "; attack ; auto-destruct ; automate ; automation center ; automation system ; auto system ; bar ; bargain ; barn door ; battle alert ; battle damage ; battle cruiser ; bearing ; behavior ; blood ; blue alert ; boarding party ; body ; " Bones "; Bounty , HMS ; brain ; breeze ; burial robe ; " by the book "; captain's chair ; captain of engineering ; " calling it a night "; career ; cell ; Celsius ; ceremony ; chance ; chief engineering officer ; channel ; charter ; children ; chimpanzee ; choice ; city ; civilization ; cloaking device ; closet ; combat ; commander ; commendation ; communications ; compartment ; compliments ; computer ; computer voice ; comrade ; Constitution II -class ; Constitution II -class decks ; contamination ; countdown ; country ; course ; crew complement ; criminal ; cylindrical ; d'k tahg ; damage ; danger ; darts ; data ; day ; deafness ; death ; decommission ; Deltan ; desert ; destination order ; distortion ; docking ; docking maneuver ; docking procedure ; doomsday weapon ; door ; dozen ; drain ; duty station ; ear ; Earth ; emergency channel ; emergency frequency ; emergency power ; emergency tube ; emissary ; emotional problem ; emptiness ; encoded ID ; enemy ; energy ; energy surge ; Enterprise , USS ; estimating ; ethics ; event ; evolution ; Excelsior -class ; Excelsior , USS ; execution ; exhaustion ; expedition ; failure ; Fal-tor-pan ; fantasy ; Federation Council ; Federation government ; Federation Neutral Zone ; Federation Security ; feet ; finger ; firing range ; flag ; fleet ; Flight International ; flight recorder ; foliage ; fool ; French language ; friend ; friendship ; funny farm ; gang ; Genesis Device ; Genesis effect ; Genesis Experiment ; Genesis (planet) ; Genesis matrix ; Genesis Planet sun ; Genesis sector ; Genesis Torpedo ; Genesis wave ; Genesis worm ; " give the word "; God knows "; gravitational field ; gravitational support system ; " Great Experiment, The "; green ; Grissom , USS ; gunner ; hailing frequency ; hand ; head ; hello ; " hind end "; home ; honor ; hope ; hour ; house ; Human ; humor ; idea ; impatience ; impulse power ; information ; inquiry ; inspection ; instinct ; instruction ; intention ; James T. Kirk's San Francisco apartment ; katra ; Keeper ; kellicam ; kidney ; Klingons ' Klingon Bird-of-Prey ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon monster dog ; Klingonese ; knowledge ; Kobayashi Maru ; knowledge ; Kruge's Bird-of-Prey ; land ; landing ; lava lamp ; legend ; lexorin ; light ; life ( lifeform ); lifelessness ; life sign ; line ; lord ; loyalty ; luck ; machine ; main transwarp computer drive ; marbles ; mass ; maximum velocity ; medical tricorder ; McCoy, David ; medic ; memory bank ; Merchantman ; message ; metal ; meter ; microbe ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind ; mind meld ; minute ; miracle worker ; mission ; money ; moon ; mooring ( automatic mooring ); Mount Seleya ; multiplication ; Mutara sector ; " my God "; mysticism ; NCC-500 ; NCC-585 ; NCC-3801 ; NCC-4000 ; name ; negotiation ; newborn ; Oberth -class ; obsessive behavior ; officer ; " oh my God "; Old City Station ; " on course "; opinion ; opponent ; orbital shuttle ( unnamed ); Orbital shuttle 6 ; Orbital shuttle 7 ; order ; " out of the question "; " out on a limb "; pain ; parlor ; peace ; permission ; permit ; phaser ; phaser bank ; photon torpedo ; photon tube ; poison ; place ; planet core ; plant ; platitude ; playing ; plumbing ; policy ; pon farr ; pre-approach scan ; price ; priority one ; prisoner ; problem ; progress report ; Project Genesis ; promotion ; protomatter ; prototype ; quarantine ; quarters ; radiation ; radio silence ; range ; rationality ; reality ; reception ; recorder ; red alert ; refit ; refit time ; regeneration ; rendezvous ; repair estimate ; reply ; report ; reputation ; research ; retrothrusters ; revenge ; risk ; " Roger "; room ; rule ; sabotage ; sacrifice ; science officer ; science station ; science team ; science vessel ; scientist ; scout class ; Scott's grandmother ; screen ; search ; " second wind "; secret ; Sector 1 ; Sector 2 ; Sector 3 ; security access ; sense of humor ; " set sail "; shaft ; shield ; ship for hire ; shock ; short range scan ; side elevator ; signal ; " sitting duck "; " son of a bitch "; Spacedock One ; spacedock ship ; spirit ; ship's surgeon ; shore leave ; Skon ; snow ; soft landing ; Solkar ; soul ; souvenir ; space ; space body ; Spacedock One ; space door ; spaceflight ; space veteran ; speed ; speed record ; staff meeting ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Commander ; Starfleet regulations ; step ; standard orbit ; standard orbital approach ; " stand by "; stranger ; stealing ; subject ; subspace coded channel 98.8 ; sunrise ; surface ; surgeon ; surprise ; surrender ; survivor ; sympathy ; temperature ; terminium ; terrain ; " the promised land "; thought ; thousand ; thruster ; time ; toast ; torpedo casing ; town ; tractor beam ; trainee ; trainee crew ; tranquilizer ; transmission ; transporter ; transporter beam ; transporter room ; transwarp drive ; treaty ; trial run ; tricorder ; trick ; travel pod 05 ; truce ; truth ; type 2 phaser ; umbilical support system ; Unit 1 ; Unit 2 ; vegetation ; victim ; violation ; voice ; Vulcans ; Vulcan (planet) ; Vulcan gong ; Vulcan language ; Vulcan nerve pinch ; Vulcan salute ; wagon ; " wait a minute "; walk ; warp drive ; warp speed ; " what the hell "; weakling ; weapon ; weapon system ; weather ; week ; wheel ; wisdom ; wish ; word ; world ( planet ); wound ; year ; yellow alert

LCARS references [ ]

Constitution -class ; Federation -class ; Hermes -class ; Ptolemy -class ; Saladin -class

Meta references [ ]

Unreferenced material [ ].

adoption ; Altair IV ; Galt (Vulcan)

External links [ ]

• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at Wikipedia
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at the Internet Movie Database
• Behind the scenes on The Search for Spock  at Forgotten Trek
• Filming Locations at Film in America
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Star Trek III: The Search for Spock " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek III: The Search for Spock with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Though it may be short on dazzling special effects, The Search for Spock is still a strong Star Trek installment, thanks to affecting performances by its iconic cast.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Leonard Nimoy

William Shatner

Admiral James T. Kirk

DeForest Kelley

Commander Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.

James Doohan

George Takei

Commander Hikaru Sulu

Walter Koenig

Commander Pavel Andreievich Chekov

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Published Jun 1, 2019

12 Things You Should Know About Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

The 'Trek' classic turns 35 years old today

StarTrek.com

The Leonard Nimoy directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock opened in theaters on June 1, 1984 — 35 years ago today. It is illogical to waste time letting this milestone make you feel old, as time marches on, after all (or, in Discovery's case, leaps ). And so, instead, we're choosing to dwell not on the unknown nature of time, but the little known facts that make The Search for Spock an all- time classic Trek film.

Return to Genesis

Just a few days — or even a day, depending on the source — after Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan opened in theaters, writer-producer Harve Bennett started typing out what would become The Search for Spock . The title of his initial 20-page treatment/outline was Return to Genesis .

The Beginning and the End

Star Trek III began production on August 15, 1983, starting by filming the opening scene on the Enterprise bridge. Principal photography concluded on October 20, 1983 after wrapping a scene on the Excelsior bridge.

New and Old

Nimoy cast an array of veteran actors and newcomers in key roles. Mark Lenard returned to reprise his TOS role as Spock's father, Sarek, and Nimoy convinced the Oscar-nominated Dame Judith Anderson to play the pivotal role of the Vulcan High Priestess T'Lar. Meanwhile, Robin Curtis was a relative rookie when she took over the role of Saavik from Kirstie Alley, and Merritt Butrick was best known for the short-lived, but cult-favorite series Square Pegs when he reprised the role of Kirk's doomed son, David.

Taxi to the Stars

As anyone who'd seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Lady in Red knew at the time, Christopher Lloyd knows his way around a dramatic role. But when the Back to the Future actor was tapped to play the Kruge, the Klingon commander, he was in the midst of generating laughs as Rev. Jim on the comedy series Taxi . According to Memory Alpha , Nimoy's first choice to play Kruge was actually Edward James Olmos (who would later star in Battlestar Galactica) but studio heads said no.

Nimoy, The Director

Star Trek III would be Leonard Nimoy's first stint as a feature film director. Back in a 2011 interview, StarTrek.com asked Nimoy about the experience . He replied:

"I was very comfortable shooting the movie. I did feel that I was being quite controlled, I guess is the word. I was made to justify everything that I did and explain everything that I was doing, which took a lot of energy. And I resented it. It bothered me that I was being so carefully monitored because I really felt that I knew what I was doing. I thought the script was workable and did what it had to do, which was to find Spock and get him back on his feet. I thought it was an interesting idea, the whole idea of the Genesis planet evolving and Spock’s remains evolving with the planet. It may not have been as much fun a film as some would like, but I thought it did the job. It did it what it set out to do. Maybe, in retrospect, we might have found a better story or construct, to get that job done. But we got the job done and the film was OK. At the box office, it did what was becoming the pattern for Star Trek films. It did about the same as was expected, so it was OK. It was not a gigantic runaway hit, but it was not considered a failure. And it was strong enough that they decided to go ahead and make another one after that."

Here There Be Tribbles

What's that we see in the bar scene in Star Trek III — Tribbles! ? They are indeed, making their first live-action appearance since TOS .

The Bottom Line

Star Trek III cost $16 million to make. It grossed $76.5 million at the North American box office. That figure was just below the North American gross of Star Trek II , which beamed up $78.9 million on a budget of $11.2 million.

What are some of your favorite Search for Spock facts or moments? Share them with us and check in on what other fans say @StarTrek !

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Read no further if you don't want to know whether Mr. Spock is alive at the end of "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock". But, if you, like me, somehow had the notion that there was a 100 percent chance that they would find Spock (if only so he would be available for "Star Trek IV"), then you will be relieved to learn that his rediscovery and rebirth pay due homage to the complexities of the Vulcan civilization. By the end of this movie, all Mr. Spock has to do is raise one of those famous eyebrows, and the audience cheers.

This is a good but not great Star Trek movie, a sort of compromise between the first two. The first film was a "Star Wars" road company that depended on special effects. The second movie, the best one so far, remembered what made the Star Trek TV series so special: not its special effects, not its space opera gimmicks, but its use of science fiction as a platform for programs about human nature and the limitations of intelligence. "Star Trek III" looks for a balance between the first two movies. It has some of the philosophizing and some of the space opera, and there is an extended special-effects scene on the exploding planet Genesis that's the latest word in fistfights on the crumbling edges of fiery volcanoes.

There is also a great-looking enemy spaceship that resembles a predatory bird in flight (although why ships in the vacuum of space require wings is still, of course, a question Star Trek prefers not to answer).* The ship is commanded by the fairly slow-witted Klingon warrior Kruge (played by Christopher Lloyd of Taxi), who falls for a neat little double cross that is audacious in its simplicity. The movie's plot involves a loyal attempt by the Enterprise crew to return to the planet Genesis in an attempt to reunite Spock's body and spirit. The alien spaceship is in the same sector, attempting to steal the secret of Genesis, a weapon from the last movie that begins by bringing life to dead planets and goes on from there. The showdown between the Klingons and the Enterprise crew resembles, at times, one of those Westerns where first Bart had the draw on Hoppy and then Hoppy had the draw on Bart, but the struggle to the death between Kirk and Kruge takes place against such a great apocalyptic background that we forgive all.

The best thing the Star Trek movies have going for them is our familiarity with the TV series. That makes for a sort of storytelling shorthand. At no point during this film, for example, is it ever explained that Vulcans are creatures of logic, not emotion -- although we have to know that in order to understand most of the ending. It's not necessary. These characters are under our skins. They resonate, and a thin role in a given story is reinforced by stronger roles in a dozen others. That's sort of reassuring, as (a fanfare, please) the adventure continues.

* Leonard Nimoy sent me a helpful explanation: "The Klingon Bird of Prey has wings for the same reason that our own space shuttle does. It can land in an earth-like atmosphere."

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

105 minutes

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Why 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock' Is Top-Tier Trek

It's time to banish the Trek "odd/even" rule.

The classic “odd-even rule” among Star Trek fans cites that the even-numbered films are the only films in the series that are any good. It’s a fun “curse” to consider, but it’s also a flawed categorization tool given the way the series quality has developed. Few would argue that there’s any merit to the even-numbered Star Trek: Nemesis , and opinions range dramatically on the most recent trilogy of films set in the “Kelvin” Timeline (ironically, the most derided of the new films among fans is the even-numbered Star Trek Into Darkness ).

However, this is a rule that should have been disregarded as soon as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock hit theaters in 1984. It’s not just that the third Star Trek film doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with an ambitious failure like Star Trek: The Motion Picture or the completely unwatchable Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . Search for Spock is a compelling character piece that’s just as exciting and emotional as the best of the franchise, and it's time for the film to be recognized as top-tier Trek .

RELATED: 'WandaVision's Matt Shakman Will Direct the Next 'Star Trek' Movie

The most obvious reason Search for Spock faced such sharp criticism upon release was it immediately followed the best film in the franchise, 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . The death of Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) in The Wrath of Khan was such a powerful cinematic moment that the thought of reversing the ending struck many as sacrificial to the emotional impact. Unlike today’s blockbuster culture, in which any popular character is bound to get a spinoff, flashback appearance, or reintroduction in one form or another, many Trek fans thought this was the last time they would see their favorite half-Vulcan science officer.

But Spock’s return is far from a lazy retcon, and Star Trek III is thematically centered around the consequences that Kirk ( William Shatner ) and the crew face when trying to undo death itself. After a daring heist when the crew steal back their old ship, the Enterprise is destroyed in the process of uncovering Spock’s katra. It’s an ironic moment when considering Spock’s sacrifice was to protect the ship itself.

While the Enterprise has been retired as a commodity by Starfleet , the sequence in which Kirk and the gang steal it feels closer to rescuing an old friend than it does a heist for a specific artifact. The escape is fun and filled with banter reminiscent of the best episodes of The Original Series , but it's not a fruitless action set piece. As evidenced by Kirk’s somewhat restored confidence as he returns to his iconic chair, leading a new mission has allowed him to heal in the aftermath of losing his closest friend.

Kirk’s reluctance to even consider the possibility that Spock’s katra could be restored speaks to his growth as a character. In an intimate conversation with Spock’s father Sarek ( Mark Lenard ), Kirk expresses his deep sadness, but also shows his respect for the decision that Spock made. Kirk’s fear of trivializing Spock’s sacrifice voices a fear that fans also felt, and it's only the immediate threat that the katra could kill McCoy ( DeForest Kelly ) that sparks him back into action.

Shatner is often lampooned for his performances, but by this point in the series he’s grown into the role of a matured Admiral. The Sarek conversation shows Kirk attempting to maintain a professionalism not present in his younger days, and while there’s hints of a more playful character throughout his battle of wits against the Klingon leader Kruge ( Christopher Lloyd ), Kirk recognizes that he must limit his open grief in order for the crew to function.

Yet, this controlled emotional state completely evaporates upon the loss of his son David Marcus ( Merritt Butrick ), who is killed aiding his father in the battle against the Klingons. Making Kirk a father at the end of The Wrath of Khan seemed like the most natural progression of the character, but The Search for Spock shows that Kirk can’t have it both ways and be both an adventurer and parent. Settling into a paternal role would mean giving up his inherent desires to immediately confront injustice, and the price of a “return to normalcy” is another devastating loss.

The tragedy is distinct from Spock’s death, as this is a loss that really only affects Kirk. This is his story, and few films in the series capture the emotional toll that the captain’s chair takes this well. Some may laugh at Shatner’s delivery of “Klingon bastard! You killed my son! ,” but it's effective in showing how the loss of a friend and the loss of a child spark different reactions.

Kruge himself is an entertaining villain, and I respect that Lloyd is attempting to be more overtly campy than the restrained approach that Ricardo Montalbán brought to Khan. The Klingons are the natural villain for the story, and the political impact that Genesis has on the tension between the Federation and the Klingon Empire helps to foreshadow how difficult finding a peaceful solution will be in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Kirk’s quick association of Kruge with the entire Klingon race lays the groundwork for how difficult it will become to set aside his prejudices during The Undiscovered Country ’s peace negotiations.

Kruge is also just an entertaining presence, and there’s a lot of Search for Spock that is plain fun. McCoy’s adoption of some of Spock’s qualities while possessing his katra adds unexpected physical comedy, given how often the two were at odds with each other previously. Some elements haven’t aged as well, as the fight choreography during the final confrontation between Kirk and Kruge on Genesis never looks particularly convincing, and the Genesis sets in particular feel leftover from The Original Series ’ shakiest production design. However, these are fairly minor issues that don’t dampen the excitement of the scene, and they certainly don’t deserve to dominate the conversation about what is a largely satisfying film.

I confess the final sequence in which Spock finally unites with old friends leaves me teary-eyed. It’s a gorgeously shot sequence (Nimoy was frequently interested in exploring Klingon culture and the design of the Vulcan planet is striking), and Spock’s fractured memories indicate that his return won’t be completely seamless. What’s important is that he recognizes his family and his place among them, and Nimoy’s delivery of “Jim” is delivered with as much weight as his iconic final moments in The Wrath of Kha n.

The Search for Spock doesn’t have the dramatic perfection of The Wrath of Khan , the comedic novelty of The Voyage Home , or the political timeliness of The Undiscovered Country , but it understands the characters and why they’ve endured. With the original Trek films ripe for a rewatch given the upcoming 4K restoration and release of the first four installments in September, it’s time for The Search for Spock to be rightfully considered among the best Star Trek films of all.

KEEP READING: Every ‘Star Trek’ Movie Ranked from Worst to Best

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Full Cast & Crew

• 56   Metascore
• 1 hr 45 mins
• Suspense, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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The commander of a decommissioned starship must locate the body of his assumed-dead science officer, whose spirit resides in a crew member as it waits to be reunited with its body.

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Executive producer, assoc. producer, cinematographer, production company, art director, sound effects, special effects.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Cast & crew.

William Shatner

James T. Kirk

DeForest Kelley

Leonard "Bones" McCoy

James Doohan

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

George Takei

Hikaru Sulu

Walter Koenig

Pavel Chekov

Stirring but sad science-fiction enterprise.

• Average 6.4

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“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” Is the Next Screening in the Hollywood Theatre’s “Trek Nights” Series

Witness the “you klingon bastards” scene in glorious 35 mm.

Ever since reopening post-quarantine, the Hollywood Theatre has faithfully screened the best , worst and strangest Star Trek films as part of its “Trek Nights” series. But on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the theater will unveil a unique treat: a 35 mm screening of 1984′s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Starting at 7:30 pm, The Search for Spock is one of the most hilarious (intentionally and unintentionally) entries in the series. A flamboyant Christopher Lloyd plays the main villain, but he’s relatively restrained compared with the story itself, which involves the attempts of the Enterprise crew to unite a deceased Spock’s soul (or “katra”) with the body of a mindless, rapidly aging Spock clone.

The film was the feature directorial debut of Spock actor Leonard Nimoy, who stepped in after Nicholas Meyer ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ) declined to be involved (in his memoir A View From the Bridge , Meyer cited his opposition to Spock’s resurrection, given his noble demise in Khan ).

Working from a screenplay by producer Harve Bennett (who, along with Meyer, is credited with revitalizing the series after 1979′s disastrous Star Trek: The Motion Picture ), Nimoy was tasked with handling many difficult story points, including David (Merritt Butrick), son of Capt. Kirk (William Shatner), being abruptly killed by Klingons.

Hoping to get the best possible performance out of Shatner, Nimoy cleared the set for the scene in which Kirk learns of David’s murder, according to Robert Schnakenberg’s The Encyclopedia Shatnerica .

In response, Shatner resorted to bizarre improvisation, stumbling dramatically backward, colliding with the captain’s chair and moaning, “You Klingon bastards killed my son!” (assessing the actor’s performance, Nimoy cryptically commented, “He looks deeply pained”).

That alone should be worth the price of admission Feb. 1.

Related: How William Shatner Nearly Destroyed a Franchise With “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”

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Star trek: strange new worlds season 3 - everything we know.

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Star trek: strange new worlds season 3 is now filming, when star trek: strange new worlds season 3 could premiere on paramount plus, what star trek: strange new worlds season 3 could be about, star trek: strange new worlds is renewed for season 4, latest news about star trek: strange new worlds season 3.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 filming began in December 2023 and is expected to last until May 2024.
• Strange New Worlds season 3 likely won't premiere until 2025 but the show has been renewed for season 4.
• Season 3 will explore the fate of Captain Batel and the captured Enterprise crew, as well as introduce Nurse Chapel's fiancé Roger Korby, and other exciting storylines.

Anticipation is high for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 following season 2's nail-biting cliffhanger. Strange New Worlds season 2's finale, "Hegemony," saw Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew of the USS Enterprise defy Starfleet orders to rescue Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) and the colonists of the planet Parnassus Beta. By the end of Strange New Worlds ' thrilling season 2 finale, Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte, Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), and Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) are captured by the Gorn and Batel has become a host to the terrifying alien species' parasitic eggs.

When the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns in season 3, it will be to a very different Star Trek on Paramount+ landscape. Star Trek: Discover y will have ended with season 5, essentially passing the torch to Strange New Worlds as the flagship Star Trek on Paramount+ live-action series. Star Trek: Lower Decks also will have ended with season 5. The next Star Trek series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , will begin production in fall 2024. The first made-for-streaming Star Trek on Paramount+ movie, Star Trek: Section 31 starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, is completed and awaits a Paramount+ premiere date. But it's safe to say Strange New Worlds will be the franchise's new crown jewel series, especially after the positive reception to season 2.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Ending & Cliffhanger Explained

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's finale nailbiter brings back the fearsome Gorn and ends with Captain Pike facing an impossible choice.

Production started in December 2023 and is expected to last until May 2024

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 was ready to begin filming in May 2023, but production was halted and delayed for 7 months thanks to the dual Writer's Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. When the picketing was over, Strange New Worlds season 3 production finally began filming in December and is expected to last until May 2024 . Producing director Chris Fisher is directing Strange New Worlds season 3's premiere, which will resolve Strange New Worlds season 2's Gorn cliffhanger. Fisher directed Strange New Worlds season 1's finale , "A Quality of Mercy," and Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere, "The Broken Circle."

Other directors lined up for Strange New Worlds season 3 are Jordan Canning, who helmed Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 2, and Dan Liu, who takes over for Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3. Canning directed the Vulcan comedy romp Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 5, "Charades," while Liu helmed the tense Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori," and Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 6, "Lost in Translation." In addition, Jonathan Frakes will direct a "Hollywood noir" episode of Strange New Worlds season 3 after he was lauded for directing Strange New Worlds ' comedy crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks .

The other Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 directors are Valerie Weiss, Sharon Lewis, Andrew Coutts, and Maja Vrvilo.

The wait for Strange New Worlds season 3 will likely last until 2025.

Realistically, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 probably won't premiere on Paramount+ until some time in 2025 . When filming finally wraps in May 2024, post-production and visual effects for Strange New Worlds season 3's 10 episodes will take time to complete. Further, Paramount+ will need Strange New Worlds season 3 as the centerpiece of Star Trek in its 2025 schedule. However, this doesn't stop eager audience members from hoping Strange New Worlds season 3 could split its release and drop the first episodes by the end of 2024, mainly so that they can see the resolution of Strange New Worlds season 2's cliffhanger .

Expect more "big swings" from Strange New Worlds season 3

As well as resolving the fate of Captain Batel and the captured Starship Enterprise crew, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already set up multiple storylines for season 3 . One of the biggest storylines will be the arrival of Nurse Christine Chapel's (Jess Bush) fiance Roger Korby which will create new a love triangle involving Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck). Other big storylines set up in Strange New Worlds season 2 include Dr. M'Benga and his dark secrets from the Klingon War, the impending fatherhood of Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), and Kirk's promotion to Commander aboard the USS Farragut. Scotty (Martin Quinn) also joined the cast of Strange New Worlds and could recur in season 3.

The USS Enterprise will have a new Science Lab in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.

Viewers can also expect some big genre swings to follow in the footsteps of Star Trek 's first-ever musical episode and the animated crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks . Already announced is Strange New Worlds season 3's "Hollywood Noir" episode directed by Jonathan Frakes. Most excitingly for fans of Star Trek: The Original Series will be a chance to see the young Montgomery Scott learn and grow into the USS Enterprise's legendary Chief Engineer. There are still at least six years before Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) takes command of the Starship Enterprise giving Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 plenty of ground to cover when it returns.

Expect Strange New Worlds to help celebrate Star Trek's 60th anniversary

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds received an early season 4 renewal from Paramount+. Although Strange New Worlds season 4 won't film back-to-back like Strange New Worlds seasons 1 and 2 did, it's possible that production for the show's fourth season could begin in late 2024 or in 2025 after a hiatus. This projects Strange New Worlds season 2 to premiere on Paramount+ in 2026, which would help mark Star Trek 's 60th anniversary. Given that very little has been revealed about season 3, it's too early to tell what Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 will be about, but it's thrilling to know that more voyages of Captain Pike's Starship Enterprise are assured.

All episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming now on Paramount+

The latest news about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 as it films in Toronto.

• More Scotty In Strange New Worlds Season 3? "Definitely", Says Star Trek EP
• Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 2 Wraps, Director Shares BTS Star Trek Photos
• Strange New Worlds Season 3 Filming Resumes, Star Trek Director Shares BTS Enterprise Pic
• Star Trek's Christina Chong Promises "Epic" Strange New Worlds Season 3 Premiere
• Star Trek's Jess Bush Announces She's Back For Strange New Worlds Season 3
• Strange New Worlds Season 3 Begins Filming, Confirmed By Star Trek Producers
• [UPDATED] Spock & Chapel Return To Space In Jess Bush's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 BTS
• Star Trek Director Celebrates Season 3 Episode Wrap With BTS Videos

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Star trek: picard.

S1.E1 ∙ Remembrance

S1.E2 ∙ Maps and Legends

S1.E3 ∙ The End Is the Beginning

S1.E4 ∙ Absolute Candor

S1.E5 ∙ Stardust City Rag

S1.E6 ∙ The Impossible Box

S1.E7 ∙ Nepenthe

S1.E8 ∙ Broken Pieces

S1.E9 ∙ Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1

S1.E10 ∙ Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

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