Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

George Lucas employed a bunch of genius animated graphics guys in his Lucas Arts Computer Division. Two of these guys (Alvy Ray Smith and Ed Catmull) had come from NY where they were working with some eccentric millionaire on computer animation (circa 1970s). Alvy had actually stumbled across the beginnings of this technology at the famous Xerox PARC when in California. Lucas wanted to find a better way to do things like Light Sabers which for Star Wars had to actually be drawn onto the film frame by frame. He started the computer division which did eventually pioneer incredible methods and new technology to aid in this process. But when Lucas got divorced he needed to sell some of his company so he could give his ex-wife $30,000,000. Steve Jobs eventually bought the computer division from Lucas, called it Pixar and sunk $70,000,000 of his own money into the venture over the next 10 years until Toy Story came out. However, just before Lucas sold the division to Jobs, they were hired by the makers of "Wrath of Khan" to develop that last sequence (Genesis). Lucas was indeed very impressed with what they did, but still had to sell.This all comes from the book "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs." I recommend it because it details so much about the history of art and animation in the movies. -Thanks to Jonathan Willis

Due to budget limitations, sets and props were re-used wherever possible. Space Station Regula 1 was the space station from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), turned upside-down and the sets of Reliant were actually the Enterprise with different lighting, camera angles, and different seat covers.

When Industrial Light & Magic started to use the special effects miniatures from Star Trek-The Motion Picture they ran into a problem: the light from their blue screen technique reflected off the surfaces of the models, so when combined with star fields and such, the models appeared to be transparent. The solution was to dull the entire surface of the models so the blue light would not be reflected. -Thanks to Patrick Rieger

A scene was set to be filmed where there would be mention of Sulu taking command of the vessel U.S.S. Excelsior following the training mission. According to George Takei, Shatner had fouled up his lines intentionally prompting the scene to be scrapped. -Thanks to Robert Baum

When shooting commenced on the film there was no completed script, only fragments. Despite this director, Nicholas Meyer, managed to make what many regard as the best film of the series. -Thanks to Robert Baum

Although many think it was prosthetic, Kahn's chest was real. Montalban was very fit, almost like the Schwarzenegger of his day. -Thanks to Aaron Taylor

In line with the earlier budget comments, the torpedo room, where Kirk and company board the Enterprise and where they send Spock's body off, is actually the bridge of the Klingon ship from Star Trek:The Motion Picture. The "conn" from the Klingon ship is seen as the transporter controls on the Regula One station set. -Thanks to Martin Hatfield

When Spock and Savik speak to each other in Vulcan, the actors actually spoke in English, and then sound people created the Vulcan words to match the movements of the actors' mouths.

Although Chekhov was not yet part of the crew in the 1967 Star Trek episode ("Space Seed") where the Enterprise first encounters Khan, Khan recognizes Chekhov in this film when they first meet on Ceti Alpha V.

When the Enterprise is flying into the Nebula in the chase scene, all of the crew reacts as if in a collision, yet Capt. Kirk remains still. Guess he was too good to fall around like the others. -Thanks to Devan

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