Star WarsandStar Trekare easilythe twomost influential science fiction properties of all time,and both have extremely dedicated fan bases that have devoted a significant amount of time to immersing themselves in the respective universes. Although there is an old cliche thatthe two fan bases have a feud with one another,that could not be further from the truth; there have actually been many collaborators that have worked on both franchises, including Industrial Lights & Magic and directorJ.J. Abrams. However,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanhad tochange its original titleto avoidconfusion with an upcomingStar Warssequel,which at the time,George Lucashad referred to asRevenge of the Jedibefore it becameStar Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
There was a lot of pressure put uponParamount Picturesto deliver a truly outstanding sequel, as despite strong box office, 1979’sStar Trek: The Motion Picturereceived mixed responses from fans and critics, who felt that its more arthouse vibes had strayed too far away from the tone of the original series. A key decision made early onwas to bring back the villain Khan(Ricardo Montalbán), a fan-favorite character who had appeared in the original series episode “Space Seed.” DirectorNicholas Meyerhad originally pitched the title asThe Undiscovered Country, which Paramount executives didn’t understand; the title was eventually used for the sixth entry in the series, which Meyer also directed.The film was originally titledStar Trek II: Vengeance of Khanbut was changed toWrath of Khanto avoid confusion withRevenge of the Jedi, which was already deep into production and expected to beone of the biggest blockbusters ever made.
George Lucas and Carrie Fisher Had a Long-Secret Cameo in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Hook’
The two cameos weren’t known about until 25 years after the film was released.
Despite Meyer’s misgivings about the title,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanbecame a massive hitand is still cited by most fans as being the best entry in the series. Regardless of what exactly the title was, the decision to bring back Khan went over very well with fans, as he broughta sense of menace that was missing in the previous installment.Although the action and adventure elements that were present in the original series were definitely homaged withinStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,it was also a much darker filmthat ended with one of the most emotional scenes in science fiction history. Paramount has been chasing the success ofWrath of Khanever since 1982; in fact, 2013’sStar Trek Into Darknessrecreated many scenes, moments, and lines of dialogue fromWrath of Khan, and to this dateis still the highest-grossing entry in the entire series.
George Lucas Ended Up Changing ‘Revenge of the Jedi'
Although he had initially conceived of the film asReturn of the Jedi,Lucas was told by screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan that the original title was too weakand that it should be renamed asRevenge of the Jediin order to elicit more interest from viewers, especiallyafter the jaw-dropping cliffhangerthat had endedStar Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back. An initial teaser poster and trailer with the titleRevenge of the Jediwere released during the fall of 1982, but Lucas eventually changed his mind anddecided to rename the film toReturn of the Jedi.According to Lucas, this was becausea true Jedi would never seek vengeance, as they sought to bring a balance to the Force.
Return of the Jediended up becoming the perfect title, as the most iconic moment of the film is whenDarth Vader (David Prowse)gives up the dark side and chooses to become a Jedi once more, which leads him to save Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) from Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Having the word “revenge” in the title would not have worked, as Lukechooses a path of heroismwhen he explicitly refuses to strike down his father in a fit of rage. However, Lucas was eventually able to retrofit the title when the third installment in the prequel trilogy was namedStar Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanis streaming on Paramount Plus in the U.S.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a science fiction film that continues the adventures of the USS Enterprise crew, led by Captain James T. Kirk, as they confront the vengeful Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered superhuman from the 20th century, who seeks revenge against Kirk for stranding him on a deserted planet.
Watch on Paramount Plus
