20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

2. Harve Bennett Got The Writer's Gig On The Day After Star Trek II Hit Theatres

Gene Roddenberry with Harve Bennett on Star Trek film set
Paramount

Harve Bennett was brought into Star Trek to produce The Wrath Of Khan. When that film opened, he was invited to write Star Trek III the day after II opened.

This was the fastest turnaround that his career had ever seen. The Wrath Of Khan was an enormous success both critically and at the box office, which in modern terms meant that a sequel was guaranteed. Then, however, there was still the perceived financial hit that The Motion Picture had taken. While it had been a success at the box office, the budget had inflated well beyond projections.

Before anything could go into production, Bennett had to secure a team that would keep costs down, without sacrificing the quality of the film. When it came to writing the script, he turned to the director that had been chosen to helm the project - none other than Leonard Nimoy. Together, they put together the main parts of the story, while Nimoy would then go on to concentrate on the overall look and tone of the piece.

This was the second of four of the Star Trek films that Bennett was involved with, both as producer and having a shared story-credit.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"