FILM · 1994 · USA
Star Trek: Generations
36 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (36)
- #001
This was the first Star Trek film produced and shot after Gene Roddenberry's death. Following his passing, the Star Trek creative team began using story ideas and concepts Roddenberry had opposed, including bringing together characters from Star Trek (1966) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).
- #002
The horse William Shatner rides, as well as the house and farm where the scene takes place, belong to him.
- #003
DeForest Kelley was determined to appear in this film as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, but after reading the script and realizing he would only appear at the beginning of the film, he turned down the offer (he also felt that The Undiscovered Country would be a better film to continue with). His lines were later given to Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov. This is why Chekov recruits the two reporters as temporary medical staff and oversees the treatment of the rescued El-Aurians despite having no prior established medical training.
- #004
James T. Kirk's last two words, "Oh, my…", were a spontaneous improvisation by William Shatner. Shatner later explained that it was Kirk's reaction to moving into eternity and going where Kirk had never gone before.
- #005
This was the first film for which a website was created to promote it. The site launched at Generations.Viacom.Com on October 28, 1994, three weeks before the film's premiere. The site featured a graphical interface resembling the Enterprise's LCARS display. Its content included: video of both versions of the film's trailer; audio clips and photos; cast and crew biographies; shopping from a catalog of Star Trek videos on VHS (and a 1-800 number for ordering); a downloadable "interactive kit" with images and videos; and a simple game. A fan poll on Star Trek favorites and online access. The website was mentioned on NCSA's "What's New" site and quickly became one of the most popular destinations on the fledgling World Wide Web. This website no longer works.
- #006
Kirk's death scenes were reshot after preview audiences reacted poorly to the original version and wanted a more heroic death. Captain James T. Kirk died after being shot in the back by Dr. Tolian Soran.
- #007
The producers asked George Takei to come back and play Sulu once more and take command of the Enterprise-B. Takei refused, however, because if Sulu had taken the helm, it would have meant temporarily demoting Sulu's rank so he could again serve under Captain Kirk's command. He felt Sulu had worked too hard to earn his command to accept even a temporary demotion. A new character named Demora, Sulu's daughter, was created to speak Sulu's lines.
- #008
Leonard Nimoy was initially asked to appear in and direct this film, but after reading the script he declined, and it was said he did not have time to fix the parts he had problems with. According to Nimoy's interviews, the script (in just its first few pages) had a character named Spock, but the lines were so bland that any character could have spoken them (these lines were given to James Doohan as Scotty. Nimoy later cited this as proof he was right).
- #009
During the battle with the Klingons, when the Conn Officer is injured by the explosion of a computer station, Troi (Marina Sirtis) takes the helm. Director David Carson wanted this action scene shot in a single continuous take to fully capture the actors' genuine reactions. During filming, however, Sirtis burned her backside after sitting on a piece of burning debris that had landed on the Conn station's chair. This was the take used in the film, but the shot cuts as Sirtis sits down in the chair. Sirtis was not seriously injured and continued shooting the scene afterward.
- #010
Original versions of the script called for Captain Kirk to take command of the Enterprise's battle bridge and lead it into battle against the Klingons, dying aboard the Enterprise-D.
- #011
It was said that Brent Spiner improvised the lyrics to the "life forms" song when he was only supposed to hum them, but Spiner denied this and pointed out that the lyrics were written in the script.
- #012
Malcolm McDowell readily admits that he never watched either the original series or The Next Generation enthusiastically and that he did this film only for the paycheck. He later received death threats from obsessive Star Trek fans after his character, Dr. Tolian Soran, killed Captain James T. Kirk.
- #013
This is the last time Geordi La Forge wears his trademark VISOR. At some point between the events of this film and Star Trek: First Contact (1996), he was fitted with eye implants because the VISOR had been tampered with.
- #014
Most of the recording devices the news crews use aboard the Enterprise-B are actually handheld video games.
- #015
The script originally included a scene of Captain Kirk's funeral. In the scene, Spock stood at the church entrance, hesitating to go in (and thus admitting to himself that his friend was truly dead). He was to be overwhelmed while being called to duty by Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Scotty (James Doohan), briefly revealing his emotional side. However, Leonard Nimoy ultimately passed on the film, and Kelley's health was deteriorating and he could not be insured, so the scene was never filmed, though it appears in the film's novelization.
- #016
Paramount Studios spent an extra $5 million (one-sixth of the budget) to reshoot Captain James T. Kirk's death.
- #017
Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh reprise their roles as the Duras sisters Lursa and B'Etor for the last time in this film, concluding a long storyline that spanned several seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and even one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993).
- #018
In the holodeck scene, Troi (when she goes to help Picard) hands the helm of the sailing ship to an old man. In real life, this man is the captain of the "Lady Washington" (owned by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in Aberdeen, Washington), the sailing ship used in filming this scene. The same ship also portrayed the Interceptor in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
- #019
The Starfleet phaser and the dedication plaque on Captain Kirk's cabin wall are the only remnants of the original U.S.S. Enterprise, which was destroyed in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).
- #020
A wall cabinet in Captain Kirk's house contains some interesting items: a Klingon bat'leth, a picture of the U.S.S. Enterprise (from Star Trek (1966)), various handguns, a phaser from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), an unidentified futuristic weapon, a Jem'Hadar weapon from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), and a photo of the Enterprise's original crew (from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)).
- #021
Fifty days before filming began, the Captain's chair on the bridge set was stolen. A new chair had to be built from fiberglass over foam on an old first-season frame.
- #022
Sir Patrick Stewart suggested Malcolm McDowell to the producers, who were struggling to decide who should play the film's villain. Stewart and McDowell had known each other since working in repertory theatre in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s, and they got along well because both came from neighbouring parts of Yorkshire.
- #023
The film marks the last on-screen appearance of Lieutenant Commander Worf as a regular member of the Enterprise-D crew. The rest of the senior staff would eventually transfer to the new Enterprise-E, but Worf accepts a new posting on Deep Space Nine and later in the Klingon Empire, though he still returns on various occasions to assist the Enterprise crew temporarily during the events of the next three films.
- #024
The Enterprise's saucer was meant to split in two during the crash, which may have been the main reason Starfleet could not take the saucer and attach it to a new engineering hull. However, it was quickly determined that the effect could not be achieved satisfactorily with the models or CGI of the time, and the idea was abandoned.
- #025
Partly because of fans' negative reaction to Kirk's death, William Shatner later wrote a Star Trek novel titled "The Return," in which the Romulans and the Borg form an alliance. They bring Kirk back to life using Borg nanotechnology and turn him against Picard and the Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) crew. Spock (who would live long enough to appear in "Unification" (season 5, episodes 7 and 8)), Scotty (who survived into the twenty-fourth century in "Relics" (season 6, episode 4)) and McCoy (who sent the Enterprise-D away in the "Encounter at Farpoint" pilot) were to appear. One of the plot points could have been the final revelation that the Borg were the "machine planet" that sent the Voyager VI/V'ger probe back to Earth in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).
- #026
The film was intended to introduce a new set of Starfleet uniforms to be worn by the Enterprise-D crew. These new uniforms were similar to the ones on television, but the collars would be the same department colour as the rest of the tunic, and rank stripes would be worn on the shoulder with a corresponding rank braid on the cuffs. The uniforms were ultimately rejected by producer Rick Berman. It was then decided to use the uniforms from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) as well as those from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993). However, Playmates had already prepared a line of action figures for the film showing the Enterprise-D crew in the cancelled uniforms. It was too late to recall the figures, which are the only place the cancelled uniforms can be seen.
- #027
Captain Kirk's dog in the film is named Butler, the same name as a deceased dog William Shatner once owned. Shatner insisted on playing the scene with that name as a tribute to his former pet, which caused distress for one of the screenwriters who had written the scene using the name of his own deceased dog.
- #028
In an interview, David Carson said he was quite surprised to be asked to direct the film, since he had no previous experience directing a big-budget movie. He said he was told that, besides having directed several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), he was chosen for his experience in television directing, where directors must work quickly to finish an episode on television's compressed schedule. He said Paramount Studios was worried the film might run into overtime (and thus exceed its budget) and thought he was the best choice given that concern. Apart from the ending being reshot (which was not Carson's fault), he delivered the film on time and under budget.
- #029
Sir Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner were the only cast members who had the special "color-top" uniforms made for this film (as used in the first and fifth seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and later in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)). Jonathan Frakes had to borrow Avery Brooks's uniform, and LeVar Burton had to borrow Colm Meaney's uniform from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993); neither fit well. (Frakes had to roll up his sleeves, and Burton's was far too big for him.)
- #030
Antonia, Captain Kirk's mostly unseen love in the Nexus, was originally conceived as Carol Marcus from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Paramount Studios requested that the character be changed.
- #031
The film marks the first time the 78-year gap between the original series era and the Next Generation era was explicitly stated on the big screen. The figure had been used since the new series appeared, but the only evidence before this film was a mention of the year 2364 in the first season, which was 78 years after 2286, the established time of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), the then most recent Kirk-era story.
- #032
This is William Shatner's only "Star Trek" appearance without Leonard Nimoy.
- #033
In his non-fiction book "Star Trek Movie Memories" (1994), William Shatner states that during the filming of Kirk's death scene, as he spoke his last words, his eyes focused past Sir Patrick Stewart's shoulder on a large commercial airliner flying high directly above them.
- #034
With his role as Captain John Harriman in this film, Alan Ruck became the eleventh commander of a Starship U.S.S. Enterprise on the big screen, joining Captains Jonathan Archer, Christopher Pike, Robert April, James T. Kirk, Willard Decker, Spock, Rachel Garrett, Jean-Luc Picard, William T. Riker and Edward Jellico.
- #035
The starship U.S.S. Farragut, which Captain Picard and Commander Riker are aboard at the end of the film, shares its name with the ship on which Captain Kirk served as a young lieutenant. In "Obsession" (1967), Captain Kirk recalls the details of an incident from that period of his career to the son of an old shipmate. The Farragut that rescues Picard and Riker was destroyed by the Klingons two years later during the brief Federation-Klingon War. Its destruction is not shown on screen but is mentioned during "Nor the Battle to the Strong" (1996).
- #036
A plot point not mentioned (or possibly deleted) in the final cut but referenced in other media related to the film (such as the comic-book adaptation) was that Guinan's brief experience in the Nexus had changed her, giving her knowledge of people, events and time in general that she had not previously had. This indicates that her ability to sense things on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) was not part of her species (as most TNG fans always believed) but instead a gift from the Nexus.
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