Movies - TV
Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s VFX Sent Paramount Into Panic Mode
By BILL BRIA
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was announced in March 1978. While the principal photography had finished over a year later, the effects were incomplete.
By the late spring of 1979, Paramount Pictures and director Robert Wise were desperate for help to complete the movie before its release on December 7 later that year.
Paramount already had visual effects producer Douglas Trumbull, who had worked on films like “2001: A Space Odyssey” on their payroll. However, he turned down “Star Trek.”
Trumbull explained to TrekMovie.com that he was already working for Paramount via his entity, Future General Corporation, where he had hoped to develop new technologies.
However, it became clear Paramount kept Trumbull on staff for help on their productions. “Star Trek” had become an issue that could have destroyed the studio.
Trumbull shared that the exhibitors threatened the studio with a class-action lawsuit if the movie missed its release date, as they paid for showing it in advance.
He added, “They didn’t want to be sued and they didn’t want to go bankrupt, so they determined that they had to just pull out all the stops and try to get the movie done.”
The desperate Paramount negotiated with Trumbull. He told them, “Okay, I will do the job, but only if I can have Showscan and ‘Brainstorm’ back. And out of my contract.”
Showscan was a film process he had developed, and “Brainstorm” was an upcoming feature he was set to direct. While the price was heavy, Paramount would agree to his terms.