Editing Star Trek Generations

{{short description|1994 film by David Carson}}
{{about|the 1994 film|the computer game|Star Trek Generations (video game){{!}}''Star Trek Generations'' (video game)|the Game Boy and Game Gear game|Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus{{!}}''Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus''}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Star Trek Generations
| image          = S07-Star Trek Generations-poster art.png
| alt            = Two partially-shadowed faces look at the camera. In the center, a sleek spaceship emerges from a lens flare.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster art
| director       = [[David Carson (director)|David Carson]]
| producer       = Rick Berman
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|
* [[Ronald D. Moore]]
* [[Brannon Braga]]
}}
| story          = {{plainlist|
* [[Rick Berman]]
* Ronald D. Moore
* Brannon Braga
}}
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Star Trek]]''|[[Gene Roddenberry]]}}
| starring       = <!-- Per [[Template:Infobox film#Parameters]], you must keep infobox parameters in line with the poster billing. --> {{plainlist|
* [[Patrick Stewart]]
* [[Jonathan Frakes]]
* [[Brent Spiner]]
* [[Levar Burton]]
* [[Michael Dorn]]
* [[Gates McFadden]]
* [[Marina Sirtis]]
* [[Malcolm McDowell]]
* [[James Doohan]]
* [[Walter Koenig]]
* [[William Shatner]]
}}
| music          = [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]]
| cinematography = [[John A. Alonzo]]
| editing        = [[Peter E. Berger]]<ref>{{cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=October 17, 2011|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/editor-peter-e-berger-dies-1118044606/|title=Editor Peter E. Berger dies|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=December 30, 2020|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127054804/https://variety.com/2011/film/news/editor-peter-e-berger-dies-1118044606/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| studio         = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| distributor    = Paramount Pictures
| released       = {{Film date|1994|11|18}}
| runtime        = 118 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 118:05--><ref>{{cite web|title=''Star Trek Generations'' (PG)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-generations-1970-4|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=November 29, 1994|access-date=May 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508030436/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-generations-1970-4|archive-date=May 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $35&nbsp;million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |title=Star Trek Generations |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek7.htm |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |date=May 26, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511125339/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek7.htm |archive-date=May 11, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross          = $118&nbsp;million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}

'''''Star Trek Generations''''' is a 1994 American [[science fiction film]] and the seventh film in the [[Star Trek (film series)|''Star Trek'' film series]]. [[Malcolm McDowell]] joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' and the 1987 sequel series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]]'', including [[William Shatner]] and [[Patrick Stewart]]. In the film, Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] joins forces with Captain [[James T. Kirk]] to stop the villain Tolian Soran from destroying a [[planetary system]] in his attempt to return to an extra-dimensional realm known as the Nexus.

''Generations'' was conceived as a transition from the original cast of the ''Star Trek'' films to the cast of ''The Next Generation''. After developing several film ideas concurrently, the producers chose a script written by [[Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Brannon Braga]]. Production began while the final season of the television series was being made. The director was [[David Carson (director)|David Carson]], who previously directed episodes of the television series; photography was by franchise newcomer [[John A. Alonzo]]. Filming took place on the [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Studios]] lots, and on location in [[Valley of Fire State Park]], [[Nevada]], and [[Lone Pine, California]]. The film's climax was revised and reshot following poor reception from test audiences. The film uses a mix of [[Practical effect|traditional optical effects]] alongside [[computer-generated imagery]] and was scored by regular ''Star Trek'' composer [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]].

''Star Trek Generations'' was released in the United States on November 18, 1994. Paramount promoted the film with merchandising tie-ins, including toys, books, games, and a website—a first for a major motion picture. The film opened at the top of the United States box office its first week of release and grossed a total of $118&nbsp;million worldwide. Critical reception was mixed, with critics divided on the film's characters and comprehensibility to a casual viewer. It was followed by ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'' in 1996.

==Plot==
In 2293, retired [[Starfleet]] officers [[James T. Kirk]], [[Scotty (Star Trek)|Montgomery Scott]], and [[Pavel Chekov]] attend the maiden voyage of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS ''Enterprise''-B]]. During the [[shakedown cruise]], the starship is pressed into a rescue mission to save two [[El-Aurian]] refugee ships that a massive energy ribbon has snared. ''Enterprise'' saves some of the refugees before their ships are destroyed, but becomes trapped by the ribbon, and Kirk goes to a control room to help the ship escape. While ''Enterprise'' is freed, Kirk is presumed lost in space and dead after the trailing end of the ribbon tears open the ship's hull.

In 2371, the crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] is in a [[holodeck]] computer simulation, celebrating the promotion of shipmate [[Worf]] to lieutenant commander. Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] learns his brother and nephew have been killed in a fire, and is distraught that the Picard family line will end with him. ''Enterprise'' receives a distress call from a stellar observatory, where an El-Aurian, Dr. Tolian Soran, launches a probe at the nearby star. The probe causes the star to implode, creating a shockwave that destroys its planetary system. Soran kidnaps ''Enterprise'' engineer [[Geordi La Forge]] and is transported off the station by a [[Klingon starships#Bird-of-Prey classes|Klingon Bird of Prey]] belonging to the [[Duras sisters]].

''Enterprise'' crewmember [[Guinan (Star Trek)|Guinan]] tells Picard that she and Soran were among the El-Aurians rescued in 2293. Soran—who lost his family when their homeworld was destroyed—is obsessed with returning to the energy ribbon to reach the "Nexus", an extra-dimensional realm of wish fulfillment outside normal space-time. Picard and [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]] determine that Soran, unable to safely fly a ship directly into the ribbon, is altering its path by removing the gravitational effects of nearby stars. Soran plans to destroy another star to bring the ribbon to the planet Veridian III, consequently killing millions on a nearby inhabited planet.

Upon entering the Veridian system, Picard offers himself to the Duras sisters in exchange for La Forge but insists on being transported to Soran directly. La Forge is returned to ''Enterprise'', but unwittingly exposes the ship's defense details through the transmitter installed in his [[VISOR]] device. The Duras sisters attack, and ''Enterprise'' sustains critical damage before destroying the Bird of Prey by triggering its cloaking device, and firing photon torpedoes when its shields drop. When La Forge reports that the starship is about to suffer a warp-core breach as a result of the attack, Commander [[William Riker]] evacuates everyone to the forward saucer section of the starship, which separates from the engineering section just before the breach occurs. The resulting shockwave sends the saucer-section crashing onto the surface of Veridian III.

Picard fails to stop Soran from launching another probe. The Veridian star's resulting destruction alters the ribbon's course, and Picard and Soran enter the Nexus before the shockwave destroys Veridian III. Picard is surrounded by an idealized family, but realizes it is an illusion. He is confronted by an "echo" of Guinan left behind in the Nexus. Guinan sends him to meet James T. Kirk, who is safe in the Nexus. Though Kirk is initially entranced by the opportunity the Nexus offers to atone for past regrets, he realizes it lacks danger and excitement. Having learned that they can travel whenever and wherever desired through the Nexus, Picard convinces Kirk to return with him to Veridian III, shortly before Soran launches the probe.

Working together, Kirk and Picard distract Soran long enough for Picard to lock the probe in place; it explodes on the launchpad and kills Soran. Kirk is fatally injured in the effort, and Picard buries him at the site. Three [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] starships arrive to retrieve the ''Enterprise'' survivors from Veridian III. Picard muses that, given the ship's legacy, the ''Enterprise''-D will not be the last vessel to carry the name.

==Cast==
[[File:Mcdowellgfdl.PNG|thumb|left|alt=A light-skinned, white-haired elderly man talks with a microphone and gestures with his free hand.|Malcolm McDowell (pictured in 2007) requested his character not have alien features to avoid lengthy sessions in the makeup chair.]]
The main cast of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' reprise their roles in ''Generations'': [[Patrick Stewart]] as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, [[Jonathan Frakes]] as Commander William Riker, [[LeVar Burton]] as Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, [[Brent Spiner]] as Lieutenant Commander Data, [[Gates McFadden]] as Chief Medical Officer Commander [[Beverly Crusher]], [[Michael Dorn]] as Lieutenant Commander [[Worf]], and [[Marina Sirtis]] as ship's counselor Commander [[Deanna Troi]]. Recurring characters from the series return, including [[Barbara March]] and [[Gwynyth Walsh]] as the villainous Klingon sisters Lursa and B'Etor Duras, [[Patti Yasutake]] as ''Enterprise'' nurse Lieutenant [[Alyssa Ogawa]], and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] as Guinan.

[[Malcolm McDowell]] plays Tolian Soran, the film's antagonist. McDowell had worked with Stewart on stage decades earlier, and relished the chance to kill Shatner's character.<ref name="avclub-malcolm mcdowell interview">{{cite web|author=Adams, Sam|date=June 12, 2011|url=https://www.avclub.com/malcolm-mcdowell-1798226180|title=Random Roles; Malcolm McDowell|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=G/O Media|access-date=November 19, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112130104/https://film.avclub.com/malcolm-mcdowell-1798226180|archive-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref> He liked his character's spiked hair and black ensemble, and requested that his character not have alien features to avoid lengthy makeup sessions.<ref name="startrek.com-6 things malcolm mcmowell">{{cite web|author=Staff|date=June 13, 2018 |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/6-things-to-know-about-malcolm-mcdowell|title=6 Things to Know About Malcolm McDowell|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS Entertainment|access-date=November 18, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817044122/http://www.startrek.com/article/6-things-to-know-about-malcolm-mcdowell|archive-date=August 17, 2018}}</ref>

In the film's initial script, the entire principal cast of ''The Original Series'' was featured, but only three members appear in the film: [[William Shatner]] as Kirk, [[James Doohan]] as Scott, and [[Walter Koenig]] as Chekov.<ref name="beeler-1995">{{cite magazine | last = Beeler |first= Michael | year=1995|title=Star Trek Generations; Two Captains; Trek Memories; Spock Speaks; El-Aurian Heavy; Feature vs. Series; The Star Trek Curse; John Alonzo; |magazine=[[Cinefantastique]] |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=16–27 |url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2026%20No%202%20%28Feb%201995%29/page/n15/mode/2up }}</ref>{{rp|17}} [[Leonard Nimoy]] and [[DeForest Kelley]] declined to appear as their characters [[Spock]] and [[Leonard McCoy]]. Nimoy felt there were story problems with the script and that Spock's role was extraneous.<ref name="beeler-1995"/>{{rp|17–20}} Producer [[Rick Berman]] told the press, "Both Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley felt they made a proper goodbye in the last movie."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Voedisch|first1=Lynn|title='Star Trek' Clears Deck for New Generation|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=May 19, 1994}}</ref> Nimoy and Kelley's lines were subsequently modified for Doohan and Koenig.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/database_article/scott |work=StarTrek.com|access-date=August 12, 2011 |title=Character Biography of Montgomery Scott|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305133828/http://www.startrek.com/database_article/scott|archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> The news that not all of the ''Original Series'' cast was in the film was not passed to all of ''The Next Generation'' actors. When Goldberg arrived on set on her first day, she immediately asked to see [[Nichelle Nichols]], who portrayed [[Nyota Uhura]] in ''The Original Series''. When told that Nichols was not in the film, she said to Koenig, "The fans have been waiting for years to see Nichelle and me and Uhura and Guinan on screen together."<ref>{{cite book|last=Nichols|first=Nichelle|title=Beyond Uhura|pages=309–10|year=1994|publisher=G. P. Putnam's|location=|isbn=0399139931|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/beyonduhurastart00nich}}</ref> Patrick Stewart said that he had made an effort to ensure the original cast's involvement in the film: "I didn't want us to sail into the future just as ''The Next Generation'' cast."<ref>{{cite news|date=2021-08-01|title=Film Flies High as Dual Trek for Stars|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/film-flies-high-as-dual-trek-for-stars/article_690c6941-f098-55b1-a3a3-ea4932786e0b.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210801003148/https://buffalonews.com/news/film-flies-high-as-dual-trek-for-stars/article_690c6941-f098-55b1-a3a3-ea4932786e0b.html|archive-date= 2021-08-01|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|access-date=2021-08-01|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Alan Ruck.JPG|thumb|Alan Ruck (2004)]]
[[Alan Ruck]] plays ''Enterprise''-B captain John Harriman. When approached for the role, Ruck assumed he would play an alien, saying, "Look, when I shave every day, I don't look in the mirror and say, 'Hey! There's a starship commander.'" Berman informed him that the character was from a wealthy and connected family, and was placed in command as a stepping stone to a political career.<ref>{{cite web|author=Harris, Will|date=July 8, 2018|url=https://www.avclub.com/alan-ruck-s-journey-from-ferris-bueller-to-sears-to-the-1827063548|title=Random Roles; Alan Ruck's journey from Ferris Bueller to Sears to the bridge of the Enterprise and beyond|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=G/O Media|access-date=November 19, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226002743/https://www.avclub.com/alan-ruck-s-journey-from-ferris-bueller-to-sears-to-the-1827063548|archive-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref> [[Jacqueline Kim]] plays ''Enterprise''-B helmsman [[Demora Sulu]]. Kim consulted with art supervisor [[Michael Okuda]] to make sure her hand movements and manipulations of the ships' controls were consistent and accurate.<ref name="asianweek-newgeneration">{{cite news|author=Lin, Sam Chu|date=December 9, 1994|title=A New Generation of Star Trek Takes Off|work=[[AsianWeek]]|publisher=Pan Asia Venture Capital Corporation|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2294847.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924180330/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2294847.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> [[Glenn Morshower]] played an ''Enterprise''-B navigator; he apologized to the director for a poor first rehearsal, because as a ''Star Trek'' fan he was unused to performing along with actors he had idolized for years.<ref name="bluray-commentary">{{cite AV media |people=[[David Carson (director)|Carson, David]]; [[Manny Coto|Coto, Manny]] |date=April 30, 2013|title=Star Trek Generations; Audio commentary |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]] |medium=Blu-ray}}</ref>{{rp|5'50"}}

Many of the minor characters throughout the film appeared in different roles in the television series. [[Tim Russ]], who appears as an ''Enterprise''-B bridge officer, played a terrorist in "[[Starship Mine]]" and a Klingon in "[[Invasive Procedures (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Invasive Procedures]]", and later joined the cast of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' as the Vulcan [[Tuvok]].<ref name="nemecek-2003">{{cite book |last=Nemecek |first=Larry |year=2003 |title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion |publisher=Pocket Books |edition=3rd |isbn=0743457986}}</ref>{{rp|318}} Various background roles were played by the main cast's stunt doubles.<ref name="okuda"/>

==Production==
===Development===
In 1992, months before the official announcement of a followup to ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]'', [[Paramount Pictures]] executives approached ''The Next Generation'' producer Rick Berman about creating another feature film.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|308}} Berman informed writers [[Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Brannon Braga]] that Paramount had approved a two-picture deal<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|308}} approximately midway through ''The Next Generation''{{'}}s sixth season.<ref name="braga-moore">{{cite AV media |people=[[Brannon Braga|Braga, Brannon]]; [[Ronald D. Moore|Moore, Ronald]] |date=September 28, 2004 |title=Star Trek Generations; Audio commentary |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]] |medium=DVD; Disc 1/2}}</ref> Moore and Braga, convinced Berman had called them into his office to tell them ''The Next Generation'' was cancelled and they were out of a job, were instead given the task of writing the film.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|308}}<ref name="dillard-novelization">{{cite book |last=Dillard |first=J.M. |author-link=Jeanne Kalogridis |title=Star Trek: "Where No One Has Gone Before" – A History in Pictures |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekgenerati00dill |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |year=1994 |isbn=0671511491}}</ref>{{rp|241}} Berman also worked with former ''Next Generation'' producer Maurice Hurley to develop possible story ideas,<ref>{{cite news |title=Rick Berman: Executive Producer |author=Shapiro, Marc |work=Star Trek Generations: Official Movie Souvenir Magazine |publisher=Titan Magazines |date=January 1995}}</ref> intending to develop two film scripts simultaneously and prioritize whichever was most promising.<ref name="dillard-novelization"/>{{rp|246}} Executive producer [[Michael Piller]] turned down the opportunity to develop ideas, objecting to what he saw as a competition for the job.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|308}} Moore and Braga's script was ultimately chosen. The writers spent weeks developing the story with Berman, before taking a working vacation in May 1993 to write the first-draft screenplay, completed June 1.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|309}}

Moore described ''Generations'' as a project with several required elements.<ref name="braga-moore"/> Berman felt that having the original cast of the previous ''Star Trek'' films felt like a "good way to pass the baton" to the next series.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|308}} The studio wanted the original cast to only appear in the first minutes and Kirk only recurring at the end of the film. Other requests included a [[Khan Noonien Singh]]-like antagonist, Klingons, and a humorous Data plot.<ref name="braga-moore"/> At one point, the writers toyed with the idea of pitting the two crews against each other. "We were obsessed with the poster image of the two ''Enterprises'' locked in combat: ''Kirk vs. Picard, One Must Die!''" said Moore.<ref name="housley-1994"/> Ultimately, the writers could not come up with a plausible explanation for such a conflict, and abandoned the idea.<ref name="dillard-novelization"/>{{rp|248}}

In the initial draft of the screenplay, the original series cast appeared in a prologue, and Guinan served as the bridge between the two generations. The opening shot would have been the entire cast crammed into an elevator, happy to be back together.<ref name="braga-moore"/> The ''Enterprise''-D's destruction also appeared—the saucer crash had first been proposed by Moore as the conclusion to part one of a sixth-season cliffhanger story that was scrapped.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|309}} Kirk's death was developed in Braga, Moore, and Berman's story sessions. Moore recalled that "we wanted to aim high, do something different and big... We knew we had to have a strong Picard story arc, so what are the profound things in a man's life he has to face? Mortality tops the list." After the idea of killing off a ''Next Generation'' cast member was vetoed, someone suggested that Kirk die instead. "We all sorta looked around and said, 'That might be it,' " Moore said. The studio and Shatner had few concerns about the plot point.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|309}}

Refining the script meant facing the realities of budget constraints. The initial proposal included location shooting in Hawaii, Idaho, and the [[Midwestern United States]], and the total budget was over $30&nbsp;million. The budget dropped to $25&nbsp;million after negotiations.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|309}} A revised version of the script from March 1994 incorporated feedback from the producers, studio, actors, and director. The writers changed one sequence where Harriman trained his predecessors in the ''Enterprise''-B's operation after Shatner felt the scene's joke went too far. Picard's personal tragedy was written as his brother Robert's heart attack, but Stewart suggested the loss of his entire family to add emotional impact.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|310}} The opening sequence took place on the solar observatory with two [[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]]-influenced characters talking shortly before an enemy attack; ''Next Generation'' writer [[Jeri Taylor]] suggested that the opening should be something "fun", leading to the switch to the holodeck scene.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|311}}

Nimoy turned down the chance to direct the feature.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|309}} The producers chose [[David Carson (director)|David Carson]]. The British director had no feature film experience, but had directed several episodes of ''Star Trek'', including the  ''Next Generation'' episode "[[Yesterday's Enterprise]]" and the ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'' pilot "[[Emissary (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Emissary]]".<ref>{{cite news |title=David Carson: Director |author=Shapiro, Marc |work=Star Trek Generations: Official Movie Souvenir Magazine |publisher=Titan Magazines |date=January 1995}}</ref>

===Design===
''Star Trek'' veteran [[Herman Zimmerman]] served as [[production designer]], collaborating with illustrator [[John Eaves]] for many designs.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|312}} Zimmerman's approach to realizing a vision of the future was to take existing designs and use them in a different manner to express living in the future. Taking cues from director [[Nicholas Meyer]]'s approach to ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'', Zimmerman noted that future humanity will still have the same furniture needs, so a logical approach was to start with what would remain the same and work from there.<ref name="edgerly-1994">{{cite journal|author1=Edgerly, Philip Thomas |author2=Zimmerman, Herman |date=December 1994|title=Architrek: Designing Generations|journal=[[Omni (magazine)|Omni]]}}</ref>{{rp|52}}

Transitioning from television to film meant that sets and designs needed to be more detailed, with a higher level of polish to stand up on the big screen. Zimmerman felt obliged to improve the sets fans had watched for seven seasons, especially the bridge. Zimmerman repainted the set, added computer consoles, raised the captain's chair for a more commanding presence, and reworked the bridge's ceiling struts; he had always been unhappy with how the ceiling looked, but never had the time or money to rework it.<ref name="edgerly-1994"/>{{rp|52–53}}

The script called for an entirely new location on the ''Enterprise''-D: stellar cartography. The script described the location as a small room with maps on one wall. Finding the concept uninteresting, Zimmerman designed a three-story circular set to give the impression the actors were inside a star map dominated by screens. Zimmerman's previous work designing a crisis management center influenced the design.<ref name="edgerly-1994"/>{{rp|54}} The backlit starmaps that covered three-quarters of the wall would have been infeasible to create in the years before the rise of large-format inkjet printers and computer graphics software. The starmaps were replaced with a [[chroma key|bluescreen]] for scenes where the static images would be replaced by computer-animated star maps by Santa Barbara Studios.<ref name="okuda"/> Stellar cartography was one of the largest sets ever constructed on a Paramount lot.<ref name="beeler-1995"/>{{rp|27}}

The film marked the first appearance of the starship ''Enterprise''-B. The ship was a modification of the ''Excelsior'', a model designed and built by Bill George and effects house [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM) for ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' a decade earlier.<ref name="okuda">{{cite AV media |people=[[Michael Okuda|Okuda, Michael]] |date=September 28, 2004 |title=Star Trek Generations; Text commentary |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]] |medium=DVD; Disc 1/2}}</ref> Co-producer Peter Lauritson, illustrator John Eaves, and Zimmerman designed the ''Enterprise''-B with additions to its hull, some of which were added so that they could depict damage to the ship without harming the underlying model's surface, and to improve the look of the ship when it was filmed from angles called for in the script.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|319}} The ship's bridge was based on previous designs for the ''Enterprise''-A and ''Excelsior'' sets Zimmerman had created for ''The Undiscovered Country'', using pieces from each.<ref name="okuda"/> The surrounding spacedock for ''Enterprise''{{'s}} maiden voyage was a modification of the model created for ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' (1979),<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|319}} refurbished and modified to better fit the film's [[Anamorphic format|anamorphic]] screen frame.<ref name="magid-1995">{{cite journal|author=Magid, Ron|date=April 1995|title=ILM Creates New Universe of Effects for 'Star Trek: Generations' |journal=[[American Cinematographer]]|volume=1|issue=76|pages=77–88|issn=0002-7928}}</ref>{{rp|79}}

Like Zimmerman, George took the opportunity of the ''Enterprise''-D's screen debut to touch up the model.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|79}} Because ''Generations'' featured the ''Enterprise''-D separating into its saucer and engineering sections, the original {{convert|6|ft|adj=on}} model built by ILM for the television series was removed from storage. The model was stripped, rewired, and its surface detailed to stand up to scrutiny.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|320}} George changed the paint job, as he recalled they had been in a rush to prepare the model for television and its green-and-blue color scheme did not properly read on film. The paint scheme was shifted towards a "battleship grey", with glossy tiled areas reminiscent of the original feature film ''Enterprise''.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|79}}

While ''Generations'' made use of new sets and props, set decorator John M. Dwyer reused existing props or made new ones out of premade materials where possible, rather than spend money on new items: a torture device was created from a birthing chair, nose hair clippers, and flashlights; packing materials formed the shapes of set walls for the Bird of Prey bridge; and Soran's missile used a bird feeder and other garden store supplies for its interior elements.<ref name="okuda"/><ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|316}} The stellar observatory set was filled with props from ''The Next Generation'', with some added in deliberate nods to past episodes.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|317}} Other reused sets included the Klingon bridge built for ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' and ribbed plastic walls in the [[Jefferies tube]]s, repurposed from the sets of ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]''.<ref name="okuda"/> Original set pieces and props included paintings for the settings in the Nexus.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|317}}

[[Robert Blackman]], ''The Next Generation''{{'s}} long-serving [[costume designer]] re-designed the Starfleet uniforms which the ''Enterprise''-D crew would wear in the film. Blackman crafted militaristic-looking uniforms with rank sleeves inspired by ''The Original Series'', high collars, and jackets reminiscent of the uniforms developed for ''The Wrath of Khan''. The redesign was abandoned, and the cast wore combinations of the uniforms from '' The Next Generation'' and ''Deep Space Nine''; the only new addition was an Eaves-designed angular communications badge that replaced the previous oval shape. Time was so short that Jonathan Frakes and Levar Burton borrowed the costumes from ''Deep Space Nine'' actors [[Avery Brooks]] and [[Colm Meaney]].<ref name="okuda"/> Also created by Blackman was a skydiving outfit worn by Shatner; though the scene was cut from the film, the costume was used in the ''Voyager'' episode "[[Extreme Risk (Star Trek: Voyager)|Extreme Risk]]".<ref name=collectingtrek>{{cite web|last1=Jose|first1=Maria|last2=Tenuto|first2=John|title=Collecting Trek: Toys, Cards & More Depicting Deleted Scenes|url=http://www.startrek.com/article/collecting-trek-toys-cards-more-depicting-deleted-scenes|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS|date=December 23, 2013|access-date=December 25, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217223810/http://www.startrek.com/article/collecting-trek-toys-cards-more-depicting-deleted-scenes|archive-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:Lady Washington 2007.jpg|thumb|{{ship||Lady Washington}} stood in as a [[holodeck]] recreation of a sailing ship ''Enterprise''.|alt=A white and gold antique wooden sailing ship sits in a body of water, with land behind it.]]
Berman backed Carson's choice to hire [[John A. Alonzo]], the director of photography for ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]'' and ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|311}} Alonzo was shown more than a dozen ''Star Trek'' episodes to familiarize himself with the franchise. He favored lighting scenes as much as possible from within the sets rather than staging lights and [[flag (lighting)|flags]] for each shot. Carson credited this approach with saving time and allowing more freedom when shooting. He later wrote that the production moved at a "TV-like" pace; principal photography concluded after 51 days.<ref name="bluray-commentary"/>{{rp|7'10"–7'45"}}

Filming commenced on March 28, 1994. ''Generations'' and ''The Next Generation'' were filmed simultaneously on different soundstages on the Paramount Studios lot. Scenes that did not feature the television series regulars were filmed first,<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|307}} starting with those in the ''Enterprise''-B deflector room. The scenes of Harriman, Chekov, and Scott reacting to Kirk's apparent death were filmed a week later, to allow time for the deflector room to be suitably distressed to visualize the damage.<ref name="okuda"/>

Stage 7 was where the ''Enterprise''-B's bridge, deflector room, and corridors were built and filmed. The jolts and shocks of the ship in the hold of the energy ribbon were created by camera bumps and motors to shake the set. Filming of the scenes took place in April 1994, while residents were still skittish from the recent [[1994 Northridge earthquake]]; the effects staff deliberately hid the set shakers until cameras were rolling to elicit more genuine reactions. The stellar observatory set was an elaborate redress of the ''Enterprise''-B's bridge, with added levels and swapped walls changing the layout. Control panels styled after those in the original ''Star Trek'' series helped suggest the age of the station.<ref name="okuda"/>

The cast of ''The Next Generation'' started filming their scenes for ''Generations'' four days after wrapping on the show.<ref name="EW-generation x">{{cite magazine|author=Svetkey, Benjamin|date=May 6, 1994|title='Generation' Ex|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|issue=221|page=16}}</ref> After the filming of the series was complete, there were only six months remaining before the film's release date.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|307}} The ''Enterprise''-D crash scenes were filmed mid-May 1994, and were among the last remaining shots before the existing ''Next Generation'' sets were demolished to make way for ''Star Trek: Voyager''. As a result, the crew distressed the sets for the crash damage more than would have been normal during the series' run.<ref name="okuda"/>

[[File:Valley of Fire White Domes area 3.jpg|thumb|left|High cliffs and areas like this in [[Valley of Fire State Park]] served as the alien planet Veridian III.|alt=A view of worn, red, orange, and white rocks clustered together, with a few small outgrowths of vegetation scattered among them.]]
Despite the budget cuts, ''Generations'' shot many scenes on location.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|316}} The rushed pace of filming meant that not all locations had been selected before the start of principal photography, and the production was still scouting locations until two weeks before the final scenes.<ref name="dillard-novelization"/>{{rp|261}} The production exhausted possible options within Los Angeles' [[studio zone]] and looked up to {{convert|150|mi}} away for suitable locations.<ref name="dillard-novelization"/>{{rp|267}} The ''Enterprise''-D promotion ceremony on the holodeck was filmed on {{ship||Lady Washington}}, a full-scale replica of the first American sailing ship to visit Japan.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|316}} Carson fought hard to keep the shoot during budget trims, deciding to sacrifice other days in the schedule to keep the scene.<ref name="bluray-commentary"/>{{rp|19'00"–20'00"}} ''Lady Washington'' was anchored at [[Marina del Rey]] and sailed out a few miles from shore over five days of shooting. Some of ''Lady Washington''{{'s}} crew appeared amongst ''Enterprise'' crew members.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|316}}

Picard's house in the Nexus was a private home in [[Pasadena, California]]; almost all the furnishings were custom props or outside items. Portions of the scene were shot in May 1994, followed by new shoots five months later. The revisions included adding Picard's nephew René to his imagined Christmas celebration with his family. The house of Kirk's Nexus recollections was located in [[Lone Pine, California]], with the cabin filled with props to represent Kirk's career, from a Klingon [[bat'leth]] to a painting of his ''Enterprise''.<ref name="okuda"/>

Carson wanted a suitably remote and alien mountain location for the film's climax at Soran's compound.<ref name="dillard-novelization"/>{{rp|262}} The scenes were filmed over eight days on an elevated plateau in the "[[Valley of Fire State Park|Valley of Fire]]", north-east of [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. The rise's height and sloped sides required cast and crew to climb {{convert|160|ft}} using safety ropes and carry all provisions and equipment with them. The {{convert|110|F}} heat was difficult for all involved, especially Shatner, who wore a wool costume.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|315}} Safety harnesses and wires used to keep performers safe from tumbling off a precipice were removed digitally in postproduction.<ref name="okuda"/>

As originally filmed, Kirk was shot in the back and killed by Soran. Test audiences reacted negatively to the death, so the scene was rewritten and reshot over two weeks<ref name="startrek.com-carson on kirk">{{cite web|author=Staff|date=May 12, 2011|url=https://www.startrek.com/article/david-carson-revisits-his-trek-days-part-2|title=David Carson Revisits His Trek Days – Part 2|website=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202221838/https://www.startrek.com/article/david-carson-revisits-his-trek-days-part-2|url-status=live}}</ref> so that Kirk sacrifices himself by leaping across a broken walkway to retrieve Soran's control pad and de-cloak the probe. Paramount allowed the film to go over budget to $35&nbsp;million for the re-shoots.<ref name="Star Trek FAQ 2.0">{{cite book|author=Clark, Mark|year=2013|title=Star Trek FAQ 2.0 (Unofficial and Unauthorized): Everything Left to Know About the Next Generation, the Movies and Beyond|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781480355019|chapter=28}}</ref> As the production crew had already spent weeks removing traces of their shoot from the Valley of Fire, the set had to be rebuilt under a very tight schedule, followed by effects work to remove wires and rigging in time for the footage to be included in the final cut.<ref name="okuda"/>

===Effects===
''Generations''{{'}} special effects tasks were split between the television series' effects vendors and ILM.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|313}} ILM CG Supervisor John Schlag recalled that it was easy to recruit staff who wanted to work on ''Star Trek''; working on the film "gave me a chance to be a part of the whole ''Trek'' thing ... ILM is practically an entire company filled with ''Trek'' geeks".<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|88}} The screenwriters filled the initial drafts with exciting—and expensive—effects. Effects supervisor [[John Knoll]]'s team then storyboarded the effects sequences, figuring out how to best service the script as cheaply as possible. When even those estimates proved too costly, ILM continued cutting shots. "[We had] nothing left to cut, and we still had to cut stuff out," Knoll recalled.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|78–79}}

Previous ''Star Trek'' films had used conventional [[Motion control photography|motion control]] techniques to record multiple passes of the starship models and miniatures. For ''Generations'', the effects artists began using [[computer-generated imagery]] (CGI) and models for certain shots.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|78}} No physical shooting models were built for the refugee ships, although George recalled that he created a quick physical miniature for CG modeler Rob Coleman to develop his ideas from, rather than try to articulate his feedback without it.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|84}} Other CG elements included the solar collapses and the Veridian III planet.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|319}} Knoll used a digital version of the ''Enterprise''-D for the warp effect; the limitations of the motion-control programming and [[slitscan]] effect for the original meant that the effect "barely holds up", Knoll said, whereas the CG recreation could keep consistent lighting throughout.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|88}} While digital techniques were used for many sequences and ships, a few new models were physically built; these included the observatory, built by model shop foreman John Goodson.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|320}}

The climactic battle between the ''Enterprise'' and the Klingons over Veridian III was accomplished using traditional motion control, but without the budget for practical explosions and special breakaway models, impacts and battle damage were simulated with practical compositing tricks and computer-generated effects. The destruction of the Bird of Prey was a reuse of footage from ''The Undiscovered Country''. Weapons fire and energy bolts were hand-animated, but Knoll had a different idea for the [[photon torpedoes]]. A fan of the impressive, arcing look of the torpedoes from ''The Motion Picture'', Knoll scanned in footage from the film and turned to computer-generated effects. A simulator program created a similar look that could be animated from any point the effects artists wanted, without the expense and tedium required—shining lasers through a crystal in a smoky environment—to recreate the look optically.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|80–81}}

[[File:Startrek generationshd0192 nexusribbon.png|thumb|The ribbon and the ''Enterprise'' in this scene are computer-generated; because the camera is following ''Enterprise'' so closely, the effects artists had to make sure the modeling held up to the scrutiny of the big screen.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|86}}|alt=A close-up view of the hull of a Starship surrounded by a ribbonlike vortex of reddish-purple electric energy.]]
Carson described the Nexus energy ribbon as the true villain of the film; ILM was responsible for conceiving what the ribbon would look like with no natural frame of reference.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|81–82}} "When creating something from scratch, it's always important to rough out the whole thing... because there are so many paths you can explore, it's easy to get bogged down," recalled effects co-supervisor Alex Seiden, who had worked as a technical director on the [[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country#Effects|planetary explosion of Praxis]] from ''The Undiscovered Country''.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|83}} Knoll decided the ribbon was a rip through universes, filled with chaotic energy, taking inspiration from images he had seen of magnetic fields around Uranus from a [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] simulation. The airfoil-shaped core of the undulating ribbon was enhanced with electrical tendrils.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|82}} To sell the ribbon's vastness in space shots where no sense of scale would be available, Seiden and George created a debris field of embers that trailed the ribbon.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|83}} The inside of the ribbon was conceptualized as similar to a dense electrical storm, with electricity fogging the screen.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|83}} Because of the complex interplay of the ribbon elements with the ships that would be trapped within it, ILM decided the refugee ships and ''Enterprise''-B should be CG models.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|85}} To make the switch between computer-generated and motion-control passes of the physical model appear seamless, ILM created a [[wire-frame model|wireframe]] of the physical model, with the computer-generated model's textures taken from photos of the physical model, shot in flat light with a long lens.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|85}} The tendril strike that sends Kirk into the Nexus was simulated with the layering of multiple pieces of animation, including CG explosions Knoll rendered on his personal computer and a recycled explosion effect from ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''.<ref name="magid-1995"/>{{rp|86}}

The ''Enterprise''-D crash sequence was filmed in a {{convert|40|by|80|ft|adj=on}} forest floor set extended by matte paintings,<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|320}} built outside so ILM could use natural light. A {{convert|12|ft|adj=on}} model ''Enterprise'' saucer was constructed specifically for the shots; the model's size gave it the right sense of scale for flying dirt and debris, an illusion enhanced by shooting with a high-speed camera to give the saucer the expected slow movement of a massive object.<ref name="okuda"/> ILM shot its crew members walking about their parking lot and matted the footage onto the top of the saucer to represent Starfleet personnel evacuating the saucer section.<ref name="nemecek-2003"/>{{rp|320}}

===Music===
{{Main|Star Trek Generations (soundtrack)}}
[[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]], the principal composer for ''The Next Generation'', was given the task of writing ''Generations''{{'}} score. McCarthy became the first ''Star Trek'' composer to work on both television and film projects.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Jamie |title=Longtime Star Trek composer Dennis McCarthy on his scores for DS9 and Generations |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/longtime-star-trek-composer-dennis-mccarthy-on-his-scores-for-ds9-and-generations |website=[[SyFy]] |access-date=November 18, 2020 |language=en |date=May 24, 2018 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201154630/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/longtime-star-trek-composer-dennis-mccarthy-on-his-scores-for-ds9-and-generations |url-status=live }}</ref> Critic Jeff Bond wrote that while McCarthy's score was "tasked with straddling the styles of both series", it offered the opportunity for the composer to produce stronger dramatic writing. The film's opening music is a choral piece that plays while a floating champagne bottle tumbles through space. For the action scenes with the ''Enterprise''-B, McCarthy used low brass chords. Kirk was given a brass motif accented by snare drums (a sound not used on ''The Next Generation''), while the scene ends with dissonant notes as Scott and Chekov discover Kirk has been blown into space.<ref name="bond-1999">{{cite book |author=Bond, Jeff |year=1999 |title=The Music of Star Trek |publisher=Lone Eagle Publishing Company |isbn=1580650120}}</ref>{{rp|152}}

McCarthy expanded his brassy style for the film's action sequences, such as the battle over Veridian III and the crash-landing of the ''Enterprise''-D. For Picard's trip to the Nexus, more choral music and synthesizers accompany Picard's discovery of his family. A broad fanfare—the film's only distinct theme—first plays when Picard and Kirk meet. This theme blends McCarthy's theme for Picard from ''The Next Generation''{{'s}} first season, notes from the theme for ''Deep Space Nine'', and [[Alexander Courage]]'s [[Theme from Star Trek|''Star Trek'' theme]]. For the final battle of Kirk and Picard against Soran, McCarthy used staccato music to accentuate the fistfight. For Kirk's death, McCarthy mated lyrical strings with another statement of the Courage theme, while a shot of Picard standing over Kirk's grave is scored with more pomp. The Courage theme plays again at the film's close.<ref name="bond-1999"/>{{rp|152–53}}

The original soundtrack was released in 1994 on cassette tape and CD.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/star-trek-generations-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000610497/releases|title=Star Trek: Generations [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – Dennis McCarthy &#124; Releases &#124; AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com|access-date=August 29, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829105629/https://www.allmusic.com/album/star-trek-generations-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000610497/releases|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, [[GNP Crescendo Records]] rereleased the soundtrack as a two-disc, expanded collector's edition including previously unheard tracks.<ref name="GNP Generations">{{cite web|url=http://store.gnpcrescendo.com/new/product_info.php?products_id=228&osCsid=2d68487d12453bdfe6ba473b0a408d31|title=Star Trek: Generations Expanded Collector's Edition|work=[[GNP Crescendo Records]]|access-date=August 21, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421003055/http://store.gnpcrescendo.com/new/product_info.php?products_id=228&osCsid=5f81852f42478d1eb317e4f29033c799|archive-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>

==Release==
===Marketing===
The marketing of ''Generations'' included a website, the first to officially publicize a motion picture. The site was a success, being viewed millions of times worldwide in the weeks leading to the film's release, at a time when fewer than a million Americans had internet access.<ref>{{cite web|title=The First Movie Web Site: 'Star Trek Generations'|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/7647.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227104351/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/7647.html |archive-date=February 27, 2009|work=StarTrek.com|publisher=CBS|access-date=July 2, 2005}}</ref> Paramount also promoted the film on the [[Prodigy (online service)|Prodigy]] online service.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=December 10, 1994|title=Paramount Pictures uses Timeslink|work=[[Editor & Publisher]]|volume=127|issue=50|pages=18–19}}</ref>

Tie-in merchandise released to promote the film included collectible cups and calendars from [[Jack in the Box]],<ref>{{cite news|author=McCarthy, Michael|date=October 17, 1994|title=Jack in the Box Arms Promo Torpedoes|work=[[Brandweek]]|volume=35|issue=40|page=8}}</ref> promotional kiosks at [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] stores,<ref name="brandweek-licensing">{{cite news|author=McCarthy, Michael|date=April 11, 1994|title=Kmart Gets Licensed to Trek|work=[[Brandweek]]|volume=35|issue=15|page=8}}</ref> and action figures. Due to production timelines, these figures wore the Blackman-designed Starfleet uniforms that were ultimately unused in the film itself.<ref name=collectingtrek/> Other collectibles included a 600,000-run special issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' dedicated to the film,<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=August 8, 1994|title=Magazine Plans Trekkie Issue|work=[[Adweek]]|volume=44|issue=32|page=10}}</ref> and stamps and souvenir sheets produced by [[Guyana]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Finley, Larry|date=January 29, 1995|title='Star Trek' Honored With Guyana Stamp|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=Sun-Times Media Group}}</ref> A novelization of the film written by [[J. M. Dillard]] spent three weeks on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]]. Paramount's licensing group estimated promotional partners could add up to $15&nbsp;million in the film's support.<ref name="brandweek-licensing"/>

Several tie-in video games were released to tie in with the film's release. [[Absolute Entertainment]] published ''[[Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus|Star Trek VII: Generations: Beyond the Nexus]]'' for the [[Game Boy]] and the [[Game Gear]] handheld devices.<ref>{{cite web|title=Star Trek: Generations – Beyond the Nexus|url=http://uk.ign.com/games/star-trek-generations/gb-12627|website=IGN|access-date=December 25, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219084617/http://www.ign.com/games/star-trek-generations/gb-12627|archive-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Three years after the film, [[MicroProse]] produced ''[[Star Trek Generations (video game)|Star Trek VII: Generations]]'', which featured the film's cast as voice actors. The game roughly followed the plot of the film with most of the game played in a [[first-person perspective]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=August 31, 1996|volume=108|issue=35|title=Beam me up, Scotty|magazine=Billboard|page=108}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Broida|first=Rick|title=Star Trek Generations|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19758165.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610181528/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19758165.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2014|access-date=December 25, 2013|newspaper=Computer Shopper|date=October 1, 1997}}</ref>

Versions of the film's script leaked out in advance of the film. A bootleg script revealed the energy ribbon and Kirk's death; James Doohan confirmed the script's authenticity at a fan convention in March 1994, but his agent denied he had seen the finished script.<ref name="EW-generation x"/> In September, another copy of the film's script leaked onto the internet.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Horn|first1=Jordana|first2=Thomas|last2=Jaffe|date=September 12, 1994|title=Generations gap|work=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]|volume=154|issue=6|page=18}}</ref> As a result, news of Kirk's death was widespread.<ref name="housley-1994">{{cite news|last=Housley|first=John |date=December 1994|title=Keep on Trekkin'|work=[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]|volume=8|issue=4|pages=92–95}}</ref>

===Box office===
''Star Trek Generations'' was previewed in the United States and Canada on November 17, 1994, and grossed $3&nbsp;million from 1,525 theaters.<ref name=open>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 21, 1994|page=8|last=Klady|first=Leonard|title='Vampire' flies, but may bare neck to 'Trek'}}</ref> The film opened to a wide release in 2,659 theaters the following day and grossed $23.1&nbsp;million during the opening weekend, averaging $8,694 per theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-22-ca-165-story.html|title=Weekend Box Office : Appealing to All 'Generations'|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 22, 1994 }}</ref> It was the [[List of 1994 box office number-one films in the United States|highest-grossing film]] during the first week of its release in the United States, staying in the top ten for a further four weeks. The film went on to gross $75,671,125 in the United States and Canada and $42,400,000 internationally, making $118&nbsp;million worldwide against a $35&nbsp;million budget.<ref name="mojo"/> In the United Kingdom, ''Generations'' opened on February 10, 1995, at [[List of 1995 box office number-one films in the United Kingdom|number one]] with £2,040,000.<ref name="guardian-st09 gross">{{cite web|last=Gant|first=Charles|date=May 12, 2009|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/may/12/star-trek|title=Star Trek warp drives to top of UK box office|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114073041/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/may/12/star-trek|url-status=live}}</ref> In Japan, the film grossed $1.2&nbsp;million its opening weekend, a large amount considering the franchise's usual poor performance in that market.<ref>{{cite news|author=Groves, Don|date=January 1, 1996|title=Bond, 'Babe' light up o'seas B.O.|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=16}}</ref> Given its moderate budget,<ref name="latimes-costs">{{cite web|last=Eller|first=Claudia|date=December 11, 1998|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-11-fi-52785-story.html|title=Lower Costs Energize 'Trek' Film Profit|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=January 3, 2021|archive-date=August 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816060306/http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-11-fi-52785-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Generations''{{'}}s gross was considered a success.<ref name="den of geek-generations retrospective"/>

==Reception==
''Star Trek Generations'' earned mixed reviews from critics and fans. The film holds a 47% rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 5.50/10.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_generations/ |title= Star Trek Generations (1994) |publisher= [[Fandango Media]] |website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date= January 5, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181023145902/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_generations/ |archive-date= October 23, 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 55 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating average reviews.<ref name="MCst7">{{cite web |url= http://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-trek-generations |title= Star Trek: Generations (1994) |website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= January 5, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180709174507/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-trek-generations |archive-date= July 9, 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade B+.<ref name="STcs">{{cite web | url= https://cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ | title= CinemaScore Public Index| access-date= January 5, 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ | archive-date= December 20, 2018 | url-status= dead|website=[[CinemaScore]]}}</ref> Writing about the film decades later, ''[[Den of Geek]]'' described the film as divisive, and ''[[Tor.com]]'' noted the film had been picked apart for years by fans and the film's own writers.<ref name="den of geek-generations retrospective">{{cite web|last=Cummins|first=Chris|date=November 18, 2019|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/does-star-trek-generations-deserve-another-chance/|title=Does Star Trek: Generations Deserve Another Chance?|website=[[Den of Geek]]|publisher=Den of Geek World Ltd.|access-date=November 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042326/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/does-star-trek-generations-deserve-another-chance/|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name="tor-generations review">{{cite web|last=Asher-Perrin|first=Emmet|date=April 9, 2013|url=https://www.tor.com/2013/04/09/star-trek-generations/|title='You're right! I hate this!' Star Trek: Generations|website=[[Tor.com]]|publisher=Tor Books|access-date=November 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042356/https://www.tor.com/2013/04/09/star-trek-generations/|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> In 2001, the BBC gave it 2 of 5 stars, summarizing, "Devotees may find it necessary (if depressing) viewing."<ref name=review>{{Cite web|title=BBC – Films – review – Star Trek: Generations|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_generations_1994_review.shtml|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.bbc.co.uk|archive-date=December 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201143800/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_generations_1994_review.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

Critics complained the film felt like an overly-long episode of the television series.<ref name="bbc-generations review">{{cite web|last=Coates|first=Tom|date=September 4, 2001|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_generations_1994_review.shtml|title=Star Trek: Generations (1994)|website=[[BBC]]|access-date=November 10, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042313/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_generations_1994_review.shtml|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name="bernadelli-1994">{{cite web |url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/s/st7.html |title=Star Trek Generations Review |last=Berardinelli|first=James |work=ReelViews |year=1994 |access-date=February 2, 2009 |author-link=James Berardinelli |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116032649/http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/s/st7.html |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="people-generations review">{{cite news|author=Novak, Ralph|date=December 5, 1994|title=Star Trek Generations|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|volume=42|issue=23|page=18}}</ref> The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''{{'s}} Jay Boyar agreed, but said the film minimized the television series' tendency to "bog down" by moving to the next scene before boredom could set in.<ref name="sentinel-generations review">{{cite web|last=Boyar|first=Jay|date=November 18, 1994|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-11-18-9411170507-story.html|title=At Its Best, 'Star Trek' Doesn't Forget to Laugh|website=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=Tribune Publishing|access-date=November 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042321/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]] called the film safe, and said that it relied heavily on viewers' appreciation for the ''Star Trek'' television series.<ref name="latimes-generations review">{{cite web|author=Turan, Kenneth|author-link=Kenneth Turan|date=November 17, 1994|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-17-ca-63576-story.html|title=Movie Review: 'Star Trek': We've Gone This Way Before : 'Generations' Relies Heavily on Audience Appreciation of the First Two TV Series|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=November 18, 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042328/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-17-ca-63576-story.html}}</ref> Jay Carr of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' described the film as "reassuringly predictable", saying that it featured elements that would be recognizable by the fans of both series but that the lack of surprises was a benefit.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carr|first1=Jay|title='Trek': steady as she goes|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8304546.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911173005/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8304546.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 11, 2016|access-date=July 27, 2016|work=The Boston Globe|date=November 18, 1994|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

''[[Cinefantastique]]''{{'s}} Steve Biodrowski praised some of the big-budget touches the film brought to the franchise, but wrote that most of the attempts such as John Alonzo's cinematography seemed to backfire.<ref name="cinefantastique-generations review"/> In contrast, Carrie Rickey of ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' and ''Den of Geek''{{'}}s Chris Cummins praised Alonzo's work as one of the few bright spots of the film; "[Alonzo] makes the ''Enterprise'' look like an actual lived-in starship," Cummins wrote, and "for the first time ever, the crew of the Enterprise-D looked like they were truly in outer space".<ref name="inquirer-generations review">{{cite web|last=Rickey|first=Carrie|date=May 6, 2009|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/movies/reviews/A_couple_of_captains_trekking_together_boldy_going_where_no_plot_has_gone_before.html|title=A couple of captains, trekking together boldy going where no plot has gone before.|website=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|publisher=The Lenfest Institute|access-date=November 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042400/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/movies/reviews/A_couple_of_captains_trekking_together_boldy_going_where_no_plot_has_gone_before.html|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> Elizabeth Renzetti from ''The Globe and Mail'' praised the film for its special effects, but felt they were not strong enough to cover the weak plotting.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Elizabeth |last=Renzetti |date=November 18, 1994 |title=Film Review Star Trek Generations |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/385091216|id={{ProQuest|385091216}} }}</ref>

Opinions were divided on whether or not the film was accessible to non-''Star Trek'' fans. Critics such as ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} [[Janet Maslin]] suggested that despite being "predictably flabby and impenetrable in places" and suffering from [[technobabble]], there was enough action and spectacle to engage others.<ref name="nytimes-generations review">{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B05E5DD1031F93BA25752C1A962958260 |title=Star Trek Generations Review |last=Maslin|first=Janet |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 18, 1994 |access-date=February 2, 2009 |author-link=Janet Maslin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023145945/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/18/movies/film-review-a-major-star-date-in-enterprise-history.html|archive-date=October 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="baltimore sun-generations review"/> Boyar felt that specific plot beats would fly over the heads of casual viewers, but the film's innate sense of fun would keep them engaged.<ref name="sentinel-generations review"/> Others considered the film inaccessible to neophytes, and too preoccupied with fan-focused elements that detracted from the overall story,<ref name="bernadelli-1994"/><ref name="latimes-generations review"/> with [[Roger Ebert]] critiquing the movie as being "...so concerned with in-jokes and updates for Trekkers that it [could] barely tear itself away long enough to tell a story".<ref name="Roger Ebert">{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-generations-1994 |title=Star Trek: Generations Review |last=Ebert|first=Roger |work=Chicago Sun-Times |year=1994 |access-date=November 3, 2013 |author-link=Roger Ebert |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709033608/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-generations-1994 |archive-date=July 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The meeting of Kirk and Picard prompted comparisons between the two respective actors; Stewart's performance was often considered superior.<ref name="people-generations review"/><ref name="nytimes-generations review"/><ref name="baltimore sun-generations review"/><ref name="newsweek-generations review">{{cite news|author=Marriott, Michel|date=November 21, 1994|title=When time stands still|work=[[Newsweek]]|volume=124|issue=21|page=88}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] and Ebert wrote that Kirk's lack of presence through much of the film was still keenly felt.<ref name="bernadelli-1994"/><ref name="Roger Ebert"/> Biodrowski, in contrast, wrote that Shatner's hammy acting was a better fit for the film than Stewart's subtle delivery.<ref name="cinefantastique-generations review"/> Boyar thought Shatner did a good job playing a straight man in the final sequences and injecting more fun into the film.<ref name="sentinel-generations review"/> ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''{{'s}} Stephen Hunter considered Shatner and Stewart emblematic of two different eras of stardom, and that Stewart's commanding presence "wipes poor, saintly old Shatner off the screen".<ref name="baltimore sun-generations review">{{cite web|last=Hunter|first=Stephen|date=November 18, 1994|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-11-18-1994322078-story.html|title='Generations' has gaps, but Picard and Co. are stellar|website=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|publisher=Tribune Publishing|access-date=November 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118042329/https://www.baltimoresun.com/|archive-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> ''Cinefantastique'' and others criticized the scenes between Kirk and Picard as lacking.<ref name="cinefantastique-generations review">{{cite web|last=Biodrowski|first=Steve|date=May 15, 2009|url=http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2009/05/15/star-trek-generations-1994-retrospective-science-fiction-film-review/|title=Star Trek Generations Retrospective Film Review|website=[[Cinefantastique]]|publisher=Fourth Castle Micromedia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603093854/http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2009/05/15/star-trek-generations-1994-retrospective-science-fiction-film-review/|archive-date=June 3, 2009}}</ref>

McDowell's turn as Soran received differing opinions. Berardinelli and Rickey called Soran a weak and ill-defined villain,<ref name="bernadelli-1994"/> and Hunter dismissed Soran as a nemesis unworthy of the titanic meeting of Kirk and Picard.<ref name="baltimore sun-generations review"/> ''People''{{'s}} Ralph Novak called Soran a "standard-issue ''Trek'' villain",<ref name="newsweek-generations review"/> while Maslin, ''[[Newsweek]]''{{'s}} Michel Marriott, and ''Entertainment Weekly''{{'s}} [[Lisa Schwarzbaum]] enjoyed the performance.<ref name="nytimes-generations review"/><ref name="newsweek-generations review"/><ref name="ew-generations review">{{cite magazine|author=Schwarzbaum, Lisa|date=November 25, 1994|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/star-trek-generations/|title=Star Trek: Generations|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|issue=250|access-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224135932/https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/star-trek-generations/|archive-date=February 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Novak wrote that Data's subplot of learning about emotions was a highlight and probably the most enjoyable part of the film for non-fans,<ref name="newsweek-generations review"/> while Ebert said that the premise "could have led to some funny scenes, but doesn't".<ref name="Roger Ebert"/> Coates summed up the subplot as "dreary".<ref name="bbc-generations review"/>

==Home media==
''Generations'' was released on [[LaserDisc]] in the United States on July 18, 1995,<ref>{{Cite web|title=LaserDisc Database – Star Trek VII: Generations [LV 32988-2]|url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/24028/LV-32988-2/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.lddb.com|archive-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811123900/https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/24028/LV-32988-2/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by a September release in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LaserDisc Database – Star Trek VII: Generations [PILF-2220]|url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/00398/PILF-2220/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.lddb.com|archive-date=September 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929082655/https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/00398/PILF-2220/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also released on the United Kingdom in 1995 in the [[PAL]] format.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LaserDisc Database – Star Trek VII: Generations [PLFEB 33481]|url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/18972/PLFEB-33481/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|access-date=2021-02-26|website=www.lddb.com|archive-date=August 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812013022/https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/18972/PLFEB-33481/Star-Trek-VII:-Generations|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was released in the UK on [[VHS]] on 28 December 1998.<ref name="review" /> It was given a [[DVD]] release in 1998, with a non-anamorphic transfer and no special features.<ref name="ign-generations dvd 1">{{cite web |url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/315/315697p1.html |title=Star Trek Generations DVD Review |last=Conrad|first=Jeremy |website=[[IGN]]|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=November 1, 2001 |access-date=February 2, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624010738/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/11/01/star-trek-generations|archive-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> It later received a British DVD release on October 2, 2000.<ref name="review" /> A new anamorphic transfer formed the basis of a 2004 [[special edition]], with [[Audio commentary|audio]] and text commentaries and special [[featurette]]s.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ordway, Holly|date=September 13, 2004|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12269/star-trek-generations-special-collectors-edition/|title=Star Trek Generations – Special Collector's Edition|website=[[DVD Talk]]|publisher=Internet Brands|access-date=November 19, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111015222/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12269/star-trek-generations-special-collectors-edition/|archive-date=January 11, 2010}}</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] in 2009 as part of a [[box set]] of ''The Next Generation'' films, along with additional material.<ref>{{cite web|author=Galbraith, Stuart|date=October 4, 2009|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/38705/star-trek-the-next-generation-motion-picture-collection/|title=Star Trek TNG Motion Picture Collection|website=[[DVD Talk]]|publisher=Internet Brands|access-date=November 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807214827/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/38705/star-trek-the-next-generation-motion-picture-collection/|archive-date=August 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Wright, Matt|date=September 26, 2009|url=https://trekmovie.com/2009/09/26/review-star-trek-the-next-generation-movies-blu-ray-box-set/|title=Star Trek The Next Generation Movies Blu-Ray Box Set|website=[[TrekMovie.com|Trekmovie]]|publisher=SciFanatic Network|access-date=November 18, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905162903/https://trekmovie.com/2009/09/26/review-star-trek-the-next-generation-movies-blu-ray-box-set/|archive-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref> The four ''Next Generation'' feature films were released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] on April 4, 2023, in standalone and collected formats.<ref>{{cite web|last=Axon|first=Samuel|date=April 10, 2023|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/for-the-first-time-you-can-now-watch-every-star-trek-movie-in-4k-hdr/|title=For the first time, you can now watch every Star Trek movie in 4K HDR|website=[[Ars Technica]]|access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Star Trek: Generations}}
* {{Official website|http://www.startrek.com/database_article/star-trek-generations}}
* {{IMDb title|0111280|Star Trek: Generations}}
{{Memory Alpha|Star Trek Generations|''Star Trek Generations''}}

{{Star Trek}}
{{Star Trek: The Next Generation}}
{{Star Trek time travel episodes}}
{{David Carson}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Star Trek 07: Generations}}
[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1994 science fiction films]]
[[Category:1994 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1994 science fiction action films]]
[[Category:1990s films about time travel]]
[[Category:American science fiction action films]]
[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction action films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:American crossover films]]
[[Category:Crossover films]]
[[Category:Science fiction crossover films]]
[[Category:Sequel films to television series]]
[[Category:Fiction about prosthetics]]
[[Category:Fiction about time travel]]
[[Category:Films about androids]]
[[Category:Films about refugees]]
[[Category:Films based on Star Trek: The Next Generation|Generations]]
[[Category:Films based on Star Trek: The Original Series|Generations]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
[[Category:Films set in the 23rd century]]
[[Category:Films set in the 24th century]]
[[Category:Films shot in Arizona]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Lone Pine, California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Nevada]]
[[Category:Films directed by David Carson]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Brannon Braga]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Rick Berman]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ronald D. Moore]]
[[Category:Films scored by Dennis McCarthy]]
[[Category:Films produced by Rick Berman]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]