By GustavoLeao / 11:55, 14 May 2006 / TrekWeb Features

On November 26, 1986, Star Trek IV The Voyage Home arrived on the big screen in North America and became the highest grossing Star Trek movie to date. Now TrekWeb celebrates the movie's 20th Anniversary with a look at the movie's international prologue, never released in the US.

When Star Trek IV The Voyage Home was released in Europe and South America in 1987, producer Harve Bennett and director Leonard Nimoy created a special prologue to the movie to help sell it in the foreign markets. The prologue featured a 'Captain's Log' narration by William Shatner, describing the events of Star Trek II and III, with new music by composer Leornard Rosenmman.

"We tried to sell it [in the foreign market] as not being a Star Trek movie" executive producer Ralph Winter told Cinefantastique Magazine in 1992. "We even cut a prologue like a miniseries that would update you on what happened in Star Trek II and III. But it didn't seem to make a difference. The TV series plays all over the world."

What follows is a complete description of this lost prologue, never released in the U.S version of the movie :

PARAMOUNT LOGO (the 75th Anniversary version)

ENTERPRISE UPON APPROACH TO THE CAMERA AND KIRK TURNING FROM THE VIEWSCREEN - SAME AS FIRST SCENE OF ST III :

KIRK VOICEOVER : Captain's Log, Stardate 8031 in the 23th Century. As commander officer of the U.S.S Enterprise, I look back on our most recent adventure and realize...I could not ask for a more brave ship or a more dedicated crew :

CLIPS FROM PREVIOUS MOVIES :

...Chekov...

...Doctor McCoy...

...Scotty....

...Uhura...

...Sulu...

SPOCK DYING IN FRONT OF KIRK FROM ST II :



...and our late comrade Spock, whose sacrifice in our last mission is now deeply felt.

GENESIS PROJECT CGI SEQUENCE :

KIRK VOICEOVER : Our ship and our lives were in danger by an experimental project called Genesis, designed to bring new life to dead planets.

ENTERPRISE FIRING SPOCK'S TORPEDO FROM ST II :



KIRK VOICEOVER : We send Spock's body there to rest in peace.

KIRK'S APARTMENT :

SAREK : Why did you leave him on Genesis ? Spock trusted you, and you denied him his future.

KIRK : I saw no future...

SAREK : Only his body was in death, Kirk. Bring him to us. And bring back what he gave to you : his living spirit.

STARFLEET RESTAURANT :

KIRK : If there is a chance of Spock being able of having an eternal soul, it's my responsability. Give me back the Enteprise !

ADMIRAL MORROW : Out of question, my friend !

SULU : The word, sir ?

KIRK : The word...is no. I am therefore going anyway.

ENTERPRISE LEAVING SPACEDOCK :

EXCELSIOR'S OFFICER VOICEOVER : Sir, someone is stealing the Enterprise !

SPACEDOCK COMPUTER VOICEOVER : All Stations : Yellow Alert.

ENTERPRISE BRIDGE

CHEKOV : Commander of Starfleet on Emergency Channel...he orders you to surrender this vessel.

KIRK : No reply, Chekov

SULU : One minute to spacedoors.

SPACEDOORS OPENING, ENTERPRISE EXITING SPACEDOCK

EXCELSIOR BRIDGE :

CAPTAIN STILES : Kirk, if you do this, you will never seat on a captain's chair again.

ENTERPRISE BRIDGE

KIRK : Warp speed.

SULU : Warp speed.

ENTERPRISE GOES TO WARP



ENTERPRISE BRIDGE

KIRK : Best speed to Genesis.

ENTERPRISE UPON APPROACH TO GENESIS PLANET

KIRK VOICEOVER : Unfortunately, we were not the firsts to arrive.

KLINGON SHIP DECLOACKS



SULU : Klingon Bird of Prey ! She is arming torpedoes !

KLINGON BRIDGE

KIRK (ON VIEWSCREEN): You presence here is an act of war !

KRUGE : Fire !

BIRD OF PREY FIRES, ENTERPRISE IS HIT, EXPLOSIONS ON THE BRIDGE, KLINGONS BEAMING TO THE ENTERPRISE :

KIRK VOICEOVER : Quickly overpowered, we had no choice but to allow the klingons to beam onboard....

KIRK ACTIVATES SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE :

...which means the only way to defeat them, was to destroy the Enterprise.

T'ORG : The ship appears to be deserted.

KRUGE : They are hiding.

KIRK AND CREW BEAMS OUT :

KIRK VOICEOVER : Leaving our ship for the last time, we escaped to Genesis.

ENTERPRISE BRIDGE :

COMPUTER :...Five...Four...

KRUGE : Get out of there ! Get out !

ENTERPRISE SAUCER EXPLODES

CREW ON TOP OF MOUNTAIN :



KIRK : What have I done ?

McCOY : What you had to do.

GENESIS SELF-DESTRUCTING, KIRK GRABS SPOCK AND BEAMS OUT



KIRK VOICEOVER : Just as the planet begun to self-destruct, we found Spock....and he was alive. His body has been regenerated, but his mind was a blank.

BIRD OF PREY UPON APPROCH OF VULCAN, CREW WATCHES THE CEREMONY

KIRK VOICEOVER : Escaping Genesis, we used the captured Klingon vessel to take us to Vulcan, where a mysterious ceremony was performed by Spock's people in an attempt to restore his memory.

SPOCK FACES KIRK :



SPOCK : You came back for me.

KIRK : You would have done the same for me.

SPOCK : Why you did that ?

KIRK : Because the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few.

KIRK SMILES AS THE CREW SURROUNDS SPOCK - THE FOOTAGE GOES BLACK AND WHITE, BEGINS TO SHRINK AND FREEZE - THE REVERSE OF THE ST III PROLOGUE :

KIRK VOICEOVER : Meamwhile, back on Earth, the punishment of our disobedience waited us....

The producers also changed the movie titled for the foreign market : instead of 'Star Trek IV The Voyage Home' the movie was re-named THE VOYAGE HOME : Star Trek IV. That's right : THE VOYAGE HOME appeared on the big screen in bold, big letters, but audiences barely noticed the tiny Star Trek IV below it (and this was repeated in the posters - note the british poster below). This version of the movie was released in VHS in Europe, Asia and South America in 1988, but has since been replaced by the American version (sans the prologue). The beatiful music created for this prologue has never been released to the public and the prologue is not available on the DVD.



Live Long and Prosper, Star Trek IV !