Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Returning to Theaters for 40th Anniversary
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is returning to theaters to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022. Star Trek: II: The Wrath of Khan debuted in 1982, delivering a more focused, tenser story than the first Star Trek movie. Critics and fans widely regard The Wrath of Khan as the best Star Trek movie and one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, particularly praising William Shatner's performance as Kirk and Ricardo Montalban as the Khan. (And if the movie returning to theaters isn't enough, those characters are featured in the first wave of new Playmates Star Trek toys in 12 years.)
In association with Turner Classic Movies, Fathom Events will send The Wrath of Khan back to theaters for three nights in September: Sunday, September 4th, Monday, September 5th, and Thursday, September 8th. Here's the official information and poster from Fathom:
"One of the most celebrated and essential adventures from the STAR TREK universe, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN celebrates 40 years with the director's cut on the big screen. On routine training maneuvers, Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned that this may be the last space mission of his career. But an adversary from the past has returned with a vengeance.
Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalban)—brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth—has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen the top-secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk… with the threat of a universal Armageddon."
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan kicked off Star Trek's "Genesis Trilogy" films. Those three movies appeared together in 4k for the first time as part of the Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4k UHD set that Paramount released last year. Around the time of its release, ComicBook.com spoke to Roddenberry Entertainment head Rod Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, about what makes those three movies stand out.
"I don't know if this is what you're expecting, but I think the original series did a great job of showing a crew that was a family, but it still was a Kirk, Spock and DeForest Kelley, and Bones with, I hate to call them supporting cast, but almost supporting cast with the show, George and Walter," Roddenberry said. "The movies brought that family together. The movies gave life and purpose and cohesion to all of those characters, and you get to see them interact more and come together and work together, not just as a crew, but as a group of people who loved each other and cared for one another. And I think, as you just said, II, III, and IV, and of course the first one, but II, III, and IV really did a phenomenal job of dealing with that. And how they dealt with the loss of Spock. And then he comes back, but how does he now fit back into the family? I think you nail it with that question. And I think that is a great sort of a three-part version of Star Trek, which just shows the love between them."
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