  star trek iv: the voyage home is a 1986 american science fiction film released by paramount pictures. it is the fourth feature film in the film series and completes the story arc begun in the wrath of khan and continued in the search for spock. intent on returning home to earth to face trial for their crimes, the former crew of the uss enterprise finds the planet in grave danger from an alien probe attempting to contact now-extinct humpback whales. the crew travel to earth's past to find whales who can answer the probe's call. after directing the search for spock, cast member leonard nimoy was asked to direct the next feature, and given greater freedom regarding the film's content. nimoy and producer harve bennett conceived a story with an environmental message and no clear-cut villain. dissatisfied with the first screenplay produced by steve meerson and peter krikes, paramount hired the wrath of khan writer and director nicholas meyer. meyer and bennett divided the story between them and wrote different parts of the script, requiring approval from nimoy, lead actor william shatner, and paramount. principal photography commenced on february 24, 1986. unlike previous star trek films, the voyage home was shot extensively on location; many real settings and buildings were used as stand-ins for scenes set around and in the city of san francisco. special effe
1980s_comedy_films 1980s_science_fiction_films 1986_films American_comedy_science_fiction_films American_films English-language_films Films_about_whales Films_directed_by_Leonard_Nimoy Films_set_in_1986 Films_set_in_San_Francisco,_California Films_set_in_the_23rd_century Films_set_in_the_future Paramount_Pictures_films Screenplays_by_Nicholas_Meyer Sequel_films Space_adventure_films Star_Trek_(film_franchise) Star_Trek_time_travel_episodes Time_travel_films