Star Trek : Planet of the Titans Star Trek : Planet of the Titans ( alternatively called Star Trek : Planet of Titans ) was to have been the first motion picture based on . It was one of several early attempts to bring " Star Trek " back after the series had been canceled . Summary . Origins . As written by Chris Bryant and Allan Scott , the film was set after the five - year mission depicted in the series , and involved Starfleet competing with the Klingon s for claim to the supposed homeworld of the mythical Titans , a technologically advanced race , long thought extinct . As the planet was pulled into a black hole , the must also face off against the Cygnans , the alien race responsible for the disappearance of the Titans . Ultimately , Captain Kirk was forced to take the " Enterprise " into the black hole to defeat the Cygnans , a decision that sent the starship and its crew backwards in time thousands of years and into orbit around Earth . After introducing fire to the primitive Human s living at the time , Kirk and his crew were revealed to be the legendary Titans . ( " " , pp . 32 - 33 ) " TV Zone " ( Special # 6 , p . 8 ) described this plot as " " a curious tale with overtly Von Daniken ( " Chariots of the Gods " ) ideas that Man ' s early evolution had been influenced by ancient astronauts . The ancient astronauts being the crew of the " Enterprise " who have plunged through a black hole and arrived at Earth in the time of Cro - Magnon man ! " " In the words of author Allan Asherman , " " The script concerned the disappearance of Captain Kirk , the resignation of Mr . Spock , and the discovery of an invisible ' Planet of the Titans ' . " " ( " The Star Trek Compendium " , 4th ed . , p . 151 ) Rewrite . When the story was rewritten by Philip Kaufman , the plot began with the " Enterprise " in deep space , rescuing survivors from the planets of a solar system that was being destroyed by a black hole . Spock communicated with two of the newcomers – a pair of aquatic aliens who , despite being known as highly logical lifeforms , wanted to be returned to their homeworld , so they could be surrendered to " the one who calls . " Due to Spock ' s contact with the duo , strange images had imprinted themselves on his mind which he couldn ' t decipher but which gave him a feeling of serene finality . With the ship filled to capacity , the " Enterprise " began heading to Starbase , having concluded its five - year mission . Meanwhile , Spock planned to leave Starfleet and return to Vulcan . A fleet of Klingon vessels suddenly approached and a battle ensued . Though the " Enterprise " was at a severe disadvantage , the ship managed to destroy the Klingon vessels , with all but the lead craft destroyed in the black hole , and took aboard a Klingon commander who had survived the conflict and had no respect for Spock but was impressed by Kirk . The captain and his crew were dazed by what seemed to be glimpses into their own future . Kirk and Spock violently fought each other , the former insistent that the " Enterprise " steer into the black hole , whereas Spock was adamant that the ship proceed away from it . After assaulting Kirk , Spock killed one of his fellow crew members and locked the craft on a journey home . However , he ended up unconscious in the computer room , with none of the crew members retaining any memory of these odd events . Spock sensuously dreamt of a woman he met when he thereafter awoke at Starbase : Dr . Riva , a Starfleet medical officer who could project herself into the dreams of others ( a technique similar to a Vulcan mind meld ) . Having been assigned to investigate the mystery , she questioned Spock , who had no memory of the fight but came to accept , by replaying records from the " Enterprise " , that he was personally to blame for his recent transgressions , though Riva had a feeling that something else was the cause . Spock and Riva were baffled by mutual feelings of intimacy towards each other , despite the two having never met . Riva related this mystery to her constant companion , the alien Shoonashoo , while they walked together , through the paradisaical surroundings on Earth . Riva had suspected the " Enterprise " crew of having some type of space madness but had been unable to detain them for any further questions , though Spock was being held by the authorities . Riva released him , but , despite knowing of his eagerness to return to Vulcan ( which was now increased due to the guilt he felt ) , she firstly ordered him to help her with her investigation . Growing closer during that assignment , they began to suspect that something evil lurked in the black hole . Spock explained that , according to theory , black holes could be used as a method of time travel , though both he and Riva were skeptical that this was the case and that the black hole itself had drawn the " Enterprise " crew to it . More strange events had recently been occurring on the " Enterprise " , while the ship had been undergoing refit on an asteroid . Technical officers from among the ship ' s crew somehow knew technical data which was decades in advance of their present , all of which was being used in the ship ' s refit . Spock alone was able to understand information he extracted from the vessel ' s bio - computers , deciphering it as a complex flight plan that would allow the ship to navigate through the black hole ; the highly improbable instructions had been input into the bio - computers in much the same way as the crew members had been given their data . Riva questioned the Klingon commander , who resisted speaking to her but now wanted to stay with Spock , as the Klingon had dreamt their destinies would be intertwined . The Klingon was convinced an evil beast was in the black hole and vowed vengeance on it , having had a premonition that Spock would lead him to the creature . Spock , followed by the Klingon , finally returned to Vulcan , feeling deeply ashamed , despite Starfleet having dismissed murder charges against him . Wanting to exorcise his Human half , he participated in a Vulcan ritual , wherein the Elders of Vulcan mind melded with him . As the black hole started to move towards Earth , Riva and Shoonashoo felt themselves strangely compelled to head to Stonehenge together , as did Kirk and his crew , although they had separated after the " Enterprise " s five - year mission . Riva learned that rumors abounded about the mysterious Stonehenge , one of which stated that a highly advanced race of Titans had lived there long before modern - day Humans , and had become their progenitor . After the reassembled " Enterprise " crew gathered in the area , Kirk declared that Starfleet would send them back into space again , in response to an emergency that Riva knew nothing of and was therefore skeptical about . She confronted Kirk with her suspicions , but he then received a call ordering him to immediately report to Starfleet due to an emergency . Kirk , followed by Riva , returned to the " Enterprise " , where she persuaded the captain to have both Spock and herself aboard the vessel when it left on its forthcoming mission to the black hole . On Vulcan , Spock was trying to undertake a tortuous test for himself when he and the Klingon got into an argument with each other over the specifics of the test . The Klingon wouldn ' t leave unless Spock promised to allow the Klingon to accompany him when he was taken on a mission to the black hole . However , Spock was doubtful that anyone would come for him and eventually rendered the Klingon unconscious with a Vulcan nerve pinch . Contrary to Spock ' s expectations , however , Kirk , Riva , and McCoy beamed down to meet with him . Kirk explained the black hole had reportedly been moving , a highly unusual event that fascinated Spock to the point where he wanted to leave with the group , though he also brought the Klingon as well . Next , the " Enterprise " crew prepared for battle , fashioning a type of headband that would shield their minds from being possessed again . In their efforts to stop the black hole , they unsuccessfully attempted to contact it , probe it , warn it , and divert it from course using photon blasts . The black hole instead , somehow , managed to engulf the ship . Following a spectacular journey through the black hole – in which a huge silvery ball , emitting light - beams , was visible – the " Enterprise " emerged into " a suddenly placid universe " where there was no reply from Starbase . Kirk and his crew , upon regaining consciousness , found their vessel was being steadily and slowly pulled towards a devastated Earth without their control . In a desperate effort to keep at least part of the ship aloft , Kirk ordered a saucer separation , leaving some members of the crew in the stardrive section . The saucer section landed , without too much damage , in a graveyard of other spaceships , where many gigantic Starfleet vessels , all of them more highly advanced than those from the " Enterprise " s era , had previously crash - landed . The fact that the " Enterprise " s stardrive section would , in time , likewise crash to Earth added pressure on Kirk . Moments after some fearful ape - like creatures were glimpsed and the crash - landed crew members exited the saucer section , the officers suddenly experienced hallucinatory fear and paranoia , then excrutiating pain . Running through the forest , they found a huge spider - like being , which appeared to be part animal , part electrical , and part plant . The creature was being attacked by a group of men , and whenever it was struck , the " Enterprise " crew experienced cerebral pain . Unexpectedly , they began to quarrel with the attackers , defending the creature . However , the beast ' s heart was pierced with a spear that one of the strangers lunged into the creature , killing it . The " Enterprise " officers were released from its influence on their minds , and the gravitational pull on the stardrive section suddenly eased . The strangers were led by an old man , whose name was also James T . Kirk ; he was actually the son of Kirk and one of the female officers from the " Enterprise " ( whom Kaufman suggested might be Uhura ) . The old man cried tears of happiness to see his father again and explained his own backstory . After Kirk had had a son , he had gone back out to space , never to be heard from again , though the son had always been faithful that the father would someday come back . Captain Kirk didn ' t recognize the old man , but even so , the " Enterprise " crew quickly went on to form an alliance with the son ' s group . The " Enterprise " officers were instructed to wear their headbands at all times . The son himself related that the monstrous spider - like creatures had clearly taken over the planet Earth and sent their own thoughts through time in order to lure men , from various time periods , here . However , most men from the future had come to think of the headbands as unnecessary , superstitious gear , and their rejection of the mindscreen shields had caused their intelligence to be wiped by the creatures , turning these men into the Neanderthal ape - like forms seen earlier . The son ' s band told the newcomers more about the creatures , saying that all the spacemen ( including aliens too ) had been attracted there by a black hole and that there were many of the spider - like beasts , apparently linked telepathically . The newly killed creature had been thought to be the one responsible for the crash - landings , a hypothesis confirmed by the freeing of the stardrive section . Some of the beasts had pleaded that they had been trying to " remake man , " which led Spock to wonder if any of them could have been spared for questioning , but the Klingon argued that the son ' s group had been right to kill the creatures . The Klingon then asked if his people had arrived there , but no - one had seen them , and most who tried to traverse the black hole died in the attempt . Those who had succumbed to the monsters ' mind control had ended up deformed , explaining the images of strange humanoid lifeforms in Earth mythology . Working with Dr . Riva again , Spock deduced that there was a central brain center somewhere that was connected to all the spider - beasts and was in control of the black hole . Riva intuited that the control center was at Stonehenge , so she went there with Spock at night . There , they found the stones arranged into a huge structure , archway built upon archway , and electronic apparatuses operating underneath , with a huge silvery ball at the top , the same one from inside the black hole . Spock realized this was the beasts ' control center , though he and Riva were then taken prisoner by a group of male time - travellers called the Keepers . They led Spock and Riva before the massive spider - beast , far bigger and more terrifying than any seen before , then ripped off their headbands . Kirk and his officers were alerted by Shoonashoo to the disappearance of Riva and Spock , who felt deep sadness and tried to strengthen their minds by uniting in a mind meld . Kirk and his subordinates attacked the Keepers , who fought fiercely to protect the beast . In the fray , Kirk ' s son was fatally wounded . Spock and Riva tried to make Kirk and his companions stop their assault , though the Klingon struck the beast with a sharp blade before Spock could render himself unconscious with another nerve pinch , and the other attackers believed both Spock and Riva were under the beasts ' mind control . Finally , at Spock ' s imploring , Kirk removed his own headband , and consequently realized that the attack needed to cease . In fact , he even ordered McCoy to tend to the injured creature . As the " Enterprise " crew learned , the " beast " was really the Last Man on Earth , a result of faulty genetic mutation experiments which , in the far , far future , Humans had carried out , eager to explore all possibilities of mankind and allow Human brains freedom from its narrow confines so it could explore all things . For eons , it had lived with other men on Earth , who had become interested in seeking Nirvana and had ultimately left the planet in the form of non - corporeal sentient clouds . Apart from the Last Man , the Earth had been abandoned . Ages passed . The Last Man knew how to communicate through time , though he was restrained to Earth and was incapable of time travel . Even when he began attempting to summon men from the past in an attempt to rebuild Humankind ( the " Enterprise " crew having been the earliest ones capable of making the journey ) , they denied the thoughts he stimulated in them and mistakenly deemed him " evil , " unable to accept this monstrosity as mankind ' s future . As a result of the deformities they had accidentally created , the Last Men had decided they couldn ' t rely on genetic manipulation to propagate the species ; all new Humans had to be created via sexual procreation , so the Last Men started to search for a man and a woman to repopulate the species . Since then , all the other Last Men had unfortunately been tracked down and exterminated . Buildup . With the popularity of " Star Trek " conventions , as well as re - runs of , a revival of the franchise remained up in the air during the mid - 1970s . Gene Roddenberry favored " Star Trek " returning in the televised form of " several movies - of - the - week each season . " ( " TV Showpeople " , ) However , around this time , mid - , Paramount Pictures announced they would be producing a " Star Trek " movie for theatrical release , so work began on attempting to find a plot for the forthcoming film . Many efforts were made to devise a usable story , which included the writing of multiple stories by Roddenberry – including " The God Thing " – and the writing of " The Billion Year Voyage " by Robert Silverberg . Though Paramount ( in early ) briefly scheduled the planned production as a television movie , they later ( in April 1976 ) changed it back to a theatrical feature film . ( " The Star Trek Compendium " , 4th ed . , p . 151 ) In his book " " ( p . 429 ) , David Alexander wrote that the film was budgeted for US $ 7 . 5 - 9 million . Susan Sackett reported , in her book " " ( pp . 23 & 27 ) , that the project ' s budget was raised , in July 1976 , from between three and five million US dollars to between six and eight million US dollars . According to " Star Trek Movie Memories " by William Shatner and Chris Kreski ( hardcover ed . , p . 40 ) , the film had a proposed budget of about US $ 11 million when it was greenlighted , at which time hiring of key staff members began . In April 1976 , Paramount assigned Gene Roddenberry as the film ' s producer . ( " The Star Trek Compendium " , 4th ed . , p . 151 ) In July , the studio decided to assign an executive producer . Jerry Isenberg was chosen for the job , and wasted no time in attempting to secure qualified writers for the movie , which now had the working title " Star Trek : The Motion Picture " . Meanwhile , Jon Povill was hired as Gene Roddenberry ' s assistant , and was given his first task : to compile a list of screenwriters who might be able to write the script . At about the same time , he was also called upon to compile a list of potentially suitable directors . ( " " , pp . 27 & 29 ) Jon Povill responded to the latter request in a memo to Gene Roddenberry , dated . There , Povill remarked , " " I would guess that the following people on the list will be unavailable , though they would be good for the project . " " He then listed seven directors : Francis Ford Coppola , Steven Spielberg , George Lucas , Robert Wise , William Friedkin , George Roy Hill , and Norman Jewison . ( " " , p . 29 ) In a memo dated , Jon Povill sent the requested list of possible screenwriters to Gene Roddenberry , commenting , " " I have listed a number of people whose credits seem a very far cry from science fiction but who in some way struck me that they might be able to do the job anyhow – perhaps if given the story to work with ( which we don ' t have to give yet , of course ) . " " Povill then listed thirty - four candidates , including Edward Anhalt , Robert Towne , James Goldman , Francis Ford Coppola , George Lucas , Gene Roddenberry , Ernest Lehman , Robert Bloch , Lorenzo Semple , Jr . , Paddy Chayefsky , Peter Benchley , as well as Roddenberry and Povill themselves . ( " " , pp . 23 & 27 - 28 ) The second issue of " " magazine ( p . 13 ) reported , " " According to Susan Sackett , Roddenberry ' s secretary ( and an accomplished writer herself ) , Gene is now deciding on just one writer – a skillful and highly experienced screenwriter – who will develop what will be the film ' s screenplay – just in case Paramount decides not to use Gene ' s latest treatment . " " History . All the names of screenwriters that Jon Povill had recommended were rejected in favor of two young , English writers : Chris Bryant and Allan Scott . ( " " , p . 28 ) They were specifically sought by Jerry Isenberg , so impressed was he by their work on " Don ' t Look Now " , a film Gene Roddenberry liked too . ( ' , issue 7 , p . 32 ) Neither Bryant nor Scott had ever written any science fiction before , but their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn made up for their lack of knowledge about the genre . ( " " , p . 83 ) The writing pair moved from their respective homes in England and Scotland to Los Angeles . ( " " , p . 28 ) Their change in surroundings was so they could work more closely with Roddenberry and Isenberg . ( ' , issue 3 , p . 8 ) Scott and Bryant were hired by late July 1976 and were to start their work on the film on . Their outline was planned to be eight to ten pages in length , for which they would be paid US $ 12 , 500 , plus more for the first draft script and revisions . ( " " , p . 429 ) Bryant and Scott arrived at Paramount Studios in September 1976 . ( " " , issue 7 , p . 32 ) Jon Povill turned out to be right to have thought none of the directors he had suggested would be available , at least not for the amount of script money they could make by taking part in this medium - sized film project . ( " " , pp . 28 & 29 ) Jerry Isenberg and Gene Roddenberry ultimately decided to hire Philip Kaufman to direct the film , which was to be produced in England . By this time , the start of production on the film was postponed to the spring of . ( " Starlog " , issue 3 , pp . 8 & 12 ) However , the plan to film the movie in England would reduce costs by several million dollars . ( " " , p . 32 ) Alan Scott , Chris Bryant , and Philip Kaufman were given a quick round of " Star Trek " screenings to study , beginning with the ten episodes Gene Roddenberry deemed the most representative of the show and also the ones regarded as the best and most popular with audiences . These were , , , , , , , , , and . Along with these episodes , the group additionally watched many science fiction films , such as " 2001 : A Space Odyssey " and " Robinson Crusoe on Mars " . ( " " , p . 30 ) Writing an initial story outline for the movie , Alan Scott and Chris Bryant shared an office , using typewriters on a pair of desks positioned back - to - back . ( " " , p . 28 ) In her book " " ( p . 28 ) , Susan Sackett recalled , " " Often during a strained writing session , the air would suddenly explode with raucous laughter , their door would burst open , and Allan , the more outgoing of the two , would charge out , his blue eyes dancing with mischief , to tell his latest joke or pun – he was very big on puns – to anyone within earshot . To relieve the tensions of the constant writing pressures , they played with toys , did magic tricks , and wrote funny memos [ . . . ] [ that ] often jokingly used other people ' s names [ as the sender ] . " " Fears were raised among the creative personnel , however , that the movie ' s tale might be riddled with plot holes and errors in story logic . ( " " , p . 431 ) The film project was given a boost , from Paramount ' s perspective , with the unveiling of the space shuttle " " on 17 September 1976 . Realizing they could take advantage of this event to promote the forthcoming movie , Paramount released a full - page ad in the " New York Times " on 21 September , which proclaimed , " " Starship " Enterprise " will be joining the Space Shuttle " Enterprise " in its space travels very soon . Early next year , Paramount Pictures begins filming an extraordinary motion picture adventure – " Star Trek " . Now we can look forward to two great space adventures . " " Ironically , neither of them would ultimately launch . ( " " , p . 30 ) A magazine article printed in late 1976 purported that the new film was being planned to feature ten cameo roles . However , the same article made no mention of a proposed story , despite saying there was talk about a sequel if the movie was successful . ( " " , p . 429 ) Chris Bryant and Allan Scott finished their initial outline on 8 October 1976 . ( " " , p . 31 ) It was fifteen pages long . ( " " , p . 431 ) The treatment was accepted by Paramount , the first story that the studio had approved for the film project , and the writing duo immediately set to work on writing the script version of it . Although Gene Roddenberry was meanwhile in London , Jerry Isenberg and Phil Kaufman sent a telegram to the hotel where he was staying , asking him to return . The message stated , " " Paramount has ordered screenplay . Full support and excitement . Congratulations . Please come home . Love , Jerry and Phil . " " Roddenberry caught the earliest flight back to the States . ( " " , p . 31 ) On 26 October , he sent a memo of story notes to Bryant and Scott , voicing his thoughts on their story to date . He forwarded the memo to Isenberg and Kaufman but to no - one else , as it contained what Roddenberry called " writer talk . " He wanted to feel free to . . . " " . . . make every question or criticism , large or small , that comes into my mind . While we understand this level of early story communication , I don ' t want it in the hands of those who might read more problems into it than really exist . You two writers are almost too good ! Your fifteen page story was styled so excitingly that the holes and discrepancies which worried you and us were hardly visible . Many of them are fixable in script , of course . But a great number of them , at least in my opinion , are not and the time to tackle them is now . If some of what follows sounds silly or picky - ish , I know you will accept it in the spirit of my simply wanting to get everything discussed . I know that neither you nor Phil will have any hesitation about coming back to me where it appears my opinions are too much influenced by ' television " Star Trek " concepts . " " ( " " , pp . 430 - 431 ) Roddenberry ' s memo proceeded with nine and a half pages of detailed analysis of the treatment Scott and Bryant had written . The story notes asked questions and attempted to solve problems as well as potential problems . ( " " , p . 431 ) Following the news that the story treatment for a new " Star Trek " film had been approved , " Star Trek " fandom went crazy . Letters from ecstatic fans swamped Bryant , Scott , Kaufman , and Isenberg , while invitations to conventions also poured in . One such event that Bryant and Scott were requested to attend was a " Star Trek " convention in San Francisco on 12 - 13 February 1977 , about which the writers dispatched a humorous memo to Roddenberry ( dated ) , asking for advice about what he didn ' t want them to say in regard to the movie . Roddenberry replied in a similarly light - hearted manner ( in a memo dated 15 December 1976 ) . ( " " , p . 31 ) As well as the reactions of jubilation , there was also a sense of public confusion over the revival of " Star Trek " . Adding to this were often contradictory newspaper articles or seemingly out - of - context announcements . On 15 February 1977 , for instance , an article in the " Washington Post " reported that Paramount had declared Philip Kaufman would start filming this " Star Trek " movie by summer , with a budget of US $ 8 million , though the article also quoted Harlan Ellison as having asserted that " Star Trek " " is dead . " ( " " , p . 435 ) The storyline of " Planet of the Titans " was tweaked , rewritten , and obsessed over by Chris Bryant , Allan Scott , Jerry Isenberg , Philip Kaufman , and Gene Roddenberry to the point where none of them were completely pleased with it . Eventually , as deadlines neared ever more ominously , Bryant and Scott hid from the others , retired to a hotel room , locking the door , and pounded out their story . After allowing Roddenberry and Kaufman to recommend changes , they finally surrendered it to Paramount . ( " Star Trek Movie Memories " , hardcover ed . , p . 42 ) The film ' s first draft screenplay wasn ' t submitted to Paramount until . By then , expenses were mounting , so the studio was forced into either making the film on the basis of this story or scrapping it altogether . Jerry Isenberg initiated preproduction , he and others having been checking on facilities for producing the film in England , and Ken Adam , of " James Bond " fame , had already been hired as the film ' s production designer . ( " " , p . 32 ) He sketched new concepts for the starship " Enterprise " , featuring a flattened , triangular engineering hull . Artist Ralph McQuarrie , of " Star Wars " fame , was hired to do conceptual drawing and paintings , featuring variations on Ken Adam ' s " Enterprise " . ( " The Art of Ralph McQuarrie " ) According to the book " The Art of Ralph McQuarrie " , many of McQuarrie ' s illustrations for the project were speculative images not based on the then - unfinished script , such as images of the starship approaching an inhabited asteroid . According to Susan Sackett ' s account in " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " ( p . 32 ) , however , McQuarrie wasn ' t hired until after the first draft of the screenplay was submitted and his illustrations were " based on the Scott - Bryant script . " That situation seems validated in the seventh issue of " Starlog " ( pp . 30 & 51 ) , as it mentioned the hiring of McQuarrie as a recent development as well as referencing Scott and Bryant as having left the project . Make - up artist was in discussions to work on the film ' s make - up . " " They talked to me about doing some aliens for that , " " he revealed . ( " Enterprise " Special # 3 , 1976 , p . 34 ) In light of the fact that an earlier proposed screenplay had similarly featured the " Enterprise " emerging millions of years in the future , Bryant and Scott sent a humorous memo to Gene Roddenberry , under the guise of Gulf and Western ' s chairman , Charles Bluhdorn . The document stated , " " It is my policy not to interfere in creative decision processes and this is merely to record my enthusiasm for the story which I read last week . May I , however , ask that in the final sequence when the " Enterprise " arrives at Earth several millions of years in the future there be some indication that the solar system is principally owned by Gulf and Western . Nothing ostentatious , mind you , but just the subtlest of hints to this effect . Keep up the good work . " " ( " " , p . 33 ) According to the fifth issue of " Starlog " ( p . 39 ) , due to script issues , contracts had to be renegotiated because the start date was delayed until : " " One of the major difficulties with the script has been including enough background material about the Federation , Vulcan , etc . to explain the universe of " Star Trek " to those who are not familiar with the show – without boring hard core Trekker s to tears . NBC is reportedly footing the bill for part of the production budget which is now said to be in the neighborhood of eight to twelve million dollars . Part of the deal ( if the film is successful ) calls for two ninety - minute specials to be made for TV . Roddenberry has said he would produce no more than six " Star Trek " episodes a year , if asked . Design work on sets and props is in full swing at Paramount ' s Stage 15 , which has five times the area of the old Stage 9 used for the TV series . " " On 17 March 1977 , a surprise party was thrown to celebrate the departure of Chris Bryant and Allan Scott . The next day , taped to the door of Gene Roddenberry ' s office , was their final memo , addressed to " all on " Star Trek " . " It mused , " " Giving birth takes nine months . We ' ve only been gestating for seven . So there ' s no baby . But there ' s an embryo . Look after it . " " ( " " , p . 33 ; " " , issue 7 , p . 30 ) In an interview printed in the seventh issue of " Starlog " ( pp . 32 & 33 ) , Allan Scott spoke about the problems which had been encountered in the development of " Planet of the Titans " , observing that one difficulty had been in defining the " difference between what is television and what is movie . " He confirmed that all the TOS main characters would return in the film , along with a few new ones to " augment and supplement " the existing parts . ( " " , p . 429 ) By the time the actual script was issued in first - draft format , it had received input from so many of the collaborators – Isenberg , Kaufman , and Roddenberry , in addition to the two writers – that it hardly seemed anything like the story that had been approved in October of the previous year . A few weeks after it was submitted to the studio , Paramount rejected the script . ( " " , p . 33 ) Their refusal of the screenplay specifically happened in April 1977 . Around that time , Kaufman took on the task of writing the script , in which he wanted to focus on Spock and a Klingon character he envisioned being played by legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune . Kaufman later revealed his vision for the project as being different from what was perceived by the audiences of " The Original Series " ; " " My version was really built around Leonard Nimoy as Spock and Toshiro Mifune as his Klingon nemesis . . . My idea was to make it less ' cult - ish ' , and more of an adult movie , dealing with sexuality and wonders rather than oddness ; a big science fiction movie , filled with all kinds of questions , particularly about the nature of Spock ' s [ duality ] – exploring his humanity and what humanness was . To have Spock and Mifune ' s character tripping out in outer space . I ' m sure the fans would have been upset , but I felt it could really open up a new type of science fiction . " " That Kaufman was able to envision a different spin on " Star Trek " as was hitherto commonplace was due to the fact that the studio had , for the first time in the franchise ' s history , completely and intentionally kept Roddenberry utterly out of the loop , he being considered a nuisance to work with by the studio . Still , Roddenberry confederate Assistant Producer Jon Povill kept him , against the wishes of the studio , abreast of the production by continuously consulting with him . ( " " , p . 17 ; " " , p . 27 ) On 18 April 1977 , the " San Francisco Chronicle " reported that the film had been aborted to make way for a new " Star Trek " television series , apparently scheduled to premiere in April 1978 . On 28 April 1977 , the " Los Angeles Times " suggested that the movie was still being written by Bryant and Scott but required a " significant overhaul " and was being postponed again , though the basic plot of the film would remain essentially intact . Roddenberry was quoted as remarking , " " If it had just been another sci - fi film , it could have been done immediately . " " As the article went on , Roddenberry talked more in favor of a series of ninety - minute or two - hour specials , expecting they could come out of a successful film , and be more likely to not disappoint the audience . ( " " , p . 435 ) Kaufman ' s script was never completed , as Paramount pulled the plug that May , just weeks before the release of " Star Wars " . Initially budgeted at US $ 7 . 5 million , the film had an estimated budget of US $ 10 million at the time the project was halted . " Planet of the Titans " was shelved and never revisited . Paramount , reluctantly bringing Roddenberry back into the fold , next moved ahead with a proposed TV series called " " , which eventually became . Publicly , the final word on " Planet of the Titans " seemed to come on , when its cancellation – following nine months of preparation and a total expenditure of US $ 500 , 000 – was reported by " The San Francisco Chronicle " . The decision to abort the film shocked Kaufman . ( " " , p . 436 ) Study models . Several small study model s of the " Enterprise " designs were created during the project ' s short life , of which two at least made an appearance in later " Star Trek " productions . Stored away for the better part of a decade , they have been stated to have appeared in the " starship graveyard " scene in the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359 in ( " The Art of Star Trek " , p . 56 ) , though their presence there has not been confirmed . One of the models is partially visible behind the interior hub of the spacedock in , when the " Enterprise " enters . The other model was present as B - 24 - CLN at Surplus Depot Z15 , in . Both models therefore became canon , albeit without class designations or names . The B - 24 - CLN study model – constructed out of wood and plastic , detailed with hand - applied tape and ink and measuring 15 " × 8 " – eventually turned up on , as Lot # 12 in Propworx ' s " Star Trek Prop and Costume Auction " , estimated at US $ 1 , 000 - $ 2 , 000 , where it sold for US $ 3 , 500 . The concept models were featured in a series of concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie , including some that featured the designs at an asteroid spacedock . Rick Sternbach recalled , " " In early , I held that McQuarrie asteroid painting in my very own hands , as it had been stored in the art department over Stages 8 / 9 during the aborted first attempts to make a " Trek " movie . There were rolls of prints of Ken Adam ' s stuff , and a couple of other McQuarrie renderings . The models of the triangular greebled " Enterprise " were there . The TOS set model was there . I could have walked off with the asteroid painting ; it was such a little gem . So one weekend , I promised myself I would study all that material more closely come Monday morning . And it had all been spirited away . Well , some of it surfaced again some years later , and I seem to recall that Ralph got his little paintings back . " " McQuarrie ' s concept of the asteroid spacedock later became the primary inspiration for Doug Drexler ' s Tholian asteroid dock , featured in the season four episodes and . " " I ' ve always loved the idea of this , and was fascinated by Ralph McQuarrie ' s TMP " [ sic . ] " asteroid base painting , " " Drexler stated . Ralph McQuarrie ' s own asteroid dock design eventually did turn up , in , as a full - fledged CG model in " Going Boldly " , a " Star Trek : New Voyages " fan film - series vignette . The Adam / McQuarrie " Enterprise " concept designs ended up becoming the basis for the design of the from . Just after that starship configuration was first publicly revealed , Bryan Fuller admitted that the " Discovery " had indeed been inspired by this abandoned film project , but " " to a point that we can ' t legally comment on it until [ our legal team ] figures out some things . " " The first teaser trailer for the series , constituted of early and unrefined visual effects , featured footage of the USS " Discovery " emerging from an asteroid dock .