Containing the leakage of spoilers of a movie before its release in the movie industry for the creators is like counter-intelligence agencies keeping a check on espionage. There is always a high risk that something crucial about an upcoming project makes its way to the public sometimes even before the production is complete. One such Hollywood whistleblowing controversy was about the movie Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. One of the most significant spoilers in the Star Trek universe got leaked before the release. But the creators diligently made a way out of this dilemma before fans could witness the leaked plotline in theatres.
What did the leaked spoilers say?
To start with, Gene Rodenberry, though Star Trek was his brainchild, was the source of the leak. He had been removed from the project of Star Trek 2 as he wanted to go ahead with a plot which was similar to what later turned out to be the plot of Star Trek: First Contact. Writer and director Nicholas Meyer was appointed as charge for the project. Rodenberry then leaked from the Star Trek 2 that Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) was going to die in the film. Spock had a huge amount of admirers in the Star Trek fan base.
How did the fans react?
The news of Spock’s death in the upcoming film created a controversial haywire amongst the fans. They were very disappointed about Spock’s death. They carried out letter writing campaigns to protest the death of Spock. Paramount Studios, the production behind Star Trek franchise, was genuinely worried that Star Trek might lose its audience and popularity.
What was the clever solution?
Nicholas Meyer came to the rescue of Paramount and Star Trek in their battle against this spoiler bomb. He came up with a brilliant win-win solution. He planned on faking Spock’s death in a simulation scenario where Spock dies for around 20 minutes but is alive in the actual Star Trek universe. The subsequent Star Trek movies and series would have taken different course had Spock died in this film.
Thanks to Meyer, Rodenberry’s leaks became apparent as a mere publicity stunt and helped the franchise gain more popularity instead of the opposite.