Summary
In the behind-the-scenes world ofStar Trek, nothing says “boldly going where no one has gone before” quite like a passive-aggressive corporate memo. One such memo — dated June 04, 2025, from Paramount executive Jeffrey Katzenberg to Gene Roddenberry’s wife andStar Trekroyalty Majel Barrett Roddenberry — offers a rare look into the internal tensions as the franchise made the leap from television to feature film.
At the time,Star Trekwas undergoing a major transformation. Paramount had spent years developing a new television series titledStar Trek: Phase II, envisioned as a continuation ofThe Original Series. However, plans for the series were abruptly abandoned in favor of adapting it into a theatrical feature film. The working title for this new cinematic venture?Star Trek II— not to be confused withThe Wrath of Khan, which wouldn’t arrive until 1982. The “II” was simply a working title for the still-developing second entry in theStar Trekfranchise, following the original series.
The InfamousStar Trek 2ProductionMemo to Majel Roddenberry
The memo, which resurfaced viaThe Trek Filespodcast hosted by Trek historian Larry Nemecek, reflects the studio’s growing concerns about leaks surrounding this early project (which would eventually becomeThe Motion Picture), which Katzenberg directed squarely at Majel Barrett Roddenberry. Majel, a trusted fixture in theStar Trekuniverse, wasn’t just Gene Roddenberry’s wife. She had been involved since the beginning, portraying characters like Nurse Chapel, the voice of the Enterprise computer, and later Lwaxana Troi, as well as co-running Lincoln Enterprises, a company that managed fan merchandise andTrekmemorabilia.
Star Trekisno stranger to old memos resurfacingto shed light on creative conflicts of eras past, and the Katzenberg memo, addressed directly to Majel, is a masterclass in professional discipline — stating the facts, then going in for the kill.
As you may know, we are currently analyzing all of the aspects necessary to move forward withStar Trek IIas a theatrical motion picture.
Unfortunately, much information – premature, and potentially destructive to our long-range planning – already has leaked out to the media and the public.
That’s studio-speak for: “We love the free marketing, but we’re losing control of the narrative, and you need to shut up.” Katzenberg (only 27 years old at the time of this memo) continued with an order for Majel to stop leaking information about the upcoming film, and added a carefully placed ALL-CAPS command.
This has become most alarming, even though we are appreciative of such widespread interest in the project and aware of its future value to us. It therefore becomes imperative that NO information regarding the film be given out at this time. All inquiries and requests for such information should be referred to John Rothwell, who has joined us as a publicist on the project.
Podcast host Nemecek elaborated on the circumstances. At the time, Majel was active on the fan convention circuit and may have been sharing updates drawn from internal documents or development notes. The information she passed along appears to have included early production details from the abandonedPhase IIproject and its transformation into a film — then still under tight wraps.
This was long before NDAs became standard in Hollywood, so while the leaks weren’t necessarily malicious, they caused a stir. Paramount was trying to control the rollout of a significant rebranding of the franchise, and early, unfiltered information had the potential to complicate marketing strategies and expectations.
Why Was Majel LeakingStar TrekInfo?
Majel likely wasn’t spreading rumors with the intention of hurting the studio. She had a close relationship with fans of the franchise, and perhaps only wanted to ignite excitement for the upcomingTrekproject, whatever it would become. She was often bombarded with questions from the press and fans at Trekkie conventions, and it’s not hard to see why she might have felt comfortable letting a few things slip. She was the wife of the original creator, after all, and perhaps she assumed that gave her carte blanche.
Paramount had a vested interest in crafting a new vision for Star Trek, following the sucess ofTOS. Leaks about casting choices, character arcs, and thematic shifts could set fan expectations in ways the studio might not be able to meet — or might not even want to. Majel’s informal “status reports,” while they may have been well-intentioned, were stepping on the studio’s toes.
Not the Wrath of Roddenberry
It’s important to clarify that this memo preceded Gene Roddenberry’s major tensions with the studio and relegation toExecutive Consultant, a position he was assigned only after the underwhelming release ofStar Trek: The Motion Picturein 1979. At the time of this memo, Gene was still closely involved with the project and had not yet experienced the creative marginalization that would come in the early 1980s. It’s now widely known that Roddenberry was displeased with his diminishing role during the development ofThe Wrath of Khan.He clashed withStar Trek 2director Nicholas Meyer. He even tried to sabotage the project by leaking major plot points to the press himself — namely, the death of fan-favoriteTOScharacter, Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy).
Some fans have speculated that Majel’s sharing of information may have been aligned with Gene’s growing frustrations with the studio, but there is no evidence in the memo or contemporary accounts to support that claim, as it predated this internal power struggle. The reality is more simple: Majel wanted to give the fans new tidbits of info before the studio had even fully developed the project, so Paramount panicked and sent young exec Katzenberg to shut Majel down. The memo concluded with a pointed reminder and final request—a gentle plea wrapped in corporate velvet, but a clear signal that the studio saw the leaks as a threat to their control of the narrative.
The project at its present stage can suffer seriously. And the success of a properly timed, well-coordinated future public relations campaign can be jeopardized. I thank you for your cooperation. [Signed] J.K.
Majel Barrett: A Power Player in Her Own Right
To reduce Majel Barrett Roddenberry to “Gene’s wife” would be objectively inaccurate. Majel was a foundational figure in the franchise, both onscreen and behind the scenes. As a performer, she hadbeen part ofStar Trekfrom its inception. As a businesswoman, and Lincoln Enterprises, which she co-managed, even helped keep theTrekbrand alive and profitable during its off years.
Her approach to the convention trail was fan-first, candid, and rooted in mutual excitement. While that style may have clashed with the calculated PR strategies of a major studio, it also helped to keep the flame ofStar Trekalive during a time when it could have easily flickered out. In 1978, those two visions ofStar Trek— corporate product vs. cultural movement — briefly collided. The result was a sharply worded memo that now stands as a time capsule from a critical pivot point in Trek history.
