15 Fun Facts about 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

By Rick Marshall

As Star Trek Into Darkness comes to DVD and Blu-ray, here are some cool factoids about it you might not have known.

Star Trek Into Darkness is the first film to be shot in 2D IMAX format and later converted to 3D during the post-production stage.

The screen test that earned Benedict Cumberbatch the part of John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness was filmed in a friend's kitchen using an iPhone.

Star Trek Into Darkness had the highest production budget of any Star Trek film in the franchise, with more than $190 million invested in the movie.

Star Trek Into Darkness earned a whopping $444 million in global box office revenue ($223 million in the U.S.).

The model ships glimpsed on the desk of Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) in Star Trek Into Darkness include a mix of historic air- and spacecraft. The models were produced by Quantum Mechanix, a company specializing in collectible miniatures.

The library bombed by John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness is the “Kelvin Memorial Library,” named after the U.S.S. Kelvin, which was destroyed in the early moments of Star Trek.

Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright “guest-directed” a scene in Into Darkness during a visit to the set. While the exact scene remains unknown, he posted a photo of himself on what looks to be the Klingon homeworld set.

One of the crew members on the Enterprise sports a particularly unique look, with glowing eyes and a small display panel on the back of his skull. “Science Officer 0718” (played by Joseph Gatt) is seen on the bridge of the ship during several scenes in Into Darkness, and that weird image seen in the monitor on the back of his head? That's a model of the bridge set's ceiling, which rarely appears on camera.

Fans thrilled to see Tribbles make an appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness. J.J. Abrams himself animated the Tribble seen in the film, providing the puppetry necessary to bring the practical effect to furry, squeaky life.

Late in the film, the audience is introduced to the U.S.S. Vengeance, a deadly warship that dwarfs the Enterprise in both size and lethal armament. The voice of the computer on the Vengeance is provided an actor who's not usually associated with such violent fare: Saturday Night Live veteran Bill Hader.

J.J. Abrams managed to make Star Trek Into Darkness a family affair by casting his father and father-in-law as two of the high-ranking Starfleet officers glimpsed in several scenes.

Early in Star Trek Into Darkness, Spock tells his fellow crewmates “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” as he prepares to sacrifice himself to save a planet that's about to explode. This line of dialogue is an homage to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the 1982 film that served as the inspiration for Into Darkness.

Star Trek Into Darkness is the first film in the Star Trek franchise to film outside the U.S. While the majority of the movie was shot in the U.S. like past films, several scenes were filmed in Iceland this time around.

Star Trek Into Darkness features a cameo by Christopher Doohan, the son of the original series' Montgomery “Scotty” Scott actor, James Doohan. Christopher appears as a Transport Officer with Simon Pegg's Scotty in Into Darkness .

Australian actress Theresa Palmer auditioned for the role of Carol Marcus, daughter of the Admiral, that ended up going to British actress Alice Eve.

What did you most love about Star Trek Into Darkness? Tell us in the comments.