A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : THE RIGHT THING : ‘Star Trek VI,’ the Dedication

“Star Trek VI,” due in theaters this Christmas, will carry a dedication to Gene Roddenberry, the “Star Trek” creator who died Oct. 24.

According to producer Ralph Winter, Roddenberry saw the almost-completed “Star Trek VI” two days before his death. “Gene was very pleased and happy with it,” he says. “It was very gratifying to us that he got to see it.

“When I got the call that Gene had died, I immediately thought it was the right thing to do,” says producer Ralph Winter of the dedication, which will appear on a separate card at the beginning of the film. The exact wording has not been decided, Winter says. “It should be elegant and not overbearing. It may only be three words, ‘For Gene Roddenberry.”’

Winter feels that Roddenberry’s death may heighten interest in the film, but adds, “Under no circumstances will the movie be marketed that way. If there’s an impact at the box office, it’s related to the impact Gene’s had on American culture during the last 25 years.”

The remembrance to Roddenberry is not the first time that one of the “Star Trek” films has carried a special dedication. In 1987, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” was released with a dedication to the crew of the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger.