In honor of First Contact Day, the long-awaited remastered version of Star Trek: The Motion Picture—The Director’s Edition will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ on April 5.
The film will be available to stream on Paramount+ in 4K Ultra HD on supported devices and platforms. In September, Paramount Home Entertainment will release the freshly restored picture on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Additionally, fans will be able to view the restored version of Star Trek: The Motion Picture—The Director’s Edition on the big screen for the first time on May 22 and 25, when Fathom Events and Paramount Pictures bring it to cinemas for an exclusive two-day event. FathomEvents.com will begin selling tickets starting Friday, April 8.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in 1979 and became the fourth most grossing film of the year, earning three Academy Award nominations. Despite being rushed to theaters with insufficient special effects and forced editing decisions, the picture effectively expanded the Star Trek franchise beyond the original television series.
Director Robert Wise updated the picture in 2001 to improve the cut and visual effects. His new vision was released on DVD in regular definition and was well received by fans, but it has never been available in high definition.
The new film has been meticulously restored and remastered, with increased visual effects and cutting-edge sound, and it looks and sounds better than ever before while remaining faithful to Wise’s original goal. The film also includes extensive new and legacy bonus content, which will be detailed at a later date.
“I couldn’t be prouder and more thrilled to have completed the film in 4K,” said producer David C. Fein, who worked on the updated film, in a statement. “Paramount offered unprecedented access to the original elements and exceptional support and the results are stunning. Utilizing the latest discoveries and innovations of modern film production, The Director’s Edition delivers so much more today than was previously possible. It’s an adventure you’ll never forget!”
Star Trek: The Motion Picture saw the U.S.S. Enterprise boldly debuting on the big screen with the cast of the original Star Trek series, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan. Per the movie synopsis: “When an unidentified alien intruder destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Admiral James T. Kirk (Shatner) returns to the helm of a newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command and confront an alien spacecraft of enormous power heading toward Earth.”