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Star Trek Into Darkness

2013, Sci-fi/Adventure, 2h 12m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor. Read critic reviews

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The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his people (Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoë Saldana) on a mission to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, thereby propelling all of them into an epic game of life and death.

Rating: PG-13 (Intense Seq. of Sci-Fi Violenc|Intense Seq. of Sci-Fi Action)

Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Original Language: English

Director: J.J. Abrams

Producer: J.J. Abrams , Bryan Burk , Damon Lindelof , Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci

Writer: Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci , Damon Lindelof

Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2013  wide

Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $228.8M

Runtime: 2h 12m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, Bad Robot

Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Datasat

View the collection: Star Trek

Cast & Crew

Capt. James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Dr. Leonard McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Nyota Uhura

Anton Yelchin

Pavel Chekov

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Hikaru Sulu

Benedict Cumberbatch

John Harrison

Carol Marcus

Bruce Greenwood

Christopher Pike

Peter Weller

Admiral Marcus

J.J. Abrams

Alex Kurtzman

Screenwriter

Roberto Orci

Damon Lindelof

Dana Goldberg

Executive Producer

Paul Schwake

David Ellison

Jeffrey Chernov

Cinematographer

Maryann Brandon

Film Editing

Mary Jo Markey

Michael Giacchino

Original Music

Scott Chambliss

Production Design

Ramsey Avery

Supervising Art Direction

Kasra Farahani

Art Director

News & Interviews for Star Trek Into Darkness

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Critic Reviews for Star Trek Into Darkness

Audience reviews for star trek into darkness.

While it may rehash some elements from other films in the franchise, Star Trek Into Darkness is still a worthy and very fun installment with a powerhouse villain performance and staying as visually stunning as usual.

I really love the direction that this new "Star Trek" franchise is going. It's not the normal exploration drama anymore, but it's more an action piece. And it's a very good one. I really love this movie. If you take away all the previous movies, this is probably better than the first one, because it really does a lot more than the first one and it does go to new planets, for example Kronos which was a treat to see. The acting is great, especially from Cumberbatch who gives a great performance as the main villain. He gives a scary performance as well as a really emotional and lovable performance. One of the reasons, however, why we need to look at the other movies like canon, is because of a scene featuring Leonard Nimoy. And that's where the movie haults for me. This movie is a soft reboot of the great "The Wrath of Khan," and when the movie tries to be that masterpiece, it really feels sloppy for me. I didn't like the fact that Cumberbatch turned out to be Khan and that they wanted to give the character a little twist. The fact that his blood can bring people back from the dead is the most ridiculous thing that anyone has ever done in a movie and that took me out of the movie and really had a big impact on my final thoughts. But, I still ended up liking the movie very much and, while I can't say that it's better than the first one, I can say that it is definitely a worthy follow-up and a great addition to this new franchise.

Though it feels much more like a Star Wars film than anything Star Trek has ever done, 'Into Darkness' succeeds in most of the areas in sets out to, even if it wasn't the general direction most Trekkies wanted the series to go after a brilliant reboot in 2009. Most of the scrutiny from the film comes from its handling of the character, Spock, and the unnecessary hiding of him for the entire marketing campaign. While the ladder is a fair criticism, it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the film. Though I can understand a particular third act plot choice that felt like a forced homage to 1982's The Wrath of Khan, this rendition of Khan is still well realized. Most of the credit there should go to the relentless performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. Not as flashy nor as memorable as Ricardo Montalban's Khan, Cumberbatch is far more brutal and deceptive. Even on repeat viewing, I found myself captivated by every scene with Khan, especially those which also involved Kirk and/or Spock. There's something about the dialogue between them that feels vintage good vs evil while also presenting such a tremendous amount of gravitas as well. J.J. Abrams is a genius filmmaker, but I don't think he gets enough credit for what he did with both his Trek films. The series was nearly dead before he came aboard and revamped and refreshed the entire idea of what a Trek film is. Even if it deviates from lore, 'Into Darkness' is a really well made film. The effects have never been better and the way Abrams seamlessly takes us from a CGI or green screen landscape into an integral one on one dialogue battle is very impressive. Though not every key emotional moment feels earned in the third act, it's nice seeing all of the actors start to come into their own as the respected crew members of the Enterprise. Scotty has never been better, Sulu gets more than enough time to shine, Quinto brought a new layer to Spock not seen in 2009, and Chris Pine feels much more like an heir apparent to William Shatner than he did in the first entry. To me, it was much easier to care about the characters this time around. With all this said, there's plenty that I wish the film did differently. The Khan reveal and 3rd act mishandle of the infamous moment are just some of the mishaps that could have been fixed. Or even the entire subplot with the Admirals daughter, but I digress. 'Into Darkness' is a far better film than it probably has a right to be with a fun and exciting direction from Abrams and lively performances from the good and bad side of the coin. +Cumberbatch +Abrams directing style +Great dialogue between Kirk, Khan, and Spock -3rd act mishaps 8.2/10

Before the reboot of Star Trek I hadn't really paid much attention to the Star Trek universe and was excited to see what all the fuzz was about, although trekkies might disagree with this being a good starting point.. I loved it, so I've been looking forward to a sequel ever since the last one. WELL, it has arrived and it KICKED some serious ASS. Star Trek Into Darkness is what modern action filmmaking has evolved into. The movie was fantastic and I absolutely loved it but the script felt dumbed down and JJ did his best with what he was given. The visuals were gorgeous and the score was just amazing through the whole movie. I'm glad they managed to give most of the characters more personality and a moment to grow and develop. Having mentioned that, it's worth to note that Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show with his acting as the ruthless villain and I wouldn't hesitate to give him the title of villain of the year, even if it's still May. (although many people might disagree) Overall I would say this is THE movie of the summer. It brought to the table a great story, outstanding acting, out-of-this world visuals (pun intended) and spotless directing with some lens glare. As I've seen, this is a hit or miss for a lot of people and honestly it's all up to you!

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Star Trek movies in order: Chronological and release

Untangle the different timelines and get the popcorn: Here are the Star Trek movies in order — both chronological and release.

• Chronological order
• Prime Timeline

The Original Series movies

The next generation movies.

• Kelvin Timeline
• Release order

Upcoming Star Trek movies

We've got a guide to watching the Star Trek movies in order, decloaking off our starboard side!

So long as movies stick numbers on the ends of their titles, it’s easy to watch them in order. Once they start branching out, however, things can get a little muddled, especially when reboots come along and start the whole process over from scratch. 

You may have heard that the even-numbered ones are good and the odd-numbered ones are not. That’s spot on for the films starring the cast of The Original Series (aka Kirk and friends) falls apart once you reach the tenth entry in the series. It would probably be worth your while to have this list of the Star Trek movies, ranked worst to best around to steer clear of the clunkers. Look, we’re not going to pretend everything here is worth two hours of your day, we’re just letting you know which came out after which.

Should your Trek appetite remain unsatiated after your movie watchathon, feel free to pull from either our list of the best Star Trek: The Original series episode s or best Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes . Either one will set you up for a weekend jam-packed with great Trek moments. Consult our Star Trek streaming guide for all the details on where to watch the movies and shows online 

Star Trek movies: Chronological order

Below is the quick version of our list if you just need to check something to win an argument, but it comes with a lot of in-universe time travel-related caveats that we'll explain below.

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek: Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek: Nemesis
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek: Prime Timeline

The first thing you need to know about the Star Trek films is that while they travel back and forth in time, they also diverge into two (for now) different timelines. The films of the original crew (well, the first iteration of them, anyway – more on that later) are all in what is known as the Prime Timeline. 

Within the Prime Timeline, the movies are then split between The Original Series movies and The Next Generation movies.

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

• Release date: December 8, 1979
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

This is the film that brought the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the big screen. An energy cloud is making its way toward Earth, destroying everything in its path. Kirk and crew intercept it and discover an ancient NASA probe at the heart of the cloud. Voyager – known as V’ger now – encountered a planet of living machines, learned all it could, and returned home to report its findings, only to find no one who knew how to answer. It’s a slow-paced film, and the costumes are about as 70s as they come, but there’s classic Star Trek at the heart of this film.

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

• Release date: June 4, 1982
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban

Ask a Star Trek fan what the best Star Trek movie is and more often than not, you’ll get Khan as your answer. A sequel to the events of the “Space Seed” episode of The Original Series, Khan is a retelling of Moby Dick with Khan throwing reason to the wind as he hunts his nemesis, James T. Kirk. Montalban delivers a pitch-perfect performance, giving us a Khan with charisma and obsession in equal parts.

3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

• Release date: June 1, 1984

Spock might have died in The Wrath of Khan, but this third entry set up the premise for his return, with the creation of the Genesis planet. Essentially a heist movie in reverse, Search for Spock has the crew defying orders from Starfleet in an attempt to reunite Spock’s consciousness with his newly-rejuvenated body. It’s not a great movie, but it does include two very important events: the rebirth of Spock and the death of Kirk’s son at the hands of the Klingons. That’ll be important a few flicks from now.   

4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

• Release date: November 26, 1986
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Catherine Hicks

If Star Trek fans don’t say Khan is the best Star Trek movie, odds are very high they say Voyage Home is. It’s a funny film where the mission isn’t destruction, but creation – or more accurately, repairing the devastating effects of humankind’s ecological short-sightedness. 

A probe arrives at Earth, knocking out the power of everything in its path as it looks for someone to respond to its message (yeah, it happens a lot). This time, however, the intended recipient is the long-extinct blue whale. To save Earth, Kirk and co. go back in time to 1980s San Francisco to snag some blue whales. The eco-messaging isn’t exactly subtle, but it doesn’t get in the way of a highly enjoyable movie.

5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

• Release date: June 9, 1989

A writers’ strike and Shatner’s directorial skills (or lack thereof) doomed this film before a single scene was shot. The core plot is actually pretty good: Spock’s half-brother hijacks the Enterprise so that he can meet God, which he believes to be… himself. Some Star Trek fans have an odd fondness for this movie, as it showcases the camaraderie of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy when they’re off-duty.

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

• Release date: December 6, 1991
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Plummer

Right, so if that Star Trek fan you’ve been talking to doesn’t choose either Khan or Voyage Home as the best Star Trek movie ever, they almost certainly name Undiscovered Country (and if they don’t, they have highly questionable taste, frankly). The Klingon moon of Praxis explodes, putting the entire Klingon race at risk. The Enterprise hosts a diplomatic entourage of Klingons, much to Kirk’s discomfort. 

Remember how Klingons murdered Kirk’s son? Well, he certainly hasn’t forgotten. Kirk’s lingering rage makes him the perfect patsy for the murder of the Klingon Chancellor, sending him and McCoy to a prison planet and setting the stage for war. Christopher Plummer is perfection as a Shakespeare-quoting Klingon general with no taste for peace.

7. Star Trek: Generations

• Release date: November 18, 1994
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner

And thus the torch is passed from the crew of The Original Series to that of The Next Generation. It’s a bit of a fumble, to be honest, but they all did their best to get Kirk and Picard into the same film and have it make sense. Malcolm McDowell plays Soran, a scientist who will stop at nothing to control the Nexus, a giant space rainbow that exists outside of space-time. 

Soran lost his family when his home world was destroyed and he wants to re-join them (or at least an illusion of them) in the Nexus. He’s not so much a villain as a tragic figure, but the Nexus makes a meeting between Kirk and Picard possible. Not all that sensible, but possible.

8. Star Trek: First Contact

• Release date: November 22, 1996
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Alice Krige

Okay, no, for real, if your Star Trek pal didn’t pick Khan or Voyage Home or… oh, nevermind. Cueing off the iconic two-part episode “Best of Both Worlds,” in which Picard is assimilated by the Borg, First Contact sees the collective traveling back in time in order to disrupt First Contact, the day Earth’s first foray into space attracted the attention of the Vulcans, kicking off the events that would eventually lead to Starfleet’s victory over the Borg. The Borg Queen torments Picard with visions of the past and tempts Data with humanity, going so far as to give him some human skin. 

The fight with the Borg aboard the Enterprise is thrilling, and the work on the surface to get first contact back on track is fun. Plus, there’s just nothing like Patrick Stewart turning it up to 11 as he lashes out at the enemy that haunts his dreams.

9. Star Trek: Insurrection

• Release date: December 11, 1998
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, F. Murray Abraham

Essentially an episode inflated for the big screen, Insurrection is about the Federation conspiring to displace a planet’s population in order to harvest the planet’s unique resource – super healing metaphasic particles. In addition to the rejuvenating natural resource, the Ba’ku also have access to exceptional technology, which they shun in favor of a more simple lifestyle. 

Data malfunctions, the villains are Federation allies (and former Ba’ku!), Picard gets to knock boots with a local – Insurrection is the very definition of “fine.” Chronologically, Insurrection is relevant for rekindling the romance between Riker and Troi, but not much else.

10. Star Trek: Nemesis

• Release date: December 13, 2002
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Tom Hardy

Before he mumbled his way into our hearts as Bane, Tom Hardy was Shinzon, a clone of Picard the Romulans created in an eventually abandoned attempt to infiltrate Starfleet. Shinzon is dying, and all that will save him is a transfusion of Picard’s blood. Unfortunately, Shinzon also happens to be a megalomaniac who happens to want to destroy all life on Earth and maybe a few other planets, too, if he’s feeling saucy. 

Nemesis is notable mostly for killing Data with a noble sacrifice, only to resurrect him moments later in a duplicate body found earlier by the Enterprise crew.

Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline

The last of the Prime Timeline movies failed to impress at the box office, so it was a few years before anyone tried to bring the Enterprise back to the big screen. Rather than lean on any of the TV crews, this new slate of movies would serve as a reboot, welcoming new audiences while honoring long-time fans. Welcome to the Kelvin Timeline. (For all the ins and outs, check out our Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline explained article).

11. Star Trek

• Release date: May 8, 2009
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban

Back to the beginning! Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk, Spock, and “Bones” McCoy as they meet and join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though the plot is a relatively straightforward affair of a Romulan named Nero trying to destroy the Earth. His anger borne out of grief, what matters most is how it all came to be. In the future, Spock – the Prime Timeline version – tries to save Romulus from being destroyed by a supernova, but fails. Both his ship and Nero’s are kicked back in time, setting off a chain of events that diverge from the original, “true” timeline. 

The name “Kelvin” refers to the U.S.S. Kelvin, the ship heroically captained by Kirk’s father, which is destroyed in the opening moments of the movie.

12. Star Trek Into Darkness

• Release date: May 16, 2013
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch

The benefit of the Kelvin Timeline is that it not only allows Star Trek to explore canon material – such as Khan (he of the Wrath) – but to do something completely new with it. Khan features heavily in Into Darkness, but he has no beef with Kirk. Instead, a Starfleet Admiral is threatening the lives of Khan’s crew, forcing them to craft weapons of mass destruction. 

Khan inevitably eludes captivity and strikes out against Starfleet, killing Captain Pike (and a bunch of others) in the process. Kirk and company eventually take Khan down, but not before Kirk sacrifices himself to save his crew. Don’t worry, these things don’t last in either Star Trek timeline, as Kirk gets better moments later thanks to *checks notes* Khan's super blood.

13. Star Trek Beyond

• Release date: July 22, 2016
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba

Beyond leans into the camaraderie of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy now that they’ve had some time together, much to the movie’s benefit. The Enterprise is lured to Altamid under false pretenses, leading to much of the crew being marooned on the planet. The architect of the deception was Krall, who wants an opportunity to return to a galaxy where war is the order of the day. 

Beyond is a significant point in the timeline for two reasons. First, it sadly marked the death of Spock Prime due to the passing of Leonard Nimoy. Second, it culminates in the Enterprise embarking on the five-year-mission that started everything back in 1966.

Star Trek movies: Release order

If you can't be bothered remembering two different orders for the Star Trek movies then we've got good news for you — the release order is identical to the chronological order that we've shown above (accounting for the Kelvin timeline as it's own entity anyway).

The full run of Star Trek films currently tops out at 13 entries; the fate of the 14th was hidden within a nebula of conflicting information. “Star Trek 4” was slated for December 22, 2023, but given that filming had yet to begin as of July 2022, it seems inevitable that date will change. Back in February 2022, Paramount that the principal cast would be returning for the fourth installment of the Kelvin timeline, a claim quickly disputed by the agents of those selfsame actors. Awkward.

Soon after, however, Chris Pine eventually signed on the dotted line, and his shipmates reached their own agreements. As of right now, Kirk (Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), McCoy (Karl Urban, assuming he can make it work around filming of The Boys), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Uhura (Zoe Saldaña), and Sulu (John Cho) are all ready to beam up and get filming. Sadly, this will be the first of the Kelvin films to not feature Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov. Yelchin died in an accident at his home in 2016. It’s currently unclear if Chekov will be recast or if a different character will take his place on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Though the Kelvin timeline is often referred to as “J.J. Abrams Trek,” he won’t be directing Star Trek 4; Matt Shakman will take on that responsibility, leaving Abrams to produce. As for what it will be about, that’s anyone’s guess, but Chris Pine told Deadline he hopes this one tells a smaller story that appeals to the core Trek audience. “Let’s make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek,” he said. “Let’s make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great.” It’s a strategy that makes sense; the disappointment with recent Trek films hasn’t been their content so much as their box office. A Trek film with a smaller scope (and budget) would almost certainly have a very healthy profit margin while also resonating with the fanbase.   

With no new announcements coming from San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it seems that we’ll have to wait for any more insight into the next Star Trek film. Sill, recent comments from Paramount CEO Brian Robbins have us cautiously optimistic: “We’re deep into [Star Trek 4] with J.J. Abrams, and it feels like we’re getting close to the starting line and excited about where we’re going creatively,” he told Variety . 

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Susan Arendt is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant living in Burleson, TX. She's a huge sci-fi TV and movie buff, and will talk your Vulcan ears off about Star Trek. You can find more of her work at Wired, IGN, Polygon, or look for her on Twitter: @SusanArendt. Be prepared to see too many pictures of her dogs.

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Film Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to 'stun' with a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

• Film Review: ‘Black Mass’ 9 years ago
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J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to “stun” for “ Star Trek Into Darkness,” a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor, which lovingly and cleverly rebooted Gene Roddenberry ’s long-running space opera following the black hole of 2002’s “Star Trek Nemesis.” Markedly grander in scale, although never at the expense of its richly human (and half-human) characters, “Into Darkness” may not boldly go where no “Trek” adventure has gone before, but getting there is such a well-crafted, immensely pleasurable ride that it would be positively Vulcan to nitpick. Global box office cume should easily warp past the prior pic’s $385 million for this sturdy Paramount tentpole, which opens overseas May 9 before beaming down Stateside one week later.

Abrams, whose last pic was the lyrical “E.T.”/“Close Encounters” homage “Super 8,” here tips his hat to the “Indiana Jones” series, opening with a thrilling setpiece that finds Kirk ( Chris Pine ) and Bones (the sly, loose-limbed Karl Urban ) on the run from a tribe of very angry natives on the planet Nibiru. The natives, decked out in head-to-toe clay body paint, shimmer like human ceramics as they chase the Starfleet officers through a crimson forest, the lush colors of returning d.p. Dan Mindel all but searing the screen. Meanwhile, Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) toils away nearby, attempting to insert a high-tech ice cube into the raging volcano that threatens to destroy Nibiru and its inhabitants — a dangerous mission that quickly goes awry, building to a classic “Trek” standoff between stubborn Vulcan logic and impulsive human emotion.

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The Enterprise crew has scarcely recovered from that one when, back on Earth, a terror bombing lays waste to a top-secret Starfleet intelligence facility and brings to the fore a new galactic baddie: a rogue Starfleet officer named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who claims credit for the attack and, after an equally brazen follow-up, hightails it deep into Klingon-controlled space. The hawkish Adm. Marcus ( Peter Weller ) dispatches the Enterprise in hot pursuit, with this familiar-sounding objective: Shoot first, ask questions later, and avoid starting a war with the locals. Welcome to “Star Trek Into Zero Dark Thirty.”

Only, this John Harrison is a slippery sort who, when given the chance, claims not to be the villain at all, but rather a pawn in someone else’s deadlier scheme. And for much of its running time, “ Star Trek Into Darkness ” makes a good guessing game out of whether this mysterious stranger with the glacial glare and bones seemingly made of steel is friend, foe or — like the “old Spock” of Abrams’ first “Trek” — a little bit of history repeating. It hardly matters, because whatever Cumberbatch is playing, he’s wonderful to watch, infusing the movie with the kind of exotic grandeur Eric Bana’s wan Romulan henchman (arguably the weakest link in the 2009 film) largely lacked. Also making her maiden “Trek” voyage is the lovely Alice Eve as an ambitious science officer who lies her way on to the Enterprise deck and makes goo-goo eyes with the good Captain. She is not, it turns out, the ship’s only stowaway.

Having previously established an alternate “Trek” timeline in which all the events of prior series and movies still happened, but aren’t necessarily doomed to recur, Abrams and returning writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (now joined by “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof) here take that idea and run with it, invoking prior “Trek” lore when it suits them, freely branching off into new directions when it doesn’t. (Hell, there’s even some trouble with a tribble.) It’s a tricky business, balancing reverence with reinvention, but like the young Kirk, Abrams seems altogether more comfortable in the captain’s chair this time — not just in the large-scale action scenes, but particularly in the quieter ones, where you can sense his real investment in these characters and his confident touch with actors.

SEE ALSO: ‘Star Trek’ Premieres in London (Photos)

The film builds particularly well on the burgeoning Kirk-Spock friendship, with Pine showing reserves of vulnerability and doubt beneath his cocksure exterior, while Quinto adds gravitas to Spock’s eternal inner conflict — and his deepening romance with Lt. Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ). But make no mistake: The action, when it comes, is superbly executed, whether it’s giant vessels making mincemeat of one another, or the simpler excitements of old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat and foot chases through crowded promenades.

The best, even-numbered films in the original “Trek” film franchise were shaped by the guiding intelligence of writer-director Nicholas Meyer , who laced the Starfleet jargon with high-toned literary references and a gently self-mocking sense of humor. Abrams, too, manages to keep the mood buoyant even when the fate of the universe is hanging in the balance, more than earning his tears when he finally decides to milk them. But if Meyer’s primary references were Shakespeare, Dickens and Conan Doyle, Abrams’ are Spielberg, John Hughes and Cameron Crowe. In defiance of the self-congratulatory snark that has become de rigueur in Hollywood franchise fare, he brings a shimmering pop romanticism to “Trek’s” stalwart ideals of friendship, heroism and self-sacrifice. There’s something bold about that, indeed.

“Into Darkness” is a beautifully modulated and sustained piece of work across the board, with visual effects that seamlessly meld live-action and computer-animated elements, given further texture by old-fashioned celluloid lensing (with 65mm Imax used for key action scenes). Post-production 3D conversion by Stereo D ranks among the best of its kind. The Enterprise has rarely looked sleeker than it does on production designer Scott Chambliss ‘ sets. Adding the cherry to the top of this cinematic sundae, composer Michael Giacchino ‘s soaring score once again revives Alexander Courage’s immortal Trek theme for the closing credits.

Movie Stills:

Paramount Pictures

Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

• Production: A Paramount release presented with Skydance Productions of a Bad Robot production. Produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. Executive producers, Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Paul Schwake. Co-producers, Tommy Gormley, Tommy Harper, Ben Rosenblatt, Michelle Rejwan.
• Crew: Directed by J.J. Abrams. Screenplay, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, based on “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry. Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen/35mm/Imax, 3D), Dan Mindel; editors, Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey; music, Michael Giacchino; production designer, Scott Chambliss; supervising art director, Ramsey Avery; art directors, Kasra Farahani, Michael E. Goldman, Andrew E.W. Murdock, Harry E. Otto, Lauren Polizzi; set decorator, Karen Manthey; costume designer, Michael Kaplan; sound (Dolby Atmos/Datasat), Peter J. Devlin; sound designer, Ben Burtt; supervising sound editors, Burtt, Matthew Wood; re-recording mixers, Will Files, James Bolt; visual effects supervisor, Roger Guyett; ILM visual effects co-supervisor, Patrick Tubach; ILM visual effects producer, Luke O’Byrne; visual effects, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixomondo, Kelvin Optical, Atomic Fiction; stunt coordinator, John Stoneham Jr.; assistant director, Tommy Gormley; second unit director, Guyett; second unit camera, Bruce McCleery; casting, April Webster, Alyssa Weisberg.
• With: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, Anton Yelchin, Leonard Nimoy.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, star trek into darkness.

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Less a classic " Star Trek " adventure than a " Star Trek "-flavored action flick, shot in the frenzied, handheld, cut-cut-cut style that’s become Hollywood’s norm, director J.J. Abrams’ latest could have been titled "The Bourne Federation."

The plot pits the Enterprise crew against an intergalactic terrorist named John Harrison ( Benedict Cumberbatch , giving his honeyed baritone a workout), who’s waging war on the Federation for mysterious personal reasons. There’s a joke, an argument, a chase, a spaceship battle, or a brutal close-quarters firefight every five minutes, but all the action is intimately tied to character. The major players, particularly Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto ’s Mr. Spock, are as finely shaded as the incarnations played by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy . This new voyage of the starship Enterprise is brash, confident, and often brutally violent, and features the most lived-in production design I’ve seen in a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster since " Minority Report ." 

Why, then, is the film ultimately disappointing? I suspect it’s the pop culture echo chamber effect: Abrams and his screenwriters ( Robert Orci , Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof ) are so obsessed with acknowledging and then futzing around with what we already know about Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and company that the movie doesn’t breathe. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is peppered with nods to past films and episodes: Kirk’s impetuous decision-making and horndog sexual proclivities; Spock’s denial of his half-humanness; Dr. McCoy’s cranky witticisms; Scotty’s protestations of what he and the ship “canna” do; references to tribbles and neutral zones and the Harry Mudd incident. The central plotline refers to one of Trek’s most celebrated storylines — a callback that alternately seems to honor the original, then turn it on its head, then honor it again. The final act includes an homage to one of the most famous scenes in the entire Trek canon — but this, too, is an inversion, or appears to be, until the script springs another whiplash reversal.

The story starts with a " Raiders of the Lost Ark "-like action sequence: Kirk, Spock and the gang are embroiled in a secret mission on a red jungle planet filled with superstitious tribespeople whose lives are threatened by a volcanic eruption. The correct thing to do is leave Mr. Spock behind, because going back to rescue him would violate the Federation’s Prime Directive against messing with the natural development of primitive cultures. It’s in this opening sequence, for better or worse, that the movie establishes a vexing narrative pattern: The characters have urgently necessary arguments about the morally, ethically, and procedurally correct thing to do in a crisis, then one character (usually Kirk) makes a unilateral, straight-from-the-gut decision that worsens everything; and yet somehow at the end he’s rewarded, or at least not seriously punished.

We’re given to understand that it’s always a good thing to prize personal friendship and loyalty above the concerns of one’s crew, ship, federation or species. Sometimes the reward is quite deliberate — as in the end scene, which finds Kirk being celebrated as a hero after making what looked to me like a series of catastrophic rookie mistakes that ended dozens of lives. Other times it’s as if the cosmos itself is rewarding or at least protecting Kirk, as when he loses command of the Enterprise for his behavior on the primitive planet, then gets it back thanks to another sudden plot twist. A good alternate title for this movie would be the name of one of Steven Soderbergh ’s great books about filmmaking: "Getting Away With It: Or, the Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw." The Federation itself seems to have plenty in common with Kirk: Both the opening mission and a subsequent intergalactic act of aggression are presented as having grave consequences if they fail, then the film just sort of writes them off with a shrug, as if to say, “Well, that’s all in the past, and as long as it doesn’t happen again, no harm, no foul.” (Has anyone in the Federation actually honored the Prime Directive?)

Yes, the film’s stumblebum plotting comes from a desire to give the audience what it wants: Kirk in command, flying by the seat of his tight pants; Spock learning it’s OK to acknowledge and act on his emotions, and that there’s more to life than following rules; etc. But surely there were more elegant ways to get us there! Abrams makes the 23rd century look like a place of actions and consequences, in which humans and other creatures might actually live, think and feel, in a world in which a fall of more than ten feet could break a leg, lava can melt flesh, and people who are dead stay dead. But he also tells stories in which various practices, rules and laws, including Starfleet tactical procedures, the Prime Directive, and gravity, have no narrative weight. Too much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" has what I call a “playground storytelling” sensibility: “Lie down, you’re dead. Never mind, you’re alive again — now fight!” This narrative flailing-about isn’t merely amateurish, it’s at odds with the gritty production design and pseudo-documentary camerawork and references to 9/11 and the War on Terror. It takes a great artist to be both serious and silly. Abrams, for all his enthusiasm, ain’t it.

For all its sloppiness and blind spots and fanboy pirouettes, though, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is still an involving film with more heart than most summer blockbusters. Abrams’ roots in TV ( Felicity , Alias , Lost ) seem to have made him attentive to the dynamics of groups, and to the repeated phrases and gestures that bond viewers to characters. Pine’s beefy frat-boy Kirk is appealing, especially when he’s being called on the carpet; Pine has several strong scenes opposite Cumberbatch’s Harrison and Bruce Greenwood ’s mentor-father figure, Capt. Pike, in which Pine is overmatched as both character and actor but uses the imbalance to enhance the scene. Sometimes you see terror in Kirk’s eyes as he blusters; his vulnerability makes you root for him even though his “I gotta be me!” philosophy destroys careers and ends lives.

Quinto’s Spock is equal to, but different than, Leonard Nimoy’s incarnation, and it’s a relief to see that Abrams has made the destruction of Vulcan in the first film a key component of the character’s psychology. As Spock explains to communications officer Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ), his main squeeze, it’s not that he can’t feel any emotion, it’s that he’s decided he’s better off not feeling it: this Spock is a Holocaust survivor who has adopted numbness as a survival strategy. Uhura, Simon Pegg ’s Scotty, John Cho ’s Sulu, Anton Yelchin ’s Chekov, and Karl Urban ’s “Bones” McCoy have their moments, too; they behave like plausibly real people even when the script is asking them to do and say things that common sense tells us is horse manure, and their presences lend the film a dignity it doesn’t earn.

* Edited 6/22/18 to remove a reference to a "forthcoming" detailed blog post on the film that the reviewer ended up not writing.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Rated PG-13

129 minutes

Chris Pine as James T. Kirk

Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Simon Pegg as Scotty

Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura

• J.J. Abrams
• Alex Kurtzman
• Damon Lindelof
• Roberto Orci

Original Music Composer

• Michael Giacchino

Cinematography

• Daniel Mindel
• April Webster

Production Design

• Scott Chambliss
• Gene Roddenberry

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Screen Rant

Every star trek movie in chronological order.

With 13 entries in the Star Trek movie series from 1979-2006, there are a couple of ways to watch the films chronologically.

• Learn how to watch all 13 Star Trek movies in chronological order by following their theatrical release timeline.
• Dive deeper into the Star Trek universe by watching the films in their in-universe timeline order instead.
• Keep an eye out for new Star Trek movies - one on Paramount+ focusing on Section 31 and potential future theatrical releases.

Here's how to watch the 13 Star Trek movies in chronological order in a couple of ways. Starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series ' 3 seasons aired on NBC from 1966-1969, but the show exploded in popularity in syndication. After the blockbuster success of Star Wars in 1977, Paramount refashioned a planned TV series revival titled Star Trek: Phase II into a feature film: 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Star Trek officially became a movie franchise.

Since the 1970s, every decade up to the 2020s thus far has seen a Star Trek movie produced. Star Trek: The Original Series ' cast starred in 6 films from 1979-1991. The torch was then passed to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation , who starred in 4 films from 1994-2002. Producer and director J.J. Abrams then rebooted Star Trek: The Original Series , casting stars such as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban to play younger, alternate reality versions of Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in a trilogy of Star Trek movies from 2009-2016. Whether you want to watch them in order of theatrical release or in order of when the films stand in the Star Trek timeline , here's how to watch the 13 Star Trek movies.

Star Trek 2009 Cast & Character Guide

How to watch the star trek movies chronologically in theatrical release order, the first 6 star trek movies are helpfully numbered.

Watching the Star Trek movies in their theatrical release order is the simplest way to go . The 13 films are broken up into easy-to-digest blocks: the 6 Star Trek: The Original Series films, the 4 Star Trek: The Next Generation films, and the three Star Trek movies produced by J.J. Abrams that are set in the alternate Kelvin timeline. Here are the 13 Star Trek movies in theatrical release order:

How To Watch The Star Trek Movies By In-Universe Timeline Order

From 1986 to 2379 in two different star trek timelines.

A more interesting, and challenging, way to watch the Star Trek movies is by in-universe timeline order. Although the 'present day' of the Star Trek movies is either The Original Series ' 23rd century or The Next Generation 's 24th century, some of the Star Trek movies involve time travel and flashbacks, while the J.J. Abrams films are actually before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.

In J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2009 , the destruction of the USS Kelvin in 2033 by time-traveling Romulans, which led to the death of James T. Kirk's father, Lt. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), spawned an alternate reality where numerous major events happened in an accelerated pace. Factoring in time travel and alternate universes, here's how to watch the Star Trek movies by in-universe timeline order.

What Is The Next Star Trek Movie?

The next star trek movie won't be released in theaters.

The next Star Trek movie won't be a theatrical release, but it will be a made-for-streaming film on Paramount+. Star Trek: Section 31 starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh is the first Star Trek movie made for Paramount+ . Section 31 is written by Craig Sweeney and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi. A spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery , Section 31 will detail what happened to Yeoh's popular anti-heroine, Emperor Phillippa Georgiou after she left Discovery in season 3, and the film will purportedly explore Georgiou's ties to and the history of Section 31, Starfleet's infamous black ops organization.

Star Trek: Section 31 introduces a new cast of characters joining Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Georgiou. Section 31 began filming in January 2024 in Toronto and is expected to wrap in March. Although no release date has been announced yet, Star Trek: Section 31 could be released on the streamer in late 2024 if not in 2025.

Depending on Star Trek: Section 31 's success, a new Star Trek movie could be released on Paramount+ every 2 years.

Will There Be A Star Trek 4 From J.J. Abrams?

Two star trek theatrical movies are reportedly in development.

8 years after Star Trek Beyond hit movie theaters, there is still no Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams . Star Trek 4 (AKA Star Trek 14 ) was scheduled for a December 2023 release date after audience polling by Paramount Pictures determined there was audience interest in seeing another Star Trek movie starring Chris Pine and the cast Abrams assembled. However, high-profile filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Noah Hawley, S.J. Clarkson, and Matt Shakman were unable to overcome the "creative differences" to get Star Trek 4 in front of cameras.

Star Trek 4 is said to be the "final chapter" of the voyages of the USS Enterprise commanded by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and his crew.

Following the resolution of the WGA writers' strike, a new report indicated two Star Trek movies are in development at Paramount. Star Trek 4 is said to be the "final chapter" of the voyages of the USS Enterprise commanded by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and his crew. Meanwhile, a Star Trek origin film set "decades before" Star Trek (2009) is being developed by director Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and writer Seth Grahame-Smith ( Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunte r). While it seems inevitable that a new Star Trek movie will return to the big screen one day, it looks like the long wait will continue into the foreseeable future.

Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation movies are available to stream on Max.

Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness , and Star Trek Generations are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek Movies Ranked:How to Watch All the Best Trek Films Online

Ghezal Amiri

Official JustWatch writer

The Star Trek franchise has produced 13 feature films spanning over several decades. The original series, which aired in the 1960s, served as the foundation for the franchise's success. The first six films were released between 1979 and 1991 starring the original cast members. These films explored a range of themes, from political tensions to the struggle for personal identity and maintained the series' reputation for thought-provoking storytelling. In the late 1980s, the franchise saw a resurgence with the release of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The success of the TV series prompted the production of four subsequent films featuring the Next Gen crew. These films continued the franchise's legacy of tackling complex issues including the consequences of technological advancement and the ethics of leadership. However, the series saw a decline in critical reception and box office earnings towards the end of the 1990s.

JJ Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek universe in 2009 was met with critical and financial success despite its more bombastic atmosphere which was not a common component of previous Star Trek entries. The film introduced a new cast with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. It is presented in an alternate timeline which made its way for new interpretations of the franchise’s beloved characters. Two subsequent sequels were released with Into Darkness in 2013 and 2016’s Beyond. Here are the 13 Star Trek movies ranked and where you can find them.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

It is the 23rd century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise is on routine training maneuvers and Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned to the fact that this inspection may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan is back. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan - brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth - has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation Starship and sets out in pursuit of the Enterprise, determined to let nothing stand in the way of his mission: kill Admiral Kirk... even if it means universal Armageddon.

Star Trek: First Contact

The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!

Star Trek Beyond

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis planet to recover Spock's body.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

Star Trek Into Darkness

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Star Trek: Insurrection

When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as the very ideals upon which the Federation itself was founded.

Star Trek: Generations

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves at odds with the renegade scientist Soran who is destroying entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soran's scheme...and he's been dead for seventy-eight years.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.

Star Trek: Nemesis

En route to the honeymoon of William Riker to Deanna Troi on her home planet of Betazed, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise receives word from Starfleet that a coup has resulted in the installation of a new Romulan political leader, Shinzon, who claims to seek peace with the human-backed United Federation of Planets. Once in enemy territory, the captain and his crew make a startling discovery: Shinzon is human, a slave from the Romulan sister planet of Remus, and has a secret, shocking relationship to Picard himself.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The crew of the Federation starship Enterprise is called to Nimbus III, the Planet of Intergalactic Peace. They are to negotiate in a case of kidnapping only to find out that the kidnapper is a relative of Spock. This man is possessed by his life long search for the planet Sha Ka Ree which is supposed to be the source of all life. Together they begin to search for this mysterious planet.

All Of The Star Trek Movies Available On Streaming

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Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, and they're not lightyears away. Yes, all thirteen theatrical Star Trek movies are available to stream — though not all in the same place. If you're looking to view any-or-all the space adventures with your favorite Star Trek characters, including Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard, then you're in luck! We've compiled a list of all the places you can watch the movies, and where you can expect to find them in the weeks ahead. With that, this is where all the Star Trek movies are streaming, including Star Trek Beyond. Stream me up, Scotty!

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

In the first of over a dozen Star Trek movies, 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture doesn't mirror any of the installments that would follow. It's slow, meditative pacing harkens more towards Stanley Kubrick 's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey than any of the more action-packed Star Trek sequels we would see in its wake. Suffice to say, you either like it or you don't. Personally, I find it to be a bit of a snooze, but I can see the appeal. There's no denying that the filmmakers behind this first cinematic journey took full advantage of their cinematic potential, filling the frame with long, lingering shots of the Enterprise floating throughout the recesses of space. Be warned, though: it's definitely a slow-burn. And oddly hyper-sexual too.

Stream it on Hulu. Available on Amazon Prime until June 30th. Available on IMDb TV on July 1st.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

For many Star Trek fans, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the greatest Star Trek movie ever made . And it's hard to argue otherwise, unless the newest Star Trek blockbuster really knocks our space socks off. Director Nicholas Meyer applied old-fashioned story characteristics to the futuristic franchise, resulting in a Moby Dick -esque tale where Captain James T. Kirk and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew square off against the tyrant Khan (Ricardo Montalban), who escapes exile to exact revenge on Kirk while also trying to acquire a powerful device called Genesis. A smartly-crafted tale filled with character-driven stakes, thoughtful themes, and many thrilling moments, Star Trek has never topped this sequel in its cinematic history.

Stream it on Hulu . Available on Amazon Prime until June 30th.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

Though it doesn't reach the same heights as The Wrath of Khan , notably in how it downplays the meaningfulness of Spock's ultimate sacrifice in the movie's emotional climax, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock finds the Enterprise hoping to bring dear Spock back to life whenever his spirit is found lodged inside the mind of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley). It's an admittedly forced effort to put the popular Vulcan back into the fold, but who could complain about that? In addition to reprising his role of Spock, Leonard Nimoy also jumps into the director's chair for this third Star Trek motion picture, and he proves to be a commendable captain. It's not the best Star Trek movie, but it's an enjoyable, emotional sequel with a big heart.

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Stream it on Hulu. Available on Amazon Prime until June 30th.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

In a curious twist, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home progresses the popular science-fiction franchise by pushing the series back. Specifically, it finds the USS Enterprise going back in time to (then) modern-day San Fransisco to protect the now-extinct humpback whales. Sure enough, in their time-traveling efforts, they find themselves to be fish-out-of-water in a primitive society they don't understand.

It's an undeniably goofy idea for a Star Trek movie, but it works! The premise is fresh and surprisingly funny, proving director Leonard Nimoy's surprising knack for comedy (something he'd continue to explore whenever he took over the reins for 1987's Three Men and a Baby ) and an environmentally-cautious storyline that's unexpectedly rousing and affecting. It's also one of the more accessible Star Trek sequels, resulting in one of the most inspired, entertaining Star Trek blockbusters.

Stream it on IMDb TV , CBS All Access and Popcorn Flix .

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

While Captain James T. Kirk was a noble commander of the USS Enterprise, the leadership skills of William Shatner , the singular actor who played him, left something to be desired in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. While perhaps not quite as bad as its reputation suggests (at least in my humble opinion), it's hard to call this heavily-panned sequel a shining moment for the series. Shatner's inexperience as a director is apparent, thus resulting in a clumsy, thematically skewed sequel in which the Enterprise is in search of God at the center of the galaxy, and it lacks the charm, smarts, and winning appeal of the better Star Trek movies that proceeded it. Thankfully, The Final Frontier wasn't the last time we saw the Enterprise.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

With director Nicholas Meyer back in the director's chair, the Enterprise was steered back in the right direction with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, giving the long-running TV/cinematic series a proper send-off for its thoughtful band of space cruisers. The story, which follows Enterprise racing to stop conspirators with a militaristic agenda, is appropriately thematic, though it's best seen as a lovely, melancholy goodbye to the crew we know and love. Particularly since Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry dying shortly before its premiere, there's an undeniable somberness to this sequel. While Captain Kirk's story continued with Generations , this is the last time we see the original Enterprise crew in action. It's a poignant send-off to one of the most iconic ensembles of the past millenium.

Stream it on Hulu . Available on Amazon Prime until June 30th. Available on IMDb TV on July 1st.

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

In theory, this cinematic torch passing between the Star Trek Enterprise and Star Trek: The Next Generation 's crew should've been monumental. Alas, this crossover film became one of the weaker installments in the prolonged sci-fi series, despite touching performances from William Shatner (in his final portrayal of Kirk) and Patrick Stewart . As we watch these two captains join forces to stop a villain (Malcolm McDowell) from destroying the solar system, we get what could've been a thoughtful, poignant reflection on legacies and what it means to sacrifice everything for the common good of humanity and beyond.

Alas, the material doesn't match the potential, resulting in an underwhelming conclusion to Kirk's story. Perhaps that's what makes it worse. Knowing it's his last adventure, this otherwise forgettable sequel doesn't match his indelible legacy.

Stream it on Crackle, Tubi, CBS All Access and Popcorn Flix. Available on IMDb TV on July 1st.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

For many Star Trek fans, Star Trek: First Contact is the best TNG movie. It's understandable why many people feel this way. In this thrilling sequel, which sees the crew going back to the 21st century to stop the Borg from conquering Earth, you get elements of both Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home, resulting in an exciting, appropriately cinematic continuation for The Next Generation . It's easily the most critically and commercially successful of the spin-off series' films, and for some folks, it's considered one of the best Star Trek movies. It also, as it happens, harkens back to Moby Dick .

Stream It on IMDb TV , CBS All Access and Popcorn Flix.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

While the reception to Star Trek: Insurrection is mixed among Star Trek fans, it was a quaint return-to-form (in so much as a Star Trek blockbuster can be "quaint") to the more ideological roots of the sci-fi franchise. We follow the Starfleet crew as they discover a conspiracy with the species Son'a to steal a peaceful planet called Ba'ku, known for its rejuvenating properties. Once again, environmentalism factors into the fold, and the plot is admittedly silly. Insurrection is also distinctly restrained, notably compared to First Contact , which was also directed by Jonathan Frakes . But its smaller, more insulated plot is pretty charming. Its focus on character and themes in the midst of action feels like an extension of the show in a way the other, more bombastic TNG movies didn't.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

In what would be the final Star Trek movie for The Next Generation crew and the last Star Trek movie until 2009, Star Trek: Nemesis finds Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a personal battle with Shinzon ( Tom Hardy ), an evil clone of Picard, who threatens to take control of the Roman Star Empire. It's a silly premise, but one that's notably more high-concept than Insurrection . While it lacks the wit and sophistication of TNG 's TV run, opting for thunderous action beats instead, Nemesis does have compelling moments between Patrick Stewart and a young Hardy. While he'd get his moments to shine in better projects , Hardy's star power is undeniable in this villainous role. While it was a critical/commercial disappointment, it paved the way for Hardy's future A-list status.

Stream it on Crackle , Tubi, CBS All Access and Popcorn Flix. Available on IMDb TV on July 1st.

Star Trek (2009)

Following an underwhelming series of Star Trek movies, J.J. Abrams ' vibrant, exuberant 2009 reboot, Star Trek, felt like the kick in the pants that the franchise needed . While other attempts at reinventing/retooling other popular IPs have often fell flat, this energetic, immensely entertaining new origin story of the original USS enterprise crew was benefitted by Abrams' sharp eye for action, an enjoyably fresh perspective on these popular characters, and sharp performances from our young cast, notably Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, and Simon Pegg as Scotty.

Many reboots fail to balance between honoring their elders and doing something uniquely fun, but Abrams figured it out fabulously, resulting in a refreshing new take.

Stream it on FuboTV.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

While certainly among the most contested Star Trek movies, particularly in how it rips off Wrath of Khan in shameless fashion, there are several thrills to be found in Star Trek Into Darkness , J.J. Abrams' follow-up to his massive 2009 blockbuster. In this sequel, the new USS Enterprise crew battle a former Starfleet-turned-terrorist who goes by the name "John Harrison" (Benedict Cumberbatch) — although (as you've probably heard), that's not his real name.

The pacing is fast and relentless, which helps smooth out some wonkier story beats, though fans who disparaged the whiz-bang-buck style of Star Trek (2009) were understandably more critical of this action-packed sequel. Nevertheless, it's not without its emotional moments, particularly Leonard Nimoy playing Spock for the last time.

Stream it on FX Now .

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

2016's Star Trek Beyond didn't get the same notice as its action-packed predecessors, ultimately underperforming at the box office. But for many Star Trek fans, it was a welcomed return-to-form. Directed by Justin Fix ( Fast Five ) and co-written by Simon Pegg , Star Trek Beyond follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they explore the further recesses of space and encountering the villainous Krall (Idris Elba) who puts them to the test. Despite the high stakes, Beyond was notably less over-energized than its predecessor, returning to the more intellectually-stimulating material that made the series what it is today.

Though it didn't capture the same heights as the best installments, it was a worthwhile sequel. It was also an unexpectedly mournful goodbye to Anton Yelchin , who died shortly before its release .

Stream it on IMDb TV.

What's your favorite Star Trek movie? Let us know in the comment section.

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.

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Star Trek Movies in order

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

G | 143 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi

When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.

Director: Robert Wise | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 96,494 | Gross: $82.26M

Star Trek I

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

PG | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

Director: Nicholas Meyer | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 129,100 | Gross: $78.91M

Star Trek II

3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

Director: Leonard Nimoy | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 86,080 | Gross: $76.47M

Star Trek III

4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

PG | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.

Votes: 91,380 | Gross: $109.71M

Star Trek IV

5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

PG | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Captain Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's long-lost half-brother who hijacks the Enterprise for an obsessive search for God at the center of the galaxy.

Director: William Shatner | Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan

Votes: 64,140 | Gross: $52.21M

Star Trek V

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

On the eve of retirement, Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned. The Enterprise crew must help them escape to thwart a conspiracy aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace.

Votes: 80,823 | Gross: $74.89M

Star Trek VI

7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery

With the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.

Director: David Carson | Stars: Patrick Stewart , William Shatner , Malcolm McDowell , Jonathan Frakes

Votes: 86,967 | Gross: $75.67M

Star Trek VII

8. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.

Director: Jonathan Frakes | Stars: Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton

Votes: 131,950 | Gross: $92.00M

Star Trek VIII

9. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

PG | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Captain Picard begins an open rebellion.

Votes: 79,392 | Gross: $70.12M

Star Trek IX

10. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation once Praetor Shinzon plans to attack Earth.

Director: Stuart Baird | Stars: Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , Brent Spiner , LeVar Burton

Votes: 83,851 | Gross: $43.25M

Star Trek X

11. Star Trek (2009)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Leonard Nimoy

Votes: 619,910 | Gross: $257.73M

Star Trek XI

12. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Zoe Saldana , Benedict Cumberbatch

Votes: 496,812 | Gross: $228.78M

Star Trek XII

13. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The crew of the USS Enterprise explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy, who puts them, and everything the Federation stands for, to the test.

Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana

Votes: 258,261 | Gross: $158.85M

Star Trek XIII

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All ‘Star Trek’ movies in order

It’s hard to believe that as of 2024, Star Trek will have been on the silver screen for forty-five years. In that time, the crews of the many and varied starships Enterprise have had no less than thirteen adventures. Here they are in order.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

It’s unfortunate that the first movie in the franchise is also the weakest to feature the original crew. The script was subject to a tug-of-war during production between series creator Gene Roddenberry and principal writer Harold Livingston. The result was a flabby tale about the Enterprise crew’s encounter with an enormous entity threatening Earth – a colossal mishmash that pleased no-one, save for seeing the revamped starship Enterprise looking majestic on a big screen.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

By common consensus, The Wrath of Khan was streets ahead of its predecessor, and, forty years after its release, it still hasn’t been bettered . Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as Khan, Admiral Kirk’s nemesis from the 1966 episode “Space Seed”; the plot sees Khan steal a starship, purloin the Genesis device, and vow revenge for his exile to a distant planet. The battle scenes are breathtaking, and the final act is a tour de force of tension and suspense.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

The franchise’s third instalment may be a touch less compelling than The Wrath of Khan , but there are still thrills aplenty, as the Enterprise ’s crew goes to the Genesis planet created in the previous film, where they make an extraordinary discovery. Christopher Lloyd shows the acting chops that would shortly serve him so well as Doc Brown in Back To The Future as the homicidal Klingon captain whose fistfight with Kirk provides the one moment that really harkens back to the original series.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Time travel – never an easy proposition in the Star Trek universe – seems as easy as pie in this 1986 movie, but that inconsistency aside, viewers are treated to a famous romp. Kirk and company visit 1980s San Francisco in search of humpback whales who, it is surmised, can communicate with a probe in the future that is hellbent on destroying Earth. “But that’s crazy,” mutters Bones at one point. He’s not wrong; but it’s still a rollicking movie.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

William Shatner took the directorial reins for the fifth film in the series, which saw the Enterprise being commandeered by Sybok, a half-brother of Spock, and a mystic in search of God. The intention was to offer commentary on televangelists, but, though it has its moments, the script sags under the weight of slapstick, cheesy one-liners, ropey special effects, and an underwhelming climax.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The final outing for the original crew sees Kirk and Bones framed for the assassination of the Klingon premier (played with gravitas by David Warner). Normal service is resumed after its predecessor’s misfires, and the plot is worthy, but the cast never quite manage to shake off the sense of an era coming to an end.

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

The first film featuring the Enterprise crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Generations sees Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) battling Sorin (Malcolm McDowell), a stereotypical mad scientist driven to the destruction of an entire planet by grief. The film seems to have suffered in comparison to its successor, which did better at the box office, but it’s a fine film, with a nail-biting final act.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

The best of the Next Generation films, First Contact features the Borg, time travel, and fine turns by James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard as 21 st century scientists attempting to build the world’s first warp drive. The stakes are high, the action convincing – and dyed-in-the-wool fans will squee non-stop during the final scene.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

The increasingly sure hand of Jonathan Frakes – Next Generation ’s Commander Riker – in the director’s seat is not enough to compensate for a by-the-numbers script which reads more like an extended television episode. The themes of eternal life and a conspiracy within Starfleet fail to disguise a strangely tensionless plot, though Tony Award winner Donna Murphy impresses as Captain Picard’s love interest.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

This underwhelming conclusion to the Next Generation films barely broke even at the box office. Tom Hardy appears in only his third film role as Shinzon, a Romulan rebel created from Captain Picard’s DNA. The hectic climax has dramatic beats in all the wrong places, and, with multiple plot strands competing with one another for attention, it’s unsurprising that cinema audiences voted with their feet.

Star Trek (2009)

J. J. Abrams kicked off the Star Trek reboot films with a new Kirk and Spock in Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto respectively, a nifty new starship Enterprise, a touch of Beastie Boys, and a ton of lens flare. It won an Academy Award for Best Makeup (the only Star Trek film to be so honored), and audiences loved it, though removal of rose-tinted spectacles shows more of a reliance on artifice than strong plotting.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Abrams’ second bite of the cherry was another box office success, but struggles for coherence, relying on misplaced callbacks to previous movie instalments and a laughable final slugfest between Spock and Khan that puts viewers in mind of the similarly batty and sleep-inducing fight sequence in Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith . The usually dependable Benedict Cumberbatch is miscast as Khan.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

This Simon Pegg and Doug Jung-scripted film improves on its predecessors , thanks in large part to well-judged performances from Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella. But the action is still way too far-fetched even for the Star Trek franchise, and it’s no wonder that a fourth instalment is yet to be ready for launch.

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Inched Closer to Its Biggest Movie Mistake Yet

The new Star Trek movie has a release date, but an origin story completely misses the appeal of Trek films.

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As much as we love them, the Star Trek movies have their share of mistakes. God stealing a starship, John Harrison revealing himself as Khan, McCoy shaving off his beard in The Motion Picture . But it looks like the movie franchise is about to outdo them all.

Paramount has officially added the next Star Trek movie to its 2025 release schedule. According to TrekCore , the project currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production this year, with Seth Grahame-Smith writing and Toby Haynes directing. The film will take place decades before the 2009 Star Trek reboot from J.J. Abrams .

And it’s a terrible idea.

First of all, there’s the question of the timeline logistics of the film. Although one would assume that the film will occur in the Kelvin Timeline, the alternate universe in which Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness , and Star Trek Beyond take place, the Kelvin timeline branched from the Prime Timeline when the Romulan Nero went back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin, killing George Kirk and setting James T. Kirk’s Enterprise adventures on an alternate course.

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Because Nero destroys the Kelvin on the day of Kirk’s birth, that means that there was no Kelvin timeline a few decades before most of the events of the 2009 movie. So what the heck is the origin story going to be about? Is it about the origin of the Federation? We already saw that on Enterprise , which takes place a century before The Original Series . Is it about the Enterprise before Kirk? We got that in the first two seasons of Discovery and in Strange New Worlds .

To be sure, these entries didn’t completely mine all the possible stories of the era, but that generation has received so much attention already. Between movies, TV shows, and all of the non-canon novels and comics, fans have seen plenty of looks at the early days of Starfleet, the Federation, and especially the USS Enterprise.

That’s even true of some of the best current Star Trek series. While Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks have a lot of fun putting new twists on familiar ideas, they offer little new to the larger tapestry of Star Trek stories. Contrast those in-jokes to learning about Janeway looking for her one-time Voyager shipmate Chakotay on Prodigy , or seeing a mature Seven of Nine take the Captain’s chair at the end of Picard . Look how much better Discovery became after launching into the undiscovered country of the 32nd century instead of filling gaps (or making new gaps) in the TOS era.

These constant returns to the past violate the basic premise of Star Trek . Sure, some of the best Trek entries involve trips to the past. But the core mission of the franchise is about moving forward, boldly going into a future we can only imagine in the present. Viewers don’t want to see a past that’s already been explored so thoroughly over the last few decades. We want to see how this universe has progressed, how the actions of Kirk, Picard, and the other Captains have affected the universe in ways good and bad.

In short, a Star Trek origin movie is wrong headed, mining nostalgia and references instead of seeking out new life and civilizations.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

A Star Trek Origin Movie Is Coming in 2025 From 'Andor' and 'Doctor Who' Director Toby Haynes

'Star Trek' (2009) director J.J. Abrams is attached to produce.

The Big Picture

• A new Star Trek prequel film, an "origin story", is in development, at Paramount.
• The Star Trek history before Kirk's missions on the Enterprise is largely unwritten, leaving room for creativity with the new film.
• Director Toby Haynes, known for Andor , is working on the film alongside writer Seth Grahame-Smith; a 2025 release window was announced at CinemaCon.

Star Trek may finally be coming back to the big screen. A prequel to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot of the franchise is in the works from director Toby Haynes . The news comes from Paramount's presentation at CinemaCon today, as reported by Collider's Steve Weintraub and Britta DeVore . With Haynes, who recently helmed six episodes of the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor , at the rudder, the film will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith .

So far, other details on the new film are scarce, but it will reportedly be an "origin story", taking place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film, which took place in 2255. That likely means that it will not feature the cast from the 2009 reboot, which has so far been difficult for Paramount to wrangle together for a fourth film, despite numerous attempts to do so . That doesn't necessarily mean that a fourth movie isn't happening: back in March, Paramount hired The Flight Attendant scribe Steve Yockey to pen a new script for the film. For their part, the cast is game as well, with Zoe Saldaña recently stating her willingness to return for a fourth mission on the USS Enterprise .

What Happened Decades Before Kirk's First Missions on the Enterprise?

The history of the Star Trek universe prior to the celebrated voyages of the Enterprise is largely unwritten. The first starship Enterprise 's adventures in the 22nd century were chronicled on the UPN prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise . That series ended with the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, which leaves almost a century of mostly unexplored history between that and the history now being charted on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (and the first two seasons of mothership show Star Trek: Discovery ).

At some point, the nascent Federation faces a devastating war against the Romulan Star Empire , while also engaged in a Cold War with the Klingons. The USS Enterprise will eventually be launched in the 23rd century, under the captaincy of Robert April, who has been briefly glimpsed on Star Trek: The Animated Series and Strange New Worlds , before being handed off to Christopher Pike . Apart from that, however, Haynes and Graeme-Smith have a near-blank canvas upon which to make their mark.

In addition to Andor , Haynes has also helmed episodes of Doctor Who , Sherlock , and Black Mirror ; his work on the latter series includes the episode " USS Callister ," a loving pastiche of Star Trek . Graeme-Smith wrote the novels Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter ; he worked on the story for the upcoming horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice .

A new Star Trek prequel film is in development; no date has yet been set beyond a 2025 release window . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

The Star Trek Origins Movie Is Officially Moving Forward, But I Have Two Serious Concerns About It

I f you have a Paramount+ subscription , you know full well how the Star Trek franchise has been thriving on TV again for many years now. Streaming has allowed the shows like Discovery , Picard , Strange New Worlds , Prodigy (which is now housed at Netflix) and Lower Decks to be made, and there are more upcoming Star Trek TV shows on the way, as well as the Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 movie . However, not the franchise’s theatrical film side of things, we haven’t seen anything since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond , but apparently that’s about to change. Paramount Pictures is officially moving forward with that Star Trek origins movie that was reported about earlier this year , though after hearing this news, I can’t help but have two serious concerns about it.

During the Paramount presentation at CinemaCon today that CinemaBlend attended, it was mentioned that this Star Trek movie, which will be directed by Andor ’s Toby Haynes and written by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ’s Seth Grahame-Smith, is set to begin production later this year and is expected to be released sometime in 2025. Beyond that, no other details were revealed, so the only other thing we know about this project is that it’s set decades before the events of 2009’s Star Trek , i.e. the movie that kicked off the alternate timeline which follows Chris Pine’s James Kirk, Zachary Quito’s Spock and more.

Therein lies my first concern with this origins movie: exactly how is this going to function as a prequel? Not to get too nerdy, but the point of divergence between the Kelvin timeline and the main Star Trek timeline occurs when Nero’s ship’s came back in time to the former reality, which also happened to be the same day James Kirk was born. Everything before that day happened the same way in both timelines, including the events of the TV show Star Trek: Enterprise . So because that series chronicled Starfleet’s first deep-space exploration and ended with the formation of the United Federation of Planets, what origin is there to tell?

The main thing I can think of at the moment is we’d learn how Starfleet and the United Federation became the powerhouse forces they are by the time the 2009 Star Trek movie begins. But even setting aside the fact that this doesn’t need to be classified as a Kelvin timeline exclusive-story since again, such events would have happened the same way in both realities, would this make for a compelling enough cinematic event? With talent like Haynes and Grahame-Smith behind it, I hope so.

My second concern with this Star Trek origins movie is what this means for Star Trek 4 , i.e. the Star Trek Beyond follow-up. We’re coming up on 10 years of this project trying to get off the ground, with various behind-the-scenes creative talent boarding and exiting it, including director Matt Shakman, who left to helm The Fantastic Four . It seems like Star Trek 4 can’t catch a break, and I’m worried that this origins movie will result in it being shelved for good.

Now to be fair, when this origin story’s existence was revealed, it was mentioned that Star Trek 4 was still in “active development’ and is intended to be “the final chapter of the series.” So on face value, Paramount reportedly intends to give this version of the USS Enterprise crew a proper farewell, but given how many attempts to move Star Trek 4 forward have failed, will prioritizing the Star Trek origins movie will once again result in the other movie falling by the wayside? At this point, if Star Trek 4 does get made, it’s not coming out until well over a decade after Beyond . Is it even worth being remotely optimistic about its chances anymore?

As a longtime Star Trek fan, I’ll end up seeing this origins movie regardless, but these concerns will keep weighing on my mind until more information comes to light. Naturally we’ll pass along any major updates that come in, but for now, you can look through our 2024 movies schedule to stay on top of the cinematic entertaining coming out later this year.

GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Star Trek Prequel Movie In The Works With Star Wars Director

Toby Haynes, who directed episodes of Black Mirror, Doctor Who, and Andor, is lined up to make a Star Trek movie.

By Eddie Makuch on April 11, 2024 at 12:06PM PDT

A Star Trek prequel movie is in the works with Star Wars director Toby Haynes attached to direct, Paramount announced during CinemaCon. This has been rumored since January , and now it's confirmed. The movie is set for release sometime in 2025.

Haynes previously directed episodes of Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Sherlock, and the Star Wars series Andor. Collider reported on these details from CinemaCon.

Seth Grahame-Smith, who wrote The Lego Batman Movie, is writing the untitled Star Trek film. Haynes has never directed or written a Star Trek movie, but he directed Black Mirror's Star Trek-inspired USS Callister episode.

The film is said to be an "origin story" that will take place prior to the events of 2009's Star Trek, which took place in 2255 and was itself an origin story. This likely means it will feature a different cast. The stars of the latest series, including Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, have been rumored to be coming back for a fourth film in their series, but it hasn't happened yet.

2016's Star Trek Beyond is the latest entry in the main Star Trek movie series, but the franchise has lived long and prospered on streaming with the TV shows Picard and Strange New Worlds.

The 2009 Star Trek reboot and its 2013 sequel Into Darkness were directed by JJ Abrams, before he handed off directing duties to Justin Lin for Star Trek Beyond. The three movies collectively earned around $1.2 billion at the global box office.

In addition to Pine, Saldana, and Quinto, the latest Star Trek movie series featured John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Yelchin tragically died in 2016 at the age of 27 after a motor vehicle accident in his driveway.

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