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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Patrick Stewart
• Brent Spiner
• Jonathan Frakes
• 321 User reviews
• 162 Critic reviews
• 39 wins & 61 nominations total

Episodes 176

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• Captain Jean-Luc Picard …

• Lieutenant Commander Data …

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker …

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge …

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Worf …

• Doctor Beverly Crusher …

• Enterprise Computer …

• Wesley Crusher …

• Chief Miles O'Brien …
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• Trivia When the cast decided to lobby for a salary increase, Wil Wheaton 's first offer from the producers was to instead have his character promoted to Lieutenant. His response was, "So what should I tell my landlord when I can't pay my rent? 'Don't worry, I just made Lieutenant'?!"
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

User reviews 321

• Feb 26, 2003

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• September 26, 1987 (United States)
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How to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation TV shows and movies in order

Image: ©CBS

Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science-fiction show, set in the 24 th Century. The series – created by Gene Roddenberry – follows the story of the crew of the USS Enterprise and its exploration of space.  

The series was created as a follow-up show to the popular Star Trek TV series of the 1960s, as well as the successful run of Star Trek movies of the late ‘70s onward. Unlike the original show and movies, which focused on the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, The Next Generation focused on Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his team, including Riker, Data, Worf, Geordi La Forge, Deanna Troi, Tasha Yar, and Beverly and Wesley Crusher.

Upon making its debut, Star Trek: The Next Generation built up a loyal fanbase, and became popular with audiences. Over time, it established itself as a fantastic piece of television, stepping out the shadow of its predecessor, and boasted excellent stories and well-written characters.

So, when it came time to end the show on television, not everybody was quite ready to say goodbye. Mere months after the television adventures wrapped, the Next Generation crew took to the big screen to appear in a series of movies.

And the Next Gen journey didn’t quite end with movies either. Almost two decades after the final film hit screens, Jean-Luc Picard, and a handful of his crew mates, returned for another television show.

In short: Between shows and movies, there’s a lot of Next Generation content out there. But if you’re a complete newcomer to The Next Generation , where do you begin?

With this post, of course!

Below, I am providing a run-through of Star Trek: The Next Generation , detailing the viewing order for the shows and the movies. So, if you’re not sure how best to watch the series, how many seasons there are, or when to begin watching the films, you simply need to follow the details below.  

Understanding Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation hit television screens in 1987, with the two-part story: Encounter at Farpoint . This double-length episode, kicked off the show’s first season, which comprised a total of 26 episodes.

The following year, The Next Generation returned for its second season. This was then followed by seasons three, four, five, six, and seven, all popping up on an annual basis.

The seventh and final season of the show, aired between 1993 and 1994, concluding with the two-part story: All Good Things… . By the time the show reached the end of its run, Star Trek: The Next Generation had clocked up 178 episodes of television.

But this wasn’t the end for The Next Generation – the cast simply side-stepped from television into movies, beginning with Star Trek Generations (1994). The movie combined the cast of the original Star Trek television show, with the cast of The Next Generation , for a big screen adventure.

Star Trek Generations proved to be a box office hit, and The Next Generation cast returned for further movies, including: Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Star Trek: Nemesis essentially ended the adventures of The Next Generation crew on the big screen, and bar the odd guest spot on television, the actors largely stepped away from the Star Trek universe. But this still wasn’t the end – in 2020, actor Patrick Stewart (aka Jean-Luc Picard) returned to the small screen for yet another television show.

The series was called Picard . It centred largely around the eponymous character, but also included various Next Gen cast members, who appeared in the series in guest roles.  

Due to the popularity of Picard ’s first season, as well as a positive reception from critics, the show returned for subsequent seasons.

Star Trek: The Next Generation in order

If you wish to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation in order, begin with the original television show, taking it season by season, then move onto the four films followed by Picard .

The Star Trek: The Next Generation viewing order is as follows:

• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season One (1987 – 1988) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two (1988 – 1989) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three (1989 – 1990) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Four (1990 – 1991) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Five (1991 – 1992) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Six (1992 – 1993) – TV series
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Seven (1993 – 1994) – TV series
• Star Trek Generations (1994) – Movie
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – Movie
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – Movie
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – Movie
• Picard – Season One (2020) – TV series
• Picard – Season Two (2022) – TV series
• Picard – Season Three (2023) – TV series

If you’re a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation , you may be interested to know that all the episodes of the original showare currently available on Blu-ray in a neat little box set.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set includes all seven seasons of the show, covering 178 episodes.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set is available from all good entertainment stockists, including Amazon US and Amazon UK .

Thank you for taking the time to stop by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the viewing order for Star Trek: The Next Generation – I hope it has proved useful. For more useful posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.

Disclaimer: I earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Movie Collection Release Date & Features

By Anthony Nash

Star Trek fans are in for a treat this year, as Paramount announced that all four Star Trek: The Next Generation films would be releasing for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD in one massive collection, with a release date set for April 4, 2023.

The films will arrive a day before First Contact Day (April 5, the day Vulcans first made contact with humans in the world of Star Trek ), and will collect the theatrical adventures of Picard, Riker, Data, LaForge, Worf, Troi, and Dr. Crusher together for fans.

The collection includes all four films — Star Trek: Generations , Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection , and Star Trek: Nemesis — on 4K Ultra HD, as well as fully remastered on Blu-ray, plus legacy bonus content and access to digital copies of the film. The collection also comes housed in a slipcase with custom illustration that complements the previously released collection of the original six Star Trek films.

Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987 and followed the adventures of the Starfleet starship, the USS Enterprise. The series starred Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and more.

In total, the bonus features set to be included on all four films are as follows:

STAR TREK: GENERATIONS Bonus Content

• Commentary by director David Carson and Manny Coto
• Commentary by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
• Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda
• Library Computer
• Uniting Two Legends
• Stellar Cartography: Creating the Illusion
• Strange New Worlds: The Valley of Fire
• Scoring Trek
• Inside ILM: Models & Miniatures
• Crashing the Enterprise
• Main Title Sequence
• The Nexus Ribbon
• Saucer Crash Sequence
• A Tribute to Matt Jeffries 
• The Enterprise Lineage
• Captain Picard’s Family Album
• Creating 24 th  Century Weapons
• Next Generation Designer Flashback Andrew Probert
• Stellar Cartography on Earth
• Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 1
• Trek Roundtable:  Generations
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 007: Trilithium
• Deleted Scenes

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT Bonus Content

• Commentary by director and actor Jonathan Frakes
• Commentary by screenplay writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
• Commentary by Damon Lindelof and Anthony Pascale
• Text commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda
• Making  First Contact
• The Art of  First Contact
• The Missile Silo
• The Deflector Dish
• From “A” to “E”
• Borg Queen Assembly
• Escape Pod Launch
• Borg Queen’s Demise
• Jerry Goldsmith: A Tribute
• The Legacy of Zefram Cochrane
• First Contact: The Possibilities
• Industrial Light & Magic – The Next Generation
• Greetings from the International Space Station
• SpaceShipOne’s Historic Flight
• Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 2
• Trek Roundtable: First Contact
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 008: Temporal Vortex
• Unimatrix One
• Design Matrix

STAR TREK: INSURRECTION Bonus Content

• Commentary by Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis
• It Takes a Village
• Location, Location, Location
• The Art of Insurrection
• Anatomy of a Stunt
• Making  Star Trek: Insurrection
• Director’s Notebook
• Westmore’s Aliens
• Westmore’s Legacy
• Star Trek’s Beautiful Alien Women
• Marina Sirtis – The Counselor Is In
• Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 3
• Trek Roundtable: Insurrection
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 009: The Origins of the Ba’ku and Son’a Conflict
• Shuttle Chase
• Advertising

STAR TREK: NEMESIS Bonus Content

• Commentary by director Stuart Baird
• Commentary by producer Rick Berman
• Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda
• Nemesis Revisited
• New Frontiers – Stuart Baird on Directing Nemesis
• Storyboarding the Action
• Red Alert! Shotting the Action of Nemesis
• Build and Rebuild
• Four-Wheeling in the Final Frontier
• Screen Test: Shinzon
• A Star Trek Family’s Final Journey
• A Bold Vision of The Final Frontier
• The Enterprise E
• Reunion with The Rikers
• Today’s Tech Tomorrow’s Data
• Robot Hall of Fame
• Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 4
• Trek Roundtable: Nemesis
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 010: Thalaron Radiation
• Romulan Lore
• Shinzon & the Viceroy
• Romulan Design
• The Romulan Senate
• The Scimitar

Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash.

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Like the first-edition Original Series film Blu-rays, the 2009 editions of the four Star Trek: The Next Generation films were plagued with a heavy-handed use of digital noise reduction (DNR) treatments, artificial sharpening efforts (to restore detail erased by the DNR process), and odd color timing that — in some instances — drastically changed the look of the movies when compared to previous VHS, LaserDisc, and DVD home media releases.

The new editions of the  Next Gen films can be found in one big four-movie box set, but they’re also available in individual 4K + Blu-ray releases, and well as in standalone Blu-ray-only releases (for those of you who haven’t make the leap to 4K at home just yet).

Those new Blu-ray discs are remastered as well, using the new 4K scans as source material for the updated releases — but there’s no new extra features; all the commentary tracks and movie-specific bonus material is carried from the 2009 Blu-rays.

Star Trek: Generations (1994) gets perhaps the largest amount of color restoration in its new presentation, as a noticeable yellow-green tint (which permeated the 2009 edition) is scraped away in the 4K edition.

Most noticeable in the scenes shot on location — Worf’s promotion aboard the holographic sailing ship and at Soran’s launch platform filmed in Nevada’s Valley of Fire — are drastically changed from the previous edition, bringing back the sunny blue skies and warm desert tones of the original presentation.

Likewise, greys and silvers aboard the Enterprise-D sets return to their expected color, as do the mustard-color operations uniforms worn by Data, Worf and La Forge. Fine facial details are also no longer so exaggerated, thanks to this edition’s lack of that heavy-handed DNR and artificial sharpening effects.

Curiously, a number of shots are slightly repositioned compared to the previous editions of the film, such as the crew’s arrival to the bridge while wearing their holodeck sailing-ship costumes; this occurs sporadically throughout the film without much obvious rhyme or reason.

It’s not a huge issue, as one probably won’t even notice most of the time — but some shots certainly feel “off-center” now because of these framing adjustments.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) takes the crew aboard the first  Enterprise -E adventure, filmed on sets that are naturally darker than the  Galaxy -class setting of the previous film.

This remastered edition features some nice lighting, contrast, and detail enhancements thanks to the new scan from original film elements.

Like  Generations , the 2009 edition of  First Contact also had a similar green look that has fortunately been eliminated — the steel and bronze set elements aboard both the Enterprise and in the Phoenix launch facility now shine with proper metallic coloring, and costume elements like Riker’s leather jacket regain their proper tones.

Some color correction appears to veer slightly too far into the blue tone in a few darker sections the new release, however it’s not obvious in the majority of shots and seems to be a limited issue.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) truly benefits from the lack of DNR and artificial sharpening found on its 2009 edition, as the heavy filtering impacted the cast’s facial features dramatically in that old presentation.

The new scan now offers a much more natural look both the actors and the Ba’ku planet, really showcasing just how bad the original  Insurrection  disc looked.

The natural features of the Ba’ku planet have slighly tone-down coloring — reducing its somewhat oversaturated appearance in the 2009 release.

Fine details like the piles of straw in which Data and Artim play are no longer a messy blur, Geordi’s sunrise now actually looks like the sun is warming up the Ba’ku valley, and visual effects shots that once had an odd orange-red vibe are shifted more properly to a golden color tone.

The remastered edition of Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) has less detail improvement than the other TNG films, but better color and lighting fixes — gone is yellow-green tone that permeated the film’s previous release.

While that overall greenish tone has been cleaned up, elements which SHOULD be green — grass, nebula, Thalaron radiation, cymbals — retain their proper coloring.

The ‘mountains’ of Alaska are no longer so pink and purple, and there are several other nice color adjustments (like Guinan’s outfit now properly and and brown, rather than green), and the stained glass aboard Shinzon’s vessel now appears teal and blue rather than green and purple.

The desert landscape of Kolarus III is no longer overexposed to the point of highlight blow-out, and dark scenes have a more balanced lighting and shadow, with some moments having a bit of a colder (but more consistent) look.

Overall, this is the best that these four films have ever looked on home media — and while we’re always going to prefer the physical releases for best-quality presentation, with any luck, they’ll supplant the 2009 editions across all streaming services sooner rather than later.

We can’t recommend these new 4K presentations enough, even with some of the minor quibbles mentioned above — while it took much longer than it should have to give these films the remastering treatment, the wait has been worth it with these new 4K discs.

The  Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection is in stores now.

Have you upgraded your Next Generation film library to these new remastered releases? Still trying to decide if you want to get the new discs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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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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Behind-the-Scenes of The Next Generation Movies

Go behind-the-scenes from the production of all four films for First Contact Day!

All four big-screen adventures featuring fan-favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation characters Picard, Riker, Data, La Forge, Worf, Troi, and Dr. Crusher arrive for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD™ with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 ! Own it now!

The journey begins with original cast members Kirk, Scott, and Chekov in a story that spans space and time in Star Trek Generations , continuing with a terrifying face off against the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact , a dangerous plot against a peaceful planet in Star Trek: Insurrection , and a familiar old foe returning in Star Trek Nemesis .

In celebration of First Contact Day , we've have this gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from the production of all four films!

The Next Star Trek Movie Will Be An Origin Story For The Entire Franchise

When a franchise has lasted for upwards of half a century and is still going strong, the decision-makers in charge will inevitably run into one pressing question above all others: Where do we go next? "Star Trek" became a beloved institution among the nerdiest of fans for a pretty good reason, largely because of its wholesale commitment to treading new ground and envisioning a new future. But with the franchise firing on all cylinders these days (on television, at least) and no signs of slowing down anytime soon, writers have become increasingly hard-pressed to boldly go where no others have gone before ... literally speaking, that is, since recent "Star Trek" shows like "Strange New Worlds," "Lower Decks," "Discovery," "Picard," and more have filled in all sorts of gaps in the official canon.

It's no secret that Paramount is eager to get back in the big-screen business for "Trek," however, and one of the more intriguing productions currently in the works seems to have settled on its main focus. We previously knew that "Black Mirror" and "Andor" director Toby Haynes had been tapped to lead an untitled upcoming "Star Trek" movie – one that's not  meant as a continuation of the alternate-universe (aka Kelvin Timeline) movies starring Chris Pine and the rest of those films' cast. The studio is still playing its cards close to the chest on this, but a new report has shed a little more light on what we can expect from this mysterious motion picture.

The key phrase, apparently, is "origin story."

An origin story ... 'of sorts'

Variety has the scoop on the future of "Star Trek," unveiling a flashy new cover story covering practically every corner of the (fictional) universe. One tidbit buried among the rest, however, paints a rather interesting picture of what one of the movies in development could end up focusing on. With names like Toby Haynes and writer Seth Grahame-Smith ("The LEGO Batman Movie," "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter") attached, there's clearly no shortage of creative talent looking to put their stamp on future plans for the franchise. Figuring out what exactly that direction should be, however, is another story altogether.

According to the report, fans can expect the movie to "serve as an origin story of sorts for the main timeline of the entire ['Star Trek'] franchise ." What that means, of course, is anybody's guess. In terms of the timeline, the best guess is that this will take place long before the events of the 2009 J.J. Abrams semi-reboot and that of "The Original Series" as well. Discounting time-travel adventures that placed contemporary "Trek" characters on, say, 20th Century Earth, the earliest era of the canon that we've seen was previously explored in "Star Trek: Enterprise," which is set a full century before the likes of Captain James T. Kirk or Mr. Spock ever stepped foot on the USS Enterprise.

Trekkies already know how events like First Contact between humanity and the Vulcans unfolded or how events like the Eugenics Wars ravaged the Earth and set our civilization on a course for the stars, so could this in-development movie tackle the formation of Starfleet and the Federation as a whole? At this point, your guess is as good as ours. We'll definitely be keeping a close eye on this one.

Screen Rant

Section 31: first image of michelle yeoh in next star trek movie revealed.

Star Trek: Section 31 has been shrouded in mystery, but the first image of Michelle Yeoh in the next Star Trek movie has been revealed.

• Michelle Yeoh stars in Star Trek: Section 31, confronting the secretive black ops agency sins of Starfleet.
• Film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, focusing on time travel.
• New cast members include Humberly González, Sam Richardson, Omari Hardwick, Robert Kazinsky, Kacey Rohl.

Star Trek: Section 31 reveals the first official image from the next Star Trek movie starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. D irected by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Star Trek: Section 31 recently wrapped production in Toronto. Returning as her popular anti-heroine from Star Trek: Discovery, Yeoh's Georgiou travels through time as she confronts the sins of Starfleet's secretive black ops agency.

A new Variety cover story about the Star Trek franchise reveals the first image from Section 31 , which is the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+. The image shows Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Georgiou threatening a tattooed character with a metallic mohawk . Check out the image below:

Where You've Seen Star Trek: Section 31's New Actors Before

New information revealed about star trek: section 31, emperor georgiou is traveling through time and meets a star trek: tng legacy character.

Variety 's Star Trek cover story also revealed that Star Trek: Section 31 has a scene in "an opulent nightclub with a view of a brilliant, swirling nebula", where Emperor Georgiou is "standing with a young Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), a character first introduced on “Next Generation” as the older fearless captain of the USS Enterprise-C." This is a massive reveal, as it indicates Georgiou has traveled through time into the early 24th century, pre- Star Trek: The Next Generation . It's also the first confirmation of the character Kacey Rohl is playing as the new Section 31 cast 's roles have been a mystery so far.

Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neill) was introduced in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3 episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise," and she was referenced again as The Red Lady at the start of Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Star Trek: Section 31' s plot has been shrouded in mystery, but Georgiou meeting a young Rachel Garrett years before she is Captain of the Enterprise-C could mean that Philippa is recruiting Star Trek legacy characters throughout time when they are young. If so, it also broadens the scope of Section 31 by making key Star Trek characters knowledgeable about Section 31, or even full-fledged members. The reveal of young Rachel Garrett in Star Trek: Section 31 opens up a whole new set of fascinating questions for the next Star Trek movie to answer.

Source: Variety

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All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Star Trek (2009) is back in theaters for Rotten Tomatoes’ 25th anniversary screening series at AMC — get tickets now !

We’re boldly ranking the Star Trek movies by Tomatometer, from the original film series (1979’s The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country ), into the handoff to films featuring the Next Generation cast ( Generations to Nemesis ), and through to the reboot series (2009’s Trek to Beyond ). – Alex Vo

Star Trek (2009) 94%

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) 93%

Star Trek Beyond (2016) 86%

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) 87%

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) 84%

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) 83%

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) 82%

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) 78%

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) 55%

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 53%

Star Trek Generations (1994) 48%

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) 38%

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) 21%

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

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‘Star Trek’ Origin Story Movie Set From ‘Andor’ Director, ‘Star Trek 4’ Still in the Works as ‘Final Chapter’ of Main Series

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A new “ Star Trek ” film is in the works at Paramount with “Andor’s” Toby Haynes on board to direct and Seth Grahame-Smith penning the script, Variety has confirmed.

While plot details are being kept under wraps, the upcoming feature will be an origin story that is set decades before 2009’s “Star Trek,” as well as an expansion of the “Star Trek” universe. J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot is producing.

A fourth “Star Trek” movie starring Chris Pine was first announced in July of 2016, with Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg expected to return. Chris Hemsworth, who appeared in the 2009 original, was set to return to the space saga as George Kirk, the father of Captain James T. Kirk (Pine). According to Paramount at the time, “Star Trek 4” would see Pine’s Captain Kirk cross paths with his father, who was “a man he never had a chance to meet, but whose legacy has haunted him since the day he was born.”

During a Paramount Global investors day presentation in February of 2022, Abrams announced that a new “Star Trek” movie would begin shooting by the end of that year with the Pine-led crew. Pine and his co-stars reportedly had no idea Paramount was moving forward with another “Star Trek” film, which was eventually removed from the studio’s film slate in September of that year.

Haynes recently directed six episodes of the “Star Wars” series “Andor,” starring Diego Luna as the titular role. He also helmed the “Star Trek”-inspired episode of “Black Mirror,” titled “USS Callister.” Haynes is repped by WME and attorney Peter Nelson.

Grahame-Smith is best known as the author of the best-selling novels “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” He also wrote and produced 2017’s “The Lego Batman Movie.” Grahame-Smith is repped by WME and attorneys PJ Shapiro and Wendy Kirk.

Deadline was first to report the “Star Trek” news.

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We Now Know Exactly When Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek Movie is Taking Place

Section 31 will feature at least one captain of a starship called Enterprise.

Michelle Yeoh is back in the Final Frontier. As the duplicitous Mirror Universe character Philippa Georgiou, Yeoh starred in three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , but later in 2024 she’ll return in her own movie — Section 31 . Named for the clandestine espionage organization within Starfleet, Section 31 has just been described as a “spy thriller” by a new article in Variety . We’ve also got a new image of Yeoh as Georgiou, seemingly integrating someone with some very cyberpunk-looking gear. But the big news for Trek fans is something even bigger. It seems like we finally know when exactly Section 31 will be set.

Here’s why the revelation of a very specific Starfleet captain reveals roughly where we can expect Section 31 to take place.

Section 31 will feature an Enterprise captain

Kacey Rohl in 2019. In Section 31 , she’ll be the first person to play Rachel Garrett since Tricia O’Neil originated the role in 1990’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

As reported by Adam B. Vary for Variety , the character of Rachel Garrett will appear in Section 31 and be played by actress Kacey Rohl. In the larger Trek canon, Rachel Garrett is famous for being the captain of the USS Enterprise-C which was destroyed fighting the Romulans in the year 2344. At that point, Captain Garrett (as played by Tricia O'Neil) was a woman in her mid-forties. But, in Section 31 it seems we’ll be meeting “...a young Rachel Garrett.”

This one detail all but confirms that at least one aspect of the storyline for Section 31 will have to take place sometime before 2344, likely in the 2320s or 2330s. Which, believe it or not, is a largely undocumented and unexplored period of the larger Star Trek timeline.

A 24th-century TNG prequel

Captain Garrett’s time on the Enterprise-C is largely untold. But what happened before that is even hazier.

Because Section 31 features a younger version of Rachel Garrett, this means that at least part of the movie will be a full-on prequel to the era of The Next Generation . And, interestingly, this period of Trek history, from roughly the end of the TOS -era movies, to the start of TNG is a roughly 70 year-gap. The Undiscovered Country and the first part of Generations take place in 2293. The first TNG episode takes place in 2364. During this gap, a lot of Trek history happens, including the Federation’s war with the Cardassians, the finalization of peace with the Klingons, and Jean-Luc Picard’s tenure as Captain on the USS Stargazer .

But if Section 31 takes place in the 2320s, even some of those events are still in the future. If you take a hardcore deep-dive onto the ever-reliable Star Trek wiki, Memory Alpha, you’ll find that there are almost no notable events in the 2320 s at all, other than Jean-Luc Picard starting his studies at Starfleet Academy. When Georgiou was sent back in time in Discovery Season 31 by the Guardian of Forever, we were told that it would be close to a time period in which the Prime Universe and Mirror Universes had yet to fully drift apart.

Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) steps into the Guardian of Forever in Discovery Season 3.

And yet, by putting Georgiou in the early 24th century, the new movie will likely sport a lot of retro Star Trek aesthetics. We know Starfleet officers were still rocking the “monster maroon” uniforms first introduced in The Wrath of Khan, and Strange New Worlds Season 1 even gave us a taste of what a modern redesign of those uniforms might look like. Plus, if this movie is filling in the backstory of Rache Garrett, this means the show will not only be a prequel for The Next Generation but also the origin story of an underrated Enterprise captain!

As of this writing, Section 31 is a stand-alone movie starring Michelle Yeoh. But, with this cut into the timeline of Trek, one can’t help but wonder if there’s not room for even more adventures in this very specific slice of Trek history.

Section 31 is expected to hit Paramount+ in late 2024.

• Science Fiction

This Obscure 'Next Generation' Character Will Return in 'Star Trek: Section 31'

Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou will meet an interesting familiar face.

The Big Picture

• Paramount+ reveals cast member Kacey Rohl will play Rachel Garrett in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie.
• Originally planned as a series, the film follows Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou in her work for Section 31.
• Rachel Garrett captained the USS Enterprise-C in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise."

Details on Paramount+'s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie have so far been as top-secret as its namesake Starfleet spy agency. But now we know one of the characters who will encounter Michelle Yeoh 's Philippa Georgiou - and she's an important part of Star Trek history. A new feature in Variety goes behind the scenes of the filming of the streaming-original film, which recently wrapped filming , and reveals that previously-announced cast member Kacey Rohl ( Hannibal ) will be playing Rachel Garrett, a character who captained the USS Enterprise-C in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise".

Little else is known about the upcoming film; it was originally planned as a series, but with Yeoh's busy schedule following her groundbreaking Best Actress Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once , it was compressed into a single standalone film. It will follow Georgiou's work for the shadowy Starfleet intelligence agency Section 31, following her return to the 23rd century in the third season of Star Trek: Discovery . In addition to Yeoh and Rohl, it will also star Omari Hardwick , Sam Richardson , Sven Ruygrok , Rob Kazinsky , Humberly Gonzalez , James Hiroyuki Liao , Joe Pingue , Miku Martineau , and Augusto Bitter .

Who is Rachel Garrett?

In "Yesterday's Enterprise", which aired in 1990 as part of The Next Generation 's third season, the 24th-century Enterprise-D finds itself confronted with its long-thought-destroyed predecessor, the Enterprise-C , captained by Rachel Garrett ( Tricia O'Neil ). Somehow, the Enterprise-C being thrown into the future has altered the future; instead of the relatively peaceful galaxy familiar to the show's viewers, the Federation is embroiled in a desperate war with the Klingon Empire . The crew soon realizes that the Enterprise-C must respond to a Klingon distress call in its own timeline, even though it means the ship will be destroyed by the Romulans ; Garrett is soon killed in an ambush by the future Klingons, forcing helmsman Richard Castillo ( Christopher McDonald ) to take over the ship with Enterprise-D security officer Tasha Yar ( Denise Crosby ), leading it to its fate in the past. Ultimately, the Enterprise-C 's sacrifice averts war with the Klingons and restores the Enterprise-D 's future to its rightful state, while Garrett and her crew are remembered as heroes. However, the Enterprise-C 's legacy later came back to haunt the Enterprise-D ; Yar survived and bore a half-Romulan daughter, Sela, who would become one of the crew's recurring foes.

"Yesterday's Enterprise" is considered to be one of The Next Generation 's finest episodes. Collider's Liam Gaughan deemed it to be the best episode of season 3 , calling it a "fascinating look at a darker version of the setting we know and love" while also serving as a proper sendoff for Tasha Yar, who had been unceremoniously killed off in the show's first season.

Star Trek: Section 31 is now in post-production, and has not yet set a release date . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

A Surprising Next Generation Character Was Revealed For Star Trek: Section 31, And I'm So Stoked

Star Trek: Section 31 , the first new movie for the franchise in years, recently wrapped production. While fans were already jazzed about the possibility of actors from Strange New Worlds appearing in the movie , we now have confirmation of one iconic character who will make an appearance. It's been revealed one of the previously announced cast members will be playing someone from The Next Generation , and I'm so stoked about it.

Kacey Rohl was announced as part of the Star Trek: Section 31 cast , but the original announcement did not say who she would play. Now, Variety has reported that Rohl will play a younger version of The Next Generation 's Rachel Garrett, who has some history in the Trek universe worth knowing about for those who may not remember.

Rachel Garrett First Appeared In TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise"

Rachel Garrett was Captain of the USS Enterprise C , which had been transported into the future due to an anomaly in the midst of battle. Garrett met the successor crew of the Enterprise D , who realized the ship's transport created an alternate timeline that led to war between the Klingons and the Federation when Garrett's ship failed to protect an outpost from Romulans.

Ultimately, Garrett decided to send the Enterprise C back through the anomaly, knowing it would likely be destroyed, in order to show the Klingons the Federation supported them and prevent the war. The character ultimately died before she could arrive on the other end, but her lieutenant continued through the rift. "Yesterday's Episode" is a great episode, and one I'd highly recommend to anyone with a Paramount+ subscription .

Rachel Garrett Was Also Referenced In Picard Season 3

Rachel Garrett had a small part to play in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, as a statue of her was in front of a Starfleet recruitment building that was ultimately destroyed by a terrorist attack. I'm not expecting this connection to really mean anything in the context of Section 31 , but it does seem interesting to see that there are those behind the scenes looking to expand on Garrett's story and legacy.

One major question I have is whether or not Rachel Garrett will be a part of the Section 31 division. It would be interesting to learn that an eventual captain of the flagship Enterprise was also working for Starfleet's secret division at one point. I'd love to see a series centered around that, though there are already some upcoming Star Trek projects currently being worked on, so there may not be room for it on the slate.

One thing there's no denying is that the mystique surrounding Star Trek: Section 31 just shot up for a lot of fans. The fact that Garrett is in the movie raises a lot of questions about the point in time the movie is set in and how her being a part of the story factors into anything. With that said, the Variety article did refer to her appearance as something for the most dedicated fans, but also an appearance that those unaware of her history won't feel lost without knowing. This could mean that her overall impact in the story isn't that substantial in terms of the lore, but hey, I'm still stoked to be seeing the character return once again. Here's hoping for more cameos like this in the Michelle Yeoh-led Star Trek movie !

Star Trek: Section 31 has wrapped production, but we're still waiting on news of when it'll be available to stream on Paramount+. I would stream The Next Generation in the meantime, or gear up for the upcoming release of Discovery 's final season.