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.

Commander Spock from Star Trek (2009)

  • 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

Crew in Star Trek: The Motion Picture_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan (1982)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Walter Koenig, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, and George Takei in Star Trek III The Search for Spock (1984)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home (1986)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, and Laurence Luckinbill in Star Trek V The Final Frontier (1989)

  • 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

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Christopher Plummer in Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country (1991)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Malcolm McDowell, Brian Thompson, and Gwynyth Walsh in Star Trek Generations (1994)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

U.S.S. Enterprise battling the Borg in Star Trek First Contact (1996)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek Insurrection (1998)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Patrick Stewart and Tom Hardy in Star Trek Nemesis (2002)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, and Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009)_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Pine in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)_© Zade Rosenthal_Paramount Pictures

  • 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

Idris Elba and Chris Pine in Star Trek Beyond (2016)_© Kimberley French_Paramount Pictures

  • 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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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

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Star Trek (2009) 94%

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Star Trek: First Contact (1996) 93%

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Star Trek Beyond (2016) 86%

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

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) 84%

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

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

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

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Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) 55%

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 53%

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Star Trek Generations (1994) 48%

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Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) 38%

' sborder=

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

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How to watch the Star Trek movies in order

Set phasers to "fun" and watch the Star Trek movies in order

star trek movies in order

It’s a good time to be a Star Trek fan and watch all the Star Trek movies in order. With three active TV series ( Discovery , Picard , Lower Decks ) and three more in the works (Section 31, Prodigy, Strange New Worlds ), there are more Star Trek adventures airing now than at any point since the mid-90s. 

While Star Trek TV shows have come and gone since the ‘60s, Star Trek movies maintained a pretty consistent release schedule between 1979 and 2016. On average, we got a new film once every three years. But with the fourth move of the Star Trek reboot franchise allegedly canceled , we may be in for a long wait until we see the U.S.S. Enterprise on the big screen again.

Still, there’s one missing piece of the puzzle: Where are all the Star Trek movies? Unlike watching the Star Wars movies in order , you can't see every Trek film on the same service.

  • What is Paramount Plus ?
  • Play the best Star Trek games
  • Find what to watch after Star Trek: Discovery

In the meantime, there are thirteen Star Trek movies to watch (or rewatch), either on DVD or your favorite streaming services. I personally bought the Blu-ray collections so that I wouldn’t be at the mercy of shifting streaming schedules, but if you prefer an all-digital experience, these movies are almost always available somewhere online.

Star Trek movies in order: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Star Trek movies in order of release date

Watching the Star Trek movies in release order is, for the most part, exactly the same as watching the Star Trek movies in chronological order. (There’s some time travel here and there, but the later films still follow “after” the earlier ones.) There are 13 films. The first came out in 1979; the last came out in 2016. 

The only issue is that they're spread out across a number of different subscription services. 10 of the 13 can be found on Amazon Prime Video, and seven of those are also on Hulu. FX Now and Fubo each have one Star Trek movie a piece, each film being a streaming exclusive (you'd need to buy or rent to watch otherwise). And then CBS All Access (soon to be Paramount Plus) and Pluto also have one film. 

  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) : On Prime Video
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek: Generations (1994) : On Prime Video
  • Star Trek: First Contact (1996) : On Prime Video
  • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) : On CBS All Access/Paramount Plus and Pluto
  • Star Trek (2009): On Fubo
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) : On FX Now
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016) : On Hulu and Prime Video

Hulu.

Star Trek is just one of many great things you can watch on Hulu . In addition to its acclaimed originals like High Fidelity and Shrill, Hulu streams next-day airings of current TV shows and library content from FX.

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video has a huge library beyond Star Trek movies. Not only do they have a ton of top movies and TV shows, they've got a lineup of acclaimed originals. They've got everything from Fleabag to Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to The Expanse to Jack Ryan. 

Fubo.TV:a 7-day free trial

Fubo.TV : One of the streaming services you'll need to complete the Star Trek movies in order, Fubo has all of the right network channels too. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.

One year of Paramount Plus: was $99 or $59, now $49 or $29

One year of Paramount Plus: was $99 or $59, now $49 or $29 If you sign up a little under one month before Paramount Plus launches, you'll save $30 to $50 on its annual price. The higher rate is for the ad-free version. Paramount Plus will pack everything from Yellowstone to SpongeBob SquarePants, The Real Criminal MInds and more.

On top of there not being one home for all the movies, there are a few small wrinkles in this plan, however. First: The Star Trek movies aren’t completely standalone. They require some knowledge of what happened in the Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation TV shows to fully grok. 

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Furthermore, the 13 movies don’t tell one continuous story. Rather, they’re based on three separate iterations of the long-running franchise.

star trek movies in order: Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek movies in order of series

Just like the Star Trek TV shows, the Star Trek movies don’t all focus on the same characters and settings. While there’s a little bit of crossover (which we’ll cover below), the films generally fall into three categories.

The first category is based on Star Trek: The Original Series. This is your daddy’s Star Trek, complete with Kirk, Spock, McCoy, the original U.S.S. Enterprise and Scotty beaming people up. If you’ve ever heard about “KHAAAAN!” or “the one with the whales,” or “Shakespeare in the original Klingon,” this is where they come from.

They're all available on Prime Video, and almost all (The Voyage Home is missing) are on Hulu as well. 

Star Trek: The Original Series movies

Next up, there are the Next Generation movies. This is Gen X/Elder Millennial Star Trek, starring Picard, Data, Worf and the crew. The movies start off with the Enterprise-D, but transition to the sleeker Enterprise-E in First Contact. Generations features a crossover with some original series crewmembers, but the rest put the TNG cast front and center, with occasional Deep Space Nine and Voyager cameos.

You'll need at least two streaming services to see all of them.

Star Trek: The Next Generation movies

  • Star Trek: Generations (1994): On Prime Video

Finally, there are the “reboot” Star Trek films, also known as the “Kelvin timeline” films. Kirk, Spock and McCoy take center stage again, but this time in an alternate reality, where events play out differently. This is Star Trek for the cool kids, complete with fast starships, pulse-pounding action and soundtracks populated by the Beastie Boys. (It’s not quite as mindless as it sounds — except for Into Darkness, maybe.) For the most part, these films don’t require previous Star Trek knowledge. But they do pick up where Nemesis left off, more or less, before winding the clock back.

This set is the splintered across services more than any of the others.

Star Trek reboot movies

  • Star Trek (2009) : On Fubo

star trek movies in order — Star Trek: The Original Series: Space Seed

Star Trek episodes to watch first

TOS: The Original Series TNG: The Next Generation ENT: Enterprise

Watching the Star Trek movies is an extremely straightforward process, but they may be a little incomprehensible unless you’ve seen at least some of the TV series . (I watched the entire franchise , but that may not be practical for you.) The Motion Picture picks up after The Original Series ends; likewise with Generations and The Next Generation.

As such, here are some episodes you should watch if you’re going to dive into the movies. Generally, the movies stand on their own, but it might help to know about some of the supporting characters and subplots:

Episodes for Star Trek: The Original Series movies

  • Space Seed (TOS, S1, E22) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Errand of Mercy (TOS: S1, E26) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Journey to Babel (TOS: S2, E10) : On Hulu and Prime Video

Episodes for Star Trek: The Next Generation movies

  • Q Who (TNG: S2, E16) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • The Best of Both Worlds, Parts I and II (TNG: S3, E26 / S4, E1) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • Family (TNG: S4, E2) : On Hulu and Prime Video

Episodes for Star Trek reboot movies

  • Unification, Parts I and II (TNG: S5, E7 & E8) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • First Flight (ENT: S2, E24) : On Hulu and Prime Video
  • The Xindi (ENT: S3, E1) : On Hulu and Prime Video

star trek movies in order — star trek

Which Star Trek movies are good?

If you watch all 13 Star Trek movies, you’re signing yourself up for about 26 hours of screen time. That’s more than a casual fan may want to invest. Luckily (or unluckily?), not ever Star Trek film is created equal. For a long time, fans held that the even-numbered movies were good, while the odd-numbered ones were bad. That trend seems to have reversed with the recent reboot films, though: The odd ones are good, while the even one is, well, not.

In any case, if you want to start with the movies that are really worth your time, here they are:

I personally like some of the other ones quite a bit (Nemesis is better than you remember, and Generations has quite a few moving moments), but those should at least represent a good starting point.

And once you’re done with those, you can move onto Galaxy Quest: the best Star Trek movie that’s not actually a Star Trek movie.

  • Next: How to watch Harry Potter movies in order

Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi. 

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A guide to the 'star trek' movies in order.

Screen Shot 2023 06 30 at 10.55.44 PM 3 e1688180367353

Perhaps you've started watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and you're wondering where this whole thing (like the whole thing ) originated from. Maybe you're completely ingrained in the Star Trek universe but want to start all over from the beginning for the hundredth time. Whatever the case may be, you're currently reading this because you plan on watching or re-watching all of the Star Trek movies in order. No worries, we've got you all covered with everything you need to know before you get to it. When you're dealing with franchise that has been around many different decades and has had different iterations things can get a bit tricky.

We're going to break it down the best way we can.

RELATED: How to Watch the Marvel Movies in Chronological Order

How Many Star Trek Movies Are There?

Screen Shot 2023 06 30 at 5.47.45 PM

All-in-all, there are thirteen total films in the Star Trek franchise as of this writing. That's the simple version. Now we're really going to break it all down.

Star Trek "Original Series" Movies in Order:

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  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Star Trek "Next Generation" Movies in Order

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  • Star Trek Generations (1994)
  • Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek "Kelvin Timeline" Movies in Order aka the "New" Star Trek Movies in Order

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  • Star Trek (2009)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016)

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

  • Release Date: December 8, 1979
  • Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nicholas
  • Extra Recommended Viewing:  While it isn't required to watch Star Trek: The Original Series in its entirety before Star Trek: The Motion Picture , seasons one and two in particular can help prepare you for the overall pace of the movie and familiarize yourself with the characters as they are the ones that star in the film.

Ten years prior to the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the television series, Star Trek: The Original Series , was cancelled after three seasons. Despite the cancellation, Paramount Pictures had been lobbying for a feature film which originally began development in 1975, but was scrapped in 1977 for another television series that was to be titled Star Trek: Phase II . However, after the success of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounter of the Third Kind in 1977, plans for a feature film were put back into motion since that particular film showed that science-fiction movies could be successful.

Finally, after many years, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released on December 8, 1979, as we just mentioned, it featured the cast from the television series. Adm. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise is called upon by the federation to help contain an object that is on a crash course with earth. This object is an alien cloud that is wreaking havoc on everything getting in it's way. Kirk uses his leadership expertise to intercept the cloud, which eventually leads to an alien attack.

We then find out that Voyager aka V'Ger,  a 20th-century Earth space probe previously believed lost in a black hole, was found by an alien race of living machines, learned all the information it could, returned home to report what they discovered, but that nobody knew how to respond to the findings. Some people believe that you can skip this film altogether, but if you want to say that you've watched every single Star Trek , you've gotta get it in.

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

  • Release Date: June 4, 1982
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: Similar to the first film, nothing is required to be watched in order to understand the movie. However, if you want to get super nerdy, you can watch "Space Seed" (season 1, episode 22) from the television series as that's when Khan is originally introduced.

Despite the mixed reviews of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the follow-up Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released three years later on June 4, 1982. Many consider The Wrath of Khan to be the best Star Trek movie of all time, which makes for a fun debate amongst fans and movie critics. Adm. James T. Kirk and Capt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are monitoring trainees at Starfleet Academy when they discover that another vessel from the United Federation of Planets is about to test the planet-creating Genesis Device, which leads to two of Kirk's officers being captured and a showdown.

The Wrath of Khan was a huge box office success, grossing $97 million at the box office along with positive reviews from critics.

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

  • Release Date: June 1, 1984
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: For Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , you will need to watch The Wrath of Khan as this film is a continuation of the events that happened in that movie.

Fast forward two years later, Spock is dead. Or is he? Adm. James T. Kirk succeeded in defeating Khan, but that defeat apparently came with the cost of losing Spock. While investigating  the Genesis planet from aboard the science vessel  Grissom , they discover that Spock has been resurrected, but in the form of a child and that he has lost consciousness. The crew defies orders disables the USS  Excelsior , and steals the  Enterprise in the attempt to retrieve Spock's body. While The Search for Spock did gross $87 million at the box office (which in reality wasn't that much less than its predecessor), the film was still considered a "moderate" success compared The Wrath of Khan .

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

  • Release Date: November 26, 1986
  • Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nicholas, Catherine Hicks
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home completes the arc of The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock , so you will need to watch both in order to understand what's going on.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is another debate starter as it is frequently put up against The Wrath of Khan in terms of which one is better. In it, Adm. James T. Kirk and his crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve humpback whales — which is the key to communicating with a probe that's dangerously looking for somebody that understands it/them/whatever you want to call it. The plot is inexplicably corny 1980s, but you can't deny its charm as it pulled in $133 million worldwide at the box office, and received four Academy Award nominations for cinematography and sound.

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

  • Release Date: June 9, 1989
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: No required viewing, but it is recommended that you watch the previous films.

Alright, we're going to save you the trouble here — the mark was missed with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . It has a case for being one of if not the worst Star Trek film of all time. That said, The Final Frontier centers around Sybok, the half brother of Spock, who hijacks the Enterprise in order to meet God, who he also believes is himself. Interesting. We're not going to say skip The Final Frontier completely, but we will say to have proper expectations before you watch.

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

  • Release Date: December 6, 1991
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: While it's recommended you watch the previous films, it should be noted that some have started their Star Trek journey with The Undiscovered Country . You don't have to watch the television series to understand what's going on this film either.

Whenever Star Trek would take a step backward in terms of critical and commercial success, they would always follow it up with a stronger attempt. The Undiscovered Country is a whirlwind journey as Capt. Kirk and the USS Enterprise Crew are carrying Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) to Earth as leverage for a peace treaty with the United Federation of Planets. Their ship gets confused for firing on a Klingon vessel, which kills Gorkon. This leads to Kirk and Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) being arrested for murder as it is thought to be a revenge attempt by Kirk for the Klingons murdering his son. Now it's all left up to Spock to save the day.

7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

  • Release Date: November 18, 1994
  • Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, William Shatner
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: It is our recommendation that you watch at least a few episodes of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series that ran from 1987 to 1994, as the movies are set at the end of series and preceded by the 1994 series finale "All Good Things."

And here begins The Next Generation era of Star Trek . While not as captivating as the prior films, the movie had its own strong points as the Starship Enterprise gets sent to a giant energy field on the verge of engulfing two ships that presumably kills Capt. Kirk. Fast forward several years later, Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) learns that one of the survivors, Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowell), has big plans to enter the field by destroying a neighboring star, and must be stopped. While The Next Generation received mixed reviews, it did gross $118 million at the box office, so it was a good first start to the new generation.

8. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

  • Release Date: November 22, 1996
  • Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: "The Best of Both Worlds" (season 3, episode 26 and season 4, episode 1)

The story behind Star Trek: First Contact goes a little something like this — Paramount Pictures asked writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore to start working on the next film. Braga and Moore wanted to feature the Borg in the storyline, but Rick Berman, the producer, wanted the plot to focus on time travel. The solution? They decided to combine both ideas, pulling references from the two-part episode "The Best of Both Worlds" from Star Trek: The Next Generation , which served as both a season finale for season 3, and a season premiere for season 4.

First Contact features the crew following a Borg ship and traveling back in time to prevent the Borg from taking over the Earth in a past era. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) and a space travel guru (James Cromwell) are stuck trying to create the first time warp, whereas Capt. Picard and mdr. Data (Brent Spiner) are trying to battle the borg queen as she attempts to take over The Enterprise. Fun stuff.

9. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

  • Release Date: December 11, 1998
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: Any episode from The Next Generation and the previous movies in The Next Generation series.

When a mission to planet Ba'ku gets disrupted by a malfunctioning android named Data (Brent Spiner) taking the cultural task force hostage, Capt. Picard and crew learn that the Federation mission was actually a ploy by the Son'a to remove the inhabitants of Ba'ku. There's also the romance between Troi and Riker that gets rekindled in the process. While some may argue other Star Trek films are more dynamic, we'd argue that Insurrection stands on its own two feet.

10. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

  • Release Date: December 13, 2002
  • Starring: Patrick Stewart, Stuart Baird, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Tom Hardy
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: You could watch the entire Next Generation series and all the prior films before tackling Nemesis , but it also works as a standalone.

The final film of The Next Generation series sees Capt. Picard diverting Enterprise's trip to Cmdr. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Troi's (Marina Sirtis) wedding in order to negotiate a peace treaty with the Romulans. Pre-Bane Tom Hardy takes on the role of Shinzon, the new Praetor of the Romulans, who needs Picard’s blood to survive. The only problem is Shiznon is also trying to destroy the entire Earth and take everyone down with him, so there's that.

11. Star Trek (2009)

  • Release Date: May 7, 2009
  • Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: The 2009 Star Trek essentially restarts the whole series. You can watch it without having seen any of the prior series or movies.

Back to the beginning we go! We get re-introduced to Kirk, Bones, Spock and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew as they are dealing with the villainous Romulan commander Nero (Eric Bana) who's kinda threatening all of mankind. It's up to Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and everybody else to defeat Nero before it's too late. Nothing too complicated here — just a simple plot to introduce newcomers to the franchise.

12. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

  • Release Date: May 16, 2013
  • Extra Recommended Viewing: Star Trek (2009)

Capt. Kirk gets removed from his commander position by violating the Prime Directive, Admiral Pike replaces him, Spock gets transferred to another ship, and that's just the beginning. Khan is back, but he's actually kind of... somewhat... nice, and Kirk and the rest of The Enterprise team set out to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction which leads to a life or death battle. Fun stuff again.

13. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

  • Extra Recommended Viewing: Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

And this is where the Star Trek movies (emphasis on movies) leaves us in this era until Star Trek 4 which is currently in development. Star Trek Beyond was about The Enterprise being deceived by Krall (Idris Elba), a vicious enemy who gets his energy from sucking the life out of his victims. Long story short, Krall needs an artifact that's on The Enterprise ship, and Kirk and the crew have got to battle against him. The events of Star Trek Beyond effectively serve as a prequel to the 1960s series, so you can actually watch Star Trek: The Original Series after this.

The Star Trek Movies in Release Order:

Unlike other franchises or universes , the Star Trek movies in order of release date is actually exactly the same as the chronological order.

  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture - December 6th, 1979
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - June 4th, 1982
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - June 1st, 1984
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - November 26th, 1986
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - June 9th, 1989
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - December 6th, 1991
  • Star Trek: Generations - November 18th, 1994
  • Star Trek: First Contact - November 22nd, 1996
  • Star Trek: Insurrection - December 11th, 1998
  • Star Trek: Nemesis - December 13th, 2002
  • Star Trek - May 7th, 2009
  • Star Trek Into Darkness - May 16th, 2013
  • Star Trek Beyond - July 22nd, 2016

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How many star trek movies are there.

With two different timelines, and three Enterprises it can be hard to know the exact number of Star Trek movies. Here's how many there actually are.

  • There have been 13 Star Trek movies between 1979-2016, led by both TOS and TNG casts, with varying success.
  • After box office hits, Paramount plans to add 3 new Star Trek movies, including spin-offs like Section 31 for Paramount+.
  • Rumors swirl around new Star Trek movies, including an origin story and a possible final film for Chris Pine's Captain Kirk.

With two different Star Trek timelines and three different Enterprise crews, it can be hard to remember how many Star Trek movies there are. Between 1979 and 2016, Star Trek entertained audiences in movie theaters as well as on the small screen. Both TV versions of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation got their own movie franchises, with differing levels of critical and commercial success.

The most successful Star Trek movies at the box office were the three J.J. Abrams-produced films released between 2009 and 2016. However, this box office success became a curse as concerns over the box office figures for Star Trek Beyond led to difficulties in getting Star Trek 4 to theaters. Star Trek 4 becoming mired in development hell is why there have been no further movies in the franchise since 2016 . However, recent reports suggest that Paramount could be making up for lost time as they seek to add three new Star Trek movies to the current crop of thirteen.

Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

There are 13 star trek movies (so far).

There were thirteen Star Trek movies released between 1979 and 2016. The cast of Star Trek: The Original Series led six out of the thirteen movies, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991. The Star Trek: The Next Generation cast picked up the baton in 1994, leading four films until the failure of Star Trek Nemesis led to a radical rethink of the movie franchise.

The decision was made to reboot the franchise with a brand-new Star Trek timeline and a younger Kirk and Spock, played by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto respectively. Only three of the Kelvin Timeline movies were made, but a fourth film has been promised since 2016. While the fourth Kelvin Timeline movie remains in development, Paramount have taken a different approach for the fourteenth Star Trek movie.

The Next Star Trek Movie Is Made For Paramount Plus

The next Star Trek movie won't be hitting theaters, but will instead be a Paramount+ exclusive streaming "event". Starring Oscar winning actress Michelle Yeoh , Star Trek: Section 31 began production on January 30, 2024, presumably eyeing a 2025 release on the streaming platform . The movie will continue the story of Star Trek: Discovery 's Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) as she joins Starfleet's covert black ops group, Section 31.

If Star Trek: Section 31 is successful, it could lead to more streaming exclusive movies on the platform. There will inevitably be some debate about whether streaming exclusive movies such as Section 31 should be mentioned in the same breath as the theatrically released Star Trek movies. However, for all intents and purposes, Star Trek: Section 31 is being produced and marketed as a movie, given extra legitimacy by the involvement of Academy Award winning actress Michelle Yeoh.

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

Star trek movies rumored to happen.

Recent reports have emerged that two new Star Trek movies are being readied for production. A Star Trek origin movie is reportedly in development, with Seth Grahame-Smith and Toby Haynes' attached as writer and director. While this origin story is yet to be officially confirmed by Paramount, Star Trek 's 60th anniversary is in 2026, which feels like a perfect release date for such a movie. After all, Star Trek: First Contact celebrated the franchise's 30th anniversary by depicting the first-ever warp flight and the First Contact between humans and Vulcans.

The same report revealed that the fourth and final movie for Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise was also in development. However, some version of Star Trek 4 has been in development for the past eight years, so fans could be forgiven for greeting this news with skepticism. There were also rumors about a Star Trek: Picard movie, but they felt like a misreading of a 2023 interview with Patrick Stewart. Whether Jean-Luc Picard is getting a final movie or not, it's clear that the number of Star Trek movies won't be stuck at thirteen for much longer.

The 10 Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation movies are streaming now on Max.

All three Kelvin Timeline Star Trek movies are streaming now on Paramount+.

Film Details

Brief synopsis, cast & crew, j.j. abrams, neville page, clifton collins jr., michelle parylak, randy pausch, technical specs.

The story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, 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.

Rachel Nichols

Sufe bradshaw, ronald hoiseck, jeff castle, margot farley, shaela luter.

star trek old movies

Darlene Tejeiro

James henrie, james mcgrath, spencer daniels, jimmy bennett, jeffrey byron, mark bramhall, douglas tait, zoe chernov, anton yelchin, jesper inglis, matthew beisner, faran tahir, charlie haugk, freda foh shen, robert clendenin, jeff o'haco, antonio elias, ben binswagner, majel barrett roddenberry, chris hemsworth, max chernov, sonita henry, akiva goldsman, bruce greenwood, katarzyna kowalczyk, michael berry, irene roseen, paul mcgillion, jennifer morrison, lucia rijker, anna katarina, gerald abrams, jason matthew smith, tim griffin, billy brown, scott bailey, jacob kogan, marlene forte, leonard nimoy, tyler perry, scottie thompson, tavarus conley, kimberly arland, zoe saldana, marta martin, leonard o turner, jack millard, scott a. bobbitt, jason brooks, zachary quinto, amanda foreman, greg grunberg.

star trek old movies

Winona Ryder

Marcus young, michael saglimbeni, sabrina morris, pasha lychnikoff, sean gerace, john blackman, jeremy fitzgerald, charles abou aad, nicole abranian, kevin aguirre, alfred ainsworth, william r aldridge, jon alexander, casey allen, rebecca alling, jorge almeida, richard alonzo, robert alonzo, deborah ambrosino, courtney andersen, arthur anderson, colin anderson, richard andrade, antonio andraus, danny andres, cheryl andryco, varsenik vicky antonyan, steve aplin, carrie yoko arakaki, vic armstrong, joakim arnesson, nathan aronson, bobby arredondo, daniel arrias, arin artounian, okan ataman, david m atkinson, fahima atrouni, dave august, kannie avakyan, maryellen aviano-roberts, steve avoujageli, nina badrak, albert francis bagley, kenneth bailey, katharine baird, christopher scott baker, james cody baker, kelley l baker, myron baker, terry baliel, chris balog, david barbee, johnny barbera, leigh barbier, janice barlow, brian barnhart, david baronoff, william batsel, craig bauer, daniel bayona, beastie boys, anna behlmer, joseph bell, richard l bennett, colin benoit, terran benveniste, jill berger, joseph bergman, david berke, alex betuel, jason billington, stacy bissell, sean bittinger, kerry blackman, charles h blackwell, matthew blackwell, steve blalock, jeremy bloch, richard bluff, russell bobbitt, peter bogatsky, austin bonang, brooks bonstin, bryan booth, daniel bornstein, joseph borrelli, debbi bossi, phillip boutte, peter boyer, dennis bradford, amanda braggs, steve braggs, becky brake, timothy brakensiek, doyle bramhall ii, maryann brandon, glenn braun, david brenner, richard bronskill, jill brooks, leah brooks, chantell brown, james w brown, jeffrey s brown, matt brumit, amelia buhrman, richard m burkus, barney burman, tommy burnette, chrysta burton, steve buscaino, dorian bustamante, stacy caballero, kela cabrales, michaela calanchini-carter, owen calouro, dijana camaj, charlie campagna, craig campbell, robert campbell, marshall candland, danny cangemi, brian cantwell, don capoferri, cathleen m carden, derrick carlin, carrie carnevale, eric carney, phil carr-forster, tami carter, bernard o ceguerra, anthony centonze, lanny cermak, mark chadwick, scott chambliss, kien geay chan, marilyn chan, hui ling chang, terry p chapman, peter chase, tony chavez, simone chavoor, cheah chin chee, albert cheng, jeffrey chernov, peter chesloff, vanessa cheung, mike chiado, jan chilliers, terry chostner, jack chouchanian, b j christian, benjamin chua, ryan church, paul churchill, brian clark, trent claus, andrew clement, james clyne, dan cobbett, grady cofer, harry cohen, debra coleman, carol collini, joseph collins, shaun comly, meagan condito, daniel b cone, michael cone, brian connor, john t connor, steve constancio, michael conte, jeremiah cooke, karin cooper, michael cordova, miscellaneous notes.

Winner of the 2009 Artios Award for Studio Feature - Drama by the Casting Society of America (CSA).

Winner of the 2009 award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Released in United States Spring May 7, 2009

Re-released in United States September 4, 2009

Released in United States on Video November 17, 2009

Previously in development with Kerner Entertainment. Rick Berman previously attached to produce. Kerry McCluggage previously attached to produce.

Prequel in the line of "Star Trek" movies. Eleventh film in the "Star Trek" franchise.

Re-released in United States September 4, 2009 (at IMAX theaters)

Co-winner of the 2009 award for Best Ensemble Cast by the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC).

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  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Star Trek (2009)

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 pl... Read all 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. 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.

  • J.J. Abrams
  • Roberto Orci
  • Alex Kurtzman
  • Gene Roddenberry
  • Zachary Quinto
  • 1.6K User reviews
  • 532 Critic reviews
  • 82 Metascore
  • 27 wins & 95 nominations total

Star Trek: Final Theatrical Trailer

  • Spock Prime

Eric Bana

  • (as Zoë Saldana)

John Cho

  • Amanda Grayson

Chris Hemsworth

  • George Kirk

Jennifer Morrison

  • Winona Kirk

Rachel Nichols

  • Captain Robau

Clifton Collins Jr.

  • Officer Pitts
  • (as Antonio Elias)
  • All cast & crew
  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Star Trek Into Darkness

Did you know

  • Trivia Simon Pegg did not audition for the role - he simply received an email from J.J. Abrams asking if he would like to play Scotty. Pegg said he would have done this for free, or even paid Abrams to be in this film, if he had not been offered a role.
  • Goofs After Spock boards the Vulcan ship on board the mining vessel, Kirk is seen walking through some pipes. His Starfleet phaser has switched to a Romulan gun (longer barrel and no lights), before switching back to the Starfleet one again in the next scene. He actually acquires the Romulan gun a few scenes later.

Spock Prime : James T. Kirk!

James T. Kirk : Excuse me?

Spock Prime : How did you find me?

James T. Kirk : Whoa... how do you know my name?

Spock Prime : I have been and always shall be your friend.

James T. Kirk : Wha...

[shakes head]

James T. Kirk : Uh... look... I-I don't know you.

Spock Prime : I am Spock.

James T. Kirk : Bullshit.

  • Crazy credits The first part of the closing credits is styled after the opening credits of Star Trek (1966) , where the starship Enterprise blasts off into space as a monologue describes its mission, and then the cast names appear as the famous "Star Trek" theme music plays.
  • Connections Edited into De wereld draait door: Episode #4.157 (2009)
  • Soundtracks Theme from 'Star Trek' TV Series Written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry

User reviews 1.6K

  • May 2, 2009

Reboots & Remakes

Production art

  • If this premise is that an alternate timeline created when Nero traveled back in time, then what happened to James Kirk's older brother, Sam, aka George Samuel Kirk Jr.?
  • How can Spock's mother still be alive years later (original series) when she dies earlier on in this movie ?
  • What is Star Trek about?
  • May 8, 2009 (United States)
  • United States
  • Official Facebook
  • Star Trek: The Future Begins
  • Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA (Vulcan)
  • Paramount Pictures
  • Spyglass Entertainment
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro
  • $150,000,000 (estimated)
  • $257,730,019
  • $75,204,289
  • May 10, 2009
  • $385,681,768

Technical specs

  • Runtime 2 hours 7 minutes
  • Dolby Digital
  • Dolby Atmos
  • 2.35 : 1 (original ratio)
  • 2.39 : 1 (original ratio)

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COMMENTS

  1. List of Star Trek films

    Logo for the first Star Trek film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise that started with a television series (simply called Star Trek but now referred to as Star Trek: The Original Series) created by Gene Roddenberry.The series was first broadcast from 1966 to 1969. Since then, the Star Trek canon has expanded to include many other ...

  2. Star Trek Movies in order

    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.

  3. Star Trek movies in chronological order

    2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (Image credit: Paramount Pictures) Release date: June 4, 1982. Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban. Ask a Star Trek fan what the best Star ...

  4. All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)87%. #4. Critics Consensus: Considered by many fans to be the best of the Star Trek movies, Khan features a strong plot, increased tension, and a sharp supporting performance from Ricardo Montalban. Synopsis: As Adm. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Capt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) monitor trainees at ...

  5. Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

    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: Star Trek: The Original Series Movies.

  6. Star Trek movies in order

    Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan. Where to watch: Paramount Plus One of the best movies ever made, The Wrath of Khan is set over a decade after The Motion Picture with Spock now the captain of the Enterprise. How times change. The movie is remarkably straightforward. Kirk is tricked into coming face to face with his old enemy Khan Noonien-Singh, before the USS Enterprise and USS Reliant engage ...

  7. 'Star Trek' Movies in Order: Watch in Chronological Order

    The original films range from Star Trek: The Motion Picture 's psychedelic retro-futurism to the time-traveling comedy of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), to the engaging morality plays of ...

  8. How to watch the Star Trek movies in order

    Star Trek: The Original Series movies. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): On Hulu and Prime Video. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): On Hulu and Prime Video. Star Trek III: The Search for ...

  9. 'Star Trek' Movies in Order: How to Watch Them Chronologically

    2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Release Date: June 4, 1982. Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nicholas. Extra Recommended Viewing: Similar to the first film, nothing is required to be watched in order to understand the movie. However, if you want to get super nerdy, you can watch "Space ...

  10. Star Trek

    Star Trek (1966-1969) TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols. Votes: 92,748.

  11. How to Watch Every Star Trek Movie and TV Show in Order

    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Max. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Max. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Max. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Max. Star Trek ...

  12. How To Watch Every Star Trek Series & Movie In The Right Order

    In a choice between whether to watch the Star Trek TV series and movies in the order of release or watching the saga unfold throughout its in-universe continuity, here's how a Trekker can do either. When Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966, no one dreamed it would launch a franchise that would last 55 years, and Star Trek is still going strong.

  13. Star Trek Movies & Series Chronology

    TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama. A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation. Stars: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating.

  14. How Many Star Trek Movies Are There?

    There were thirteen Star Trek movies released between 1979 and 2016.The cast of Star Trek: The Original Series led six out of the thirteen movies, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991.The Star Trek: The Next Generation cast picked up the baton in 1994, leading four films until the failure of Star Trek Nemesis led to a radical rethink of ...

  15. Star Trek TOS Movies in Chronological Order, Old to New

    Two and a half years later, the next installment in the TOS movie franchise premiered. " Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan " hit theaters in June of 1982. The movie brought back one of the most ...

  16. How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline

    Where to Watch: Paramount+ 20. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-TBD) Star Trek: Prodigy was the first fully 3D animated Star Trek series ever and told a story that began five years after the U.S.S ...

  17. Star Trek Movies (Best to Worst).

    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: 86,981 | Gross: $75.67M.

  18. Star Trek Movies

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

  19. Star Trek

    Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.Since its creation, the franchise has expanded into various films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books, and it has become one of the most recognizable and highest-grossing media franchises ...

  20. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Trailer #1

    Check out the official Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Trailer starring Leonard Nimoy! Let us know what you think in the comments below. Watch on Fanda...

  21. Star Trek (2009)

    Brief Synopsis. The story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the han.

  22. Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969)

    Star Trek: Created by Gene Roddenberry. With Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

  23. Star Trek (2009)

    Star Trek: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana. 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.