Posted in: Movies, News, Paramount Pictures | Tagged: DeForest Kelley, george takei, James Doohan, leonard nimoy, nichelle nichols, Paramount Pictures, Robert Wise, star trek, star trek: the motion picture, walter koenig, william shatner

Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Director's Edition Trailer in 4K Glory

When it comes to science fiction classics in cinema, some age better than others especially when it comes to special effects, and one such example is 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The Robert Wise film, which benefitted from the birth of another sci-fi staple in Star Wars in 1977, propelled the Trek franchise beyond The Original Series incarnation that premiered on NBC in 1966. While the Gene Roddenberry series and its five-year mission met a premature end in 1969 after three seasons, Star Trek maintained its loyal fanbase through various books, merchandise, and conventions leading to the Wise film. Paramount+ has now given TMP another facelift with upgraded special effects, Ultra 4K with Dolby Atmos sound in Star Trek: The Motion Picture –The Director's Edition.

The film, which is available to stream on Paramount+ on April 5 in celebration of First Contact Day, will also see a theatrical re-release courtesy of Fathom Events and Paramount Pictures for an exclusive two-day event on May 22 and May 25. Tickets go on sale on April 8. Upon TMP's original release in 1979, the film became the fourth highest grossing movie of the year and earned three Academy Award nominations including Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Music, Original Score. Its success spawned a film franchise and subsequent television series starting with The Next Generation that premiered in 1987.

How Star Trek: The Motion Picture Was Revisited

In 2001, Wise revisited the film to update and enhance the visual effects for DVD in standard definition. With his passing in 2005, the film has never been available in higher definition until now. Meticulously assembled and restored by producer David C. Fein with preservationist Mike Matessino, both of whom originally collaborated with Wise, the film has been prepared for presentation in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision™ high dynamic range (HDR) and a new powerful and immersive Dolby Atmos® soundtrack.* Fein and Matessino assembled a team of special effects experts, led by returning visual effects supervisor Daren Dochterman, and utilized the extensive resources in the Paramount Archives to recreate the effects not just in HD, but in Ultra HD. After more than six months of painstaking work, the updated movie looks and sounds better than ever while staying true to Wise's original intention.

"I couldn't be prouder and more thrilled to have completed the film in 4K," Fein said. "Paramount offered unprecedented access to the original elements and exceptional support and the results are stunning. Utilizing the latest discoveries and innovations of modern film production, The Director's Edition delivers so much more today than was previously possible. It's an adventure you'll never forget!" Star Trek: The Motion Picture sees TOS crew in Kirk, Spock, and company as they investigate a mysterious probe called V'ger that threatens Earth's very survival. The film starred William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, and Persis Khambatta.

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