star trek movies first to last

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 . 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

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.

Everything we know about James Gunn's Superman

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 108 — Starliner: Better Late Than Never?

Mars exploration, new rockets and more: Interview with ESA chief Josef Aschbacher

Most Popular

• 2 Everything we know about James Gunn's Superman
• 3 Sneak peek: Browncoats grab victory in Boom! Studios' upcoming 'Firefly: 'Verses' comic (exclusive)
• 4 SpaceX launching 23 Starlink satellites from Florida this evening
• 5 NASA's mission to an ice-covered moon will contain a message between water worlds

pop culture

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

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?

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:

• 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

• 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

• 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

RELATED: The 25 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made

The 25 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made

How to Watch the ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies in Order

What Is the Best ‘Star Wars’ Movie? All 12 Films, Ranked

How to watch the Star Trek movies in order

Set phasers to "fun" and watch the 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 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

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 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 : 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 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. 

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

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 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 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

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 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. 

The top 100 superhero movies — ranked by Tom’s Guide

Florence Pugh shares a first look at MCU’s ‘Thunderbolts’ movie

Apple expected to introduce new iPads on May 7 — this is the one I’m looking forward to

Most Popular

• 2 New on Netflix: 5 movies and shows to watch this week (April 29-May 5)
• 3 Apple reopens dialogue with OpenAI, as clock ticks on iOS 18 launch
• 4 What is the Beautyrest Harmony mattress and should you buy it in Memorial Day sales?
• 5 Random Apple ID password resets and lock-outs are plaguing iPhone, iPad and Mac users

Star Trek Movies in Order: How to Watch Chronologically and by Release Date

Through 13 films with various different crews, take a look at how to watch the Star Trek movie series in either release or chronological order.

Star Trek is back in a big way. The franchise is going strong on Paramount+ through new original TV shows , with the recent Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiering to positive reviews while Star Trek: Picard finished season two. Paramount also announced the long-awaited fourth Star Trek film in the recent series, which will see Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Karl Urban return to the franchise following a seven-year hiatus from Star Trek Beyond . The franchise is now arguably the most popular and readily available that it's been in its entire history, gaining new fans every day.

The Star Trek film series currently includes 13 films and spans multiple generations of different crews that weave in and out of the different series. They form one giant massive timeline that builds off one another to show humanity's future among the stars and the constantly changing relationship between various alien species. If the 13 films seem daunting, and you're not sure how everything relates, take a look at this list that details the Star Trek film series in chronological and release order.

Update November 23, 2023: This article has been updated with where each entry in the Star Trek film is currently streaming and more details on each film in the franchise.

Star Trek Movies In Chronological Order

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: the motion picture (1979).

Star Trek: The Motion Picture takes place in 2273, five years after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, and finds Kirk and his crew retaking control of the renovated Enterprise to investigate a mysterious cloud of energy that has destroyed Federation and Klingon ships. The movie was a massive hit, yet the critical reaction was more on the mixed side than Paramount expected. Even with how much money the studio put into it, bringing in Academy Award-winner Robert Wise to direct, the film was seen as a disappointment, yet has found a cult status and recently got the director's cut released in 4K .

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is available for streaming on Paramount+

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star trek 2: the wrath of khan.

A massive time jump, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan takes place in 2285, 13 years after the events of the previous film and 18 years since the original series ended. This film is less a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and more to season one, episode 22, or 'Space Seed,' from the original series, which now finds that episode's villain, Khan, seeking revenge on Kirk for marooning him on Ceti Alpha V. The movie sees an older Kirk wrestling with his age, and in the ultimate sign of time moving forward, Kirk loses his old friend Spock when the Vulcan-human hybrid sacrifices his life to save the crew of the Enterprise.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan also serves as the first part in a three-movie story arc, often referred to by fans as The Genesis Trilogy (named after the Genesis device which becomes a key factor in the life/death cycle the three films explore), one that continues in the following two sequels. While not making as much money as the previous film, Wrath of Khan had a smaller budget, so the profits of the film were greater and the film helped relaunch the popularity of the franchise. It still remains arguably the most acclaimed film of the franchise.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Picking up shortly after the previous film, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock takes place in 2285 and focuses on Kirk and the Enterprise Crew's attempt to resurrect Spock when they find out his spirit has been left inside Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, which involves stealing the Enterprise from the Federation. Meanwhile, the crew must contend with a Klingon crew led by Kurge (Christopher Lloyd) who seeks to steal information on the genesis device.

Star Trek 4: Why Chris Hemsworth Turned Down Returning to the Franchise

The movie resurrects Spock but also sees another beloved member of the crew perish: this time in the form of the Enterprise. While the ship will be rebuilt, this marks the final appearance of the ship that Kirk and his crew piloted since the original series. Another major plot point is the death of Kirk's son (who was established in the previous film), killed at the hands of Klingons, which will go on to inform Kirk's bias a few films later.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home picks up shortly after the previous film, with the Enterprise crew returning to Earth to face trial for stealing the Enterprise to resurrect Spock; however, they find the planet is in grave danger when a mysterious alien probe cannot communicate with any humpback whales. To save the Earth, the crew travels back in time to 1986 (the release date of the film) to try to find a group of whales to bring back to the future. The movie concludes the Genesis Trilogy, and due to its fish out of water aspect was a massive success even outside the Star Trek fanbase, grossing more than both previous entries.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Set in 2287, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier focuses on the exploits of the Enterprise-A (the new ship that replaces the destroyed Enterprise) as they confront a renegade Vulcan who is attempting to search for God at the center of the universe. While opening big, the film had massive drop-offs in the following weeks due to poor word of mouth and competition from other summer movies like Ghostbusters II and Batman. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier almost killed the franchise for many, but the studio wanted to give the classic crew of the original series one final and proper goodbye.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Released in 1991, 35 years after the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was to give the original cast their proper goodbyes. The movie is set in 2293, which makes it 24 years after the events of the original series. The Undiscovered Country acts as the end of the Cold War, but in space, the destruction of the Klingon moon, Praxis, leads the Klingon Empire to pursue peace with their longtime adversary, the Federation. However, a military conspiracy threatens to destroy the potential peace as Kirk is framed for a crime based on his prejudice towards Klingons for killing his son in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Every Star Trek TV Series, Ranked

The movie ends as a proper conclusion to the original Star Trek series, as the two iconic foes of the Klingons and Federation have now found peace. With the Enterprise set to be decommissioned, Kirk and his crew take one final trip on the ship with the final mission log so that new crews, new ships and more will carry on their legacy, commenting on the future laid out in Star Trek series like The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager .

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

A passing of the torch film between the crew of the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Generations is the iconic meeting between the two captains, Kirk and Picard . The movie's prologue is set in 2293, shortly after the events of Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home, while the main action of the film is 2371, 78 years later and one year after Star Trek: The Next Generation .

The movie marks the final adventure for William Shatner's incarnation of James Kirk, and while it will not be the last time the character appears thanks to the reboot, it serves as a true end for the original series and full acknowledgment of Star Trek: The Next Generation being the face of the franchise for the 1990s.

Star Trek: Generations is available for streaming on Paramount+

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Set two years after the previous film in 2273, Star Trek: First Contact sees The Borg as the film's primary villain and follows the crew of the Enterprise-D as they pursue the villainous species back in time, with the Borg's primary objective to take over in the past. The film borrows the time travel element of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and primarily is set on April 4, 2023, which is the day before Earth makes contact with alien life and begins the steps for the Federation of Planets to form, thanks to the work of Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), whose first successful warp drive creation draws the attention of the Vulcans.

Thanks to a heavy marketing push, Star Trek: First Contact was a major box office hit and also received positive reviews from critics, and until the release of 2009's Star Trek, was the best-performing film of the franchise internationally. Fans all over the world now celebrate April 5th as First Contact Day .

Star Trek: First Contact is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

In 2375, Star Trek: Insurrection sees the crew of the Enterprise-D rebel against Starfleet when they discover a conspiracy involving two alien species. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many claiming it lacked the scope of a movie and felt more like an extended episode of television.

The events of Star Trek: Insurrection are taking place around the time of both Star Trek: Voyager and at the end of the story for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and while there are no major references to the events of the series or vice versa, it does show how big the franchise was at this point in time but also how the overexposure and years of continuity were starting to hamper it.

Star Trek: Insurrection is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek: Nemesis takes place in 2379, meaning it is nine years after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation and 110 years since the end of the original series. Star Trek: Nemesis sees a clone of Picard (Tom Hardy, in his first movie), created by Romulans, take control of the Romulan Empire and seek war with the Federation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Characters, Ranked in Order of Awesomeness

The film received poor reviews from critics and was a box office bomb , becoming the lowest-grossing Star Trek film ever and was beaten out in its opening weekend box office by Maid in Manhattan . Combine that with competition from huge movies like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Die Another Day, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers during the holiday season, and Star Trek: Nemesis was dead on arrival, marking the final adventure for the crew of The Next Generation until the release of Star Trek: Picard . The film's box office disappointment, combined with the cancelation of Star Trek: Enterprise three years, later marked a quiet point in the franchise , where it would take a big swing to bring the series back.

Star Trek: Nemesis is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek (2009)

Marketed as a prequel, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek is much more. It does show the origins of the original series cast but does so by taking place in an alternate reality that is kicked into motion by Spock from the original series traveling through a wormhole from 2387 (ten years after Star Trek: Nemesis ) that causes the timeline to split. So Star Trek is both a reboot, a prequel, and a sequel, as the events in Star Trek: The Original Series and all the following films need to happen to get Spock into a place to go back and time and create a new timeline, which will be called the Kelvin Timeline after the USS Kelvin, which is the ship at the center of the timeline divergence in 2233.

The great J.J. Abrams movie tells the story of how the crew of the Enterprise comes together, primarily taking place from 2258 to 2259, meaning that by the end of the film, when Kirk takes control of the Enterprise, it is earlier than the original timeline. The film was a surprisingly big success, grossing $386 million and becoming the highest-scoring Star Trek film on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to the polished production and great effects, the excellent work of the cast was largely responsible for this; as Ty Burr writes in The Boston Globe :

What lifts the Abrams film into the ether is the rightness of its casting and playing, from Saldana's Uhura, finally a major character after all these years, to Urban's loyal, dyspeptic McCoy, to Simon Pegg's grandly comic Scotty, the movie's most radical reimagining of a Star Trek regular.

Star Trek is available for streaming on Hulu and Paramount+.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

With a new timeline in place, Star Trek Into Darkness sees the crew of the Enterprise encounter Khan years earlier, as the destruction of Vulcan causes the Federation to explore space and find Khan and his crew about eight years earlier than the original timeline. Star Trek Into Darkness takes place one year after the 2009 Star Trek , meaning it is 2259. With Khan awakened earlier, and the butterfly effect nature of the timeline is rewritten, Kirk meets Carol Marcus (the mother of his child in the original timeline) earlier, and instead of Spock dying, it is Kirk. Yet Kirk is able to be resurrected much quicker than Spock.

The film ends with Kirk, Spock, and the crew on a rebuilt Enterprise ready to begin their five-year mission, and it is revealed they were waiting a year, meaning, that the five-year mission begins in 2260, six years before the original series. The modern-day cast of these Star Trek movies continues to excel, and the inclusion of a great Benedict Cumberbatch performance as Khan is a highlight.

Star Trek Into Darkness is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

The final film released so far in the Star Trek film series, Star Trek Beyond, is set three years into the Enterprise's five-year mission (a meta-joke about how the original series lasted three seasons). The movie finds Kirk and his Enterprise crew on an unexplored planet, encountering a hostile alien who has ties to the Federation.

Released to tie in with the 50th anniversary of the franchise, Star Trek Beyond serves as the perfect conclusion to the film series so far. When the Spock from the original timeline dies, he leaves the current Spock some of his belongings, which includes a photo of the crew from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Seeing the life his alternate timeline version had, inspires this version to stay with his crew on a rebuilt Enterprise (this universe's version of Enterprise-A) to continue the adventure in a recently announced fourth film , whose production seems to be encountering several setbacks .

Star Trek Beyond is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek Films In Release Order

Unlike Star Wars , The MCU, or the X-Men movie series , the release order of Star Trek is the same as the chronological viewing order, making it a straightforward viewing experience. Historically, Star Trek has been a winter franchise, finding great success during the holiday weekends around Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, in recent years, all three Kelvin timeline films were summer releases.

Every Star Trek Show And Movie In Chronological Order

As a media phenomenon, "Star Trek" began on September 8, 1966 with the airing of "The Man Trap" (the sixth episode in production order, but the first aired). Originally, the show's writers, including creator Gene Roddenberry, used the concept of "stardates" to ensure the show's actual timeline was left vague; for several episodes, all audiences knew was that "Trek" was set in the future and that the future was a pretty keen place. It wouldn't be until the episode "The Naked Time" (seventh episode produced, fourth aired, first aired on September 29, 1966) that the Gregorian year would be mentioned out loud, and an actual timeline could begin to be constructed. 

Since then, "Star Trek" has extrapolated an extensive, centuries long timeline of events, often skipping merrily back and forth through the centuries, adding more and more to the franchises complex chronology. The chronology of "Star Trek" is so complicated that entire books have been published tracking the various shows' and films' events. Because of the constant production of new "Star Trek," these books became dated immediately. 

" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " is set to debut on Paramount+ on May 5, and it is set immediately before the events of the original "Star Trek," making it the third "prequel" series to the original. To keep matters as clear as possible, here is a (very brief, by the standards of "Trek") rundown of "Star Trek" chronology from within its own canon. 

NOTE : This list will not necessarily include single episodes wherein characters go back in time, but give an overall timeframe for each individual film and TV show.

1986: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Although beginning and ending within the proper chronology of the "Star Trek" future, Leonard Nimoy's 1986 feature film " Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home " is set largely in the earliest point in the franchise's timeline (again, excluding single time travel episodes of any given TV series, wherein Mark Twain, the 1950s, and other eras are regularly visited). In the film, the crew of the Enterprise must go back in time to rescue a pair of humpback whales from extinction in order to appease an enormous, inscrutable space monolith that has been draining future Earth of its oceans, looking for its own kind. 

The bulk of "Voyage Home" takes place in 1986, and the film gained a lot of critical and audience attention for its fish-out-of-water humor and light tone; the previous three films had been comparatively dour, downbeat, or cerebral.

2024: Star Trek: Picard (Season 2)

As of this writing, the second season of "Star Trek: Picard" is still being released weekly on Paramount+, so the ultimate conclusion of the story is as yet unknown. 

What is known is that the trickster god Q (John De Lancie), a playful villain from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," visited an elderly Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to warn him of a parallel universe. In this parallel universe, Earth is a genocidal conqueror race that has wiped out most life in the galaxy. Picard must travel back in time, paralleling the story of "Voyage Home" in order to stop the fascist timeline from starting. Thanks to the limited information they have, they travel to the year 2024, and the bulk of the season's action takes place there. 

A bit of a continuity error already: In previously mentioned "Trek" canon, the Eugenics Wars — the conflagration that wrought Khan from "Star Trek II" — should have already happened by 2024 (I believe the original date for the Eugenics Wars was 1997), but, in "Picard," they had clearly been delayed. One of the subplots of the second season of "Picard,' however, involves a malevolent genetic engineer, so it looks like the Eugenics Wars may finally be nigh.

2063: Star Trek: First Contact

Although never directly filmed, there are constant references throughout "Star Trek" to World War III, an event that left the entire planet devastated. Despite destitution and technological ruin, an inventor named Zefram Cochran managed to invent an engine that allowed humanity to travel faster than light. This technology, when being tested for the first time in the solar system, attracted the attention of some Vulcans who just happened to be passing by. This was the First Contact mentioned in the title of the 1996 film " Star Trek: First Contact ." 

In that film, the characters from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" travel back in time to foil a plot by a malevolent species of cyborgs called The Borg, and find themselves in the year A.D. 2063 where they could witness First Contact themselves. This was the event that essentially kicked off creator Gene Roddenberry's vision of a peaceful future. In meeting intelligent space aliens, a hobbled humanity learned that war was churlish, and that unity as a species was preferable in the face of a suddenly occupied cosmos. 

"First Contact" is essentially the "Star Trek" origin story.

2151 - 2155: Star Trek: Enterprise

After first talking to Vulcans, humans were eager to take to the stars and join the galactic community. The conceit of the 2001 TV series " Star Trek: Enterpris e" (originally just called "Enterprise") was that the Vulcans, seeing how illogical and roughhewn humanity still was, encouraged them to stay on Earth for nearly a century before actually taking to the stars. In that century, humanity rebuilt, formed a Starfleet, and constructed its very first long-mission starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise NX-01. The show is about the adventures of the very first humans in space, circa A.D. 2151.

"Enterprise" took place before a lot of established "Trek" tech had been invented. There were transporters, but they weren't entirely safe for use on humans. There were no shields around the ship. There were no food replicators, and the Enterprise required a galley. Most notably, there wasn't a Prime Directive yet, so a lot of mistakes are bound to be made. It wouldn't be until 2161 — according to ancillary revelations — that the Federation would be formed. 

2254: The Cage

The unused "Star Trek" pilot has probably gained more canonical traction than any other unused footage from any other work of filmed fiction. "The Cage" didn't air in its complete form until 1986, 20 years after its making. Previously, footage from "The Cage" was incorporated into a two-part "Star Trek" episode called "The Menagerie" (November of 1966). 

In the pilot, we first meet Capt. Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) and his ship the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701. We were first introduced to Spock as well, although Spock would be the only character carried over into the second pilot that was eventually used. Majel Barrett played the Enterprise's first officer in "The Cage," and she would go on to play multiple other roles throughout "Star Trek," including Nurse Chapel, M'Ress, Lwaxana Troi, and the voice of the ship's computer. 

The events of "The Cage" would also be revisited in the second season of "Star Trek: Discovery."

2256 - 2258: Star Trek: Discovery (seasons 1 and 2)

Another cataclysm that had been mentioned multiple times throughout "Star Trek" was a war between the Klingons and the Federation. The first season of "Star Trek: Discovery," which debuted on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) in November of 2017, dramatized those events explicitly, as seen through the eyes of the U.S.S. Discovery. This new ship was a science vessel that had figured out a way to tap into a galaxy-wide network of near-undetectable, microscopic spores into order to teleport anywhere in the galaxy instantaneously. 

After surviving the Klingon war, the Discovery teamed up with the U.S.S. Enterprise while it was still being captained by Christopher Pike (now played by Anson Mount), putting the events of "Discovery" immediately after the original pilot. There were a lot — and I mean a LOT — of narrative excuses as to why the high-tech Discovery (realized with late-2010s special effects) didn't match the boxier, monochromatic world of "The Cage." 

The show's writers also needed to come up with an organic reason why a ship that can teleport — a technology that would have fundamentally changed the world of "Star Trek" — was never mentioned in any of the "Trek" shows made from 1966 until 2017. As such, at the end of the second season of "Discovery," the ship was thrown almost 1,000 years into the future in order to outrun an insidious computer intelligence that would spread throughout the galaxy if knowledge of it was passed around. As such, the Discovery more or less deleted itself from existence. As panicked, narrative ass-saving measures go, it's a 7.

2258: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The appearance of Capt. Pike on "Discovery" was so well-received that Paramount+ elected to go back to the Enterprise, bring back the characters from "The Cage," lump in a few familiar faces from the 1966 "Star Trek," and make " Strange New Worlds ," a series that takes place only eight years prior to the events of the original TV series. 

"Strange New Worlds" brings back Anson Mount as Pike, as well as a young Spock, a very young Uhura, a young Nurse Chapel, one of Khan's ancestors, and Dr. M'Benga, who showed up in a few episodes if the 1966 show. It also, notably, will not have season-long story arcs, but a single-hour episodic structure, standing in contrast with most of the other Paramount+-era "Star Treks," with "Lower Decks" being the proud exception.

2258 (KELVIN): Star Trek (2009)

Thanks to "Star Trek," the notion of parallel universes is quite well-known to the public. Incidentally, it's been quite odd watching the films and TV shows in the Marvel universe slow-walk the notion of a multiverse over the course of multiple installments when we've already seen Spock with a goatee. 

Thanks to complicated studio politics, there was a split in Paramount in the mid-2000s, and the Paramount side of the schism — when wanting to make a new "Star Trek" feature film — was legally required to make something distinguishable from the TV shows. Enter J.J. Abrams and his 2009 feature film " Star Trek " which takes place at the same time as "Strange New Worlds," but in a parallel universe where the characters from the 1966 show now look like a new cast, the Enterprise looks brighter and sleeker, and everything is more intense and action-packed. 

This new timeline would be created when a villain went back in time interfered with James T. Kirk right when he was born.

2259 (KELVIN): Star Trek Into Darkness

Although taking place far before the events of 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," J.J. Abrams' " Star Trek Into Darkness " (2013) drew a lot of story parallels to the Nicholas Meyer film. Taking place almost immediately after the 2009 film, "Into Darkness" involved the character of Khan who, in the timeline of the 1966 series, wouldn't be resurrected from cryogenic sleep for a few years hence. In "Into Darkness," he was awakened early, became involved in a plot to smuggle other cryogenically frozen compatriots. 

Originally, the Eugenics Wars were meant to have started in the 1990s, but — as "Star Trek" persisted, and the '90s came and went in the real world — that timeline had to be altered several times. The timeline of the Eugenics Wars in "Into Darkness" are a little unclear. As we saw above in "Star Trek: Picard," we know that they'll now take place sometime after 2024.

2263 (KELVIN): Star Trek Beyond

In Justin Lin's " Star Trek Beyond " (2016), Kirk (Chris Pine) laments that his adventures have already become episodic. It's unusual that the 2009 film and the 2013 sequel are essentially origin stories about the young Kirk coming into his own, and "Beyond" skips ahead to the point where he's already tired of being on "Star Trek." We missed the actual "five year mission" part!

Another interesting wrinkle in "Beyond" is that it alludes to a time somewhere after "Star Trek: Enterprise": The evil Kroll (Idris Elba) was, in fact, a human captain named Edison who led his own starship in the "Enterprise" era. Before the film, he was mutated into an evil alien. "Beyond," in explicitly mentioning the Xindi wars and other events from "Enterprise," anchors the Kelvin films a little more solidly into the "Trek" timeline.

2265 - 2269: Star Trek

After "The Cage" was abandoned by Paramount, the studio and Gene Roddenberry reworked the show into the 1966 program we all know and love. As mentioned, Spock was the only character carried over from the original pilot, and "Star Trek" now featured William Shatner as Captain Kirk and a host of new characters besides. "Star Trek" began as a horror show — there are many monsters and scare moments in the first season — eventually tackling ethical issues in a sci-fi fantasy context. 

"Star Trek" ran for three seasons, ending its initial run on June 3, 1969. Thanks to the gods of syndication, "Star Trek" would remain in reruns for the following decade, building up interest, spawning Trek conventions, and allowing the show to grow into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.

2269 - 2270: Star Trek: The Animated Series

In the opening credits of " Star Trek ," Shatner brazenly informed the audiences that the U.S.S. Enterprise was on a five-year mission. Given that the show was canned after only three years, there was more mission left to witness. In 1973, Roddenberry teamed up with Filmation to make an animated "Star Trek" series that would, by dint of its two seasons, ostensibly complete the five-year mission. Chekov (Walter Koenig) was absent from this show, but other unusual aliens took his place, including a cat woman named M'Ress and Mr. Aryx, a being with three arms. The animated format allowed for wilder ideas, aliens, and ships to be employed, and there are stories featuring flying serpents, aliens made of plants, an undersea episode, and a story with a 50-foot Spock. 

This 1973 version of "Star Trek," in only running 30 minutes per episode, cut out a lot of extraneous character moments from the traditional "Trek" structure, and got straight to the story. It's a far more efficient show than the 1966 program, and it has a passionate following of fans. 

2273: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The decade of syndication, "Trek" conventions, and the financial success of George Lucas' sci-fi serial epic " Star Wars " in 1977 led Paramount to start thinking about restarting "Star Trek" on TV. A project was put into production that was to be called "Star Trek Phase II," and would have reunited several familiar "Trek" characters as well as introduce some new ones. For various reasons, "Phase II" was abandoned and elements of it were transformed into what would become the 1979 theatrical release " Star Trek: The Motion Picture ."

If all you had prior to "The Motion Picture" was a failed, low-budget TV show and a little-regarded animated series, this movie would feel grand in ways that you couldn't previously imagine. A lot of time was devoted to the size of the Enterprise, the importance of the characters, and mind-bending notions about the unending vastness of the cosmos. Here was a "Star Trek" film that is often compared to 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey." Good gracious was it enormous. 

"The Motion Picture" was successful enough to warrant a sequel, but not so successful that Roddenberry was welcomed back. Remember that detail when we get to "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

2285: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

2285 was a significant year. In the events of Nicholas Meyer's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982), a thawed out Khan — the version played by Ricardo Montalbán from the 1967 "Star Trek" episode "The Space Seed," not the version played by Benedict Cumberbatch in "Star Trek Into Darkness" — hijacked a starship called the U.S.S. Reliant and set out on a mission of revenge against Admiral Kirk. The good admiral, we find, had forgotten about a lot of irresponsible actions taken in his past and had to face them head on just as he was looking down the barrel of old age. "Star Trek II" didn't end well for Kirk or for Spock. In that film, Spock famously dies. 

Not wasting any time, however, Kirk and co. sprang back into action in Leonard Nimoy's " Star Trek III: The Search for Spock " (1984), which picks up immediately after "Khan" ended. Thanks to the fineries of Vulcan psychic powers, and a high tech radiation wave that can generate life out of nothing, Spock could potentially be resurrected, and Kirk hijacks the Enterprise in order to help a friend. In so doing, Kirk destroys the ship, rouses the ire of some Klingons, loses his son (killed by said Klingons), and possibly destroys his career in Starfleet. Oops. 

Perhaps one of the reasons "Star Trek IV" (which began in 2286) was so popular was that it was the first "Trek" film to end on a wholly positive note. 

2287: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Often cited as the worst of the "Trek" movies, William Shatner's "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989) starts with a promising concept, but was undone by a bad script hastily written during a strike, and a repeatedly cut FX budget. The film ultimately feels flimsy and ill-considered, not able to truly confront the interesting ideas it brings up. Shatner has apologized for the poor quality of his film, which was fraught with production troubles.

In "Frontier," a newly-built Enterprise is hijacked by Spock's half-brother Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), who is leading a cult of brainwashed followers, freed from pain by their leader's psychic powers. He seeks a mysterious planet at the center of the galaxy where he believes God physically lives. The final frontier of the title is not space, but the soul, religion, or spirituality. Many "Trek" purists will point out that seeking the center of the galaxy, and finding a deity there, is similar to an Animated Series episode called "The Magicks of Megas-Tu," wherein Kirk found the planet at the center of the galaxy is actually home to Satan. 

Note : "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" is far better than "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

2293: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Made after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nicholas Meyer's " Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country " (1991) was very clearly a metaphor for the end of the Cold War. In it, the Klingon Empire is crippled by the accidental explosion of one of their moons, leaving the entire government requiring Federation help. "Country" is about how difficult it is to give up being enemies, especially when so much of one's identity is tied in with hate. There's an assassination, a investigation, a trial, a prison break ... It's one of the best "Trek" movies. 

One might glean from the title of the previous film in the series that the entire Kirk era was meant to end with "The Final Frontier." One might also glean that the poor reception and bad box office of "Final Frontier" led to one last go 'round. Fans may be relieved that the final feature film in the Kirk era was actually, y'know, a good one.

2364 - 2370: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Throughout the 1970s, Gene Roddenberry made tours on the convention circuit, talking about his vision for "Star Trek," and interacting with fans who were inspired by the peace, diplomacy, and calm that "Star Trek" has written into its DNA. Looking back over the 1966 show, notions of optimism and diplomacy are present, but they are mixed in with a lot of violence, sexism, and other now-backward ideas. After Roddenberry was essentially barred from involvement on the "Star Trek" feature films, he decided to make a purer, better version of his old show, set another 80 years in the future, and even more devoted to intelligence and diplomacy than ever before. Hence, 1987's " Star Trek: The Next Generation ." 

Taking place on a new ship, the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, and featuring an all new cast, the update of "Star Trek" started a little clumsily, but eventually found its stride to become the best "Star Trek" has offered to date. The tech was more convincing than it ever was, and it featured professional, adult characters who deal with crises with stiff upper lips. More so, it more frequently addressed questions about the meaning of life that humanity will always, it seems, wrestle with.

"Next Generation" last for seven full seasons, and its characters ended up occupying just as large a place in the pop consciousness as the characters from the 1966 TV series. 

Yes, "Next Generation" went back in time several times.

In terms of chronology, "Next Generation" overlapped with...

2369 - 2375: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

" Deep Space Nine " (1993 – 1999) was an unusual animal in many ways. It was the first time two "Star Trek" shows would run concurrently, and would take place over the same time frame (Picard from "Next Generation" appeared in the show's pilot). It was not about trekking at all, as it took place aboard a space station. It was also not set in the world of the Federation, often revolving alien species who were not offered protection from the organization. It was a show of healing and animosity. Of war and death. It started with an ensemble of seven or eight people, and eventually expanded to include about 30 main characters. "Deep Space Nine" is "Star Trek" via a Russian historical novel. 

When taken as a unit, "Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine," both excellent in their own rights, become a complementary mass that is greater than their sum. The strength of diplomacy vs. its breakdown. The avoidance of war vs. the involvement in it. The absence of fascism vs. its inevitable regrowth. 

Yes, "Deep Space Nine" went back in time several times. 

"Deep Space Nine's" chronology would overlap with "Star Trek: Voyager," as well as with...

2371: Star Trek: Generations

The 1994 feature film " Star Trek: Generations " was a strange excursion. Although "Next Generation" had already run for seven years, "Generations" was still insistent on "passing the torch" from Kirk to Picard, and it bent over backwards to create the means by which Kirk and Picard, separated by 87 years of history, could meet face-to-face. It was the fan crossover no Trekkie wanted. As such, "Generations" is a flimsy affair, speeding through a ridiculous plot about a mobile temporal nexus that serves as Heaven for the people it scoops up along its path. 

Trekkies were even-headed enough to realize that Kirk and Picard weren't meant to meet, and that "Next Generation" was its own entity. The decision to aggressively tie the two shows even more closely together was just baffling. 

Notable too: The Enterprise-D was destroyed in "Generations," and would be replaced by a big ol' ugly thing for three additional feature films.

2371 - 2378: Star Trek: Voyager

" Star Trek: Voyager " debuted in 1995 and ran concurrently with "Deep Space Nine" both on television and within the chronology of "Star Trek." To cleverly avoid any interference between the two shows, however — "Deep Space Nine" would eventually become embroiled in a galaxy-spanning war — "Voyager" was given a "Lost in Space"-style premise wherein the title ship was thrown all the way across the galaxy to a portion of space that has never been explored by Starfleet, and could otherwise only be reached by 70 years of space travel. 

While the premise would perhaps lead a viewer to believe that "Voyager" was going to be about resource allocation and survival, it quickly became more about the Borg, a character played by actress Jeri Ryan, and Captain Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) steady slide into autocracy. 

"Voyager" struggled with ratings for years, but still managed to last seven seasons like "Next Gen" and "Deep Space" before it. The final episode of "Voyager," a time travel story called " Endgame ," would air in March of 2001.

2375: Star Trek: Insurrection

While "Voyager" and "Deep Space Nine" were running concurrently on television, the "Next Generation" crew were yukking it up in the overwhelmingly mediocre 1998 Jonathan Frakes film " Star Trek: Insurrection ." Like "The Final Frontier," "Insurrection" can be seen straining against the limits of its budget, with bad CGI, bland costumes, and locations clearly found in the California mountains. The cheapness of "Star Trek" has often served as a boon for its story, forcing writers to insert interesting and challenging ideas into their plywood sets. "Insurrection" has no such ideas, asking the ethical question of forced relocation, but never feeling threatening, and offering a magical curative radiation that would require study and collection. 

Although one can admit this: "Insurrection" captures the tone of the "Next Generation" TV series far better than any of the other movies in this part of the series. It's a pity, though, that after the grand finale of "Next Generation," we find ourselves with suck lackluster films. 

Speaking of lackluster films ...

2379: Star Trek: Nemesis

Released in 2002, Stuart Baird's " Star Trek: Nemesis " was poised to be the final gasp for "Star Trek." "Enterprise" was already taking the franchise in a new direction, and the "NextGen" cast was clearly too tired to handle a continued barrage of poorly planned action movies, and thrillers that didn't resemble the show they were inspired by. "Nemesis" is dark and action-packed and violent and takes a lot of structural cues from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." 

In it, Tom Hardy plays a character named Shinzon who is, in fact, a clone of Captain Picard, grown in a Romulan lab, and eventually discarded into a Romulan mine. Shinzon escaped the mine, built an army, and is poised to take a giant death ship into Federation space to revenge all over people. "Nemesis" is also the film in which Data (Brent Spiner) dies, and Captain Picard drives a dune buggy. 

The sentiment of the time was reminiscent of T.S. Eliot's " The Hollow Men ." This is the way "Next Gen" ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

Worry not. There will be further whimpers for the NextGen crew.

2380 - ?: Star Trek: Lower Decks

Named after a seventh season episode of "Next Generation," and taking place in line with the end of "Nemesis" and "Voyager," " Star Trek: Lower Decks " debuted on Paramount+ in 2020 as part of a slew of "Star Trek"-related indicia that the company was desperate to exploit. And while the all-your-eggs-in-one basket approach to TV production affected by Paramount led to stinkers like "Discovery" and "Picard," it did lead to this surprisingly good animated program. 

One of the more appealing aspects of "Star Trek" is that it's essentially a series of workplace shows. The characters are typically vocation-forward, and take their duty to their ship very seriously. Where a "Star Trek" character works speaks powerfully to who they are. "Lower Decks" follows the people who have the worst possible jobs on a Starfleet vessel, often tasked with cleaning holodecks, sanitizing floors, and arranging widgets for the senior staff. It's rough going for ensigns. They sleep in the hallway and are typically not deemed important enough to include on more exciting missions. What's more, the central ship on "Lower Decks" is a tiny, crappy ship with substandard tech. Surely such jobs would exist in "Star Trek." 

"Lower Decks" is eager to make "Trek" references, and is clearly made by people who understand "Trek's" ethos, but who still have a raunchy sense of humor. The future is here. And it's still crappy for those on the bottom. 

2383: Star Trek: Prodigy

Produced under the auspices of Nickelodeon, " Star Trek: Prodigy " (2021) was the first Trek series to be made explicitly with a younger audience in mind. The series follows a ragtag group of alien youths as they flee a prison mine and discover an abandoned Starfleet vessel called the U.S.S. Protostar. On board is an instructional hologram of Captain Janeway from "Voyager," and she teaches the kids how to behave like Starfleet officers, the importance of duty and compassion, and how their trauma does not define them. The design and the creatures are more reminiscent of "Star Wars" than "Star Trek" (the series features an evil emperor and his powerful masked servant, invoking the Emperor and Darth Vader), but it certainly functions as a generic space adventure. The "Star Trek" stuff is mere window dressing. 

It's almost disappointing to include "Prodigy" on this timeline, as one of the show's central mysteries — at least for the first part of its first season, the only part to have aired as of this writing — is when and where it takes place. It was possible that "Prodigy" took place centuries or even millennia beyond the known Trek universe. The last we saw, however, the real Captain Janeway is still alive, giving "Prodigy" a known place in Trek chronology. 

2399: Star Trek: Picard (Season 1)

After nearly 20 years of a world without Picard, Paramount+ convinced Patrick Stewart to reprise his role in a new show named for him. " Star Trek: Picard " debuted on Paramount+ in 2020, taking place further in the future than any other Trek show to date. In the timeline of "Picard," the Federation had become soured by xenophobia and openly discouraged the evacuation of Romulus, historically an enemy world, but now in dire straits after their sun went supernova (something something J.J. Abrams). Picard had left Starfleet in disgust, and had now retired to his winery. 

The story of the first season is too convoluted to get into here, needless to say it involved a Romulan secret society, a planet of androids, a reclaimed Borg cube, and a robot Cthulhu. I'm not kidding. 

It's a pity that "Picard" did not roll with its future setting more, establishing new tech or positive sea changes in the "Trek" universe. Instead, everything is devoted to a chewy, awful story about androids. Indeed, by the end, Picard himself would have his consciousness shunted into an android body. What a snore.

3188 - 3190: Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 3 and 4)

When last we saw the U.S.S. Discovery, it was being pulled through a time hole into the distant future. In the third and fourth seasons , Discovery's crew learns that they are stranded 930 years from home, and now must rediscover their function as Starfleet officers after the Federation went into hiding. A galaxy-wide disaster — The Burn — spontaneously destroyed millions of starships, and a fierce new criminal enterprise, The Emerald Syndicate, now rules the galaxy.

The 23rd-century ship now has to learn how to use 32nd-century technology. The Discovery was redesigned, and the new mission became to spread diplomacy in a galaxy unready for it. This is the premise, it seems, that Discovery should have started with two years prior. The writing is still rather weak, and the characters are callow and weepy, but "Discovery" does excel in one notable way: Queer representation. Seven of the main cast members are openly queer. After 55 years of a dodgy relationship with queerness, "Discovery" finally nailed it.

I just wish it were a better show.

Screen Rant

How to watch every star trek series & movie in the right order.

Whether a Trekker wants to watch by release order or by in-universe continuity, here's how to watch every Star Trek movie and series the right way.

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 . Star Trek now encompasses 9 TV series, with two more, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the animated Star Trek: Prodigy in development for 2022, as well as 13 feature films, with the 14th Star Trek movie earmarked for June 2023.

Star Trek has also grown into a massive canon that spans a thousand years of the future. Much of the franchise is focused on the Captain and crews of the various starships named Enterprise and most of the saga is divided between the optimistic future of the 23rd century's The Original Series ( TOS ) era and Star Trek: The Next Generation 's ( TNG ) 24th-century era, which also spans the spinoffs Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Picard . But in the last 20 years, Star Trek has also relied heavily on prequels, with Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2, and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie trilogy all set before TOS . Complicating matters, Abrams' films are also set in their own alternate canon, the Kelvin timeline. Star Trek: Discovery season 3 (and all future seasons) take place in the 32nd century, which is the farthest in the future the franchise has explored.

Related: Star Trek: Every Captain of The Enterprise

Star Trek  utilizes Stardates in-universe but it's easier to track the timeline based on the Greco-Roman calendar years each TV series and movie is set in. Of course, as a sci-fi franchise renowned for its innovative storytelling, Star Trek has told plenty of time travel tales . Nearly every TV series and several of the films have time travel adventures set that have sent the Starfleet heroes into the present day or even let them cross over and meet crews from different eras. There is really no wrong way to watch Star Trek but if a new fan is making the choice between release date order or the order of continuity, here is a handy guide to both options.

Star Trek TV Shows & Movies In Order Of Release

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)

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: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Star Trek Generations (1994)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

Star Trek Insurrection (1998)

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Star Trek: Discovery (2017-present)

Star Trek: Picard (2020-present)

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-present)

Related: Star Trek: When The Kelvin Timeline Takes Place

Star Trek TV Shows & Movies In Chronological Order

Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2155)

Star Trek (2009) (2255 in the Kelvin timeline) Star Trek also contains flashbacks to 2233, the 2240s, and 2252 and a flashforward to 2387 in the Prime timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 & 2 (2256-2258) The USS Discovery permanently time travels to the 32nd century at the end of season 2.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2259 in the Kelvin timeline)

Star Trek Beyond (2263 in the Kelvin timeline)

Star Trek: The Original Series (2266-2269)

Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (2270s)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (2285)

Star Trek IV:  The Voyage Home (2286 and 1986)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)

Star Trek Generations (2371) Generations takes place before DS9 season 4 when Worf (Michael Dorn) joins the space station crew.

Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378) Voyager 's first four seasons take place concurrently with DS9 seasons 4-7.

Star Trek: First Contact (2373 and 2063) First Contact takes place during DS9 season 5 and Voyager season 3. Most of the film takes place in 2063, 90 years before the events of Star Trek: Enterprise .

Star Trek Insurrection (2375) Insurrection takes place during DS9 season 7 and Voyager season 5.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2379)

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380 onward)

Star Trek: Picard (2389 onward) Picard also has flashbacks set in 2385.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 (3188-3189)

Next: Why Every Star Trek Series Ended

The Definitive Chronological Viewing Order For The Star Trek Cinematic Universe

Marvel might get credit for pioneering their transmedia “Cinematic Universe,” but truly, Star Trek in the 90’s was way ahead of the game.

In the span of that decade, the Star Trek universe saw the release of four feature films and three TV shows that all shared some degree of interconnected continuity, over a decade before the world realized that this was the future of entertainment.

Yes, Star Trek was twenty years ahead of its time, but most of it has aged so well there’s no reason not to go back and enjoy it. If you’re like us, and want to know how the puzzle fits together while you’re watching it built, we’ve got you covered.

Aside from the occasional stardate hiccup, Star Trek has done a pretty admirable job of keeping its continuity in order, making it fairly straightforward to place things into a timeline. With no end to Star Trek storytelling in sight, we’ll keep this page updated as frequently as possible as new movies and TV shows are announced and released.

[Update] We’ve added  Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3)  to the post.

Original Timeline

Star trek: enterprise.

This series follows Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of Starfleet’s first warp 5 vessel: The Enterprise (NX-01).

This early placement in the timeline gave the show a lot of runway to explore some seminal events in the Star Trek universe, including first contact with the Klingons. The series was cancelled after four seasons, and began a nearly 12 year hiatus for Star Trek episodic series that ended with Discovery in 2017.

“The Cage” is the initial pilot episode for the original Star Trek series. While at the time the network rejected it and ordered a new pilot (“Where No Man Has Gone Before”), the episode was retroactively canonized in Star Trek: Discovery .

Its new, official placement in the timeline is now notable for its introduction of Christopher Pike, the original captain of The Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery (Seasons 1-2)

This series was the first to debut on CBS All Access, with the first two seasons set about a decade before The Original Series . It follows the crew of the USS Discovery (NCC-1031) during the first Klingon-Federation war, with the second season revolving around a mysterious figure known as the “Red Angel.”

A third season is upcoming, but is set much further along in the timeline.

Star Trek: The Original Series

This is where it all began. Over a century after the events of Star Trek: Enterprise , this series follows the Captain James T. Kirk and the voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) on its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no man has gone before.

While the series only ran for three seasons, it continues to be some of the most defining storytelling in the Star Trek canon.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

This animated show essentially serves as a continuation of The Original Series , featuring the same cast of characters in 22 episodes across 2 seasons.

For a long time, this series was officially non-canon, but over the years it has become increasingly referenced in other material; and in 2007, the official website included information from The Animated Series in its “library” section, making a strong argument that the series is, at least in part, canonical.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Approximately four years after the conclusion of The Original Series , Kirk is now an Admiral. He resumes command of the USS Enterprise after a powerful alien being called V’Ger destroys several Klingon warships and sets a path towards Earth.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

The Wrath of Khan , widely considered to be the greatest Star Trek film, acts as a sequel to both Star Trek: The Motion Picture , and the episode “Space Seed” from The Original Series .

In that episode, Kirk and crew tangled with the genetically engineered superhuman Khan Noonien Singh, who ruled more than a quarter of the Earth during a period called the Eugenics Wars. At the end of the episode, Khan is exiled to the uninhabited planet Ceti Alpha V.

In The Wrath of Khan , he escapes, and plans a revenge using a device known as the Genesis Machine, designed for terraforming planets.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Picking up a few weeks after the end of Khan , The Search For Spock finds the crew of the Enterprise learning that there might be a way to bring back their deceased friend.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

The Voyage Home concludes the unofficial film trilogy that began with The Wrath of Khan . Returning to Earth to face trial for stealing the Enterprise in the previous film, the crew become embroiled in time travel hijinks when they’re tasked with traveling to the past. Their mission? Bring back a humpback whale, now extinct in their timeline, which holds the key to stopping a destructive alien probe that has emerged from deep space.

The film concludes with Kirk returning to the rank of Captain, and taking command of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A).

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

This film was William Shatner’s first feature directing credit, a result of his contract terms after Leonard Nimoy directed Star Trek III and IV . The film takes place shortly after the conclusion of The Voyage Home , as the USS Enterprise-A is taken over by the rogue Vulcan Sybok who believes God lives at the center of the galaxy.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The final Original Series film, The Undiscovered Country acts as a swan song for the cast as they embark on one final adventure together. One half murder mystery, one half Cold War political thriller, this is an often overlooked but really strong entry that closes out The Original Series era in style.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Seasons 1-5 )

This series kicked off arguably the most explored era of Star Trek storytelling, with over 178 episodes, four feature films, and a ton of ancillary material. The numerous story arcs follow Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D as it embarks on a long-term exploration mission.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6, Episodes “Time’s Arrow: Part 2” – “Chain of Command: Part 2”)

This batch of episodes in TNG ‘s sixth season, culminating in the fantastic two-parter, “Chain of Command,” lead in to a period in the timeline where two Star Trek series ran concurrently.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6, Episodes “Ship In A Bottle” – “Descent: Part 1” / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 1 )

Deep Space Nine , the fourth Star Trek TV series, is set concurrently with the events of TNG ‘s sixth season, just in a very different part of the galaxy. It follows Commander Benjamin Sisko aboard the titular space station, located near a wormhole that allows passage to the distant Gamma Quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy.

Star: Trek The Next Generation (Season 7) / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 2 )

These two seasons also take place at roughly the same time, though it’s worth noting that The Next Generation Season 7 ends just before the last few episodes of Deep Space Nine Season 2.

The second season of Deep Space Nine is notable for introducing the USS Defiant.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episodes “The Search: Part 1” – “Distant Voices”) / Star Trek: Voyager Season 1 (Episodes “Caretaker” – “Prime Factors”)

Following the end of The Next Generation , a new series called Voyager was aired that likewise overlapped with the timeline of Deep Space Nine . Voyager was the first Star Trek series to have a female captain, Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager. The series features the first appearance of a number of Star Trek species including the Kazon, Vidilians, and Hirogen.

Star Trek: Generations

Generations was the first of four Star Trek films set during The Next Generation era. This story worked as a bridge of sorts between The Original Series and TNG time periods, revealing the fate of Kirk, and giving him a brief meeting with his eventual successor, Picard.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episodes “Through The Looking Glass” – “The Adversary”) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 1, Episodes “State of Flux” – “Learning Curve”)

The second halves of Deep Space Nine ‘s third season and Voyager ‘s first overlap.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 4) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 2 )

The Klingon-Cardassian war heats up for a strong season of Deep Space Nine that also introduces Worf to the cast.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 5, Episodes “Apocalypse Rising” – “For The Uniform”) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 3, “Basics: Part 2” – “Blood Fever”)

Deep Space Nine Season 5 is when the show started firing on all cylinders creatively. Tensions are rising, characters are growing richer, and the show’s plot threads are coming together. Voyager also went through a creative revamp, with season 3 containing some of its best episodes.

Star Trek: First Contact

This film gives the crew of TNG their own shot at some cinematic time travel hijinks, as they head to the past in order to protect the inventor of the warp drive from the Borg.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 5, Episodes “In Purgatory’s Shadow” – “A Call To Arms”) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 3, “Unity” – “Scorpion: Part 1”)

This block of episodes are some of the best across both shows.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 6) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 4 )

The Dominion War arc is in full swing on Deep Space Nine , while Voyager brings in Seven of Nine and has arguably its best season yet.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, “Image In The Sand” – “Covenant”) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 5, “Night”  – “Infinite Regress”)

Deep Space Nine ‘s seventh season is a little uneven in the first half but still has some great stuff. The rest of Voyager will never be as good as its fourth season, but Season 5 still has some great episodes.

Star Trek: Insurrection

This film finds the crew of the USS Enterprise-E going up against a species known as the Son’a, who are attacking the population of a peaceful planet to steal their regenerative properties.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 7, “It’s Only A Paper Moon” – “What You Leave Behind”) / Star Trek: Voyager (Season 5, “Nothing Human”  – “Equinox: Part 1”)

The Dominion War (and Deep Space Nine overall) comes to a close with an ambitious arc.

Star Trek: Voyager (Season 6-7)

Voyager continues on after the conclusion of Deep Space Nine , acting as the only running Star Trek series until the premiere of Enterprise in 2001.

Star Trek: Nemesis

The Next Generation era comes to a close with this final film, as the crew of the USS Enterprise-D encounter a clone of Captain Picard (played by a young Tom Hardy), who has taken over the Romulan Star Empire.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

This animated series might not feel like “core” canon due to its comedic tone, but the official word is that the events are set in continuity.

Bonus: Star Trek Online

While technically not a film or TV series, it’s worth noting that Star Trek Online takes place in the original timeline and continues the story past the events of Star Trek: Nemesis .

Star Trek (2009)

The J.J. Abrams helmed Star Trek kicks off the “reboot” era known as the “Kelvin Timeline,” after the USS Kelvin. While most of the story takes place in an alternate timeline (which we’ll explore in a separate section below), events narrated by Spock take place in the original continuity, following the destruction of Romulus.

The aftermath of this event in the original timeline is explored in the series, Picard .

Star Trek: Picard

The eight Star Trek series, Picard , takes place about 20 years after Nemesis . Jean-Luc Picard is retired, having resigned in protest when the Federation chose not to aid the Romulans as their home planet was destroyed.

Short Treks: Calypso

One of the shorts in the Short Treks collection on CBS All Access is set way in the future, hundreds of years after the events of Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3)

The end of Season 2 of Discovery saw the crew embark on a one-way trip to the furthest we’ve ever explored in the Star Trek timeline. The season will pick up about 900 years after The Original Series era.

Kelvin Timeline

Spock’s attempt to intervene in the disaster that destroyed Romulus inadvertently sent him and the Romulan mining ship Narada back in time, causing the creation of a second, alternate timeline. In this timeline (now the home of the OG Spock, effectively removing him from the original timeline), James T. Kirk loses his father shortly after his birth, resulting in a very different start to his Starfleet career.

Star Trek Into Darkness

Into Darkness reveals that in the Kelvin Timeline, the cryogenically frozen body of Khan Noonien Singh was recovered by Admiral Alexander Marcus of Starfleet, who covertly used him to develop advanced weaponry.

Star Trek Beyond

Beyond takes  place roughly two and a half years after Into Darkness , halfway into the crew’s five year mission. The crew of the Enterprise must contend with the dangers of the final frontier when they’re ambushed by a mysterious fleet. The end of the film sees the introduction of the USS Enterprise-A to the Kelvin Timeline.

To date, this is the furthest along we’ve seen of the reboot timeline, although rumors of a fourth film continue to persist (perhaps featuring the return of George Kirk, played by Chris Hemsworth); as well as another Kelvin-set feature written by Quentin Tarantino.

Upcoming Stories

Star trek: prodigy.

This animated series will follow a group of teenagers who take over an abandoned starship. It will feature the return of Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

This upcoming CBS All Access series will follow the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, before the events of The Original Series .

Star Trek: Section 31

This upcoming series will follow Philippa Georgiou as a member of the organization Section 31.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 2)

A second season of this animated show has been greenlit, and is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2021.

Star Trek: Discovery (Season 4)

The fourth season of Discovery has officially been announced, but no release date has been set yet.

Ceti Alpha V

This miniseries event was announced back in June 2018, and we haven’t heard much about it since. If it is still happening, it will follow the iconic character Khan Noonien Singh.

10 Comments

It’s safe to say that anything connected to Alex Kurtzman is no longer “Star Trek” (discovery, picard, lower decks, etc.). His teams simply stopped concerning themselves with a well constructed universe that takes into consideration every intricate timeline and started relying heavily on spectacle and poorly designed plot devices. The plot was forced in directions using mcguffins and nonsensical exposition while destroying any logical connections it had to the rest of the series. That’s why he put his timeline first, to rest on the infallible excuse that the timeline has changed as we’ve seen a few branched timelines throughout the franchise. Kurtzman’s branches, however, are directed in a way that might as well be 20th century humans given space and time travelling technology out of thin air and react as such. Nothing like the growth in a better human society we see in Roddenberry’s true vision of the future of mankind. So don’t waste your time dissecting this timeline while much of is not really Star Trek to begin with; just purchased copyrights of another man’s creative genius. Instead, go watch the series in the order it was produced and truly enjoy connecting the timelines as you jump around through them. Only then will you also be able to witness the catastrophic, shallow design put into today’s star trek as well.

I couldn’t agree more with you on this. Perfectly said. The Orville is actually more Star Trek than anything post Voyager.

I have been referencing this site for the last couple of years and today finished everything that has been produced and released to date. Thank you I really appreciate your guidance. The series I enjoyed most was Star Trek: Enterprise. Although I have viewed all the episodes of Discovery I’m not a fan, I think I do it out of obligation to the timeline. The other series were kinda hit or miss per episode.

where does Star Trek : Horizon fit in?

Greetings,the Kelvin/Abrams timeline is not derived from Prime/Roddenberry timeline,if U will look & listen preciously,U will notice in ‘Star Trek’ 2009,that in these events often described being in Roddenberry timeline-these with old Spock before departure from future R NOT in Roddenberry timeline,but in another Abrams timeline,as there r another stardates(in Abrams format) & there r also differences unexplainable by Nero’s actions as construction of Constitution-class ships on the ground(nonsence as Constitution-class is incapable of entering atmosphere,nor any atmospheric flight & is too heavy to be able to lift off). The Abrams Universe has its own 2 timelines & has nothing to do with Roddenberry Universe. Discovery is very hardly insertable into Roddenberry Universe,IF Strange New Worlds will fix the inconsistencies,which is possible,for example a destruction of forward half of the Primary hull of Enterprise followed by rebuilding its proper appearance without forward window & with original viewscreen,which could already be done after Control’s torpedo hit,some such event would explain the return to viewscreens. & Calypso is set AFTER Discovery season 3. The right order after Nemesis is: Lower Decks. (Renegades,Hidden Frontier & its spin offs,yes,fan production but better fitting into Roddenberry Universe than Discovery). Picard. Discovery season 3. Calypso. The Abrams univehas 2 ti

“In a Mirror, Darkly,” the two-parter in the last season of Enterprise was intended as a sequel to the TOS episode “The Tholian Web” and a prequel to TOS “Mirror, Mirror.” Those two TOS episodes are not back-to-back, but Darkly could be mentioned as being in the middle of the TOS timeline.

It’s a sequel to a season 3 episode but a prequel to a season 2 episode? How does that work? Is Mirror Mirror set in the future within TOS? I’m still on season 1 so haven’t reached it yet. Not saying you’re wrong, not at all, just observing how confusing show timelines can be sometimes.

isnt the first chronological appearence of the Borg in episode 23 of enterprise?

Discovery should not be listed in the same timeline as TOS. It is clearly an alternate reality.

Abrams’ movies should either be last or put Trek ’09 in between Discovery & TOS

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Related Articles

New Music Weekly: Carly Rae Jepson, Bon Jovi, Rob Thomas, Disturbed, Method Man, and More!!

So… Tron 3 Might Not Be Completely Dead

Doctor Who: What Is A Bootstrap Paradox?

Days Of Future Past: Rogue Cut Release Date To Mark The 15th Anniversary Of The Original X-Men

How to watch Star Trek in order

Whether you're wanting to check out the Original Series or Discovery, figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order is a breeze with this easy guide!

Is it just us or is figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order getting more and more complex with each passing year? The prospect of watching Star Trek in order would be daunting for even the most decorated of starship captains with multiple series being brought to life on both the big and small screens. But fear not Trekkies - we've got you covered!

If you've ever tried to watch the Marvel movies in order , you'd be forgiven for thinking that was the most complicated franchise on the planet, but we kid you not - it has nothing on Star Trek. The 55-year-old sci-fi franchise includes nine (soon to be 11) TV shows and 13 movies and it spans 1000 years, making for one super complicated and vast timeline.

So, what is the best way to watch Star Trek in order? Well, that depends. For you purists out there, you might like to opt for viewing this franchise by release date, just like all the original Trekkie fans did back in the day. This will allow you to follow along as they did and get a similar experience. While the timeline does jump around, ( Star Trek: Discovery , for example, is set at the end of the 32nd century but was released before Star Trek: Picard , which is set in the 24th century), it gives you a more complete picture. 

Because the Star Trek franchise involves movies and TV series that take place at different times, another option is to watch everything in chronological order. This means you get to start with something a little bit more modern, but the one problem with this is that references will often be made to films you've not yet seen, which could make certain elements difficult to follow. 

To be honest, just like we recommend in our guide to how to watch the Star Wars movies in order , it really is a matter of personal preference. As long as you have one of the best TVs , you'll find you enjoy this franchise no matter what order you decide to watch it in.

So, without further ado, here's how to watch Star Trek in order - based on release date and in-universe continuity...

Star Trek TV shows and movies in chronological order

This is probably the list you're looking for if you're trying to figure out how to watch Star Trek in order. It's where things get really interesting, as Star Trek movies and TV shows have a habit of jumping around the franchise's chronology with sequels, prequels and bits in between. There are even two distinct timelines – but don't worry, we'll explain all that.

The original ‘Prime’ timeline was started by the Original Series, the Next Generation-era TV shows, and the first ten movies, The alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline, meanwhile, was created in JJ Abrams’ first Star Trek (2009) to allow the familiar Enterprise crew of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov to have new adventures without contradicting canon . To avoid confusion, we've defined the two timelines as separate entities below.

This list doesn't, however, include all of the brief Short Treks – short stories which are mostly set around the Star Trek: Discovery era – and adventures where Starfleet crews time-travelled to the eras before any of the shows/movies are set (eg visits to 1986 in The Voyage Home and 2063 in First Contact). We've also left out upcoming Discovery spin-off Star Trek: Section 31 , since it's not yet in production. (Also, we're not entirely sure exactly when it'll be set.)

Let's start with everything in one big list. 

• Star Trek: Enterprise (seasons 1-4)
• ‘The Cage’
• Star Trek: Discovery (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
• Star Trek: The Original Series  (seasons 1-3)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series 
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture 
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan 
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock 
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home 
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier 
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country 
• Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 1-5)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 6-7), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: Generations
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 3-4), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: First Contact 
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 5-6), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 3-4)
• Star Trek: Insurrection 
• S tar Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 7), Star Trek: Voyager (season 5)
• Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 6-7)
• Star Trek: Nemesis 
• Star Trek: Lower Decks
• Star Trek: Prodigy
• Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences
• Star Trek: Picard
• Star Trek: Discovery (season 3-)
• Short Treks: 'Calypso'

If you watch in the order given above, you'll get a continuous ‘history’ of the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 32nd centuries according to the Star Trek timeline. That said, you will notice some odd discrepancies – thanks to the time in which respective shows were made, the technology in prequel show Star Trek: Discovery is significantly more advanced than what Kirk and Spock used in the Original Series.

Below, we'll explain how the different eras of the shows and movies break down for context. 

Note that Gene Roddenberry's original pre-Kirk Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage', is counted as an instalment of the Original Series. You'll usually find it listed as a bonus episode as part of season one when you're watching it on streaming services.

Star Trek: Enterprise era (22nd century) Begins and ends with: Star Trek Enterprise seasons 1-4

About a century before James T Kirk and his crew embark on their famous five-year mission in Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Jonathan Archer leads Earth's first steps into the wider universe.

Star Trek: The Original Series era (23rd century) Begins with: 'The Cage' Ends with: Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)

For many this is the most familiar era of Star Trek, since it involves Kirk, Spock and the classic Enterprise crew.  

This section of the Trek timeline kicks off with the original unaired Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage' . Next up in franchise chronology are the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , which work as a prequel to the Original Series (they even feature a younger version of Spock), but it's all change in season 3 – the events of the season 2 finale send the crew into the distant future of the 32nd century. More on that later...

Upcoming spin-off Strange New Worlds will follow the adventures of Captain Pike, Number One and Spock on the Enterprise after the USS Discovery travelled to the future. And at some point after that, Captain James T Kirk will take command of Starfleet's most famous ship – a role he filled throughout The Original Series , The Animated Series and the first six Star Trek movies ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ).

The latest point we've seen (so far) in the 23rd century era is James T Kirk being taken away by the Nexus ribbon in the prologue of Star Trek: Generations . This is the event that allows Kirk to meet Picard when the Next Generation crew take on the mantle of headlining the big screen franchise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation era (24th century) Begins with: Star Trek: The Next Generation Ends with: Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences

The richest, most complicated period in Star Trek chronology. During The Next Generation era, Star Trek was experimenting with the idea of a shared universe years before Marvel got in on the act, with three TV shows (TNG, Deep Space Nine and Voyager ) and four movies ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) interweaving through the same timeline – Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway even shows up in Star Trek: Nemesis as a newly promoted admiral.

New animated comedy spin-off Lower Decks is set a year after Picard and the Next Generation crew's final mission in Star Trek: Nemesis, while Nickelodeon kids' cartoon Star Trek: Prodigy will see Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Voyager's captain, Kathryn Janeway. That suggests it will presumably be set at a similar point in the Star Trek timeline.

In JJ Abrams' first Star Trek movie (2009), the destruction of Romulus and Spock Prime's accidental trip back to the pre-Original Series era (in the Kelvin timeline) also take place after the events of Nemesis.

In the list above, we've shown how the movies (roughly) fit into the chronology of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. 

Picard era (turn of the 25th century) Begins with: Picard Ends with: ???

Aside from glimpses of the destruction of Romulus in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Picard gives us our first post-Star Trek: Nemesis look at what the United Federation of Planets has become. 

Since we last saw Jean-Luc Picard, he's retired to his vineyard in France, an android uprising on Mars has led to a ban on all synthetic life, and a disabled Borg Cube (known simply as the 'Artifact') is being mined for technology.

Distant future (32nd century) Begins with : Star Trek: Discovery season 2 (finale) Ends with: ???

In order to save the galaxy, the brave crew of the USS Discovery set off on a one-way mission 900 years into the future in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 2 finale. Their 32nd century destination is new territory for Star Trek – thanks to the mysterious 'Burn', most of the dilithium in the galaxy has been destroyed, making warp travel impossible. As a result, the Federation is a shadow of its former self – even Earth has decided to go it alone.

This isn't, however, the furthest Star Trek has ventured into the future – Short Trek ' Calypso ' is set on the Discovery in a distant future where the ship's computer has become sentient.

Star Trek's alternate 'Kelvin' timeline explained

In 2009's Star Trek movie directed by JJ Abrams, Spock Prime tries to save Romulus from a supernova, inadvertently creates a black hole while doing so, and gets pulled into the past, along with Romulan mining vessel the Narada. Once there, the Narada attacks the USS Kelvin on the day James T Kirk is born. The ship is destroyed as Kirk's father, George, sacrifices himself to save the rest of the crew. 

When all that happens, the alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline is created, with events unfolding in parallel (but with remarkable similarity) to the original Prime timeline.

Got all that? There are just three movies set in the Kelvin timeline:

• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek TV shows and movies in release date order

• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986)
• ‘The Cage’ (previously unavailable Star Trek pilot from 1965, given VHS release in 1986)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) 
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017-)
• Short Treks (2018-2020)
• Star Trek: Picard (2020-)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-)
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2021, TBC)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TBC)

Considering The Original Series was cancelled after just three seasons in 1969, it's remarkable that Star Trek is still around half a century later. But as the show's popularity grew in syndication on US TV, Trek fandom became a big enough force for the five-year mission to resume via Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1973. Most of the original cast – with the notable exception of Walter Koenig (Chekov) – were enticed back to voice their characters. 

Then, helped by Star Wars turning sci-fi into the hottest genre in Hollywood, Star Trek beamed onto the big screen with 1979's The Motion Picture . The original crew headed up five more movies ( The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ) before bowing out in 1991. The ’80s also gave the world a hint of the Star Trek that never was when 'The Cage' , the original unaired pilot, was released on VHS in 1986 (it appeared on TV two years later). Of the pilot crew, only Leonard Nimoy's Spock went on to reprise his role in the TV show, though footage from 'The Cage' was used extensively in the Original Series’ only two-parter, 'The Menagerie'. 

While the Enterprise was making it big in cinemas, the franchise returned to its TV roots in 1987 with The Next Generation . Set over 70 years after Kirk and Spock's final mission, it featured a new crew – led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard – on board a new starship Enterprise. The Next Generation was arguably even more successful than the Original Series, spawning two spin-off series: Deep Space Nine (which began in 1993) played with the Trek format by focusing on a space station, while Voyager (1995) dumped its crew on the other side of the galaxy, hundreds of light years from home. 

The Next Generation crew also fronted four movies of their own ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) between 1995 and 2002.

After Voyager came to an end in 2001, Star Trek left the Next Generation era behind, and went in a completely different direction – Star Trek: Enterprise was a prequel set a century before Kirk and Spock's adventures. Enterprise lasted only four seasons, however (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager all made it to seven), and was canceled in 2005.

These were also dark times for the movie branch of the Trek franchise, as the disappointing box office performance of Nemesis had put the film saga on hiatus – it wasn't until 2009 that Star Trek warped back onto the big screen. 

Future Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams (already hot property as director of Mission: Impossible 3 and co-creator of Lost) gave the franchise an action blockbuster makeover, recasting Kirk, Spock and the rest of the original crew as rookies on their first mission. The reboot, simply titled Star Trek , made more than twice as much at the box office as any of its predecessors, and two sequels ( Star Trek into Darkness , Star Trek Beyond ) followed. 

Star Trek belatedly returned to TV in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery . Set a decade before the Original Series, it was a darker, more serialized Trek than we’d seen before – more in tune with the prestige shows of the so-called Golden Age of TV. As it’s turned out, it was just the beginning of Star Trek's renewed assault on TV...

A series of brief Short Treks appeared online ahead of Discovery's second season, while The Next Generation follow-up Star Trek: Picard left spacedock in January 2020. Animated series Lower Decks followed in August 2020, and Discovery spin-off Strange New Worlds – featuring Anson Mount's Captain Pike, Rebecca Romijn's Number One and Ethan Peck's Spock on the pre-Kirk Enterprise – is now in production. 

There's also another cartoon offering heading for the Alpha Quadrant, in the form of animated kids show Star Trek: Prodigy.

And there's potentially even more to come, as the much-talked about Michelle Yeoh vehicle Section 31 is still in development. But with Paramount Plus programming boss Julie McNamara telling Variety that the streaming service's current aim is to debut "a new Trek every quarter", we may have to wait for Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks and/or Strange New Worlds to stand aside before we get a new TV iteration of Trek.

To keep things simple, all the shows above are listed by the date their first episode aired. While the chronology does jump around if you watch Star Trek in order of release date, there are some benefits. For example, the prequel shows assume a fair bit of knowledge of earlier series, like the Borg's appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise episode 'Regeneration', or Star Trek: Discovery's revelations about the ultimate fate of Christopher Pike (the Enterprise captain in 'The Cage', who later shows up in 'The Menagerie'). Moments like that undoubtedly make more sense in the context of later events in the Star Trek timeline. 

How to stream Star Trek TV shows and movies

If you just want to know how to stream the 13 Star Trek movies and eight TV shows in the US and the UK, we've laid it out below. 

In the US, the newly rebranded Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access) is definitely the place to go, with every TV show available to watch. In the UK, Netflix hosts all the Star Trek series except for Picard and Lower Decks.

Watching the 13 Trek movies is a rather more complex affair, with the films spread across numerous streaming services in the US and UK – and some of them you'll have to pay to rent/buy.

The TV shows

• Star Trek: The Original Series ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Voyager ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Enterprise ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Discovery ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Picard ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (US: Paramount Plus US: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Generations ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek: First Contact ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Insurrection ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Nemesis ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 2009 ( US: DirectTV UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek Into Darkness ( US : FX Now UK: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek Beyond ( US: Amazon Prime, Hulu UK: Amazon Prime Video)

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.

Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard's happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he'll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard's name was Winter.

The Mufasa and the fur-ious: Disney's Lion King prequel trailer brings thrills and chills

How to watch MILF Manor season 2 online from anywhere

How to watch Miriam: Death of a Reality Star online from anywhere

Most Popular

• 2 NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, April 26 (game #54)
• 3 I listened to Taylor Swift’s new songs on a 22-year-old Sony Walkman and it was a tortured experience I won’t try again
• 4 Independent auditors confirm top VPN doesn't log your data
• 5 Microsoft strips Windows 11's Control Panel of another tool - is the writing on the wall?
• 2 Paleblue Earth batteries eliminate the one big pain point of rechargeables
• 3 Microsoft might have cracked the most important part of video calls — new update could potentially hide all your embarassing apps and pop-ups
• 4 DJI Mini 4K release date confirmed: here's what to expect from DJI's cheapest-ever 4K drone
• 5 Exclusive: inside Honda's new concept EV that has an infinitely recyclable design – and looks like a Honda e

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

TAGGED AS: movies , Star Trek

(Photo by Paramount)

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%

Related news.

Weekend Box Office Results: Challengers Takes the Crown

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

More Countdown

All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

April 29, 2024

Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies of All Time

Top Headlines

• Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies of All Time –
• Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
• All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
• All Alien Movies Ranked –

Pocket-lint

What to watch to prepare for star trek: picard.

The latest entry to the Star Trek universe - the new Star Trek: Picard series - debuts 23 January on CBS All Access in the US and Prime Video in the UK.

The latest entry to the Star Trek universe - the new Star Trek: Picard series - just debuted on CBS All Access in the US and Prime Video in the UK.

It sees Patrick Stewart return as Jean Luc Picard, one of the most beloved captains in Star Trek. The new series focuses on a retired Picard, who now owns a winery and is enjoying his break from Starfleet, but it’s not long before adventure calls, and he must return to the stars.

Stewart last played Picard in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. But, 15 years before that, he had been the captain of the Enterprise for 178 episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as in four feature films that he helmed. So, if you want to catch up on all-things Picard before diving into the new CBS All Access series, we think you might have trouble finding the time.

There are hundreds of hours of Picard-centric content you can binge - and that’s without getting into the other characters and plotlines that are likely to surface in Star Trek: Picard. To help you get ready as quickly as possible, we've rounded up a list of episodes from The Next Generation and Voyager, plus a few films, which should cover everything you need to see.

What to watch before Star Trek: Picard

NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS.

We recommend watching the episodes and movies below, in this order. To avoid any spoilers, jump to the bottom for our bulleted list version. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Battle

• Season 1 Episode 9

This TNG episode sees the Enterprise pay for a decision made by Captain Picard nine years earlier - when he was in command of the Federation ship Stargazer. They were attacked by an unknown ship. Picard survived the encounter, however, thanks to the first use of what became the Picard Maneuver. This episode hints at Picard’s past and focuses on what makes him unique as a captain.

Star Trek The Next Generation Complete

Star trek: the next generation - the measure of a man.

• Season 2 Episode 9

Picard and his old friend Data (Brent Spiner) might reunite soon - if the trailers for Star Trek: Picard are any indication - making this TNG episode a must-watch. In it, we meet a cyberneticist who wishes to deconstruct Lt Commander Data to see how his positronic brain functions. When Data doesn’t want to undergo the procedure, which could wipe his entire memory, the cyberneticist attempts to have the Federation compel Data, arguing he is the Federation’s property. The ensuing conflict sees a sci-fi courtroom drama take place, with Captain Picard representing Data for the right to have control over his own body.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds

• Season 3 Episode 26
• Season 4 Episode 1

The Borg is one of the most terrifying villains in Star Trek, and they return in some form for the new Picard series, which is why we’re including this two-parter, which ranks up there with the greatest episodes in any Star Trek series.

The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from a Federation colony only to find everyone in the colony has disappeared. It’s discovered that the Borg, a hive mind that forces all life it meets to assimilate under its control, is responsible for their disappearance. When another Starfleet vessel is attacked by a Borg Cube, the Enterprise heads off to face them, beginning an encounter that will have a lasting impact on Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Family

• Season 4 Episode 2

Following the battle with the Borg, the Enterprise is docked near Earth to undergo repairs, allowing Picard to return to his family home to see his brother, Robert, who’s running the family’s vineyard. This episode gives us an early glimpse at what we think Picard will be doing at the opening of the new CBS All Access series - running a vineyard - but this episode is important because we see Picard struggling with the horrible things he was forced to do while he was assimilated. He even reveals that he’s considering leaving Starfleet for a position that will keep him on Earth.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - I, Borg

• Season 5 Episode 23

This TNG episode sees the Enterprise discover a wrecked Borg ship with only one survivor, a Borg Drone initially called Three of Five (Jonathan Del Arco). There’s two main reasons to watch this episode. For one, we see Picard still struggling with his hatred for what the Borg did to him while he was assimilated. The normally cool and moralistic Captain spends the episode considering using the recovered Borg as a weapon that could destroy the entire Borg Collective. The second reason for watching this episode is that the recovered Borg drone - which ends up showing signs of its own individualism returning by taking the name Hugh - is slated to appear in Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit Part I and II

• Season 7 Episode 4
• Season 7 Episode 5

This two-parter from the final season of TNG shows the relationship between Captain Picard and one of his most trusted friends - who’s also confirmed to appear in Star Trek: Picard - William Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes). While searching for a missing Picard, Riker is abducted by a group of mercenaries. When among them, he finds that Picard is actually another captive, and together, the two of them must formulate a plan to escape from their captors with an ancient Vulcan weapon.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things

• Season 7 Episodes 25
• Season 7 Episodes 26

The series finale to TNG is particularly interesting because we get a glimpse at the future leading up to Star Trek: Picard. In the finale, Picard finds himself jumping between the present and two different points in time: Seven years in the past, right before the events of the series' first episode, and 25 years into the future when he’s retired to a vineyard, or when Star Trek: Picard is expected to begin.

Star Trek: Voyager - The Scorpion

This isn’t an episode from The Next Generation, and there’s no Picard, but it's still worth watching during your catch-up because it shows the debut of another important character who is featured prominently in the trailers for the new Picard series: Seven of Nine (played by Jeri Ryan).

In this episode, while journeying home, The Voyager is forced to travel through a section of space controlled by the Borg, but in the process, it ends up in a middle of an ongoing war between the Borg and an alien species the Borg calls Species 8472. In order to make it through the area, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) decides to ally with the Borg, accepting Seven onto the ship in the process.

Star Trek: Voyager - Seasons 1 - 7

Star trek: voyager - endgame.

The original Endgame! This two-part series finale of Star Trek: Voyager sets off events that will surely affect the world of Star Trek: Picard.

An older Captain Kathryn Janeway is seen celebrating the 10th anniversary of Voyager finally coming back to Earth when she devises a plan to return to the past and help the Voyager make it home 16 years faster. But she sets off an encounter with the Borg Collective that should’ve left the hive mind devastated. We should get our first look at what the Borg look like, following the events of this episode, in Star Trek: Picard.

• Star Trek: Short Treks - Children of Mars

CBS All Access has a 12-episode anthology series of short Star Trek stories, and the most recent episode appears to show a key event that happens just before the events of Star Trek: Picard. The 10-minute episode shows an attack by a group of rogue synths on Mars through the eyes of two teen girls on Earth whose parents both work on Mars. At the end, we can see a picture of Picard on the news.

• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

First Contact is considered one of the best Star Trek films, which makes it worth a rewatch ahead of Star Trek: Picard. But the real reason it’s worth firing up this film is that it shows Picard still struggling with the time he spent assimilated to the Borg six years earlier. He’s forced to confront these feelings head-on when he must travel back in time to prevent the Borg from changing the past and assimilating all of Earth.

star trek: first contact

• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The final Star Trek film featuring Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard sees him face off with a clone of himself, played by an extremely young Tom Hardy. While the film wasn’t exactly an Oscar contender, it does have important details that will have an impact on the events of Star Trek: Picard, such as Lt Commander Data’s death near the end and the reveal that he transferred some of himself into B-4, an android similar to Data himself. There’s also the fact that the Romulans create the clone Picard must stop, which could also factor into the events of the new series.

Star Trek X: Nemesis

Best Buy Amazon

• Star Trek (2009)

The latest Star Trek films from JJ Abrams operate on a completely different timeline from Star Trek: Picard and The Next Generation series. However, there’s one key event that triggers the split timelines and might be the reason Picard leaves Starfleet, and that is the destruction of Romulan by a star going supernova. While Star Trek only shows the effects of that - in terms of a Romulan who survived and heads back in time to seek vengeance on Spock -  Star Trek: Picard should give us our first glimpse at the universe following the dissolution of the Romulan Empire.

Star Trek: 2009 - 2016 [Blu-ray]

Amazon Best Buy Best Buy

What to watch before Star Trek: Picard (spoiler-free)

Here's the same list as above, in an at-a-glance, bulleted list free of spoilers.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Battle (Season 1 Episode 9)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Measure of a Man (Season 2 Episode 9)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (Season 3 Episode 26)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (Season 4 Episode 1)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Family (Season 4, Episode 2)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - I, Borg (Season 5 Episode 23)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit (Season 7 Episode 4)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit (Season 7 Episode 5)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things (Season 7 Episodes 25)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things (Season 7 Episodes 26)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Scorpion (Season 3 Episode 26)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Scorpion (Season 4 Episode 1)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Endgame (Season 7 Episode 25)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Endgame (Season 7 Episode 26)

Liked this?

Check out our Star Trek guide for the ultimate best-viewing order on all the Star Trek movies and shows.

• April 30, 2024 | See Alexander, Nog, And Jake Deal With Q Jr’s Time Loop Shenanigans In ‘Sons Of Star Trek’ #2 Preview
• April 29, 2024 | Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Episode 506 With New Images. Trailer And Clip From “Whistlespeak”
• April 28, 2024 | Interview: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Writer Carlos Cisco On Unmasking The Breen And Revisiting The ISS Enterprise
• April 26, 2024 | Michael Dorn Wanted Armin Shimerman To Play The Ferengi That Worf Killed In Star Trek Picard
• April 26, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Gets To Know The Breen In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 505, “Mirrors”

Paramount Developing Second Star Trek Movie In Parallel With ‘Star Trek 4’

| January 10, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 205 comments so far

News broke this afternoon that Paramount Pictures is looking to expand the Star Trek universe on the big screen, putting another film into development with a new director and writer hired.

Another Star Trek movie!

According to Deadline (later confirmed by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter ), Paramount Pictures has another Star Trek feature film in development. Reports say the film “expands on the Star Trek universe.” J.J. Abrams is producing, and to direct they tapped Toby Haynes, who is nominated for an Emmy for Andor and is a Hugo winner for his work on Doctor Who . Deadline reports the Haynes Star Trek movie is “an origin story that takes place decades before” the 2009 Star Trek movie, so presumably also set in the Kelvin Universe, assuming it is set after the attack on the Kelvin . Seth Grahame-Smith ( The Lego Batman Movie , Beetlejuice 2 ) is writing the script.

For more on Haynes, see our follow-up: New Star Trek Movie Director Is A Fan And Directed The ‘Black Mirror’ Trek Episode “USS Callister”

Toby Haynes and Seth Grahame-Smith (Getty/Deadline)

Star Trek  4  will be “final chapter”

According to both reports, the “Star Trek 4” follow-up to 2016’s Star Trek Beyond remains in “active development.” That film was originally set for a Christmas 2023 release but delays and disagreements over the script led to director Matt Shakman exiting the project in 2022. Deadline is now describing the Star Trek 4 project as “the final chapter in the main series.”

Deadline offers this background on the development of the new movie:

Though there hasn’t been a film since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond , the brand is still strong as its ever been with popular Paramount+ shows like Picard and Strange New Worlds , earning strong reviews and big ratings in the time since the last film bowed in theaters. Brian Robbins led-regime, saw an opportunity to build on that popularity with multiple films in development the same way the streamer had multiple shows going at once.

No details on production or a release date have been reported for the new movie or for Star Trek 4. It is unknown if this new Toby Haynes-helmed Star Trek movie has anything to do with the movie script Patrick Stewart talked about in a November 2023 interview released last week. However, a movie featuring Jean-Luc Picard (last seen in the 25th century of the Prime Universe) does not appear to fit with one set in the 23rd century of the Kelvin Universe.

This is a development story so stay tuned for updates.

Find more news on all the upcoming Trek movies at TrekMovie.com .

Related Articles

Star Trek 4

Zoe Saldana Is Still Holding Out Hope For ‘Star Trek 4’

CBS/Paramount , Star Trek 4 , Upcoming movies

‘Star Trek 4’ Gets Another Writer, But “Franchise Origin Story” Movie Could Arrive First

Kelvin Universe , Star Trek 4 , Upcoming movies

Paramount Has A Plan To Bring Star Trek Back To The Big Screen, Says Roddenberry Entertainment Exec

Interview , Star Trek 4

Exclusive: Danai Gurira Talks About Her “Cool” Role In The Shelved Chris Hemsworth ‘Star Trek 4’ Movie

Oh, Paramount, when will you learn that Star Trek is neither Marvel nor Star Wars? Make a little movie that’s mostly about the characters, make it with only a medium budget, and you might succeed.

IMO, Disney and Marvel Studios should be following your advice too since the MCU isn’t doing so well now either.

Honestly, the problem is Avengers: Endgame was aptly named. They had no where interesting to go after that which anyone cared about beyond Loki.

there are decades of marvel stories still to be told on screen and now they have mutants, FF, galactus and Dr doom to put in play

But they haven’t yet. We can see how Deadpool goes but the problem specifically in the movies is that X-men has already been done and they can’t get over losing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. And X-men from FOX has never been nearly as successful as the MCU.

Even without adjusting for inflation, Logan and Days of Future Past rival a lot of Disney Marvel box office performances. There’s a huge audience for that franchise (and anecdotally, boy did I see a lot of film fans tossing aside concerns about the Disney-Fox merger just because it meant Kevin Feige could get X-Men back). Deadpool being such a big hit on its own complicates things, but now that they’ve embraced the messiness of a multiverse, who knows what will happen?

I feel like Logan sort of closed the book on the X-Men and I really don’t need to see anymore — and I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.

It doesn’t matter – they’re going to reboot it sooner than later, and hope the characters are more Batman than Superman with audiences. Deadpool 3 will be a big hit, but Marvel’s larger woes are as big an issue going forward as any waning interest in X-Men.

I agree with him — Kind of lost interest now myself

I agree about Endgame. I, personally, haven’t cared about a Marvel film since and have only watched a handful of them afterward.

Although, I will see Deadpool 3 just for the return of Wolverine.

Yep agreed. Deadpool is the first movie I will care about since endgame. Frankly losing Iron Man and Cap is like losing Kirk and Picard. Once they are gone, so is your franchise.

“dr strange and the multiverse of bad VFX and scarlet moron” was enough for me.

I agree 100%. Deadpool’s a different animal. It’s a comedy thing I like so I’ll still see that one — but that has nothing to do with me needing more from marvel… And I really don’t care all that much about seeing the wolverine again either — except for the comedy interaction with Deadpool

Avengers: Endgame didn’t feature Steed or Mrs. Peel so I passed.

People say this yet post Endgame Wandavision was a huge success, as was Loki and falcon and the winter soldier. Secret Invasion? spiderman No way home did over a billion dollars, dr strange performed very well as did GOTG3 and Blackpanther…. Thor performed modestly, only really Antman and The Marvels flopped

Ditching JJ would help with the movie. He’s the villain ruining franchises.

He produced Beyond and that was fine. When he doesn’t direct, it’s a different story.

That’s the thing tho, Beyond was “fine”. Compared to Into Darkness it looks like a brilliant movie but that wasn’t exactly hard given the competition. I liked Beyond for the way it honored Leonard Nimoy and the TOS crew but part that frankly I found the movie meh at best.

the problem isn’t direction it’s writing.

• ”Lens flares”
• Abrams had no idea how to direct a Star Trek movie because he has no knowledge of it and he purposely let whatever happen *happen* because he didn’t care. He wasn’t just the director he was the producer and had a hand in everything,

I actually liked Beyond because it at least felt like a TOS movie and not Star Wars. But I’ve only watched it three times to this day. The story just felt like a bigger budget Insurrection but at least it was decent.

That’s the thing. It felt like a TOS episode to me and not like a real movie. Just IMHO of course. And stop destroying the Enterprise for the love of *********

It isn’t a case of him becoming the villain, he always was.

JJ’s name attached to these alone means I am not interested.

That’s sort of good for Trek fans in a weird way.

We’ve been saying Trek has a hard time in the market competing with the bigger franchises, but now the bigger franchises are having trouble competing with themselves.

I think that leaves an opening for Trek, assuming they can finally get their act together and get something to the production stage in time.

That’s the problem IMHO, with Abrams at the helm I have a hard time believing that will happen.

Just my opinion…..

The problem is that they won’t be making Star Trek. It will be action adventure but nothing more. Pass on both.

(Is that a word? Whatever)

Agreed. The very best Star Trek films are always character-driven. Hopefully this announcement has nothing to do with the reported script Patrick Stewart mentioned.

Agreed and I doubt it does. I bet anything the Stewart project is a P+ direct to streaming project. And nothing to do with Abrams

From your lips to the prophets’ ears …

Yuppers! Abrams hasn’t ever seemed like he was ever interested in anything TNG related anyways. I remember b4 ST 09 came out and he was asked which generation his movie would be and he said something like, there is only one that matters and that’s Kirks or something. I am misquoting but it was something like that,

I mean, he was making a TOS reboot at the time, so what’s he going to say? That he prefers TNG?

Well, I’m surer Paramount would have given him his choice of any crew to use. How do we know he didn’t just choose to use the TOS crew.

We don’t. Do we even know if the idea to reboot TOS came from Bad Robot or Paramount? Being much older than TNG, TOS certainly gave them an opportunity to radically upgrade stuff and make it “cool” for new audiences. Maybe, someone at Paramount was also still considering a TNG reunion so didn’t want to reboot that (yet).

To be fair…that could clearly be what they’re doing with this. Nothing about it says spectacle.

So agreed my friend

While I totally agree, they have recognized this to a degree. Section 31 and likely the Picard movie I’ll be mid budget movies direct to streaming.

For theatrical releases, it does make some sense to invest more money and make a bigger spectacle.

In what way has Paramount been treating Star Trek like its Marvel or Disney? Are we getting 3 Star Trek films a year, every year since JJ’s STAR TREK in 2009?

No. Paramount seems to be able to do one Star Trek film every 4-6 years on average; and it’s going on 8 years since the last one. hardly a Disney MARVEL style release schedule to date.

And as for Budget being the issue – the only Star Trek feature film to really bomb at the Box Office was Star Trek Nemesis, which had a mid-sized (for it’s day) $60 million budget.

So no the Budget isn’t the real issue here its first and foremost the writing, the fact that Paramount does have a system that can put a movie out when the interest is at its peak (they took 4 years to get a sequel out the ST2009 when 2 years would have been better); and oftentimes Paramount’s marketing department screws the pooch too.

I never get this argument, spend less to earn more right? But who goes to a movie theater to see a small low budget Star Trek movie, especially when there is tons of it on TV right now?

I go back and forth on whether any of the movies from TWOK through INS would have made much more money if they’d had slightly bigger budgets. Does spending a million more on the space battle for Generations get you that many more tickets or DVDs sold? Does a better VFX company and the Rock Man sequence make the difference in getting TFF to no longer be disappointment at the box office? I have no idea.

I do know that a cleanish slate (and a fun enough script and good casting) but especially the $150 million dollars in production value is what enticed millions more people to see the 2009 film than had seen any one of the previous films. We’ve established that $190 million is ridiculous as a budget for these films, but even with top quality VFX being cheaper now and clever scripting and production tricks you’d be hard pressed to argue the franchise should go back to sub-$100 million budgets. It’s not practical and it undermines the jobs of the marketing department by giving them less spectacle to promote.

Make a  little  movie that’s mostly about the characters, make it with only a medium budget

Instant fail.

Wrath of Khan disagrees with you but OK

I don’t know — Picard season 3 was kind of produced as you are recommending and that didn’t prevent it from being like Star Wars.

You could also say it stole from The Wrath of Kahn big time also. So what if the last two episodes stole from Star Wars, the previous eight were way too talky to be Star Wars. We could also go down the road that the Abrams movies felt more like Guardians of the Galaxy than Trek. The were 3 action movies with a lot of comedy.

Andor was great. If Toby Haynes can deliver a movie half the quality of that TV show we could be in for a treat.

Andor was very good, easily the best Disney live-action Star Wars series. But great? Nah. It meandered too much in the second half of the season. And it really should have been called “Resistance” or “Rise of the Rebellion” or something. There were whole episodes Andor himself was hardly in.

The second half of the season is when it hit its stride for me. Right when Haynes’ episodes started.

Andor was my favourite Star War followed by Rogue One.

Yay more prequels!

Exactly. Although I would like to see a movie or series about the Federation-Romulan Wars post-NX-01 pre-NCC-1701.

I’d love an animated show set in that time. A semi follow up to Enterprise with new and old characters. That’s my #1 fanfic Trek dream.

SAME. It would be amazing.

Omigosh that would be awesome!

Weird that I had just written a comment to that effect on a Facebook Trek site a couple of hours before the news broke!

It can’t be “set in the Kelvin universe” if it happens before Nero/Trek 2009. That’s a shared history before the divergence of the prime/kelvin universes. “That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works.” :)

It could theoretically take place between 2233 and 2258.

True. I stand corrected. :)

After Kelvin but before the main events of 2009’s film.

Kinda vague. I’m assuming this would be a young Pike or a Young Spock movie. Not sure where else there is to go with this.

I’m of the belief that Kelvin universe existed before Nero arrived and that it’s not a shared past. It’s just another alternate universe like the mirror one. I believe this because things were already different when Nero arrived:

The USS Kelvin is HUGE and has different technology. Khan, who was born hundreds of years before the Kelvin incident, is a white, British guy. I think there are more but I’d need to research it.

Wait I’m confused wasn’t it just always an alternative universe like the Mirror universe? How could white Khan be floating around for 300 years of it didn’t exist before then?

And why would the Kelvin just be there when the black hole formed? It’s JJ verse, trying to make sense of it is like trying to understand how cats think but this should just be a given it was always there.

Hi My friend. Yes it is an alternate universe. Both Bob Orci and Simon Pegg defined this. Although the red matter black whole created the Kelvin universe, the Kelvin Universe existed in its own reality since its own big bang. Than means before the Kelvin incident. It’s based on the idea of quantum mechanics or at least Orci’s understanding of it.

The whole concept of the Kelvin-verse is confusing. I see many articles calling it an altered timeline and others calling it an alternate universe. If it is confusing to fans, imagine how it is for the casual person who calls it “Star Track” and mentions “Dr. Spock” when the subject comes up.

Yep it is totally confusing and I can’t blame anyone. The thing I try to point out as an example is the mirror universe. It has existed since its own big bang. Some people like to point out the moment when Cochrane shot the Vulcans at first contact as the moment it “verged” but even that isn’t true if you look at the opening credits of the 2 part Enterprise Mirror episodes.

Kelvin is the same way. Sure the Universe was created in the Prime 24th century from the black hole, but people forget in different universes time works differently. And that’s a real life theory. Just because it is the 24th century in one universe does not mean you are creating that in the second. The Kelvin universe was born the moment in Prime universe the black hole was created but within it’s own time it started at the Big Bang and lasted from then till the 23rd century when Nero and Spock showed up. It could even be because in the time it took them to travel through the wormhole, that much time in the Kelvin-verse had past.

The casual person most likely doesn’t care how exactly Kelvin relates to what came before. To most people who’re not hardcore fans it’s probably simply a high-budget, slick reboot of an old entertainment property.

And unfortunately it’s the casual person’s money the studio is chasing now.

At least the fans still have the streaming productions and the past stuff that was created with them in mind as the primary demographic.

The movies could never succeed on Trek fans alone. They have always chased general audiences.

Completely agree.

It also throws everything streaming into a gray area (even PIC S03).

Agreed. I do believe that the black hole sent Nero and Spock back in time to the same parallel dimension, at two different points within that dimension. It never made sense to me that it would send Nero back in time within the same Prime ST Universe, and Spock back in time to a splinter timeline.

Also, the story of the USS Franklin just doesn’t quite fit with ST: Enterprise.

I think at one point in time, JJ, or someone on ST Beyond, said that Nero’s incursion changed the timeline going forward and backward (explaining the USS Franklin), which makes no sense at all.

according to the the writers and directors of beyond the kelvin timeline was always seperate and different from the prime verse and only certain personal histories were altered by the destruction of the kelvin and more was altered due to the destruction of Vulcan that is way Edison exists and the Franklin exists and was a maco ship to start with prior to the federation and there was a xindi war non of which happened or existed in the prime verse

I somewhat wonder if this will be a Franklin movie.

Yuppers exactly. Ther red matter black whole did create the Kelvin Universe but it existed since its own big bang. It is not an alternate skewed timeline of Prime. If it were ST Picard and Discovery S3 on would not be a thing.

Yes it can. The Kelvin universe is a universe, as you state, not an alternate timeline. It existed since its own big bang. It’s true it was created when Nero/Spock entered the black hole, but that black hole created an entirely new universe that existed from beginning to end. They had their own version of events that were not the same necessarily as the prime universe events prior to the Kelvin events.

Yuppity yup yup yup my friend!!! :)

Also, not holding my breath. Wolf has been cried many times. Like, many, many times at this point. When shooting begins, I’ll believe it.

I read that as “Worf” has been cried many times for some reason.

I agree we have been here many times now, but I still can’t help but to feel excited about the news.

I wish I had written that. :) Better turn of phrase. I am excited for any new Trek. I just have lost a lot of respect for the corporate cubicle climbing milquetoast talents at Paramount that come and go from the various executive roles since the canceling of Prodigy. It’s all temp execs at just another job that they will likely underwhelm in making calls that disrespect the cultural value that Trek has earned over the decades. They come and go, but Star Trek, and its connection the audiences’ hopes and aspirations, remains.

Paramount has a Trek movie in development could be a drinking game…..

Looks like mini-Phil also agrees

Star Trek movie false starts, how come Picard’s son has zero resemblance and what awards has LDS won — I think we have lots of fun material for that game! Lol

We’d all have alcohol poisoning by now

Sadly, I have to agree with you.

I agree completely. But 2 things are giving me pause. Giving the news as of late I have a sneaking suspicion there is already a merger deal in place with something like WBD that is a financial backer. 2, like the article says, the success of Trek on streaming gives them added incentive unlike the last attempts.

Don’t people get tired of entertainment vaporware? Ever hear of the boy who cried wolf? https://trekmovie.com/2018/04/25/breaking-paramount-ceo-confirms-two-star-trek-films-in-development/

I understand the cynicism but eventually one of these films will get made. It’s not a curse or anything, it’s just a series of bad luck. Something will punch through.

But the wolf eventually showed up

A white male director?! Awesome. It’s good that that group of people is not being disproportionately represented at all – and I’m one of them. All film directors have been men. Only one has not been a white guy. Seems odd that only white men have talent. Hmmmmm. No obvious, glaring bias here at all. Just a “coincidence” that’s not evidence of anything. Move along. This is not continued male and white supremacy at work creating a vision of the future that is supposed to represent the whole of humanity… but served up by white men almost exclusively on the big screen and with only recent small screen improvements.

Well maybe there would be more diversity if the current forced diversity was working (it’s not) you can’t force people to do something and then be surprised when it’s not that good.

I really don’t care who writes or directs as long as they truly care enough about what they are doing to write a smart story with good characters (aka the exact opposite of Discovery and Picard S1-2)

Oh, Americans and your identity politics. You lot won’t be happy till you have a 2nd civil war.

We don’t have it all figured out like the model UK has.

We already have one in case you haven’t noticed.

Oh, please, this is nothing like a civil war. It was far, far worse in the Vietnam era than it is now, and no one calls the late ’60s a “civil war”.

Jan 6th was nothing short of an attack by the American people on the United States Government. Whether it happened during Vietnam does not negate that.

But I haven’t seen the National Guard murdering protesters on college campuses lately.

Like I said, I am not comparing better or worse. Just that it was BAD and a literal attack by US citizens on the government of the United States. That’s Civil War, or at least the attempted start of one in my book.

I grew up on the ’70s — this is worse than that period for sure

The sclerotic thinking behind these projects also points to the global deterioration of the white male imagination. Navel-gazing rehashes of things their fathers and grandfathers built and they can only think to duplicate without heart or soul.

Appointing a Star Trek movie director is “white supremacy.” Gotcha.

Yeah, that was nutty

13 films. All male directors. Only one wasn’t a white guy. Seems odd that only one ethnicity/gender would get to direct… unless there was some sort of systemic racism/sexism giving white men a child’s booster seat at the table or a head start. Speaking of society at large. This is just a symptom. (Haven’t some of you actually watched Trek with its messages of social equality, or do you just think it’s about spaceships that go vroom in space?)

Who would you nominate to direct instead?

Lots of female and non-white directors are being given opportunities on the TV side, with Olatunde Osunsanmi being the top director for Disco and now Section 31. Hopefully some get to make the jump to theatrical features sooner than later, but the talent pool for diverse filmmakers with a good track record for helming big budget tentpoles is still shallow – it needs time to fill up. The most likely diverse and proven directors have very full dancecards now. Also, in Paramount’s defense, for every Jonathan Frakes and Leonard Nimoy they entrust with those responsibilities, there’s a William Shatner or Roberto Orci giving them second thoughts.

Knowing Paramount got as far as actually hiring S.J. Clarkson to direct a Kelvin film and the last director was an Asian man, perhaps we could tone down the accusatory tone a little. They’re obviously trying to do better, so it doesn’t really help to come in so hot. Haynes is talented as hell, that’s worth mentioning before lamenting his race and gender.

S. J. Clarkson

Pay attention!

Didn’t direct.

Too bad tho

Not because of anything she did. They did hire her, the project died in development hell.

Yeah exactly — they had her hired as the first female director for a Star Trek movie and the project died in development hell.

But they had hired her, so on this dude’s whiney point I am calling BS on — especially since we don’t even know if this new white guy will even direct a real movie anyway.

Like you know, this new guy’s actually going to direct a real Trek movie???

Not sure if you’re taking a stab a dry humor or sarcasm here. They did hire SJ Clarkson for one of the previous false starts. I have no idea if Jordon Peele or Greta Gerwig are available or not, but the reality in Hollywood is that if you put all the available directors in a room and threw in a rock, you’re going to hit a white male. I completely agree the industry needs more diversity, but it’s going to take time.

If it takes place decades before Star Trek (2009), could it be an Enterprise movie?

I’d love it if it were a Romulan Wars movie. But then I would want it to be the Prime universe.

I wonder if this is an attempt to get a movie made with Chris Hemsworth starring as George Kirk?

It’s possible, although we are about 15 years later in real time so I’m not sure if they want to do a movie where they have to de-age the lead for the whole movie.

What in the ever lasting HELL is Star Trek doing? “Set decades before the 2009 movie.” Do you know how time travel works? You bunch of morons. Unless it is AFTER the incursion that destroyed the Kelvin, its not a Kelvinverse movie because anything before it would be Prime. 

And you SAY you’re still developing number 4 at the same time as whatever the hell this other one is? Whatever. Believe it when I see it.

Let me guess. Sir Patrick got a scripts the other day. Said scripts is gonna have Picard interact with Kelvin folks and either make it where that timeline never happened or………….oooooooo I got it. Because we can never drop the Borg. People from the Kelvinverse will go seek out Picard after the Kelvinborg are discovered.

They’ll go recruit Picard from his timeline to fight the Borg. Oh, and this time the Borg queen will be a hottie with a big bust cuz Kelvinverse. 

Halfway through your post you just started yelling at people for your own bad fanfic.

Calm down, kid.

Whoever’s writing these pieces isn’t going to be fully familiar with Star Trek lore inside out. ST09 is the most popular recent reference point for most casual audiences.

Do YOU know how time travel works? Nero’s incursion was in 2233, the bulk of the 2009 film took place in 2258. That’s 25 years later (two and a half decades). So a film taking place decades before the 2009 movie is likely to be set right after the incursion, literally the origin point of the Kevin Universe. Seems like the perfect time to set an origin story. I’m not going to argue about whether or not a film that hasn’t been made yet and we know next to nothing about is going to be good or bad, but you’re so desperate to have something to complain about that you can’t even get the facts in your own argument straight.

Do you know what you are talking about? Both Bob Orci and Simon Pegg confirmed YEARS AGO that Kelvin is it’s own universe and not its own timeline. Yes, the red matter created Kelvin but it is NOT an alternate timeline. If it were Star Trek Picard and Discovery Season 3 and Beyond would not have happened in the PRIME UNIVERSE!

I think Pegg stated it was a different universe (bc of all the hoo-hah about kelvin sulu being gay but takei saying his version of sulu wasnt gay), Orci had previously said it was a new separate timeline (obviously existing in parallel to the prime timeline) created due to the Narada incursion and anything before that was the Primeverse.

Orci’s is the correct explanation

IIRC both had stated different universe due to quantum mechanics of a wormhole creating a new universe when matter goes through it which is actually a real scientific theory which obv no one can prove of course.

Switch to decaf, Raun, you sound like a shouty old man/nerd. Not saying I entirely disagree, but do calm down.

Borg Queen will be 7/9 then :D

It would kind of make sense for there to be a movie crossover (for 60th) with Picard/TNG and kelvin cast (Generations II) as it would mirror the end of TNG/Generations in 1994.. bringing together the biggest Trek crews/casts probably taking on the kelvin borg for maximum box office potential (250m ww.. j/k) and the multiverse/legacy movies with old actors all trendy now (except The Flash)

Alternate headline: “Paramount announces another Star Trek movie that it will never make; hires director and screenwriter to develop it to movie hell”

I would follow Toby Haynes into a sleazy Klingon pub. Fight me. Because Andor was real.

Haynes also helmed 5 of my favorite Doctor Who episodes and the USS Callister episode of Black Mirror. Great talent.

Great!!! They’ll send someone back in time to before Star Trek: Enterprise. Wipe away the entire franchise so they can start “fresh”!!! SMFH!!!

So how can this film take place in the Kelvin universe if the events that triggered the Kelvin universe haven’t happened yet? 😁

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again right now: Their dogged insistence on time travel being the creator of the Kelvin timeline only leads to MORE having to explain things away.

Kelvin/prequel personal thoughts aside…if this comes out in 2024 (which it won’t) 8 years after Beyond, can we expect the same elevated level of visual improvement and bombasity we saw from Nemesis (2002) to Star Trek (2009)? Radom thought for discussion

Considering that post-production for a movie like this takes upwards of a year and they haven’t even started writing it, a 2026 release is much more likely, assuming it happens at all, which it won’t.

Agreed. I have no faith in any Trek project outside of P+

I wasn’t aware it was April’s fools day. Its Jan 10th 2024.

I am of three minds on this. 1) I would like them to get a real finale for the Kelvin-verse so we can finally say good bye to it. 2) I am tired of them not developing something in the Prime universe. 3) I am really tired of them announcing movies that never go anywhere.

From what I have read so far, here and other sites, it isn’t clear if this movie is in the Prime or Kelvin universe. Only that it takes place decades before the 2009 movie. If it is before the Nero incursion then it should be in the Prime timeline.

Well they are developing in the prime universe, just not in the movies. Nemesis screwed everything up so bad that they gave up on it except for streaming. But I was hoping the success of Picard and SNW would put Prime back in the movies. I guess not. Frankly I don’t even need an end to Kelvin. Just let it die already.

This is adorable.

Not to be a naysayer, but I’m taking this with a grain of salt at the present time. And, another prequel, super.

This project sounds suspiciously like a revival of the Jendresen movie about the Romulan war.

That’s not the *worst* idea for a prequel — it’s probably more interesting than what we got with Discovery. But at the end of the day, do we really need yet another prequel?

Nope. Prequels (with the exception of SNW) suck

While SNW is technically a prequel, I view it more as a reboot.

Well I guess ever since that 2024 Khan ep it kinda is,

Enterprise could have been a great show, though. The premise of “birth of the Federation” had a huge amount of potential. What we got instead was two seasons of mostly rejected Voyager scripts and then a season-long 9/11-inspired war arc, and then finally some ‘birth of the Federation’ stuff in the last season when about 47 people were still watching.

I agree with you. But I didn’t want a retread of yet another ship with yet another crew. I wish we had gotten much more of a “For all mankind” kind of show where we see the birth of Starfleet by Humanity struggling to make it out into the galaxy with the first WARP drive and failing at first.

The original premise of Enterprise did have the whole first season on earth about the politics and such.

The Star Trek brand is popular as ever? It absolutely is… Largely among us old timer fans that is. Many casual TV audiences, especially those who only have Netflix, are still not even aware of the current shows out there. Seriously, just chat with any non-Trek fan who is a TV watcher and find out how much they actually know/care about the franchise or any of the new shows on the go. I also haven’t seen the expected deluge of new fans praising the shows and recommending that their friends jump on board too.

I said this before as well and recently a week ago in another thread. No one I know knows any of these shows exist, mostly because none of them have Paramount+ or care about Star Trek.

I’m on Facebook every week discussing Picard, SNW, Discovery and so on and almost every single member in that group have all been fans since the 90s. Some even since the 7Os and 80s. Not a single one became a fan due to any of the new shows. One became a fan due to JJ verse at least but that’s because his dad was already a Trekkie growing up on TNG and took him to see it when he was 12.

It’s very weird to me because I didn’t become a fan until Voyager started and was around 18 at the time but met other people like me who was green on Trek until the 90s when they became teenagers or of age too. I don’t see any teenagers talking about these new Trek shows today.

That’s why I’ve decided Prodigy being on Netflix is a good thing. P+ is way too weak of a service to carry a franchise like Star Trek.

I love Prodigy, but I suspect it’s mostly popular with old Voyager fans like me and not the demographic it was created for.

I wish all of the shows would return to Netflix.

Definitely agree. Prodigy has way more exposure now no matter what. P+ is becoming the UPN of streaming and probably won’t last half as long if they sell it.

old time (but young) fan here. Very big fan and I know of the new series, I’ve watched most of them and found them very lackluster… I have no reason to praise or pass on the new shows, I do still talk about and recommend the older ones.

Sweet! Another couple of movies to add to: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Undeveloped_Star_Trek_projects

Woooaah now Paramount is not developing one but TWO Star Trek movies at the same time??

Amazing, this is 2018 all over again! 😂😂😂

Bruh what is WRONG with these people? Of course we are all so positive about it since we saw how great the last movie that was released a month ago.

Oh wait. 😆🙄

And more JJ verse and prequels? Eh, really don’t care. Buuut if one of them involves Picard from the script Stewart mentioned then I can pretend to care?

Whatever we can’t go a year without another movie ‘announcement’.Was JJ there to reveal it at another shareholder event too?

Totally dude. Kelvin? No thanks. I’ll stay home. And I’m not even sure I’d be interested on P+ at this point. Let it die already.

I don’t know why they just won’t let it die?? And look I’ll play fair and be nice and say I understand there are people that like those movies and want more. But at some point when you keep cancelling and delaying the same movie over and over for seven years now, Paramount is making it clear they have no faith in this movie or they would’ve made it already. 🙄

And what’s hilarious when I saw the headline they got a new director for the Star Trek movie I thought it was for that one. You know the one they announced three years ago and keep saying they want to make but haven’t replaced the last director who bounced over a year ago? Now they got this new guy for another movie entirely. That’s probably the one Stewart is tied to if he’s really in it.

I guess it’s announced it’s the final one because they already know the next movie, if it ever gets made is probably not going to be a huge hit. They probably just hope it does better than Beyond but I bet it’s going to do worse since only Trekkies even care about them at this point and half them don’t even care anymore.

I gotta be honest with you. I gave up with this idea when I saw “JJ”. He buried Star Trek into the ground, Then he got Star Wars. He nearly buried that into the ground too. The only thing that saved both franchises was when they went to tv and were out of his hands. And how Paramount is SO STUPID they are putting it back in his hands again?

Abrams does not get Trek. Nor does he care. He is ON RECORD as saying as much when Tarantino was possibly attached to Trek for 5 minutes and said he doesn’t get “Pine Trek” and Abrams said, “I don’t either, just do whatever you want”. Screw you dude. Normally I am a very nice person. But in this case? Seriously, screw you Abrams.

I do think it’s funny that you hate those movies more than I do? 😂

But I agree, Abrams doesn’t care about Star Trek just how much money he can make from it. I’m not naive I understand who makes it wants to make money off of it. You can do that and still care about it. Abrams just saw it as a way to push his new directing career that got him Star Wars and he did that franchise even dirtier in the end. What’s ‘great’ about JJ verse is that you can totally ignore it and not have it touch the real Trek IMO or the Trek I’m deeply devoted to and care about. Those movies are isolated from the bigger universe.

Definitely not the same with the Sequel Trilogy. Those movies are tied in to everything now.

And everyone seems to know Abrams is poison because no one is remotely suggesting that he should direct any of these movies. The guy hasn’t directed in 5 years and his other projects just keep dying so now is the shot to get back on the saddle but no one seems to be in a rush to have him direct anything these days.

I’m OK if he produces but stay far away from writing or directing or we get much worse schlock than STID or TROS as scary as that sounds. 🤮

I guess if he is just collecting a paycheck as a producer but stays as far away from creative control that would be ok lol.

And ya I agree with everything you said as per usual. But you mention the best thing about the kelvin movies was that they were completely separate from the Prime Universe. I agree 100%. But here’s the thing. That was Orci, not Abrams. By his own admission to Tarantino, he doesn’t even get it.

My feelings on Abrams, is he comes up with 4 or 5 “key” exciting scenes he wants to happen, puts them onto the writing staff and says I dont care how we get here, but I need to see these epic scenes.. plot be dam make it happen cappt’en!!

I’d like to see a Star Trek movie along the lines of “Prelude to Axanar” which was good for a fan-made film.

It’s a real stretch to call the Axanar a fan film. It was an unauthorized professional production.

For Spock’s sake! Not another bloody prequel, this is getting ridiculous now.

It is. But it also seems like the sequels belong to P+ more than the movies. More than anything else they need to end the Kelvin universe. Not with one last movie, just stop already. IMHO this movie will hysterically fail like Beyond did.

The chances of this (or probably any other Trek movie by JJ Abrams) getting made are zero, so you can relax.

I feel like they want to get these two movies out for the 60th anniversary of the franchise. Could this be the story of Captain Robau of the USS Kelvin before his eventual encounter with Nero’s ship. I remember hearing about them wanting to do a Robau show back when ST09 first came out.

That might be tough considering Chris Helmsworth would be hysterically out of reach for them.

And way too old at this point as well.

Yuppers that too lol

I don’t see nothing wrong with any of the reboot films. It was JJ who refused new blood into this fifty off yrs old franchise. There only misstep was into darkness. But it was vastly improved with Beyond..

They could do a SNW movie, it would be amazing.

Honestly I am down for more exploring of the Kelvin timeline/universe. Yes it is highly contested, but it does give us amazing visuals (I still absolutely love the Kelvin-prise design) as well as a non-prime universe to play in (new stories, new or familiar yet somewhat different characters).

I do still wish one day we’d get a deeper look at the TOS-movie era universe (TMP-VI), but aside from the occasional comic book or beta-canon novel, I don’t see it happening.

Hey to each their own. But I loathe the Kelvin-Prise design. Those nacelles were ridiculously large. And the fact that it was built on Earth and not in space makes it even less believable because that ship by design should have collapsed due to the weight of the nacelles and the pylons being no where near strong enough to support them.

I’m always amused that I read about people believing the starship Enterprise, in any configuration, is “believable”. It’s an artistic design, nothing more. While I’ve enjoyed it as such over the years, I can say with 100% certainty that if we ever do get out of our solar system someday, none of those ships will even remotely resemble the Enterprise.

Here is why I think it is believable. One, Roddenberry IIRC spoke with futurists when creating Star Trek and the enterprise. 2. The Enterprise has a very thoughtful design. People live in the saucer section of the ship. Engineering is in the, well, engineering hull of the ship. The nacelles which might create radiation are purposely placed as far away as possible from both.

The Enterprise was never designed to fly in an atmosphere of a planet (even if it did in TOS and Kelvin Trek). It was designed to be built and function solely in space.

Without it’s structural shields up, it’s design can not take the gravity of a planet pulling it apart due to it’s design.

In fact, NASA in real life hired Mike Okuda to design theoretical designs for a real life starship. And I know Okuda didn’t invent the OG Enterprise but that speaks to Trek’s starship design language.

Everything you mention in your first paragraph about the general design is still valid for the Kelvin redesign. You acknowledge in your second paragraph that the Enterprise was shown entering an atmosphere even in TOS. We’ve also seen other Federation starships enter atmospheres, e.g. Voyager. So that basically leaves your objection that the ship shouldn’t be built on the surface because the structures couldn’t support their weight. Two points to that: 1) “anti-gravity technology” and “structural integrity fields” exist in Trek canon. 2) The 2009 movie actually shows scaffolding supporting the ship under construction. Once construction is finished (and the scaffolding is removed) the ship should very well be able to support and lift off on its own. Starships may normally operate under no-gravity or low-gravity conditions but we’ve also often seen starships withstand much stronger gravitational forces than those on Earth’s surface. In fact, each time the ship accelerates or decelerates it experiences forces much stronger than Earth’s gravity.

I still think the worst design is the Kelvin A. Or at least as rendered looked too dreamlike and whispy. Maybe if we had a better look at her.

Very excited about Toby Haynes.

Much, much less excited about ‘expanding the Kelvinverse’. That part feels like a deliberate effort to finally wipe out TOS&TNG.

Paramount needs to upgrade and future-prood DS9&VOY.

Who cares about movies, give me Star Trek: Legacy!

I want a gritty, dark Star Trek movie with nudity. The more the better.

You want to see Picard naked? To each his own…

Star Trek: Nudity

Maybe we’ll get a p0rn star academy award – a stiffy?

Cause that went over SO WELL with Into Darkness.

Into Darkness is my favorite Trek movie.

I’ve only seen Into Dumbness once…in the theater and never again. There is so much wrong with it, you could write a thesis on it . It’s my second worst movie in the franchise after Nemesis.

But I’m not judging, I don’t think The Final Frontier is as bad as people say, but it’s pretty bad lol.

expanding on the universe is good idea at this point if staying in the Kelvin-verse. They’ve squandered that cast to the point where they are too expensive / busy to use so might as well branch out

Would love to see a STAR TREK origin movie about Captain Robert April, his wife, and crew at the start of the 1701 voyages.

I’d love to see a film or set of films based around the Earth Romulan war

I think it’s pre the opening scene of ST09. It’s gonna be a Romulan war movie. You could bring back Idris Elba and Scott Bakula and deage / age them up.

Oh good an origin story set before the origin story.

For Star Trek 4 they should do something special for the 60th Anniversary. It will be the last Kelvin Movie. Make it special. Have fun with it. Have a good entertaining story. Use some Legacy characters. If we are fortunate enough to have any of the TOS stars available for the 60th just do it. Paramount should market the history of the franchise this time.

How would they get Walter, Bill and George into the movie though, Deepfake?

Would have to be some cgi deaging magic. I just think they should do a better job than they did for the 50th anniversary. If they are able to do it i think it would be a nice touch.

Yeah thats what should be done (like Dr Who’s 50th), a big multiverse ‘Generations’ style movie for the 60th featuring the kelvin cast, deepfake ToS actors, even some TNG cast if possible with tons if ships from all eras (like Picard s3). Kind of what 50th anniversary movie should’ve been instead of attack of the robotic bee ships on some random space station

Absolutely. The Final Movie with the Kelvin cast could truly be epic. Paramount just doesn’t get it. I did enjoy Beyond however it totally failed to be the grand story they should have had for the 50th anniversary.

Exclusive: Paramount Executive meeting discussing the new Star Trek movie announcement

Head Studio Guy : We’re all on a sinking ship and Redstone wants us to pump up the stock and get a buyer fast before all of you start driving for Uber. So I got a great idea to get everybody excited to invest in the future of this studio!

Executive #1: Whatever it is sir we know we’re all going to love it!

(Executives 2-5 agrees): The rest of us agrees!

Head Studio Guy: I been thinking about this for hours and one idea I think we should do to get some juicy headlines is announce a new Star Trek movie!

(Confusion)

Executive #3: Um sir… didn’t we already announce a new Star Trek movie… like three years ago? And one before that one? And the another before that one? And the one before…?

Head Studio Guy: Yeah…and now we’re announcing another one! Think of all the nerds out there and how excited they will be that we will yet announce another movie! And maybe we will get an offer from Elon Musk to buy the company. Look how amazing he’s done with Twitter!

(All executives claps in unison): Brilliant sir!

Executive #4: What will this one be about?

Head Studio Guy: I was thinking we should have a clean slate. Start from the beginning and this time it will be an origin story! The fans love prequels! Can’t get enough of them. It can be a story about the origins of Star Trek! Huh???????

Executive #1: Didn’t we already do that with Enterprise?

Executive #2: What’s Enterprise?

Head Studio Guy: Don’t worry about it! Maybe it could be an origin story of Kirk and Dr. Spock then.

Executive #4: Um I think the other movies already did that. And isn’t Strange New Worlds kind of doing that too?

Executive #2: Is that one with the kids on the ship with the hologram lady?

Head Studio Guy: No. And we don’t talk about that show ever again. Do you hear me? NEVER AGAIN! But OK, fine it won’t be Kirk and pointy ears guy, we’ll come up with another origin story then. We’ll hire some writer and director and let them come up with something.

Executive #5: Maybe we can see if Tarantino is interested again?

(Room bursts into laughter)

Head Studio Guy (wipes tear): Ah good one Executive #5. We trolled the nerds hard with that one. Harder than the Shareholder event thing with Abrams. That announcement trended for months though. No way would that dumpster fire ever get a greenlight. Good times. Anyway I have a title too. We’re going to call it, you ready.. ..Star Trek: Origins!

(All executives clapping): “Brilliant! Very original! You the man sir!!!”

Executive #1: Actually didn’t a Wolverine movie already have that title 15 years ago? We don’t want to confuse our audience. They might think it’s related.

Head Studio Guy: Great point #1! Yeah horrible title. Whoever came up with it should be fired.

Executives: Yeah bad! Very bad! Boo!

Head Studio Guy: We’ll leave that to the new writer and director then. But it looks like we have a game plan now! We’re off and running now boys!

Executive #4: Um…sir? Are we going to actually MAKE this one this time?

Head Studio Guy (hard shrug): Who the bleep knows? But the nerds will be stoked over the announcement. That should keep them happy for six months at least until we sell this puppy. Make it so!

Executives: (High fives and chest bumps!)

ANOTHER prequel?

But this time it’s a prequel of a prequel. They are really spoiling us.

I’ve generally enjoyed the Kelvin movies.But It is hard to get excited about the repots of a new one with all previous reporting going nowhere.

Why Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Star Trek’ Film Should Be His Last

The Movie Critic had a lot going for it. Too much, as it turns out. The film was meant to be Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and final, until production fell apart and Sony officially shelved the project at Tarantino’s request. And while this may not seem all that odd at first glance—movies often come apart at the seams—the late-breaking nature of the cancellation is noteworthy. Tarantino famously begins and abandons projects all the time, but never ones already in pre-production. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter , The Movie Critic plot began as one thing before veering off-track. Sources revealed a meta-like angle to the story, with old characters from the Tarantino universe appearing. It also allegedly morphed from a movie about a real-life 70s film critic (supposedly based on Jim Sheldon of The Hollywood Press ) into something of a Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood prequel. 

From the sounds of it, Tarantino might have caved to the pressure of his own self-assigned legacy. His vow to cap his filmography at 10 movies necessitates going out with a bang.

But what if instead of bowing out with a comprehensive meta-fairytale, Tarantino zagged? What if he returned to an older abandoned project and used his final film as a way to shake up the movie industry—perhaps forever? That’s something a disrupter like Tarantino would probably enjoy, at least in theory. And maybe ending with something wildly unexpected could remove the pressure valve and let the auteur phase peacefully out of film and into whatever comes next. (He’s hinted that he’d like to spend his later years writing novels .) 

This is why it’d be fun and genuinely subversive if Tarantino’s final film was one he teased long ago—an R-rated Star Trek movie. But before we dig deeper into the reasons this would be an unexpected move for the director, let’s take a quick look back at the project and where it currently stands.

Tarantino’s Star Trek Film Might Have Been the Franchise’s “Greatest”

In a recent interview, screenwriter Mark L. Smith—who was set to collaborate with Tarantino on a Star Trek script—revealed that the film could have been the “greatest Star Trek film”. He also confirmed that the director feared ending his cinematic career with a pre-existing franchise.

“Quentin and I went back and forth, he was gonna do some stuff on it, and then he started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films,” Smith told Collider. “I remember we were talking, and he goes, ‘If I can just wrap my head around the idea that Star Trek could be my last movie, the last thing I ever do. Is this how I want to end it?’ And I think that was the bump he could never get across, so the script is still sitting there on his desk.”

Tarantino, a longtime fan of the Gene Roddenberry-created series, envisioned a “largely earthbound” story set in the 1930s and loosely inspired by the 17th episode of the original series, “A Piece of the Action.” Smith said the two watched gangster films together for inspiration and that the film would have been full of gory, Pulp Fiction -esque action as well as time travel. It was meant to star the current Star Trek movie cast, including Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock.

In 2019, Tarantino said that he was moving on from directing the film—but that it could still be made without him. “It’s a good idea,” he told Consequence of Sound . “They should definitely do it and I’ll be happy to come in and give them some notes on the first rough cut.”

So the film moved off his plate—but that doesn’t mean it can’t come back. Tarantino changes his mind all the time. His uncertainty is one of his more refreshingly relatable qualities. Who can’t identify with the constant need to fuss indecisively about big-stakes projects? He famously abandoned The Hateful Eight after the script leaked online, only to come back and complete it. So moving on from Star Trek doesn’t mean it’s really the end. And returning to the project actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the rest of his career. 

It Would Be a Subversive Choice—for the King of Subversive Choices

Tarantino radicalized the film industry with Pulp Fiction back in 1994. While his first film, Reservoir Dogs , was a critical hit, it was Fiction that made the director a household name. That film, with its self-referential style, non-chronological storytelling, and bursts of shocking violence, became a postmodern classic and is largely considered one of the greatest films ever made. It was also highly subversive at the time of release, in the era of more traditionalist, sentimental fare like Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption . 

Now, at first glance, bowing out on a Star Trek film sounds far from subversive. Star Trek is a beloved property spanning back to the 1960s—a franchise that consistently sees new output. But while it might seem like a “safe” choice, it would really be anything but. It’s rare to see beloved filmmakers at the top of the industry dip into someone else’s franchise. Think of Tarantino’s peers like Paul Thomas Anderson or the Coens and imagine them making a Star Wars or Marvel film. Sounds almost silly, right? At the very least hard to wrap your head around.

Tarantino abandoning preconceived notions about what his final film should be is in keeping with his whole… thing. He isn’t one to make traditional choices. He’s a Tinseltown rascal, someone intent on crafting a wholly unique legacy. The “10 films and done” thing is based on nothing but his own self-actualized mythmaking. Going out with Trek —that’s a move no one else of his stature would make, which makes it the perfect move for him.

It’s in Keeping With His Love of Vintage TV and Genre

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood revealed a new side of Tarantino—or at least a previously unrealized special interest. He’s always been a lover of vintage pop culture, from the pulp novels that inspired Pulp Fiction to the blaxploitation influences in Jackie Brown to the spaghetti Western vibes of Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained . But with Hollywood , we learned that he also has a deep respect for classic television. The film is packed full of references to real shows like Lancer, The F.B.I., The Green Hornet, and Bonanza , with nods to backlot production that reveal a deep well of behind-the-scenes knowledge.

Star Trek was also a show of this era. In fact, the original series ended in 1969, the year that Hollywood takes place. Tarantino’s interest in late 60s/early 70s Hollywood meshes nicely with Star Trek ’s origins, so ending in that universe would in many ways be its own kind of meta tribute. It wouldn’t be wildly out of line to stick Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton in there, perhaps as an actor playing a Trek villain—with stunts by Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth. Doesn’t that seem like a very Tarantino thing to do? 

And while Tarantino’s never officially dipped into sci-fi, it’s clearly a genre he enjoys. He’s cited Back to the Future, The Thing, Mad Max: Fury Road , and The Matrix as some of his favorite films . It seems, then, that Star Trek could be the perfect vehicle to delve deep into a world and genre he’s long admired, and could leave his quintessential mark on. 

It Could Forge a Bold New Path for Franchise Filmmaking

We’re in a weird era of franchise filmmaking. The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a major hit these past few years, a shocking turn of events for one of the most reliable blockbuster churners of the 21st century. Fans seemingly grew fatigued by the constant onslaught of superhero fare, a problem that’s extended to DC and Sony films as well. And with other major franchises, from Star Wars to Harry Potter , seemingly on pause while their studios plot next moves, we’re left with a bit of a dearth in 2024. 

But one way to revitalize IP? Bring in the big guns. Letting respected auteurs helm franchise movies—especially with less corporate-mandated oversight—can yield brilliant results with enough trust. Think of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune , Brian DePalma’s Mission: Impossible , Sam Mendes’ Skyfall , or even Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther . Properties with varying degrees of reliability to the behemoth Trek franchise. But pairings that elevated their films from run-of-the-mill content to respected and beloved cinema. 

Now what if we take that one step farther? What if, instead of just pairing a hotshot director with big-brand IP, we also let them carry that IP from family-friendly to a hard-R rating? It’s a risky move, but not an unprecedented one. Think of the success of the Deadpool films, soon to be an official Disney property. There’s an audience for gnarly, grown up films. And luckily, there’s enough gentle Trek already in the ecosystem for the younger fans to play in until they’re ready for a Quentin Tarantino bloodbath. Targeting adults is a wise move—and it would let these franchises evolve beyond the safer plots we’ve come to expect.

It Might Embolden Other Auteur Artists To Enter the Trek Universe

Another cool thing that could come from Tarantino stepping into Trek ? It could lure other notable directors into the fray. The Trek universe has a lot of big-name fans, many of them directors. Seth MacFarlane, Brad Bird, Ben Stiller, Edgar Wright, and Olivia Wilde are all Trekkies and have expressed interest in the franchise. Even Ridley Scott almost made a Star Trek film. 

If Tarantino really did choose to end his legacy career with Trek , it could throw the door wide open—in more ways than one. And after such a storied filmography, paving a new frontier—the final, in Tarantino’s case—of possibility would be a perfect grace note for one of the most beloved, fascinating, and admired filmmakers of all time. It’d be a real thrill to see him go boldly where no director of his status has gone before. 

• Copy from this list
• Report this list

Star Trek - In Release Order

Star Trek release order (*=films) 1) Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) 2) Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) 3a) *Star Trek: The Motion Picture 3b) *Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn 3c) *Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock 3d) *Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home 3e) *Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier 3f) *Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country 4) Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) 5) *Star Trek: Generations 6) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) 7) Star Trek: Voyager (VOY) 8a) *Star Trek: First Contact 8b) *Star Trek: Insurrection 8c) *Star Trek: Nemesis 9) Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT) 10a)*Star Trek (2009) 10b)*Star Trek Into Darkness 10c)*Star Trek Beyond 11) Star Trek: Discovery (DSC) 12) Star Trek: Picard (PIC) 13) Star Trek: Lower Decks (LOW) 14) Star Trek: Prodigy (PRO) 15) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW) Note: Some newcomers to the franchise may want to skip the first 3 steps if the originals haven't aged enough for their palate.

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

1. 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: 92,942

2. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1975)

TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The further adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, as they explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

Stars: William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , George Takei

Votes: 8,184

3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

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

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

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

Votes: 96,624 | Gross: $82.26M

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

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

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

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

Votes: 129,232 | Gross: $78.91M

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

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

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

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

Votes: 86,175 | Gross: $76.47M

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

PG | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

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

Votes: 91,492 | Gross: $109.71M

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

PG | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

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

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

Votes: 64,211 | Gross: $52.21M

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

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

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

Votes: 80,904 | Gross: $74.89M

9. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

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.

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

Votes: 136,039

10. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery

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

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

Votes: 87,053 | Gross: $75.67M

11. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

Stars: Avery Brooks , Rene Auberjonois , Cirroc Lofton , Alexander Siddig

Votes: 70,802

12. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

TV-PG | 44 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

Stars: Kate Mulgrew , Robert Beltran , Roxann Dawson , Robert Duncan McNeill

Votes: 77,350

13. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

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

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

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

Votes: 132,073 | Gross: $92.00M

14. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

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

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

Votes: 79,474 | Gross: $70.12M

15. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

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

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

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

Votes: 83,932 | Gross: $43.25M

16. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

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

Votes: 59,113

17. Star Trek (2009)

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

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

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

Votes: 620,314 | Gross: $257.73M

18. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

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

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

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

Votes: 497,101 | Gross: $228.78M

19. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

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

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

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

Votes: 258,518 | Gross: $158.85M

20. Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.

Stars: Sonequa Martin-Green , Doug Jones , Anthony Rapp , Mary Wiseman

Votes: 135,079

21. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

TV-MA | 46 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

Stars: Patrick Stewart , Michelle Hurd , Jeri Ryan , Alison Pill

Votes: 94,724

22. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–2024)

TV-14 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, have to keep up with their duties, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

Stars: Tawny Newsome , Jack Quaid , Noël Wells , Eugene Cordero

Votes: 24,987

23. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–2024)

TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

Stars: Rylee Alazraqui , Dee Bradley Baker , Brett Gray , Angus Imrie

Votes: 5,591

24. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

TV-PG | 52 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

Stars: Anson Mount , Ethan Peck , Christina Chong , Melissa Navia

Votes: 58,940

List Activity

Tell your friends, other lists by steve_n_laakso.

Recently Viewed

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Apr 24, 2024

Stuck in a Loop: The Best of Star Trek's Time-Jumping Episodes

From The Next Generation to Discovery, going around and around is sometimes very revealing.

StarTrek.com

In the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 episode, " Face the Strange ," Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner find themselves both stuck in a loop, but also, jumping all around the timeline of the titular starship. From the point before the U.S.S. Discovery was launched, to pivotal moments in Season 4, Season 3, Season 2 and even very early in Season 1, Rayner notes at one point that, "We’ve gone back in time to when you went forward to the future. That’s a little confusing."

Throughout all of Star Trek 's history, time travel has been just as propulsive to the narratives as space travel. But, within the various time travel stories of Trek , there is a special kind of time-skipping episode — the time loop story. Discovery has recently shaken-up this formula with "Face the Strange," but many elements of this episode pay homage to a proud Star Trek tradition. Here’s the history of the best time loop, and time-jumping episodes across the entire Final Frontier.

" Cause and Effect ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 18)

"Cause and Effect"

Perhaps one of the greatest science fiction episodes of all time, The Next Generation set the gold-standard for how to do time loop episodes.

When the Enterprise collides with another starship in the first scene, this episode poses one question right off the bat: What happens after you blow up the ship — and everyone on it — before the credits roll? The answer is mostly connected to whether or not we can even remember when we're stuck in a loop. Without actually spoiling this classic episode, let's just say thank the stars for Dr. Crusher and Data.

The brilliance of "Cause and Effect" cannot be overstated, but the 21st Century legacy of this episode is utterly appropriate. When Geordi reveals how the time loop works, Riker says, "You mean we could have come into this room, sat at this table and had this conversation a dozen times already?" This scene has become a popular meme format across various social media platforms, satirizing the time loop of some aspects of the internet experience.

" Parallels ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7, Episode 11)

"Parallels"

Arguably, when Worf starts slipping between realities in "Parallels," the story is more focused on other dimensions, rather than a true time loop. But, each time he pops into a new reality, Worf does tend to reply to his own personal log, which is what began the episode.

Obviously, in each new timeline, Worf's personal log is different, and because he checks it so often in the episode, this gives "Parallels" the feeling of a time loop story, even though Worf is technically moving both forward in time, and also, side-to-side.

On top of all of this, "Parallels" feels time-loopy because so many ideas and plot points from previous seasons of The Next Generation are revisited here. From references to " The Best of Both Worlds ," to the return of Wesley Crusher, "Parallels" brings all the good things of TNG back around again for another look, from a different point of view.

" All Good Things... ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7, Episode 25)

"All Good Things..."

Speaking of the best of The Next Generation , the immortal series finale is, from a certain point of view, one big time loop. As Jean-Luc Picard shifts between past, present, and future, the biggest mystery of "All Good Things…" is what caused the anomaly in the Devron system? Eventually, we learn that the ending and the beginning of this story are inextricably connected, a paradox that creates a kind of loop that must be broken.

Twenty-nine years later, in the Star Trek: Picard episode, " Imposters ," Captain Liam Shaw references this moment, and notes that Picard and Riker have a "real chicken and egg thing going on." It doesn’t get any more time-loopy than that!

" Visionary ," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 3, Episode 17)

"Visionary"

When O'Brien starts seeing another version of himself appearing randomly throughout the station, Dr. Bashir briefly floats the idea that he's just having really boring hallucinations. But, as the episode goes on, it becomes clear that O'Brien is actually seeing brief moments in the future, and then, catching up to those moments in the present.

"Visionary" messes with what we expect from a time loop episode, because in all instances of future occurrences, there are literally two O'Briens present, and, when the past O'Brien catches up to the future moment, the duplication effect happens again, creating a kind of visual loop for the audience. The funny thing is, in several instances, the future doesn't play out exactly the way past O'Brien saw the first time, making this one of the wobblier time loops in all of Star Trek .

" Relativity ," Star Trek: Voyager (Season 5, Episode 24)

"Relativity"

In a move very similar to Discovery 's "Face the Strange," this unforgettable episode of Voyager briefly takes us back to a point before the series even begins, showing us Janeway's first moments on Voyager before the ship left the Utopia Planitia Shipyards on Mars. (In "Face the Strange," Burnham and Rayner see Discovery in a drydock on Earth well before the events of Season 1.)

But, Voyager 's jaunt into its own prehistory is just the beginning of a very specific type of time jumping episode. Here, Seven of Nine isn't exactly repeating a loop, but, making several attempts at different times, to prevent a bomb from destroying Voyager . As Tuvok aptly puts it when encountering one version of Seven from the future, "Like many time paradoxes, it's improbable, but not necessarily illogical." Because this episode features multiple versions of Seven, and leaps to various eras of Voyager , it pairs very nicely with Burnham and Rayner's similar jumps in "Face the Strange." Especially the moment where Seven meets herself.

" Shattered ," Star Trek: Voyager (Season 7, Episode 11)

"Shattered"

Does Voyager have the best timey-wimey episodes in all of the Trek franchise? It's hard to say, but if there's another Trek episode that feels like an older sibling of Discovery 's "Face the Strange," it's almost certainly "Shattered," a fan-favorite episode from Voyager 's final season. Here, the captain and the first officer — Janeway and Chakotay — find themselves on a version of the ship that has been split into different time periods.

"Shattered" is one of Star Trek 's greatest retrospective episodes, touching on moments across all of Voyager 's story, and teaming past versions of characters with ones closer to the present. It's a touching story, and, structurally, it's wonderfully homaged in Discovery .

" Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad ," Star Trek: Discovery (Season 1, Episode 7)

"Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad"

One of Discovery 's stand-out moments from Season 1 fully set the stage for "Face the Strange" in Season 5. In "Magic to Make The Sanest Man Go Mad," Harry Mudd sets the ship on a true time loop, in which only Stamets can truly remember what is going on. Like in "Face the Strange," Stamets has a perception that exists outside of time, thanks to taking on the Tardigrade DNA in "Choose Your Pain."

This detail comes in handy in "Face the Strange," where Burnham and Stamets again have to re-team to get Discovery out of a time loop caused by nefarious enemies using time travel technology as a weapon. In Season 1, Burnham and Stamets barely knew each other, much like Burnham and Rayner's relationship in Season 5. But, if there's one thing a time loop or time-jumping episode can do, it’s make people who are just colleagues into best friends for life.

Get Updates By Email

Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.