Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Edition Trailer: The Remastered Original Movie Comes Exclusively To Paramount+

A long-awaited addition to every "Star Trek" superfan's collection is now finally set to arrive, over two decades in the making — presumably with phasers set to stunning. As the very first instance of the beloved sci-fi franchise making the leap from television to the big screen, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" had a lot riding on it. Originally released in 1979 and forced to play catch-up with the worldwide sensation known as "Star Wars," the first feature film chronicling the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (actor and /Film contributor William Shatner), trusted science officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), chief medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), chief engineer Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), weapons officer Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), and helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) reunited the cast of "The Original Series" and took things in a more ... philosophical direction.

Directed by Robert Wise, the purposefully pondering and slow-paced film would go on to become synonymous with that excruciatingly drawn-out reveal of the vaunted starship U.S.S. Enterprise in space dock above Earth, the bizarrely bland and muted color scheme (a far cry from the eye-popping colors prevalent throughout the 1960s production design of "The Original Series"), and even criticisms taking aim at the lack of action and too many special effects. But one thing most fans can agree on, however, is that the film has always served as a visual treat for the eyes. Now, a little over two decades after Wise returned to oversee the re-editing and updating of visual effects for the DVD release in 2001, his director's cut is now being released — for the very first time, excitingly enough — in spectacular 4K Ultra HD.

Check out the trailer below!

"The human adventure is just beginning," the tagline for the movie proudly announced. Now, that adventure is about to get a visual overhaul in celebration of the franchise's First Contact Day. As announced by Paramount, the movie will stream exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service for subscribers on April 5, 2022. Thrillingly, this will also be made available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in September of 2022. What's more, the studio press release also revealed that lucky viewers will be able to catch this remastered edition on the actual big screen for a special two-day event, thanks to Fathom Events. Tickets will go on sale on April 8, 2022, ahead of the theatrical rerelease on May 22 and May 25.

Now, we'll get an even more dazzling recreation of the original intentions for gorgeous space vistas and otherworldly and abstract sequences (in loving tribute of "2001: A Space Odyssey," of course). Producer David C. Fein and preservationist Mike Matessino both oversaw the restoration, with visual effects supervisor Daren Dochterman returning to help guide the 6-month process to the finish line. In a statement, Fein had this to say:

"I couldn't be prouder and more thrilled to have completed the film in 4K. Paramount offered unprecedented access to the original elements and exceptional support and the results are stunning. Utilizing the latest discoveries and innovations of modern film production, The Director's Edition delivers so much more today than was previously possible. It's an adventure you'll never forget!"

The home release for "The Motion Picture" promises to come with "extensive new and legacy bonus content," the exact details of which will be officially announced closer to release. You can read the synopsis of the director's edition below.

The U.S.S. Enterprise boldly debuted on the big screen with the cast of the original Star Trek series, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan. Meticulously restored and remastered, with enhanced visual effects and state-of-the-art sound, this definitive vision of director Robert Wise has been optimized for a new generation of fans. When an unidentified alien intruder destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Admiral James T. Kirk (Shatner) returns to the helm of a newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command and confront an alien spacecraft of enormous power heading toward Earth.