Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a hugely important moment in the history of the franchise. After the original series was cancelled in 1969, the future of Star Trek was up in the air. Fortunately it started doing very well in syndication, gradually growing a passionate fanbase that continues to grow larger each year. Based on this, Gene Roddenberry convinced Paramount Pictures that a feature film was the way to bring these much-loved characters back, with the success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind convincing studios to take a chance on it.