Star Trek: The Motion Picture Returning To Theaters For Its 40th Anniversary

UPDATE: We’ve been informed that the return to theaters hasn’t been confirmed just yet and at the moment, details remain unclear on what may happen. Once we learn more, though, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a very important moment in the history of the franchise. After the original series was cancelled in 1969, the future of Trek was in doubt. 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 best way to bring these much-loved characters back, with the success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind convincing the studio to take a chance on it. The resulting film was a box office hit, but critics hated it, with reviews saying that the movie was too technical, too slow-paced (it was mockingly called Star Trek: The Motionless Picture) and that the plot didn’t make a huge amount of sense.

But time has been kind to the pic, with many retrospectives considering it a fine installment in the movie series. And now, modern audiences will get a chance to experience it the way the filmmakers intended: on the big screen.

To mark the film’s 40th anniversary, there will be nationwide Star Trek: The Motion Picture showings on September 15th, as part of a Fathom Events/AMC screening program. Tickets for the event are already on sale on Fandango and via AMC’s website. This announcement comes hot on the heels of Paramount announcing at Comic-Con that they’re releasing a 4K remaster of the movie as a Director’s Edition.

Personally, I’m pretty psyched about this. I’ve only ever seen Star Trek: The Motion Picture on a TV, though I’ve long wanted to watch those long, luxurious shots of the Enterprise under construction on an extremely big screen. Plus, Jerry Goldsmith’s score is still absolutely fantastic, and hearing it blasting out of a theatre’s sound system is sure to be amazing. I’m guessing this will sell out pretty fast, too, so I’d advise getting a ticket sooner rather than later.