Earlier in the year, Star Trek announced via its official website that the much-requested restoration of the director’s edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture would finally be happening. Now, they’ve shared a peek at the upcoming remaster, and it looks lovingly done in the series of images shared on their official website.
Hardcore Trekkies, including producer David C. Fein, worked on the restoration. Fein was part of the original team behind the director’s edition of The Motion Picture back in 2001, which won an award at the International Film Music Critics Association for Best Archival Release of an Existing Score.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey inspired the film, and director Robert Wise went for a slow-burn approach to its sci-fi elements, leaning very much into the idea of it being a huge cosmic event and the protocols that would follow.
The director and Oscar winner is best known for directing West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music. While the film never received rave reviews, it has become an important part in establishing Star Trek to pop culture beyond its previous life as a TV series and into celluloid.
Fans and non-fans alike are very keen on the restoration and shared their joy at the release of the stills and video. Some even leaned into the meme and gave a bit of ribbing to the film for its notoriously long-feeling runtime.
Star Trek announced the restoration in July 2021, with the works done expected to last “6-8 months”, so fans should expect the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture‘s remaster sometime in early 2022. It’s an excellent time to be a Trek fan, with an upcoming video game, the continuation of Star Trek: Discovery, and a second season confirmed for Picard.
