# List of Star Trek films

The [Star Trek](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-trek) films are a series of fourteen theatrical and streaming movies based on the Star Trek television franchise, beginning with *Star Trek: The Motion Picture* in 1979 and continuing through the streaming film *Star Trek: Section 31* in 2025.<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup> The series falls into three eras: six films with the cast of *The Original Series* (1979 to 1991), four films with the cast of *The Next Generation* (1994 to 2002), and a reboot trilogy set in the alternate "Kelvin" timeline (2009 to 2016), followed by *Section 31*.<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of films | 14, from *Star Trek: The Motion Picture* (1979) to *Star Trek: Section 31* (2025)<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup> |
| Three eras | Original Series cast (1979–1991), Next Generation cast (1994–2002), Kelvin reboot trilogy (2009–2016)<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup> |
| Best reviewed | *Star Trek* (2009), 94% on the Tomatometer<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup> |
| Worst reviewed | *Star Trek V: The Final Frontier* (1989) at 22% and *Star Trek: Section 31* (2025) at 24%<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup> |
| Highest grosser | *Star Trek Into Darkness* (2013), $467,381,584 worldwide<sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup> |
| First streaming film | *Star Trek: Section 31*, premiered January 24, 2025, exclusively on Paramount+<sup>[4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/star-trek-section-31/releases/?view=110465-paramount-announces-original-movie-star-trek-section-31-to-premiere-friday-january-24)</sup> |
| Franchise average | 70% average Tomatometer across the first 13 films, per a 2015 Rotten Tomatoes franchise survey<sup>[5](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/)</sup> |

## The original series films (1979–1991)

**The Motion Picture.** A decade after the original television series was canceled, Paramount reunited the crew of the Enterprise for *Star Trek: The Motion Picture* (1979), directed by [Robert Wise](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-wise).<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.startrek.com/videos/trek-history-star-trek-the-motion-picture)</sup> The film earned $139,000,000 worldwide on a $35,000,000 production budget, but critics were unenthusiastic; its 51% Tomatometer reflects complaints about a patchwork script and slow pacing.<sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup>

**The Wrath of Khan and its sequels.** *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), directed by [Nicholas Meyer](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicholas-meyer) with [Ricardo Montalbán](https://www.edgepedia.org/ricardo-montalban) reprising a villain from a first-season episode, was a hit with critics and at the box office and is broadly credited with saving the film series.<sup>[7](https://time.com/4406710/star-trek-history-excerpt/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://sightlines.media/film/154/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-1982)</sup> [Leonard Nimoy](https://www.edgepedia.org/leonard-nimoy), who had agreed to return as Spock partly because the character died in the last act, changed his mind and returned to direct *Star Trek III: The Search for Spock* (1984), which grossed $76 million domestically and began a tradition of cast members directing Trek productions.<sup>[9](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/every-star-trek-movie-ranked-from-worst-to-best/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.startrek.com/news/how-the-search-for-spock-changed-the-way-star-trek-got-made)</sup> Nimoy also directed *Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home* (1986), the most commercially successful of the original-cast films at $109,713,132 domestic.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup> William Shatner directed the fifth film, *The Final Frontier* (1989), which critics ranked last among the theatrical entries at 22%.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup> Nicholas Meyer returned for *Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country* (1991), a character-driven mystery that served as the original crew's send-off.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup>

## The Next Generation films (1994–2002)

The handoff to the *Next Generation* cast began with *Star Trek Generations* (1994), which included some Original Series actors but centered on [Patrick Stewart](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-stewart)'s crew.<sup>[11](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2479402/comparing-the-star-trek-reboot-movies-to-the-next-generation-and-the-original-series)</sup> The best-regarded entry of this era is *Star Trek: First Contact* (1996), directed by cast member [Jonathan Frakes](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-frakes), which brought back the Borg as villains and used time travel to the era of warp-drive inventor [Zefram Cochrane](https://www.edgepedia.org/zefram-cochrane); it earned $150,000,000 worldwide on a $46,000,000 budget.<sup>[12](https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/every-star-trek-movie-ranked-worst-to-best/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup> *Star Trek: Insurrection* (1998) and *Star Trek: Nemesis* (2002) closed the era on weaker notes, with Tomatometer scores of 54% and 37% respectively, and Nemesis returned only $67,312,826 worldwide against a $60,000,000 budget.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup>

## The Kelvin timeline reboot (2009–2016)

J.J. Abrams's *Star Trek* (2009) rebooted the franchise with a new cast playing younger versions of Kirk, Spock, and their crew, creating an alternate timeline. It became the series' best-reviewed film at 94% and earned $386,839,614 worldwide.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup> *Star Trek Into Darkness* (2013) made more money than its predecessor at $467,381,584 worldwide, though critics found it a retread of earlier material.<sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/as-star-trek-turns-60-we-take-the-iconic-sci-fi-franchise-to-sickbay-for-a-full-health-report)</sup> *Star Trek Beyond* (2016), directed by [Justin Lin](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-lin), earned $335,673,708 worldwide and an 86% Tomatometer, but no sequel followed; as of the franchise's 60th anniversary in 2026, ten years had passed without a new theatrical Trek film.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/as-star-trek-turns-60-we-take-the-iconic-sci-fi-franchise-to-sickbay-for-a-full-health-report)</sup>

## Star Trek: Section 31 (2025)

*Star Trek: Section 31* premiered on January 24, 2025, exclusively on Paramount+, as the franchise's first made-for-streaming film.<sup>[4](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/star-trek-section-31/releases/?view=110465-paramount-announces-original-movie-star-trek-section-31-to-premiere-friday-january-24)</sup> Oscar winner [Michelle Yeoh](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-yeoh) reprises her *Star Trek: Discovery* role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the [United Federation of Planets](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-federation-of-planets).<sup>[14](https://www.startrek.com/movies/star-trek-section-31)</sup> The project was originally conceived as a *Discovery* spinoff series before being reworked into a standalone movie.<sup>[12](https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/every-star-trek-movie-ranked-worst-to-best/)</sup> It arrived nine years after *Beyond* as the 14th Trek film and the worst-reviewed of the series at 24%, with reviewers describing it as feeling like an aborted pilot rather than a feature.<sup>[1](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[15](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-section-31-movie-review-2025)</sup>

## Reception and box office

Critical reception has varied widely across the series. On the Tomatometer, the top films are *Star Trek* (2009) at 94%, *Star Trek: First Contact* (1996) at 93%, *Star Trek Beyond* (2016) at 86%, and *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982) at 87%; the bottom entries are *The Final Frontier* (22%), *Section 31* (24%), and *Nemesis* (37%).<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)</sup> A 2015 Rotten Tomatoes franchise survey placed Star Trek's average at 70% across its then-13 films, comparing it with franchises such as [James Bond](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-bond) (69%) and Rocky (66%).<sup>[5](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/)</sup>

At the box office, the twelve theatrical films released through 2014 had grossed roughly $2 billion, according to a 2014 TIME report.<sup>[16](https://time.com/3269295/star-trek-1966/)</sup> Per-film figures from The Numbers show the pattern: the original-cast films earned between $70,200,000 and $139,000,000 worldwide on budgets from $12,000,000 to $35,000,000, while the reboot films carried budgets of $140,000,000 to $190,000,000 and worldwide grosses of $335,673,708 to $467,381,584.<sup>[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)</sup>

## Future films

No new theatrical Star Trek film has been released since *Beyond* in 2016, though several projects have been announced. Jonathan Goldstein and [John Francis Daley](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-francis-daley), the duo behind *[Dungeons & Dragons](https://www.edgepedia.org/dungeons-and-dragons-film-series): Honor Among Thieves*, are writing, producing, and directing a new Star Trek film intended to revitalize the franchise.<sup>[17](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/chris-pine-paramount-bosses-star-trek-32258/)</sup> The writers have said their story will feature an all-new crew and will be inspired by a pair of hit films from the 1990s and 2000s; if made, it would be Trek's first big-screen outing since 2016.<sup>[18](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-next-star-trek-movie-will-be-inspired-by-crimson-tide-and-strange-new-worlds-latest-episode-just-showed-them-how-to-do-it)</sup> [Paramount Skydance](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-skydance) confirmed at CinemaCon in April 2026 that a new Star Trek film remains in active development, though no release date has been set, and fans are unlikely to see it within the 2026 release schedule.<sup>[19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_Ojs7fs_s)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[20](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/latest-details-about-star-trek-movie-tease-setting-new-characters)</sup>

## References

1. [All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/star-trek-movies-ranked/)
2. [All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer (franchise page), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/franchise/star_trek)
3. [Star Trek Franchise Box Office History, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Trek)
4. [Paramount+ Announces Original Movie Star Trek: Section 31 to Premiere Friday, January 24, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/star-trek-section-31/releases/?view=110465-paramount-announces-original-movie-star-trek-section-31-to-premiere-friday-january-24)
5. [These Are the Best and Worst Movie Franchises of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes, TIME](https://time.com/4604580/best-movies-franchises-rotten-tomatoes/)
6. [Trek History: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, StarTrek.com](https://www.startrek.com/videos/trek-history-star-trek-the-motion-picture)
7. [A Bold Vision: How Star Trek First Made It to the Screen, TIME](https://time.com/4406710/star-trek-history-excerpt/)
8. [Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) analysis, Sightlines](https://sightlines.media/film/154/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-1982)
9. [Every Star Trek Movie Ranked from Worst to Best, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/every-star-trek-movie-ranked-from-worst-to-best/)
10. [How The Search For Spock Changed the Way Star Trek Got Made, StarTrek.com](https://www.startrek.com/news/how-the-search-for-spock-changed-the-way-star-trek-got-made)
11. [Comparing The Star Trek Reboot Movies To The Next Generation And The Original Series, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2479402/comparing-the-star-trek-reboot-movies-to-the-next-generation-and-the-original-series)
12. [Every Star Trek Movie Ranked Worst to Best, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/every-star-trek-movie-ranked-worst-to-best/)
13. [As Star Trek turns 60, a full health report, Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/as-star-trek-turns-60-we-take-the-iconic-sci-fi-franchise-to-sickbay-for-a-full-health-report)
14. [Star Trek: Section 31, StarTrek.com](https://www.startrek.com/movies/star-trek-section-31)
15. [Star Trek: Section 31 movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-section-31-movie-review-2025)
16. [Original Star Trek Reviewers Just Didn't Get It, TIME](https://time.com/3269295/star-trek-1966/)
17. [Chris Pine Tells New Paramount Bosses to 'Have Fun' and 'Good Luck' With the Future of 'Star Trek', Variety](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/chris-pine-paramount-bosses-star-trek-32258/)
18. [The next 'Star Trek' movie will be inspired by 'Crimson Tide', Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-next-star-trek-movie-will-be-inspired-by-crimson-tide-and-strange-new-worlds-latest-episode-just-showed-them-how-to-do-it)
19. [NEW Star Trek Movie OFFICIALLY Announced At CinemaCon, CineWire via YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_Ojs7fs_s)
20. [The Latest Details On The Star Trek Movie Tell Us Two Big Things About The New Era, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/latest-details-about-star-trek-movie-tease-setting-new-characters)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Fictional worlds and series reference apparatus › Fictional universes, characters, and attribute reference › Star Trek universe lore*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license