When Paramount recently announced a four-pack of the original Star Trek movies in 4K, some fans noticed a significant omission. Mainly, that the director’s edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with extended scenes and fully finished effects, was not included. Many hardcore Trekkers prefer this version, and of course a double-dip seemed likely. Well, here it is: Paramount Plus just announced that a restored 4K version of Robert Wise’s preferred version will debut on the streaming network.
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But for those who’d rather own physical media, Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits says a disc is coming:
For those MANY people asking tonight: YES, the #StarTrek TMP DE will come to physical #Bluray & #4K #UltraHD probably late next year after “an exclusive window” on @ParamountPlus. But they helped pay for it, so my eternal thanks to them for that! @thedigitalbits @StarTrekOnPPlus
— Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits) September 9, 2021
In the meantime, to whet fans’ appetites for the as-yet-unscheduled streaming release, Paramount unveiled a short tease of what to expect in terms of visual upgrades:
Per Paramount, “The restoration is being undertaken by David C. Fein, Mike Matessino, and Daren R. Dochterman, all of whom worked previously with director Robert Wise.”
Will you wait for the physical, or go streaming all the way? Let us know in comments!
Recommended Reading: The Star Trek Book: Strange New Worlds Boldly Explained (Big Ideas Simply Explained)
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