Star Trek now has 14 feature films that premiered theatrically and as a streaming-only release, and there are different orders in which to watch them. When Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered in 1979, Star Trek officially became a movie franchise. Starting in 1987, when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered, fans could enjoy voyages in the final frontier on both television and on movie screens.
Every decade since the 1970s has seen at least one Star Trek movie released, with the 1980s and the 1990s as the golden age of Star Trek feature films. Every era of Star Trek, from when Gene Roddenberry controlled the franchise to Rick Berman’s heyday in the 1990s to the current Paramount+ streaming era under Alex Kurtzman, has also presented Star Trek movies.
Before Star Trek: Section 31 in 2025, Star Trek was strictly a theatrical movie franchise. Similarly, every Star Trek movie before Section 31 was about a version of the Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), or the alternate Kelvin timeline’s younger Captain Kirk (Chris Pine).
Many of the biggest, most beloved, and resonant moments in Star Trek history happened in movies, and here’s how to experience them:
How To Watch Star Trek Movies Chronologically In Theatrical & Streaming Release Order
Watching the Star Trek movies in their theatrical and streaming release order is the simplest way to go. The 14 films are broken up into easy-to-digest blocks: the 6 Star Trek: The Original Series films, the 4 Star Trek: The Next Generation films, the three Star Trek movies produced by J.J. Abrams set in the alternate Kelvin timeline, and finally, Star Trek: Section 31.
Here are the Star Trek movies in theatrical and streaming release order by year:
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Star Trek: The Original Series Movies |
Release Year |
Director |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Star Trek: The Motion Picture |
1979 |
Robert Wise |
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan |
1982 |
Nicholas Meyer |
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Star Trek III: The Search For Spock |
1984 |
Leonard Nimoy |
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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home |
1986 |
Leonard Nimoy |
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Star Trek V : The Final Frontier
|
1989
|
William Shatner
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Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country
|
1991
|
Nicholas Meyer
|
