Star Trek: The Motion Picture sets a course for a 4K cinematic final frontier

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is unexpectedly being re-released in UK cinemas – and it's all down to the movie's forthcoming 4K Ultra HD (UHD) and Blu-ray release.

The sci-fi movie, which earned three Academy Award nominations following its original December 1979 launch, will be available to watch in cinemas across the UK for a limited time starting Friday, August 19. Trekkies will be able to watch the film in all its meticulously remastered glory, then, very soon.

To coincide with the Star Trek: The Motion Picture's theatrical re-release and the launch of its latest Limited Edition, TechRadar can exclusively reveal a 4K image from the movie's latest high definition cut, which shows the starship Enterprise leaving Earth to head out on another voyage among the stars. Check out the 4K image below:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a ground-breaking Star Trek production, becoming the first film in the legendary franchise and helping to pave the way for the long-running series to make the leap from television to the big screen. Despite receiving a lukewarm reception from fans and critics at the time, Star Trek: The Motion Picture went on to become the fourth highest grossing film of the year.

Since its pioneering turn at the box office, a further 12 Star Trek movies have made their way into cinemas, with 2016's Star Trek Beyond the latest entry in the series. A fourth installment in Star Trek's Kelvin timeline has been in development for some time, too, but there's no word on when or if it'll begin filming.

Meanwhile, Star Trek: The Motion Picture will also be available to own in 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Monday, September 5. The physical copies – officially titled Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Director's Edition: The Complete Adventure – will come packed with numerous cuts of the film, as well as tons of bonus footage, features, and other memorabilia.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Director's Edition will include three 4K UHD-specific bonus features, such as audio and text commentaries, as well as exclusive collectibles, a booklet of behind-the-scenes images, stickers, and more. Additionally, the Blu-ray Disc will come packed with over 15 special and legacy features, five of which are new for the Blu-ray release.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture's latest restoration project comes courtesy of producer David C Fein and post-production supervisor Mike Matessino, who worked alongside director Robert Wise on the original film's updated visuals for its DVD release in November 2001.

Now, the pair have revisited Star Trek: The Motion Picture once more, assembling a team of special effects experts to deliver a movie with 4K UHD visuals with Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) and its soundtrack upgraded using Dolby Atmos. VFX supervisor Daren R Dochterman, who worked as a concept artist and illustrator on other notable films, such as Tron: Legacy and Star Trek: Voyager, led production on the movie's updated VFX, utilizing Paramount Archives' resources to painstakingly update its visuals over a six-month period.

Ahead of Star Trek Day, which occurs annually on September 8, Paramount have also revealed that Star Trek: The Motion Picture Collection – a comprehensive 15-disc collection of the franchise's first six films – will be available to own in 4K UHD on September 5. Meanwhile, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Director's Cut will also return to cinemas on September 2 for its 40th anniversary.

For more Star Trek-based content, find out why we think Star Trek: Picard season 2 didn't deliver on the hype. Alternatively, read up on how Star Trek's TV offerings are showing there's more than one way to build a shared universe.