The Motion Picture director's edition getting a 4K upgrade, plus latest TOS movie and TV bluray releases

Paramount have got some real treats in store for TOS fans and physical media peeps, with new releases of the TOS movies on the way, and the complete TV series. But the biggest most exciting news is...

Two decades after The Motion Picture got a significant facelift in the form of The Director's Edition DVD(ad) release - In which director Robert Wise re-edited the film, including adding several new visual effects shots - Paramount have finally taking the plunge to do the work all over again and produce a 4K release of this much improved version of the movie!

Paramount are expecting the restoration project to take 6-8 months, and the end product will be a 4K Ultra HD release with Dolby Vision high dynamic range and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The final product will initially be available exclusively on Paramount+(ad) (one hopes and assumes home media releases will follow in due course).

The restoration will be undertaken by the original team who worked with the late Robert Wise before; producer David C. Fein, restoration supervisor Mike Matessino, and visual effects supervisor Daren R. Dochterman,

Discovery season three home video extra feature details, plus behind the scenes round-up

Season three of Discovery(ad) is set for home video release in July, and CBS Home Entertainment have now revealed the full line-up of extra features. Continue below to check out the details of those, plus a round-up of the latest behind the scenes goodies shared by the series' crew and cast.

The home video release incudes a number of documentary featurettes, a gag reel, and deleted scenes, but alas no audio commentaries this time around. 

Among the behind the scenes content, the ones that jump out to me are The Voyage of Season 3, looking at how every element of the production adapted to the new future setting, and Kenneth Mitchell: To Boldly Go, dedicated to the actor now living with ALS and how the series built a new character around his wheelchair use.

Here's the full run-down:

Screen-Trek round-up: Discovery season 3 home video, and latest updates from SNW, Picard, Georgiou, and movies

With multiple Star Trek TV series currently in production, and the promise of a new movie, there's a fairly steady stream of news coming from the on-screen portion of Star Trek lately. Continue below for a round-up of the latest from Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Picard, the Section 31 show, and movies.

First up, CBS Home Entertainment have released cover art for the forthcoming home video release of Discovery season 3(ad). While the season is already available for pre-order, a little oddly it's not yet clear when those orders will be fulfilled, as a release date hasn't yet been revealed - UPDATE: CBS Home Entertainment's Facebook page says 20th of July (thanks Star Trek Pike on Twitter). Nor have details of the extra features. But this is what the case will look like at least, for bluray(ad) or DVD(ad) editions:

Review: Picard season one on bluray

I recently rewatched Picard, via the bluray edition of the first season(ad). Continue below for my thoughts on the season as a whole (some vague spoiler discussion after the first few paragraphs), and the offering of extra features on the bluray.

The Story

Despite hearing it from the producers repeatedly when the series was being promoted, what really struck me in the rewatch was truly how much the series is like a long film. Not just that it feels like a film, but is a much more engaging experience to watch that way. 

So much so that I now really wish they're released the whole series as four or five two-hour-ish episodes. It would have been a bold departure from the normal format for Star Trek that I think would have done the story a great service. But with that not being the case, the whole series now being available, on bluray or streaming, we can still watch it like that anyway.

I liked Picard a lot watching it as it came out, but viewing back as a whole I really love it. The word that keeps coming to me thinking of it, is beautiful. For several reasons.

Lower Decks season one bluray and DVD on the way

Lower Decks season one is getting its home video releases this May, with bluray(ad) and DVD(ad) sets available, including a steelbook(ad) version of the bluray. Continue below for all the details of the extra features and all the different formats.

The two-disc set will of course include all ten episodes of the first season, along with a nice selection of behind the scenes special features, some two hours worth, exploring the production of the series - Very welcome given this hasn't been as much a focus of CBS's social media around the series compared to the live action series. 

These promise a look at the animation process, the design of the opening titles, music of the series, and discussion of various in-universe subjects. There's also an all out movie-style trailer for the movie-style episode Crisis Point: The Rise of Vindicta, and deleted scenes.

Picard home video details, and latest behind the scenes videos

CBS have announced the details of the home video release of Picard season one, which is due out in October on bluray and DVD. As expected the set includes the Short Treks prequel Children of Mars, as well as all the Picard episodes.

Here are the details of all the other extra features included:

MAKE IT SO – The co-creators and Patrick Stewart discuss bringing the iconic character back to the screen, including what was compelling enough to warrant it and the obstacles they had to overcome to make it so.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES EPISODIC FEATURETTES:

• STORY LOG: REMEMBRANCE
• STORY LOG: MAPS AND LEGENDS
• STORY LOG: THE END IS THE BEGINNING
• STORY LOG: ABSOLUTE CANDOR
• STORY LOG: STARDUST CITY RAG
• STORY LOG: THE IMPOSSIBLE BOX
• STORY LOG: NEPENTHE
• STORY LOG: BROKEN PIECES
• STORY LOG: ET IN ARCADIA EGO, PART 1
• STORY LOG: ET IN ARCADIA EGO, PART 2

COMMENTARY: EPISODE 101, “REMEMBRANCE” (Exclusive) – Executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman and Michael Chabon, supervising producer Kirsten Beyer, and director Hanelle M. Culpepper provide commentary about episode one of Star Trek: Picard.

THE MOTLEY CREW (Exclusive) – Working outside of Starfleet, Picard gathers his crew from across the galaxy. This special feature takes a look at the actors and characters that will travel aboard the La Sirena.

ALIENS ALIVE: THE xBs – A look inside the creative process behind the xBs of Star Trek: Picard, alongside Lead Creature Designer Neville Page, Vincent Van Dyke and his prosthetics studio team, as well as Make-Up and Prosthetics Department Head James MacKinnon about the process from start to stage.

PICARD PROPS (Exclusive) – Property Master Jeffrey Lombardi takes fans on a tour of the many props created for Season One of Star Trek: Picard.

SET ME UP – Production Designer Todd Cherniawsky serves as the tour guide for the main stages of Star Trek: Picard, including the La Sirena, Picard’s study and the Borg Cube. Cherniawsky, Supervising Art Director Iain McFadyen and Set Decorator Lisa Alkofer also discuss the various designs for the show.

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS: "CHILDREN OF MARS" – Twelve-year-old classmates Kima and Lil find themselves at odds with each other on a day that will change their lives forever.

COMMENTARY: STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS: "CHILDREN OF MARS" (Exclusive) – Executive producer and co-writer Alex Kurtzman, and co-writers Jenny Lumet and Kirsten Beyer, discuss the featured Short Treks episode.

DELETED SCENES (Exclusive)

GAG REEL (Exclusive)

Screen-Trek round-up: Picard and Short Treks home video releases, plus Lower Decks, Discovery and Picard production updates

While things are moving slowly in the world of TV production right now, there are still quite a few updates from all corners of the current on-screen Star Trek universe: Continue below for the latest from Lower Decks, Picard, and Discovery productions. But first, some home video updates:

First up, Amazon now have a listing up for the Picard season one bluray and DVD release. At the moment it's just using the basic poster art, and doesn't even have a date, let alone any details of extra features and the like. You can get pre-orders in already though, and the listing probably indicates it's just a few months away.

Meanwhile the latest home video release came just yesterday, with the US release of Short Treks, which includes all the Discovery and Strange New Worlds related shorts (leaving out the Picard prequel, which will presumably come on the Picard season set instead). Some international release dates for the collection have now been announced too: It will arrive in the UK on the 13th of July, and Australia on the 15th of July.

The collection comes with an assortment of behind the scenes featurettes (see my previous report for a full listing), and CBS Home Entertainment have been busy releasing excerpts from several of them over the last few days. Continue below to check them out:

Short Treks coming to Bluray and DVD

CBS have announced first dedicated home video release of Short Treks. Coming in June on Bluray and DVD, Star Trek Short Treks will collect all nine of the Discovery-connected Short Treks episodes to date - That includes the wide range first four episodes (Runaway, Calypso, The Brightest Star, and The Escape Artist), the more recent trio of Pike/Enterprise related tales (Q and A, The Trouble with Edward, and Ask Not), and the two animated episodes (The Girl Who Made the Stars, and Ephraim and Dot).

Only one Short Treks episode is missing from the collection, the Picard prequel Children of Mars, which one assumes will come on the eventual Picard home video releases instead. A couple of of the Disco Short Treks episodes were released on the Disco Season Two home video releases, but otherwise this will be the first time most of these have been available on disc.

At the moment only North American release has been confirmed, but this will surely be coming to the rest of the world too; the first time many of us will be able to watch most of these episodes, which have not been made available to stream outside North America.

The set will also include a bunch of extra features exploring the production of the shorts. Continue below for full details.

Discovery season 2 bluray and DVD details

CBS have announced details for the home video release of Discovery Season Two. The season will be coming to bluray and DVD in November, including the fourteen episodes of Discovery, plus two episodes of Short Treks, The Brightest Star and Runaway -  Those two of course tie-in strongly to events in the season, but for some reason they seem to have decided to not bother with the other two Short Trek in the first batch, Calypso and The Escape Artist; hopefully they will show up in other home media releases later...

In addition to the episodes, there will also be two hours of extra features, including featurettes, audio commentaries on four episodes (Brother, New Eden, Through the Valley of Shadows, and Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2), cast interviews, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

New Picard themed bluray collection to include brand new comic

CBS have announced a new bluray collection, Star Trek: Picard Movie and TV Collection. The set is due for release in October, ready to serve as a primer for the new Picard series of course.

The six-disc collection includes all four TNG movies (Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis) and two two-part episodes, each presented as a single movie-length edit, The Best of Both Worlds and Chain of Command.

However rather more tempting than any of that is that the set also includes an exclusive new comic! Continue below for all the details of that.

Discovery: An Obol for Charon previews, and other screen-Trek updates

Got a few updates from Star Trek on screen (TV and film), below, starting with the latest previews for the next Discovery episode,  An Obol for Charon. Here's a great trailer for the episode; looks exciting! (You can also see it a bit higher res on StarTrek.com)

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Like a fly in the web. New episode of Discovery 8 February.

A post shared by Star Trek: Discovery (@startreknetflix) on Feb 4, 2019 at 2:58pm PST

Star Trek Discovery season one bluray steelbook and international releases

CBS have announced further details of the Discovery Season One home video releases, including international release dates. The have also revealed new steelbook packaging for the bluray release, which will be a retailer exclusive in certain markets, including Best Buy in the US, and Zavvi in the UK. Continue below for a closer look at that packaging, as well as disc art, and other updates.

Discovery season one home video releases

If you've been holding out for Discovery on disc, or just want a physical copy to add to your library, good news; it's coming soon. CBS Home Entertainment have announced season one of Discovery will be coming to bluray and DVD on the 13th of November (in North America at least). The boxset will include some two hours of extra features, including deleted and extended scenes, and a bunch of behind the scenes coverage. The covers for both releases reuse one of the early posters for the series:

Continue after the jump for a list of all the behind the scenes featurettes, plus a preview video of the release:

The Roddenberry Vault details and previews

CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution have released the cover art and full details of the forthcoming bluray release of Star Trek: The Original Series - The Roddenberry Vault. The three disc set includes several new documentaries built around an amazing archive of lost footage from the production of TOS, promising never before seen deleted scenes, alternate takes, outtakes, and all sorts of other things rescued from the cutting room floor.

This amazing recovered footage, which has been secretly and painstakingly catalogued and analysed by Mike and Denise Okuda over most of the last decade is joined by new interviews by Star Trek creators and commenters. Additionally the set includes twelve episodes picked to compliment the recovered footage, presented in HD but with the original effects footage.

The main new footage is presented in a three part film, Inside The Roddenberry Vault Rod Roddenberry, split across the three discs of the set. Two further documentaries is a look at the origins of the series, in Star Trek: Revisiting A Classic, and a the visual effects, including original effects elements rediscovered in the vault, in Strange New Worlds: Visualizing the Fantastic. And there's more too, additional clips have been compiled into Swept Up: Snippets from the Cutting Room Floor.

Each disc also features a new audio commentary for one episode: This Side of Paradise with Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana and Gabrielle Stanton. The City on the Edge of Forever with Roger Lay Jr., Scott Mantz and Mark A. Altman. And The Trouble With Tribbles with David Gerrold and David A. Goodman.

The set is due for release in December. Full details of all the new features are described in the press release text after the jump. But first, here are some tantalising preview videos:

More model ships coming with Star Trek Beyond home video releases

The first batch of announcements for the Star Trek Beyond home video releases included a set that comes with a model of the USS Franklin, and now it seems even more little model ships will be joining the Beyond discs.

Available via Amazon in Germany is a set which includes three little ships: The USS Franklin, USS Enteprise, and a swarm ship. I'm fairly these are the same models previously offered as cup-toppers, but it's ice they're being made available by another route if you couldn't find any at a cinema.

In the US Walmart are also listing a set which comes with three model ships, and I think it's a fairy safe bet that will be the same collection seen here,with the US version of the bluray of course.

The untold stories from TOS production coming in The Roddenberry Vault bluray

While this weekend had a lot of big happenings for the present and future of Star Trek, it also brought huge news from the very beginnings. Announced at the San Diego Comic Con, was the forthcoming release of Star Trek: The Original Series - The Roddenberry Vault, a new bluray featuring documentaries built around a treasure prove of never before seen behinds the scenes footage from the production of The Original Series.

The project, nine years in the making (!), started when Gene Roddenberry's son Rod Roddenberry found a stash of film from the production of the series; clips taken from the cutting room floor, which include deleted scenes, bloopers, and all sorts of insights into the production of the series.

It took several years just to organise the random snippets of film, and matching it up with audio stored in other cans. Once ready, Star Trek experts Mike and Denise Okuda could scrutinise the findings, and now with film maker Roger Lay Jr. (who produced many of the excellent documentaries on the TNG and Enterprise blurays) have created new documentaries telling the story of Star Trek's production through this new footage.

CBS and Roddenberry Entertainment's press release details what will be on the discs:

USS Franklin model coming as Star Trek Beyond home video bonus

Not wasting any time, the home video pre-orders are going live for Star Trek Beyond. As ever many retailers will have exclusive offers with different covers and extra goodies. And top of the line once more appears to be Amazon, who are offering a model of the USS Franklin (looks like a QMx job to me, same base as their forthcoming Mini Masters range).

Details are still early and I imagine the covers and details will change before release for most of what is below (such as that weird pentagram on the Franklin's base, or the blue nacelle caps), but so far listings suggest the US USS Franklin release will come with the 4K Ultra HD release of the film (which includes bluray and 3D bluray discs too), while the UK counterpart will come with the bluray. Current artwork for both uses the dominant poster in each market:

Complete Original Series TV and film coming to one huge bluray box set

CBS and Paramount have announced a new mega box set release, Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection, which will uniquely include all of the TOS Star Trek adventures. The thirty disc set, due out in September, will bring together the entire original TV series, all six TOS movies, and for the first time on bluray, The Animated Series as well!

In addition to all the previous bluray extra features (some twenty hours worth), the set features a new two-hour documentary, and also comes with a 50th anniversary logo pin, and a set of six mini-poster cards featuring art by Juan Oriz inspired by all the TOS movies. And of course it all comes in snazzy packaging, complete with glittery transporter effect cover, and some really nice new disc art.

While TAS is new to bluray, the rest of the set is familiar content from previous releases - The Wrath of Khan is the most up-to-date version, the just released newly remastered Director's Cut.

Latest Star Trek movie bluray releases

As previously reported, there is a new and improved bluray release of The Wrath of Khan on the way, and details of which have now been released. Plus all the prime-timeline films have new steelbook releases coming too. Continue below for the details of all those:

The Wrath of Khan has been remastered to 4K standard, but this latest release is using that master for a bluray edition - According to The Digital Bits, a 4K Ultra HD release is still expected, possibly later in the year. This Bluray version is due out in June. On the disc you will find both the theatrical and director's cuts, plus a new half an hour documentary, The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan. All the various commentaries and documentaries from previous home video releases will also be included. Wrapping it all up is a snazzy new cover, using Tyler Stout's Mondo poster artwork.

Latest nuTrek, TOS, and TNG home video releases

CBS and Paramount make sure to regularly reissue all the Star Trek titles on various home video formats so we can always get a-hold of them, and in this 50th anniversary year I'm sure we can expect even more reissues than normal! The latest announcements give us the nuTrek movies in new formats, and new box-sets for TOS and TNG TV series on bluray and DVD. Continue below for the details.

Paramount have now officially announced and revealed the covers for the first ever Star Trek 4K Ultra HD titles, which as was previously reported, will be the first two nuTrek movies, Star Trek, and Star Trek Into Darkness. Both will be arriving in June, in three disc packs which will contain the new 4K Ultra HD version of the films, plus a bluray movie disc, and special features bluray disc, with each.