Star Trek is undoubtedly one of the most successful sci-fi franchises in the world. The film series not only delves into technology and space travel but also focuses on character development and earnest storytelling.
Since its inception in the 1970s, the film franchise has released 13 films, most of which have performed well at the box office. Here are all the 13 Star Trek films, ranked on the basis of their worldwide collections.
13. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Global Box Office: $67.3 Million
At the bottom of the list is Star Trek: Nemesis, the fourth movie featuring The Next Generation cast. By then, the excitement around the franchise had started to fade off, and the film was seen as a creative failure, though it managed to recover its budget of $60 million. Fans were disappointed with the movie, especially with the casting of Tom Hardy as a villainous clone of Captain Picard, which felt like a desperate move to revive the film series.
NEW GALLERY! “Star Trek: Nemesis” Remastered Blu-ray Screencaps, Part 3
Our final collection of screencaps from the remastered Blu-ray edition of NEMESIS are now available!
See more: https://t.co/Sn5LXiZ7us#StarTrek pic.twitter.com/UeLUuC0jYO
— TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) April 19, 2024
12. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
Global Box Office: $70.2 Million
Considered the worst entry in both the original Star Trek films and the wider franchise, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier struggled at the box office due to strong competition from Batman and Indiana Jones. With a $28 million budget, it earned only $52 million domestically and $70.2 million worldwide, a significant drop from previous films.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier premiered on this day in #TrekHistorty. What’s your favorite moment in the film? #StarTrek https://t.co/oVJsxRy3ni pic.twitter.com/vOSZVlaXjq
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) June 9, 2020
11. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Global Box Office: $87 Million
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is considered an underrated film in the franchise. The story follows the Enterprise crew’s quest to revive Spock, leading to a confrontation with the Klingon Kurge, one of the series’ best villains. The film cost $17 million and became a solid success despite lower earnings than its predecessor.
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is now showing at ODEON to celebrate 40 years🖖 https://t.co/h51pujE71m
Want to WIN* this limited edition @Cakes_Comics poster? To enter, share this post & tell us your favourite Spock moment of all time🌠
*T&Cs apply https://t.co/CdrGAp6JjR pic.twitter.com/amYQtVPlq0
— ODEON (@ODEONCinemas) June 18, 2024
10. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Global Box Office: $96.8 Million
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country served as a fitting farewell for the original Star Trek cast. While not the biggest blockbuster in the series, it redeemed the franchise after the poor performance of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Made on a budget of $30 million, the film garnered positive reviews and paved the way for The Next Generation.
First comparisons of the new 4K remaster of STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY — the waxy noise reduction is gone, restoring the natural film grain and skin textures.
2009: Original heavily scrubbed, over-sharpened Blu-ray
2022: New 4K-remastered Blu-ray#StarTrek pic.twitter.com/onOQpDn2qJ
— TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) September 1, 2022
9. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Global Box Office: $97 Million
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is counted among the best and most emotional films in the franchise. The film continued the story from the original series’ episode ‘Space Seed’ and brought back Ricardo Montalbán as Khan. The film set an opening weekend box office record, grossing $14 million, and ended its run with $95.8 million worldwide. Despite earning less than Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it was more profitable due to its $11 million budget.
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic film Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan! What are your favorite moments from the movie? ✨ #StarTrek #TrekHistory #WrathOfPKhan pic.twitter.com/XtBIbHO1zx
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) June 4, 2022
8. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Global Box Office: $112.5 Million
Star Trek: Insurrection follows the USS Enterprise-E crew as they rebel against Starfleet to protect the Ba’ku from a conspiracy. With a budget of $58 million, the film performed decently at the box office but fell short compared to its predecessors. The main issue with the film was that the audiences and critics felt it resembled an expensive TV episode rather than a cinematic experience.
Star Trek: Insurrection premiered on this day in #TrekHistory. What’s your favorite moment from the film? 💫 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG pic.twitter.com/D9eaGFsaJ6
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) December 11, 2021
7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Global Box Office: $118 Million
Star Trek: Generations marked the transition of the film franchise to the Next Generation cast, premiering just six months after the TV series ended. The film’s main draw was the long-awaited meeting between Captain Kirk and Picard. With a $35 million budget, it opened at number one with $23.1 million, ultimately grossing $118 million worldwide.
A teaser for STAR TREK: GENERATIONS II, produced for investors in the early days of development on a sequel film for the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast.#Startrek pic.twitter.com/ahHxr87eP8
— TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) August 18, 2023
6. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Global Box Office: $133 Million
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home revitalized the franchise by adding more comedy and heart to the narrative, appealing to a broader audience. The plot centers on the Enterprise crew traveling back in time to save humpback whales, who can respond to an alien probe threatening Earth. With a $25 million budget, the fan-favorite film earned $133 Million worldwide.
On this day in #TrekHistory, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home opened in theaters. What’s your favorite moment from the movie? #TheOneWithTheWhales #StarTrek https://t.co/NgbC8hkPBt pic.twitter.com/xSiLgUMI96
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) November 26, 2020
5. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Global Box Office: $139 Million
Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out in 1979, ten years after the original Star Trek series ended. Directed by Robert Wise, the film features Admiral James Kirk leading a mission to save Earth from a new cosmic threat. It was the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 1979, but with a budget of $35 million, Paramount considered it a disappointment.
Kick-off #FirstContactDay with #StarTrek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition! ✨ #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/1CGxfdsvxy
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) April 5, 2022
4. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Global Box Office: $146 Million
Star Trek: First Contact became the most successful film with the Next Generation cast. The movie combined elements from two popular Star Trek films: the revenge plot of The Wrath of Khan and the time travel theme of The Voyage Home, which made it a success. Made on a budget of $45 million, the film became the highest-grossing Star Trek film until 2009.
#FirstContactDay‘s only a few days away!🎉 To celebrate this special day, we’ll do a key code giveaway from April 3-5. Please stay tuned on Twitter!
In the meantime, tell us how you will celebrate #FirstContactDay. Got any plans for this special #StarTrek holiday? Let us know!🖖 pic.twitter.com/YRg5CCuVtq— Star Trek™ Alien Domain: Incursion (@StarTrekADI) April 1, 2021
3. Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Global Box Office: $343 Million
Star Trek Beyond features the Enterprise crew investigating a mysterious signal and confronting a villain with ties to the Federation. Despite strong reviews and a 50th-anniversary push, the film underperformed at the box office, collecting $343 Million against a budget of $185 million. Its poor performance stalled the development of a fourth film in the reboot series.
Join us for another live tweet as we share our favorite moments from Star Trek Beyond tomorrow at 4pm PT / 7pm ET ✨ #StarTrekBeyond #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/0uBnFdatc0
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) July 21, 2020
2. Star Trek (2009)
Global Box Office: $385 million
In 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted Star Trek with new actors and a fresh take on the series following the underwhelming performance of The Next Generation films. With its impressive visual effects, the film made $75 million in its opening weekend and earned $385 million worldwide, against a budget of $150 million, marking the franchise’s successful return.
💫 behind the scenes of star trek (2009) pic.twitter.com/Lb1Xczk5Mb
— dahlba 🪩 (@academymckirk) February 21, 2022
1. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Global Box Office: $467 million
Star Trek Into Darkness reimagined The Wrath of Khan with Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan and involved a plot about a secret Starfleet faction, the Klingon Empire, and a potential war. Costing $190 million, the film opened with $84.1 million over a four-day weekend and earned $467 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Star Trek film.
We’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of Star Trek Into Darkness! What’s your favorite moment from this movie? ✨ #TrekHistory #StarTrek https://t.co/omUKD8vxZD
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) May 16, 2023
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
All the Star Trek films are streaming on Paramount+.
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