William Shatner Leads STAR TREK’s 60th Anniversary Celebration in New Theatrical Documentary

The 60th Anniversary of Star Trek is here, and the celebration is heading straight to the big screen.

The new Star Trek anniversary documentary The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television And The World will arrive at Regal Cinemas across the U.S. on October 9th, bringing together decades of Trek history, stories, archival material, and some of the people who helped turn Gene Roddenberry’s science-fiction series into one of pop culture’s most enduring franchises.

And yes, Captain Kirk himself is along for the ride. William Shatner, who is also serving as an executive producer on the documentary, appears alongside fellow original Star Trek stars Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Chekov, and George Takei, who played Lt. Sulu.

The film goes all the way back to the creation of the original Star Trek television series and examines how a show that debuted in 1966 ultimately grew into a franchise spanning television, movies, books, games, merchandise, conventions, and generations of fans.

The documentary is written and directed by Mark A. Altman, producer of Pandora and author of the Star Trek oral history The Fifty-Year Mission. Michael S. Broder of Galaxie Pictures is producing, and the theatrical run is being turned into something more than a standard screening. Select Regal showings will feature Star Trek talent appearing in theaters for exclusive Q&A events.

Broder said: “We could not be more excited to partner with Regal to ensure that fans have a chance to see this remarkable film honoring the incredible 60-year legacy of Star Trek.

“I am delighted to join forces with William Shatner and many of the franchise’s greatest stars and creatives to bring this film to theaters. And since every birthday deserves a party, we’ll be bringing key Star Trek talent to theaters for exclusive Q&A’s.”

That should make these screenings particularly fun for Trek fans. Watching 60 years of franchise history unfold on a theater screen is already a cool way to mark the anniversary, but getting some of the people responsible for that history into the theater with the audience turns it into a proper celebration.

The documentary also reaches well beyond the original Enterprise crew. Gene Roddenberry Jr., son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, appears alongside writers, directors, producers, critics, celebrity fans, and actors from across the franchise.

The Trek veterans featured include Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner from The Next Generation, Gates McFadden from Picard, Ethan Peck and Christina Chong from Strange New Worlds, Robert Picardo from Voyager and Starfleet Academy, Denise Crosby from The Next Generation, and Nana Visitor from Deep Space Nine.

That collection of voices gives The Sixty-Year Mission plenty of territory to explore. Star Trek has changed dramatically since Kirk, Spock, and McCoy first stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise, yet the ideas at the heart of the franchise have managed to survive through multiple casts, creative teams, formats, and eras of television.

The official synopsis explains what the filmmakers are digging into: “This epic documentary reveals how bold artistic choices, behind-the-scenes conflicts, and groundbreaking ideas came together to create an enduring television classic. Through exclusive interviews and never-before-seen archival materials, The Sixty-Year Mission uncovers that truth is indeed stranger than science-fiction.”

Altman describes the documentary as something made specifically with the fans in mind while also welcoming people who may have never understood why Star Trek has remained such a huge part of pop culture.

“This film is a love letter to Star Trek. I’m immensely grateful to Regal to offer this gift to fans for the show’s 60th birthday. I’m confident that the film will appeal both to longtime fans of the franchise as well as new viewers who might be wondering what the unique alchemy of this pop culture icon is really about.”

Shatner executive produces alongside Altman, Broder, Daren Dochterman, Ashley E. Miller, Alan Pao, and Thomas P. Vitale. A soundtrack album for the documentary is also set to be released by La-La-Land Records.

There probably aren’t many television shows from 1966 that could justify a nationwide theatrical documentary celebration 60 years later. Star Trek can.

What began as a science-fiction television series became something far bigger, creating characters and ideas that have been passed from one generation of fans to the next.

The fact that Shatner, Koenig, Takei, and actors from several later Trek series are all participating makes The Sixty-Year Mission an especially fitting way to look back at how the franchise got here.

The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television And The World beams into Regal Cinemas across the United States on October 9th.