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Star Trek Beyond was the best of the nu-Trek movies, and while it didn’t blow up the box office like Star Trek or Star Trek Into Darkness, it at least came closer to understanding the core of Star Trek better than those films. Paramount wanted to get Beyond into theaters to coincide with the series’ 50th anniversary, and in a clip from a special feature on the disc, there was a conscious effort to make Beyond harken back to what made Trek special in the first place.

In this clip, we have interviews with Simon Pegg, J.J. Abrams, Zachary Quinto, and Justin Lin, and they each try to explain why Trek has remained such a powerful force in our culture for fifty years. The answer seems to be in the optimism of the franchise. While plenty of sci-fi looks for the darkness in humanity, Trek, at its best, has always been far more optimistic about our chances. Its very premise—that we can explore the stars—comes from humanity working together to reach this next stage of civilization. Trek tells us you can have a better world if we all cooperate, and that’s the kind of uplifting message we need right now.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Check out the Star Trek Beyond special feature clip that's available on the iTunes Extras as well as the Blu-ray.

Star Trek Beyond hits Digital HD on today and 4K Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 1st.

Here’s the list of special features:

  • Deleted Scenes – Go Beyond the final cut of the movie with scenes you didn't see in theaters.
  • Beyond the Darkness – Meet visionary producer J.J. Abrams, director Justin Lin and co-writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung as they discuss the inspiration for the Star Trek Beyond storyline and how it came to life.
  • Enterprise Takedown – Experience edge-of-your-seat action and see how a shocking attack destroys the USS Enterprise.
  • Divided and Conquered – Learn how filmmakers pushed the boundaries in Star Trek Beyond by forcing the Enterprise crew into their most challenging situations yet.
  • A Warped Sense of Revenge – Meet Star Trek's newest villain, Krall, as actor Idris Elba reveals the backstory behind his character's terrifying ambitions.
  • Trekking in the Desert – Go on set to Dubai and discover how its futuristic architecture became the foundation for the most innovative Starbase yet.
  • Exploring Strange New Worlds – Tour the incredible production sets of Star Trek Beyond with director Justin Lin.
  • New Life, New Civilizations – See how special effects designers met the challenge to create an unprecedented 50 new alien species for the film to celebrate Star Trek's 50th Anniversary.
  • To Live Long and Prosper – Journey through the past 50 years of Star Trek with J.J. Abrams and the cast as they reflect on the evolution of this iconic sci-fi series.
  • For Leonard and Anton – Watch a touching tribute to the legendary Leonard Nimoy and beloved crew member Anton Yelchin.
  • Gag Reel – Join in on the fun with this hilarious gag reel of on-set bloopers.

Star Trek Beyond Blu-ray

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Image via Paramount Pictures
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Image via Paramount Pictures
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Image via Paramount Pictures