As you may remember from last fall, we were pretty upset in our Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray review when we learned that hours of material was left off of the retail Blu-ray, only to be split apart to separate retailers in different physical and digital spaces.

It took us days, but TrekCore was the only website to track down and review all of the features saved for the exclusive Target and Best Buy releases, along with the ridiculous iTunes-exclusive “enhanced commentary” download, which was the only place to find the IMAX format version of the film… in 720p.

Plus, we brought you an exclusive look into the Into Darkness deleted scenes found only through XBox Video, locking them away from all other consumers in the marketplace.

Now, Paramount Home Entertainment announced an unexpected bit of news: a deluxe, four-disc release of 2009’s Star Trek and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness is set for release this September… containing every bit of produced material missing from last year’s Into Darkness release… plus even more new material!

Star Trek: The Compendium is coming to retailers on September 9, and is made up of the two-disc Star Trek special edition release from 2010 along with the IMAX version of Into Darkness, all the retailer-exclusive live-action material, all of the XBox Video deleted scenes, along with a new gag reel and two new video featurettes.

This release does NOT contain the 3D version of ‘Into Darkness.’

The full press release from Paramount is below.

DIRECTOR J.J. ABRAMS’ PHENOMENAL BLOCKBUSTERS ARRIVE IN THE ULTIMATE BLU-RAY SET SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

STAR TREK: THE COMPENDIUM

Both Feature Films — Including the IMAX Version of Star Trek Into Darkness —
Plus Previously Released Bonus Material and Additional Never-Before-Seen Footage
Debut in Four-Disc Set

Director J.J. Abrams’ global sensations Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness set a course for the ultimate home entertainment package in STAR TREK: THE COMPENDIUM, arriving September 9, 2014 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The set includes four Blu-ray Discs with both films in sparkling high definition and the IMAX version of Star Trek Into Darkness, Digital HD copies of both films, plus previously released bonus material, including the Star Trek Into Darkness director’s commentary.

STAR TREK: THE COMPENDIUM also boasts never-before-released footage from Star Trek Into Darkness including a gag reel and new behind-the-scenes featurettes. This comprehensive four-disc set will be offered for the suggested retail price of $39.99.

The STAR TREK Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The four-disc set includes access to a Digital HD copy of each film, as well as the following:

Disc 1 – Star Trek (2009)

• Star Trek in high definition, with commentary by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci

Disc 2 – Star Trek (2009)

• To Boldly Go — Taking on the world’s most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success.

• Branching Pods: 
  • The Shatner Conundrum
  • Red Shirt Guy
  • The Green Girl
  • Trekker Alert!

• Casting — The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about the experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy.

• A New Vision — J.J. Abrams’ vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was a bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production—from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks—was guided by this overall objective.

• Branching Pods:
  • Savage Pressure

• Starships — Abrams and production designer Scott Chambliss were careful to pay tribute to the design of the original Enterprise, but they also wanted to make it futuristic and cool for a modern audience. This chapter focuses on the unique stories behind the creation of the film’s starships.

• Branching Pods:
  • Warp Explained
  • Paint Job
  • Bridge Construction Accelerated
  • The Captain’s Chair
  • Button Acting 101
  • Narada Construction Accelerated
  • Shuttle Shuffle

• Aliens — Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek.

• Branching Pods:
  • The Alien Paradox
  • Big-Eyed Girl
  • Big Bro Quinto
  • Klingons
  • Drakoulias Anatomy 101

• Planets — From the frozen landscape of Delta Vega to the desert plains of Vulcan, Scott Chambliss and the art department had a number of radically different planets to create. Abrams’ desire to shoot on real locations whenever possible led the production team to a number of strange and surprising locations.

• Branching Pods:
  • Extra Business
  • Confidentiality

• Props and Costumes — Property master Russell Bobbitt had the unique challenge of designing props that were both true to the original series and pertinent to today’s technology. Likewise, costume designer Michael Kaplan talks about how he designed costumes that paid homage to what came before yet were relevant and timeless.

• Branching Pods:
  • Klingon Wardrobe

• Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek — When famed sound designer Ben Burtt was hired to create sounds for the first Star Wars film, he took his inspiration from the original Star Trek series. Burtt jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to the sounds that sparked his career with the sounds he created for the new Star Trek.

• Score — As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage’s celebrated theme.

• Gene Roddenberry’s Vision — J.J. Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, previous Star Trek writers and producers, and scientific consultant Carolyn Porco describe and commend the optimistic and enduring vision of Gene Roddenberry.

• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary

• Starfleet Vessel Simulator — Explore extensive data on the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Romulan ship, the Narada. Submerse yourself in breathtaking 360° views and close-ups and review detailed tech information.

• Gag Reel

• Trailers

Disc 3 – Star Trek Into Darkness

• Star Trek Into Darkness — IMAX Version in high definition
• Enhanced iTunes Commentary

Disc 4 – Star Trek Into Darkness

• The Voyage Begins… Again — Go behind-the-scenes as filming begins on the next Star Trek adventure.

• Creating the Red Planet — Experience the creation of a never-before-seen alien world, as featured in the action-packed opening sequence of the film.

• Introducing the Villain

• Rebuilding the Enterprise — See the design and construction of a bigger, interconnected Enterprise set.

• National Ignition Facility: Home of the Core — Location shooting at the National Ignition Facility.

• Attack on Starfleet — Go behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers and witness the creation of the shocking attack on Starfleet Headquarters.

• Aliens Encountered — The design and application of alien makeup.

• The Klingon Home World — Discover the stunning world of Kronos, and see how the filmmakers reinvented the Klingons for a new generation.

• The Enemy of My Enemy — Find out how, and why, the identity of the film’s true villain was kept a mystery to the very end.

• Vengeance is Coming — A comprehensive look at the design and production surrounding the black ship.

• Ship to Ship — An in-depth and thrilling look at the filming of the iconic space jump sequence, which both defied the laws of physics and pushed the limits of visual effects.

• Mr. Spock and Mr. Spock — Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo appearance and reflects on his history with Trek.

• Down with the Ship — Discover the stunt & VFX work involved to make the Enterprise roll over.

• Kirk and Spock — Explore the dynamic relationship between the film’s heroes.

• Brawl by the Bay — Sit in with Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch as they revisit their intense preparation for the film’s breathtaking climax.

• Continuing the Mission — An inspiring look at the partnership between the film’s crew and the organization that assists returning veterans to find meaningful ways to contribute on the home front.

• Unlocking the Cut — A discussion with the film editors about their monumental task.

• The Sounds of Music (and FX) — A discussion with film composer Michael Giacchino and sound designer Ben Burtt.

• Visual Affection — A comprehensive look at the creation and implementation of visual effects.

• Safety First — A prank pulled on the cast.

• Theatrical Trailers

• NEW! Deleted Scenes

• NEW! Photo Gallery

• NEW! Gag Reel

• NEW! Fitting the Future — A look at the film’s out-of-this-world costumes.

• NEW! Property of Starfleet — Sourcing and tracking the film’s myriad props.

The STAR TREK: THE COMPENDIUM Blu-ray set available for purchase includes Digital Versions of both films that can be accessed through UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them — reliably and securely — to a variety of devices.

We have to admit, we’re quite surprised to hear about this new release — with as long as the previous Trek films have languished without true, high-quality “special edition” releases, we didn’t expect to see any kind of Into Darkness reissue for at least another year or two, closer to the 2016 release of the next film… if at all.

For those of you who have held off purchasing Star Trek Into Darkness thus far, it seems that your wait has now become worth while. While it’s not clear if a standalone release of this Into Darkness special edition will be available, it looks to be a pretty good excuse to repurchase the first film if only to obtain all the new material set to be included in this release.

iTunes IMAX 1.78:1 Footage vs. Blu-ray 2.40:1 Footage

Now, as for those of you thinking that this is just another in a long line of Trek double-dip releases, all previous reports — along with today’s column by Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits — seem to indicate that Paramount never had any intention of releasing a new version of this film after the fall of 2013. While we can never be certain if this is truly the case, the fan backlash against the poorly-handled rollout seems to have been the key factor in the decision to bring Star Trek: The Compendium to market.

AUGUST 19: Paramount has announced a rebate for fans who already own the films.

With a suggested price of $39.99, it’s likely Amazon and other retailers will offer this set even cheaper, making this release an even more tempting offer. We’ll have preorder links as soon as they become available, and with any luck, we’ll also be able to review the additional features found on this set as we get closer to September.

For now, though, we want to hear from you! What do you think about this new Blu-ray boxed set? Unexpected, or inevitable? Sound off in the comments below!

UPDATED: You can now pre-order “Star Trek: The Compendium” on Blu-ray from Amazon.com in the US and Amazon.ca in Canada. Order yours through the links below!

Order Star Trek: The Compendium on Blu-ray today!

Order Star Trek Into Darkness on 3D Blu-ray today!