 The Final Frontier was released in North America on June 9, 1989, amidst a summer box office crowded with sequels and blockbuster films. It had the highest opening gross of any film in the series at that point and was number one its first week at the box office, but its grosses quickly dropped in subsequent weeks. The film received generally mixed to poor reviews by critics on release, and according to its producer, it nearly killed the franchise. The next entry in the series, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, received a more positive reception.
