Movies - TV
Why The Quentin Tarantino Star Trek Movie Never Got Made
By JENNA BUSCH
Quentin Tarantino once had a "Star Trek" film in the works that would likely have been an R-rated story set in the universe that started back in 1966 with the original "Star Trek" series. Mark L. Smith, who was to write the script, said that Kirk and "all the characters" were in the script idea, that there was "a little time travel" involved, and "it's hard-R [rated] and it's violent."
There was a tantalizing "'Pulp Fiction' in space" pitch that seemed like we might have been in for a movie about the criminal underworld of the "Star Trek" universe. The time travel element that Smith mentions could have meant visiting a planet and dressing like 1920s gangsters — as Smith referenced a "cool gangster scene" — or perhaps the crew could have gone back in time.
The "Star Trek" film based on Tarantino's idea still seemed to be in the cards through most of 2019. However, in 2020, Tarantino confirmed that he wasn't directing, saying, "I think they might make that movie, but I just don't think I'm going to direct it,” although the franchise has since moved on, with their next movie being based on a script by Lindsay Beer and Geneva Robertson.