What Could Have Been: The Quentin Tarantino R-Rated ‘Star Trek’ That Never Launched

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Quentin Tarantino‘s uncharted territory or ultimate boundary has been featured within a well-known movie series. However, at the Fan Expo held in Boston recently, Simon Pegg (who played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott) shared with Collider that there was once a strong possibility of Tarantino directing a version of Star Trek. When discussing this idea, Pegg described it as “completely insane” in the movie industry.

Boldly Going, Going, Gone

In 2017, according to Deadline’s report, Quentin Tarantino proposed a concept for a new Star Trek project to Paramount while he was already deep into planning his film Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood at Sony Pictures. At that time, JJ Abrams was still overseeing the Star Trek franchise and seemed open enough to the idea to suggest forming a team of writers and potentially progressing with the plan. There were rumors that Tarantino would direct, while Abrams would produce.

In 2019, it appeared that Tarantino was keeping his options open, telling Empire he would only make the film if it received an R-rating. Although he claimed to have completed a script, he hadn’t yet reviewed it. Eventually, it was disclosed that the screenplay for the movie was written by Mark L. Smith, but Tarantino no longer intended to be the director. In a conversation with Deadline, Tarantino stated, “I believe they might produce the film, but I don’t think I’ll be the one directing it. It’s a solid concept and they should definitely proceed with it. I’d be delighted to offer my thoughts on their initial cut.

Despite no official revelations, Smith hinted on the Indie Film Hustle podcast that the project may encompass elements of time travel and organized crime. This has sparked conjecture that it could mirror the second season’s episode titled “A Piece of the Action” from the original series.

At the latest Fan Expo, Pegg, who acknowledged he hasn’t read the script yet, simply stated that “It was everything one might anticipate from a Quentin Tarantino ‘Star Trek’ script.” He further mentioned, “I can’t say how the fans would have reacted to it, but it undeniably would have been an intriguing venture.

Star Trek Beyond and The Wrath of the Box Office

Simon Pegg, personally experiencing this, understands that being “interesting” doesn’t guarantee success. Though the initial Star Trek series was frequently compared to a space version of Wagon Train, the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond, which Pegg co-wrote with Doug Jung, was often labeled as The Fast and the Furious in space once its trailer was released. Director Justin Lin, who has worked on four Fast and the Furious films, addressed the criticism, stating to /Film that the aim was to be daring and take risks, whether or not we ultimately succeed remains to be seen.

It’s worth noting that among the Star Trek films of the Kelvin Timeline, Star Trek Beyond brought in the smallest amount at the box office. This suggests that it didn’t meet expectations as well as its predecessors. One might wonder if a space-set Pulp Fiction by Tarantino, rated R and featuring the Star Trek universe, would have fared even worse among audiences, given the differences in tone and content compared to the original series.

The Movie on the Edge of Forever

At the moment, enthusiasts of Star Trek and Quentin Tarantino’s work can only ponder what his potential Star Trek film could have looked like. Maybe an imaginative individual or even Tarantino himself will transform it into a book someday.

I find myself pondering over the fresh momentum the Paramount-Skydance merge has given to an established franchise. Yet, it’s uncertain if this revival strategy is one they are willing to risk.

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2025-08-23 16:56