The Star Trek mythology is finally resting comfortably back in the TV realm after more than a decade thanks to the release of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access, but the movies side of the franchise is in a bit of flux right now. Although Star Trek Beyond was critically well received for the most part, it underperformed commercially. Paramount Pictures is working on getting another Star Trek movie off the ground, but there are at least three different scripts in the works, including one based off an idea from the mind of director Quentin Tarantino. If this Star Trek movie moves forward, Tarantino is reportedly expected to direct, but Simon Pegg, a.k.a. the current Scotty, doesn't believe that the Pulp Fiction filmmaker will actually helm the project because he's already busy with other cinematic endeavors. Pegg explained:
I don't think Quentin is going to direct it. Because he's got in his California movie [Once Upon A Time In Hollywood] to do and then I think only doing one more film after that. And I doubt, I don't think he could get around to directing a Star Trek in two-three years.
Quentin Tarantino has said on several occasions he intends to retire from filmmaking after directing 10 movies, and now he's only two movies shy of hitting that goal. Tarantino's ninth movie is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which follows an actor (who lives next door to Sharon Tate) and his stunt double struggling to find work in the changing Hollywood landscape. Once that's done, that leaves just one more movie, whether it's Star Trek-related or another one of Tarantino's original ideas. However, judging by Simon Pegg's comments to The Playlist, even if Tarantino was interested in ending his directing career with a Star Trek movie, it sounds like Paramount wants to release the next entry in the sci-fi series sooner rather than later. That can't happen if Tarantino's busy with other things, hence why Pegg strongly suspects that Tarantino won't direct the new Star Trek movie, though that doesn't necessarily rule him being involved as a producer.
A few weeks after word of Quentin Tarantino pitching a Star Trek movie was made public, Paramount hired The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith to pen a screenplay based on this idea. While actors like Patrick Stewart, William Shatner and John Cho have expressed interest in collaborating with Tarantino on a Star Trek movie, we have yet to learn what this story would be about, though knowing Tarantino, it wouldn't lack for violence. However, Simon Pegg isn't the only one who doubts Tarantino will direct the new Star Trek movie, as Star Trek: The Next Generation vet Jonathan Frakes expressed similar sentiments.
Even if Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie doesn't move forward, Paramount fortunately still has a few other stories to choose from. Originally the plan was for Star Trek 4 to show James Kirk meeting his father, George Kirk, who died only minutes after his son was born in 2009's Star Trek. Whether or not that particular tale is still on the table is unclear, but according to Zachary Quinto, a.k.a. the current Spock, Simon Pegg and Doug June, who wrote Star Trek Beyond together, have been working on a new script, and a separate writing duo have been penning their own script.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on the future of the Star Trek film series as more news comes in. For now, plan your trips to the theater this year accordingly with our 2018 release schedule.
