Just a few days ago, the surprising news emerged that Quentin Tarantino – a man more usually know for chatty criminals, nostalgic music cues and splashes of blood – had come up with an idea for a Star Trek movie, one he'd pitched to Paramount and JJ Abrams and they'd accepted. Now comes word that it may lean more towards his own sensibilities, with all agreeing that the film is going to be R-Rated in the US.
That, of course, means more scope in terms of swearing/violence, but not something so usually associated with Trek. Still, with both the studio and current cinematic Trek overlord Abrams apparently happy to switch things up to get Tarantino's services, it appears we might just get a darker Star Trek on the big screen. And it's not as if it's without precedent these days: Star Trek: Discovery has been pushing the boundaries on TV already thanks to the more relaxed regulations with home carrier CBS All Access.
And in pushing ahead with his plans, Deadline reports that Tarantino recently met with writers Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), Lindsey Beer (Chaos Walking) and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) to throw around plans and see who might be the best fit for the scripting job. As of right now, it appears Smith is in the lead.
There is, of course, no guarantee that QT will step behind the camera – given his stated plan to make just 10 films, ending with a blockbuster he didn't write might not fit with that. So perhaps he'll just nab a story credit and act as shepherd for the film.
Regardless, it's still a fascinating development.
Work on the script will continue as Tarantino shoots his next film, an untitled period crime drama, and then he'll make any decision once that is complete.