When you talk about Quentin Tarantino these days, you have to talk about two things: his planned retirement and his involvement with the next Star Trek film. As you may know, Tarantino is planning to retire from filmmaking after his next, tenth film. He’s also been long attached to the next Star Trek sequel, which he may or may not direct. Apparently he cracked the story and has let screenwriter Mark L. Smith come up with a script that he will definitely touch up before and if he decides to direct.
Speaking with Deadline about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino took it upon himself to clear up some speculation about what his version of a Star Trek film would be like. Some, even some involved with the movie, say it won’t be a typical Tarantino picture. In fact, Simon Pegg took it upon himself to state that it wouldn’t just be “Pulp Fiction in space.” Well, Tarantino had some choice words for his buddy Pegg about that comment.
Here’s Tarantino to Deadline:
“I get annoyed at Simon Pegg. He doesn’t know anything about what’s going on and he keeps making all these comments as if he knows about stuff. One of the comments he said, he’s like ‘Well, look, it’s not going to be Pulp Fiction in space.’ Yes, it is! [laughs hard]. If I do it, that’s exactly what it’ll be. It’ll be Pulp Fiction in space. That Pulp Fiction-y aspect, when I read the script, I felt, I have never read a science fiction movie that has this sh-t in it, ever. There’s no science fiction movie that has this in it. And they said, I know, that’s why we want to make it. It’s, at the very least, unique in that regard… But there is a gangster element to what we’re doing with the Star Trek thing that works out pretty good.”
There you have it: if Tarantino does in fact direct this Star Trek film, it’ll feel very much like Pulp Fiction, very much like a Tarantino movie. That news will definitely please many Tarantino fans and definitely concern many Star Trek fans. While Trek aficionados are happy to have Tarantino on board, I know they don’t want the movie to veer too far away from what makes Star Trek feel like Star Trek. An R-rated Star Trek with gritty Tarantino violence and dialogue and story would be cool, of course, but at what cost? If getting Tarantino means sacrificing the soul and vibe of the franchise, I think many would rather he just not get involved.
At the same time, this Star Trek film series hasn’t be afraid to shake things up and try new things. Fans have been pretty receptive to the changes and risks the property has taken and they would probably be excited to see Tarantino’s unique take on the storied universe.
My hope as both a Star Trek and Tarantino fan is that whatever this movie becomes, it contains a balance of what makes Tarantino and Star Trek special. It’s guaranteed to be such a wildly different movie, that’s for sure. Now, let’s see if the damn thing ever gets made.