It is always exciting to see a filmmaker you wouldn’t expect to express interest in a tentpole franchise say that they have a unique take on them. So when Quentin Tarantino said last year that he wanted to make an R-rated “Star Trek” film, it was instantly met with curious eyes. Sadly, it appears that Paramount is putting all Trek-projects on hold, including Tarantino’s. Though the project may not happen soon, we finally got some answers on what it would look like.
According to Deadline, Tarantino’s idea, which “The Revenant” scribe Mark L. Smith wrote into a draft, is “based on an episode of the classic ‘Star Trek’ series that takes place largely earthbound in a 30s gangster setting.”
That description sounds just like the season 2 episode “A Piece of the Action” which finds Kirk, Spock, and McCoy going to the planet Sigma Iotia II to find the locals sporting fedoras and Tommy guns, and basically living with an Earth-like gangster lifestyle from the 1920s. It’s both a really different vision for “Star Trek” than we’ve seen in recent years, and a very Tarantino-sounding film. Indeed, the description aligns with a comment by Tarantino to Deadline last year where he said the film would “be ‘Pulp Fiction in space” and that honestly sounds like a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, Tarantino confirmed his departure from the director’s chair this past January, saying “I think they might make that movie, but I just don’t think I’m going to direct it. It’s a good idea. They should definitely do it and I’ll be happy to come in and give them some notes on the first rough cut.”
According to the Deadline report, Paramount is looking at the Tarantino/Smith take on the franchise as a spin-off in the style of “Logan,” rather than the flagship return of the franchise.