It was a shock when news broke six years ago, in December 2017, that Quentin Tarantino was developing a “Star Trek” film. Little by little, news came out about the project. At some point it became clear that Tarantino had already developed the concept and rough script, but now Mark L. Smith had to turn it into a complete script according to his specifications. Tarantino then left himself the option of directing the film himself.
Of course, as we all know, the project never came to fruition. As part of an interview about his new film ‘The Boys In The Boat’, directed by George Clooney, author Smith spoke with a little about working with Tarantino on “Star Trek.” He was ‘fascinated’ at the time; it was simply ‘amazing’ how Tarantino played the dialogues and scenes during the meeting. He wishes he had smuggled in a recording device back then.
Tarantino’s Star Trek was intended for adults
Smith reveals some details that were already known, but goes into more detail. So he confirms what was already circulating at the time: the film would have been rated for adults, the R rating – and a ‘hard R’ according to Smith. It was a cool story, with a ‘Tarantino flair’ and ‘pulp fiction“reminiscent of violence.
Smith is also convinced: “It would have been the best Star Trek movie!”
Tarantino’s Concern: “Star Trek” Might Not Be “No. Be 10”.
But why did the project fail? Smith also makes this public. It has to do with the fact that Quentin Tarantino announced a while ago that he would end his career as a film director after ten films. Smith explains to the American magazine :
“And then all of a sudden he started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films. I remember we were talking and he said: “If I could somehow accept that Star Trek would be my last movie, the last thing I ever do. But is this the way I want to end it?’ And I think that was the hurdle he could never overcome, so the script is still on his desk.”
That’s probably why we’ll never see Tarantino’s Star Trek. But you can never rule it out completely. Smith explains that he would love it, even though he absolutely cannot imagine it. In the past, “Jackie Brown” cult director Tarantino wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he might at some point pass the script off to someone else and have it realized without him. But will that ever happen? What is much safer is what will now be Tarantino’s film number 10: “The Movie Critic”.