Star Trek is one of the most influential franchises in history, as it has been a staple on both the big and small screen. The 21st century looked rough for the franchise following the flop of Star Trek: Nemesis and the cancelation of Star Trek: Enterpise marking the first time in 18 years that no new Star Trek television series was on the air. Then, in 2009, the franchise got new life breathed into it thanks to J.J. Abrams with his Star Trek reboot, which was then followed by 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness and 2016's Star Trek Beyond. Yet following Beyond, Paramount Pictures had trouble getting a fourth film off the ground. They tried many different approaches, and one of the most unconventional also turned out to be the most exciting prospect. They approached Quentin Tarantino, known for iconic, beloved movies such as Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds.
Tarantino, famous for his risk-taking and occasionally cruel storytelling, offered a Star Trek movie proposal to Paramount Pictures in 2017, and word of this quickly traveled around the entertainment business. Many fans and critics were intrigued by the thought of a partnership between the creative auteur and the famed sci-fi world. Here was a director renowned for his own cinematic style investigating a universe with its own complex moral rules. As further details emerged, rumors regarding Tarantino's movie's ability to depart from the standard Star Trek formula intensified. The project sadly never came to be, and here is the story of what happened with Quentin Tarnatino's Star Trek film.
Update January 31, 2024: This article has been updated with the following recent comments by Tarantino's Star Trek writing partner, Mark L. Smith, on why the film never got off the ground.
Tarantino and the Unconventional Star Trek Saga
Tarantino's objective was clear right from the beginning. He openly conveyed his wish to craft a unique Star Trek film that distinguished itself from its forerunners. Tarantino looked to adapt a classic episode and give it the big screen cinematic treatment. The episode of the original Star Trek series titled "A Piece of the Action", significantly impacted Tarantino and was the basis for his film. This particular episode, situated on a planet influenced by the gangster milieu of the 1920s, resonated with the director's fascination for the criminal underworld. It served as a conceptual cornerstone for his distinct interpretation of the Star Trek universe.
Tarantino's presentation was unique because of his idea for an R-rated Star Trek adventure. The franchise has always followed a more family-friendly tone, but Tarantino intended to shatter that trend. Yet the R-rating came more from violence rather than language. Joined by screenwriter Mark L. Smith, known for his work on The Revenant, Tarantino crafted a script to bring his vision to life. Imaginations ran wild as fans speculated about the potential storylines, the character dynamics, and the thematic explorations that would emerge from this unlikely marriage of director and franchise.
Tarantino's Unfulfilled Star Trek Odyssey
Despite early anticipation and enthusiasm, Tarantino's Star Trek production hit a few speed bumps along the way. The first was Tarantino's busy Tarantino schedule, which includes works like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, commanded his focus, leaving little time for a thorough exploration of the Star Trek world. Finally, development came to a halt in 2019. There have been many rumors and speculations as to why the project fell through, with a lot of fans expecting Paramount to object to Tarantino's R-rated plans for the franchise. However, Tarantino's writing partner, Mark L. Smith, confirmed that the biggest objector to Tarantino's Star Trek movie was Tarantino himself.
In an interview with Collider, Smith stated that the ultimate barrier that prevented Tarantino from producing his movie was his own hubris and his long-standing defensiveness over his "10 film career." Smith said,
"He started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films... and he goes, ‘If I can just wrap my head around the idea that Star Trek could be my last movie, the last thing I ever do. Is this how I want to end it?'"
The clash between artistic independence and franchise constraints is both an opportunity for creativity and a barrier to retaining the spirit of popular stories. Even in the vast Star Trek universe, Tarantino's vision ventured to break down barriers and re-imagine expectations. Even if his Star Trek film may never be made, its legacy endures as a monument to the imagination's boundless potential and the complex dance between creativity and limitations.
The Impact of Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek Vision
Though never achieved, Quentin Tarantino's intended Star Trek movie had an enduring effect not just on the franchise but also could be seen as a major turning point in film history. Tarantino's Star Trek endeavor is an example of innovation, igniting debates about artistic freedom, cinematic crossovers, and the almost infinite possibility of narrative in the continuously changing world of entertainment.
More people are now aware of how the entertainment industry is evolving and how well-known properties are no longer restricted by traditional narrative patterns as a result of Tarantino's involvement becoming more well-recognized. It highlighted how popular properties may experience a rebirth and embrace fresh creative concepts while preserving the essential components that have made them popular with viewers.
The idea of an auteur director being given free rein to drastically reimagine and play in the sandbox of a beloved IP seems like a novel idea, as now it is clear studios like Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, and Universal are very protective of their brands, but there once was a time when Hollywood Studios wanted to get big prestigious filmmakers to helm their big tentpole properties. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was helmed by Academy Award winner Robert Wise, a man best known for iconic films like The Sound of Music and West Side Story. Warner Bros. let Tim Burton craft his own unique vision for Batman without needing to worry too much about being faithful to the comics. Peter Jackson was allowed to adapt Lord of the Rings to his specific vision.
While filmmakers like James Gunn and Taika Waititi have been able to get their voices out in properties like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, now there are a lot more creative restrictions on these properties. Yet films like Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Jordan Peele's Nope, and even Tarantino's own Once Upon a Time in Hollywood show that directors can be just as big of names and audiences want to see these unique works. Gerwig's Barbie is an IP film, but one that is uniquely hers. The idea of a Tarantino Star Trek movie might have broken convention, but it could have captivated audiences who don't normally like Star Trek but enjoy Quentin Tarantino movies, or even casual moviegoers who just want to see what this strange mixture would make.
Will Tarantino's vision continue to inspire authors of Star Trek stories in the future? That is an interesting issue that remains unanswered. Even though his idea could have wandered off into uncharted areas, the impact is evidence of the continued appeal of fusing the skills of accomplished artists with well-known companies.
Tarantino and Star Trek in 2024
Five years after this exciting concept fell through, the cinematic landscape has changed drastically. COVID-19 turned cinemas into ghost towns, with many still trying to recover, and the historic dual strikes of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in 2023 have heavily altered public perceptions of the industry. Star Trek still, and probably always will, remain one of the most popular science-fiction franchises of all time. However, the last half a decade has seen the franchise return to its television roots, as a new Star Trek movie hasn't been released since Star Trek Beyond in 2016. While Star Trek 4 still hasn't happened, a new movie in the franchise was recently announced. The untitled film will be a prequel to the 2009 reboot set decades before, with Toby Haynes (Andor) set to direct.
Star Trek's strength is currently in TV format, both on live networks and via streaming services. Star Trek: Discovery is the most popular series at the moment, with the 5th Season releasing this April. The animated series Lower Decks is also set to premiere its 5th Season sometime in 2024, with both shows released on Paramount+, which didn't exist at the time of Tarantino's planned film.
As for the acclaimed director, his 10th and 'final' film has still yet to be released, although some details have been announced. Currently known as The Movie Critic, the film will be set in the 1970s and focuses on an unnamed but real film critic who wrote for a pornographic magazine. Tarantino said he grew up reading the critic's reviews as a teenager and found them to be very rude but very funny.
Tarantino has also released his first cinematic book - not counting novelizations of his films. The book, Cinema Speculation, is an exploration of some of Tarantino's biggest cinematic inspirations. The list of films includes Dirty Harry, Deliverance, and Bullitt, among others.
Although the idea of a Tarantino-led Star Trek movie had the cinematic world in the palm of its hand at the end of the 2010s, the concept now feels like a pipe dream to many and now stands as a fun, speculative game to imagine the possibilities within the impossible project. Tarantino has said that Paramount Pictures can move forward on his script and let someone else direct, but at the time, it did not seem like Paramount Pictures wanted to pursue that course of action.
