Quentin Tarantino Script For Unmade Star Trek Movie Gets Candid Reaction From Simon Pegg

Over the years, the Star Trek franchise has boldly gone where few franchises have gone before, through various TV series, blockbuster films, reboots, and even expansions across multiple timelines. But one of the most intriguing and unexpected Star Trek movies of all time almost came from none other than the director of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek was pitched as an R-rated fourth Star Trek film in J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline franchise, based on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "A Piece of the Action," which features a planet with a culture of 1920s gangsters. Tarantino's Star Trek movie never made it to production, but it has remained a tantalizing what-if.

Now, at Fan Expo Boston, Simon Pegg (who plays Scotty in the Star Trek reboot) gave his candid reaction to Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie. Pegg revealed that, although he didn't read the script himself, he received a detailed summary of Tarantino's movie idea from producers Abrams and Lindsey Weber. Check out Pegg's reaction to Tarantin'’s Star Trek below:

That was what we call in the business, bats**t crazy. It was everything you would expect a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek script to be.

Pegg didn't describe exact plot details or what exactly he thought was "bats**t crazy" about Tarantino's Star Trek idea, but the actor admitted "it would have been such an incredible sort of curio to see Star Trek through his lens." That being said, Pegg also stated: "I don’t know how it would have gone over with the fans."

What Simon Pegg's Comments Mean For Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek

The Tarantino Star Trek movie that never happened would certainly have been an R-rated, gritty cinematic venture with a healthy dose of gangster flair. The Star Trek movie, being based on the TOS gangster episode, would have given it both nostalgic and radical undertones. However, it's uncertain how an R-rated movie would have fit with the franchise's overall tone.

The idea is certainly divisive and, as Pegg points out, it's uncertain how fans would have reacted. Yet, Pegg himself was intrigued by the concept. Unfortunately, the idea fell through when the writer-director stepped away, due to Tarantino’s concerns that the Star Trek movie might be his final project, instead of something original.

Our Take On Simon Pegg's Star Trek Comments

Pegg's description of Tarantino's proposed Star Trek movie certainly makes the project appear both ludicrous and fascinating, and it almost sounds like the film could've offered a perfect blend of the director's unruly style with a universe built on idealism and exploration. Therefore, if Tarantino's Star Trek had happened earlier in the franchise, it might have radically altered its course.

Tarantino's movie could've caused division by challenging Star Trek's tone. However, while some fans might recoil at the R-rated idea, there has been surprisingly positive reception to the Star Trek: Red Shirts comic, which feels very Tarantino-esque in concept. We'll likely never see the film, but as Pegg says, Tarantino's Star Trek is the kind of oddity that makes you wonder.