Star Trek: Paramount Still Working on Quentin Tarantino's Movie

Despite shelving Star Trek 4, Paramount is still prioritizing Star Trek films, including Quentin Tarantino's untitled Star Trek project.

The New York Times released a profile on the Paramount Pictures' new leadership and their plans to put the once mighty studio back on top following a few rough years.

As the article points out, Paramount's biggest plans focus on established franchises. They're bringing Dora the Explorer to the big screen, the Top Gun sequel is finally being made, and new installments of established franchises like Mission: Impossible, GI Joe, Terminator, Transformers and yes, even Star Trek are being planned.

Producer Wyck Godfrey said that the key to keeping those franchises viable is delivering the new and unexpected. For example, Quentin Tarantino working on Star Trek.

"Suddenly people's eyes light up," Godfrey said, describing what happens when he brings up the idea of putting Tarantino on a Star Trek movie. "Yours just did."

Tarantino's Star Trek project has been shrouded in secrecy. It is based on a story idea that Tarantino came up with. Mark L. Smith, Lindsey Beer, Megan Amram, and Drew Pearce worked on the project in a writers room before Paramount signed Smith to write the screenplay. Paramount wants Tarantino to direct the film, though scheduling may prevent that from happening. Tarantino is currently working on the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. With Star Trek 4 stalled, Paramount may be eager to push forward with Tarantino's Star Trek earlier than initially planned.

Star Trek film star Zachary Quinto had previously stated that the current Kelvin Timeline crew would be back for Tarantino's Star Trek, but with Chris Pine dropping out of Star Trek 4 it is unclear what the plan is for the next film.

Quinto and Pine's co-star, Karl Urban, said at a convention that he still has his fingers crossed that he'll get to work with Tarantino on Star Trek.

"You know what? You have as much information as I do," Urban said. "All I can really say is that if it does happen, I'd be thrilled to be a part of it and fingers crossed that it is going to happen. And really beyond that, I have heard nothing further about any developments on that front. I know he's directing Once Upon a Time In Hollywood at the moment so he's going to shoot that, do the post-production on that. So any prospective Tarantino movie is a little bit of a distance but I think it would be grand, I'd love to do it."

Are you looking forward to Tarantino's Star Trek? Let us know in the comments!