One of Star Trek's stranger subplots over the past several years has been Quentin Tarantino's evident desire to direct an R-rated Star Trek. Styling it as "Pulp Fiction in space," the director said he wanted to feature both gangster elements and time traveling.
Tarantino has since said it's unlikely that he will be able to work on a Star Trek movie, and at least one major fan is apt to be breathing a sigh of relief: Rod Roddenberry, son of series creator Gene Roddenberry.
The CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, Rod Roddenberry is something of a traditionalist who over the years has become heavily involved in Star Trek's culture, from the memorabilia to the podcasts.
Roddenberry evidently wasn't a fan of Tarantino's approach to Star Trek. "I'm pretty myopic with the way I see Star Trek," he told Forbes in a new interview.
Roddenberry said that he prefers the optimism of Star Trek, saying that a Star Trek story solely built around action "is not Star Trek." Rather, Star Trek is about hope and optimism, which is one of its key differences with Star Wars, he said.
"I do not think you could say we're going to do a Reservoir Dogs Star Trek. I'll be honest, that doesn't work for me, but he is a fan, and I think as a fan, he probably understands to some degree that Star Trek has to have some of this messaging," Roddenberry said. "I would be curious, and I would try to have an open mind, but I'm not sure what it would be. I am glad that people are willing to explore that at least."
While Tarantino's project appears to be dead, other Star Trek shows and movies are warping on ahead, with Picard Season 2 slated for a February 2022 release date Discovery Season 4 out in November 2021. Other series include the well-received Lower Decks; Star Trek: Prodigy, which is oriented toward younger audiences, and Strange New Worlds, which feature the adventures of Christopher Pike aboard the Enterprise.
For more Star Trek, check out our list of the Top 10 Classic Star Trek episodes as well as our interview with Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN