Star Trek Actor Reveals What They Know About Quentin Tarantino’s R-Rated Movie Pitch

A Star Trek actor has revealed what he knew about Quentin Tarantino’s abandoned R-rated movie pitch. John Cho, who played the iconic helmsman Hikaru Sulu, discussed the project while reflecting on what could have been.

In a Variety interview, Cho recalled hearing about the proposed film during its development. He said, “I’m actually entering a deep depression right now that it didn’t happen. At the time I’d heard rumors, and Simon [Pegg] is way more inside of it and was privy to information that I was not. I heard that Quentin Tarantino was interested and there was a pitch, but the details were not relayed to me. Was I crossing fingers underneath a desk? Oh yeah.”

The actor added, “I can see why people might have paused. Are we making a “Star Trek” movie or just using “Star Trek” to make a Quentin Tarantino movie? It’s a legitimate question, but I just wanted to make a Quentin Tarantino movie. That would have been a dream.”

Quentin Tarantino’s R-rated Star Trek is probably never happening

The project is effectively off the table after Tarantino confirmed in 2024 that it wouldn’t happen. He had previously pitched the idea to J.J. Abrams, while Mark L. Smith eventually wrote a screenplay based on Tarantino’s concept.

Tarantino’s Star Trek story reportedly drew from “AA Piece of the Action,” a classic episode from the original series. It follows the Enterprise crew as they encounter a planet modeled after 1920s Chicago gangster culture.

Tarantino previously described his take as “Pulp Fiction in space.” Development discussions also included plans for an R rating.

Cho has played Hikaru Sulu since the 2009 Star Trek reboot directed by J.J. Abrams. He returned for Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond alongside the Kelvin-timeline cast.

The project progressed far enough for Smith to complete a screenplay. However, it never moved into production. Tarantino’s confirmation in 2024 ended years of uncertainty surrounding the proposed film.

Source: Comingsoon.net