Quentin Tarantino refutes Simon Pegg, says his Star Trek film will actually be 'Pulp Fiction in space’

Quentin Tarantino might be boldly taking the Star Trek franchise where previous installments have never gone before.

After months of reports about a completed script from The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, a hard-R rating, and everyone from William Shatner to Patrick Stewart to Zachary Quinto expressing interest in the project, the Kill Bill director seems cautiously ready to put his unique stamp on the beloved sci-fi classic. Emphasis on unique. 

When asked about his possible Star Trek film in an interview with Deadline, Tarantino said he's still unsure if he'll return to the director's chair, but if he does, he did not mince words in terms of how he'd put his stamp on the franchise. That included refuting Trek actor Simon Pegg, who recently said Tarantino's take would not be "Pulp Fiction in space."

"If I do it, that’s exactly what it’ll be," Tarantino proclaimed. "It’ll be Pulp Fiction in space. That Pulp Fiction-y aspect, when I read the script, I felt, I have never read a science fiction movie that has this sh*t in it, ever. There’s no science fiction movie that has this in it. And they said, I know, that’s why we want to make it. It’s, at the very least, unique in that regard."

Should Tarantino decide to helm the project, he's clearly confident in being given the creative freedom to approach the subject matter however he sees fit. Much of that confidence comes from producer J.J. Abrams, who himself defied expectations when he rebooted the franchise 10 years ago, thanks to his Kelvin timeline loophole.

"J.J. said, 'Quentin, I love this idea because I think with Star Trek we can go any way we want to,'" Tarantino explained. "Look, I’ve got a situation. As long as Paramount likes the idea and the script they almost got nothing to lose right now when it comes to Star Trek. Deadpool showed that you can rethink these things, do them in a different way. So really, even before J.J. knew what the idea was, his feeling was if it wants to be an R rating, fine. If it wants to be The Wild Bunch in space, fine."

Tarantino's current film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood opens in theaters everywhere this Friday.