“Where no man has gone before” a Quentin Tarantino f-bomb Star Trek movie…

Nobody asked for it, and the more you think about it, the more wrong it seems, but it looks like Quentin Tarantino (is also planning to boldly go where he has not gone before)by making a Star Trek movie. The news broke earlier this week that Tarantino had pitched an idea for a Star Trek sequel to J.J. Abrams, and that Abrams liked what he heard.

So there’s going to be a new Star Trek movie. That’s usually cause for celebration. The 2009 alternate universe reboot, and Star Trek Beyond was also really good. It was the best of the three, really. At this point, there are more good Star Trek movies than bad ones, especially in recent years.

 It’s Tarantino’s attachment and stipulations for the project that may cause fans some concern. For Paramount to use his story idea, he requires that the film be R-rated. Tarantino also hopes to direct the movie, which has a decent chance of happening.

Even after Star Trek: Discovery became the first Star Trek to use the word “fuck,” an R-rated Trek feels super weird. Even though Discovery earned a TV-MA rating for its violence and language, if it were released as a movie, it would probably get a PG-13. Conventional wisdom says you’re allowed to have one f-bomb to stay under the R-rating, but plenty of movies have gotten away with two. Especially when they’re used as innocuously as they were in Discovery. Besides, as Anthony Rapp himself put it, it was a “fuck” in the name of science, not anger. In that way, it felt very Star Trek. I don’t imagine Tarantino’s “fucks”(or also likely, “motherfuckers”) to be used in the name of science.

Mary Wiseman getting a serious (what the f### ya looking at!) from co-star Anthony Rapp in Star Trek: Discovery (Photo via CBS)

Of course, there is no movie yet. We can’t really judge anything until we at least see a trailer. And hey, even with the rating, there’s every possibility that this could turn out great. Tarantino is a talented director, and he can shoot dialog very well. He can bring a flair to those Prime Directive policy debates and moral crises on the bridge that are hallmarks of Star Trek. He can also shoot a very stylish action scene.

While Tarantino has always come up with his own original films, many have wondered what he might do if he took the reins of an existing franchise. He has only done that on television, twice directing episodes of CSI and once an episode of ER. He has spoken about the appeal of taking on one of the James Bond movies, but the hard part of something like that is getting the rights holders to give him a wide creative swath that comes along with a final cut auteur like Tarantino.

The director has the tools to make a great Star Trek movie no matter what it’s rated, so we should see what shape it takes before decrying the new direction. A bold new take on the franchise by an obsessive fan could be worthwhile. As long as he doesn’t bring about Star Trek’s first n-word.