Star Trek actor Simon Pegg believes that any potential Quentin Tarantino version of the iconic science fiction creation is likely to be between five and six years away. Since the release of Star Trek: Beyond in 2016, there has been some degree of confusion surrounding the future of the franchise, with reports indicating that J. J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company currently has several Trek projects in the works. The first of these is a straight-forward fourth movie in the "Kelvin Timeline" series, with S. J. Clarkson now confirmed to direct and Chris Hemsworth returning as George Kirk, father of James.

The second Star Trek movie currently being discussed and speculated upon is from renowned director Quentin Tarantino. Rumors of Tarantino pitching a story for a Trek movie first surfaced late last year and were soon confirmed by cast members. Immediately, questions were raised as to whether the project would, in typical Tarantino style, be R-Rated and whether or not his story would feature the current cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. While several cast members have supported a potential R-Rating, there seems to be less certainly over the possibility of the cast returning and it is evident that there is much still to be decided with regards to Tarantino's Star Trek.

While on promotional rounds for Mission Impossible: Fallout, Montgomery Scott himself, otherwise known as Simon Pegg, spoke to the Edmonton Journal about both Star Trek 4 and the Tarantino project. The British actor stated:


“I’ve met with S.J. [Clarkson] and she’s fizzing with ideas and she has the right attitude. She’s reverent but she’s not slavish. In terms of the story, I have a vague knowledge but it’s nothing I can talk about... Quentin’s idea is another thing. He came in to Bad Robot and pitched it and it’s been put in the bank. I think he had us in mind when he came up with the idea; he likes the new cast. But he’s going to be so busy with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that I can’t see him doing it for five or six years, by which time we might be too old anyway.”

Pegg's comments confirm that Star Trek 4 is progressing far more quickly and naturally than Tarantino's film, which is rapidly looking like it could end up being the fifth Kelvin movie, especially since Zachary Quinto has also stated that he believes Tarantino pitched his concept with the current cast firmly in mind. It's difficult to tell if Pegg was being completely serious when he mentions being too old for Star Trek in five or six years and although the likes of Pine, Quinto, Zaldana, Urban and indeed Pegg will all be in their forties or fifties by then, most of them will still be younger than the original cast when they appeared in the much loved Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan.

Of course, the future of Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie does probably depend, at least partially, upon the success of Star Trek 4. Both Into Darkness and Beyond attracted mixed receptions, with the latter under-performing at the box office. This likely led to the decision to re-introduce the A-List power of Chris Hemsworth, but should that tactic fail, any plans for a fifth movie may be thrown into doubt, even with a name as big as Tarantino's at the helm.