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William Shatner Isn't Concerned About Tarantino's Star Trek Using Profanity
Original Captain Kirk William Shatner doesn't get why some fans are so concerned about Quentin Tarantino saying there will be profanity in his Star Trek movie. Eyebrows were certainly raised when, in late 2017, news emerged that Tarantino was departing from working on original material and was in fact developing his own Star Trek film. Later, it was revealed that Tarantino would not actually be directing the movie himself, and that Revenant writer Mark L. Smith would be handling scripting duties. Still, a lot of folks remain intrigued about what Tarantino has in mind for his contribution to Star Trek lore.
Of course, Tarantino's own films are well known for their extreme violence and high levels of profanity. Star Trek occasionally gets violent, but seldom becomes very graphic, and has by-and-large remained PG-rated in terms of profanity. But Tarantino confirmed that his take on Star Trek will indeed feature his signature R-rated content, including loads of F-bombs - an announcement that has caused many a traditional Star Trek fan to shake their head in disapproval.
For his part, original Captain Kirk actor William Shatner doesn't get why people are so up in arms about Tarantino saying he will let people curse up a storm in his version of Star Trek. In a tweet, the actor asked, "Why are people plotzing about this? It's my understanding that Star Trek Discovery has used expletives in some episodes." See Shatner's full tweet on the subject below:
As Shatner points out, the F-bomb barrier has already been broken in Star Trek by the CBS All Access streaming series Discovery, which had the Ensign Tilly character squeal out a gleeful f--k in response to an exciting development (a scene Shatner himself didn't see because he doesn't watch the show, a revelation that in itself is a subtle dig). Though some did express dismay at Star Trek going there after years of avoiding such gratuitous displays of profanity, the uproar was not particularly huge.
If people are more upset over Tarantino saying his Star Trek will be loaded with profanity, it may be because he seems to be promising more than just one or two F-bombs, but a total shift in tone from what is considered traditional Star Trek. Fans of Trek are naturally very protective of their favorite sci-fi universe, and don't appreciate it when people swoop in who don't seem to understand what Trek is all about.
Of course, Tarantino is himself a long-time Star Trek fan who has spoken before about his desire to dig back into Star Trek lore and find interesting stories to resurrect. So, presumably Tarantino has an understanding of what makes Trek tick and would never attempt to upset the apple cart. The fact is, no one knows what Tarantino has in store for Trek, and there's still a good chance his movie will never even come to fruition. Shatner certainly seems to think that the latest example of "plotzing" by Star Trek fans is much ado about nothing.
