The announcement late last year of Quentin Tarantino‘s involvement with the next ‘Star Trek’ film made plenty of waves in the ‘Trek’ community. And it wasn’t just fans who were taken by surprise, but the franchise’s various performers and creative contributors as well. Naturally, this has given way to any number of fascinating responses from ‘Star Trek’ veterans of every description.
The latest such veteran to comment on the matter is ‘Next Generation’ star Jonathan Frakes. Speaking during a panel at the recent Lexington Comic and Toy Convention about his thoughts on the upcoming “Tarantino ‘Trek’,” Frakes revealed that while he’s intrigued, he’s not entirely sure that it’s going to pan out.
“I’m fascinated by the possibility of this. I am not convinced that it is going to be real and I am not sure that Quentin’s gestalt and what he is known for is quite the same wheelhouse of what we have known ‘Star Trek’ to be. But I am an eternal optimist and I texted with JJ [Abrams, ‘Star Trek’ movie producer] – my close, personal friend – who I am a big fan of by the way. I know some people aren’t, but I think he is a wonderful storyteller and I think he did a great job, especially with the first ‘Star Trek’ movie. I said “What’s up? What’s happening with this?” and I asked if it’s real. And he said “So far it lookas real because they put a writer’s room together,” and he said “Quentin said it is going to be wild.” So that is as close as I’ve gotten to an answer, which is a word we probably always thought it was going to be anyway.”
While Frakes may not be privy to any particular inside knowledge, his instincts are sound. He has, after all, had some involvement – either in front of the camera or behind it – with every incarnation of ‘Star Trek’ to come along since ‘The Next Generation’ debuted in 1987. Despite his skepticism, however, Frakes remains excited by the possibilities opened up by Tarantino’s involvement. He continues:
“I feel like he could surprise us and bring it into an R-rated world, or a PG world where ‘Star Trek’ kind of lives. And it could be incredibly creative. I noticed that Patrick Stewart was smart enough to offer his services as soon as he heard the name Tarantino mentioned. So, I am as curious as you are. I’m not sure that it’s gonna be real, that it’ll come to fruition, but I do know reliable sources say there’s a writer’s room open and that they are working on story and that JJ and Quentin have agreed to move forward. So we will see.”
For more from Frakes, you can check out the full panel here.
Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more on ‘Star Trek 4’ as it becomes available.
