Quentin Tarantino Says If He Commits to Directing ‘Star Trek,’ That’s His Last Movie

Quentin Tarantino broke the hearts of many fans earlier this month by reminding them he is still planning to retire from filmmaking after helming his 10th feature film. As the writer-director told GQ Australia, “I think when it comes to theatrical movies, I’ve come to the end of the road. I see myself writing film books and starting to write theatre, so I’ll still be creative. I just think I’ve given all I have to give to movies.”

Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is his ninth directorial effort, which means it will be his penultimate effort should he stick to this 10-film plan before retirement. The director’s GQ interview had many fans wondering how Tarantino will choose to end his directorial career and asking whether or not his much-discussed “Star Trek” movie would be his final filmmaking project. Tarantino successfully pitched an R-rated “Star Trek” to producer J.J. Abrams and Paramount and has written a script. The studio has yet to officially greenlight the project, but if they do and if Tarantino decides to direct that will probably be his last movie.

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Speaking to CinemaBlend ahead of “Hollywood” rolling out in theaters later this month, Tarantino said that 10 films is 10 films and therefore directing “Star Trek” would be the end of his filmmaking career. Many fans have wondered if Tarantino’s 10-film plan strictly applies to original properties, thus creating a loophole where the director could potentially direct “Star Trek” and another original project. The director said he’s toyed with that idea but is leaning towards 10 as a flat number.

“I guess I do have a loophole, [if] the idea was to throw a loophole into it,” Tarantino said. “Which would be [to go], ‘Uhhh, I guess ‘Star Trek’ doesn’t count. I can do ‘Star Trek’…but naturally I would end on an original.’ But the idea of doing 10 isn’t to come up with a loophole. I actually think, if I was going to do ‘Star Trek,’ I should commit to it. It’s my last movie. There should be nothing left handed about it. I don’t know if I’m going to do that, but that might happen.”

Should Tarantino direct his “Star Trek” script, he’s already got the approval of the franchise’s legendary actor William Shatner. The original Captain Kirk used social media earlier this month to support Tarantino’s vision against some “Star Trek” fans upset about the franchise leaning into a hard R-rating.

“Why are people plotzing about this?” Shatner asked his Twitter followers. “It’s my understanding that ‘Star Trek Discovery’ has used expletives in some episodes. Why aren’t people melting down over that?”

Tarantino’s ninth feature, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” opens in theaters July 26 from Sony Pictures.