John Cho sees Star Trek through Tarantino’s lens
The cinematic universe of Star Trek often ventures into the fantastical, but sometimes the most compelling stories are found in the unexpected mashups. For actor John Cho, who brought the role of helmsman Hikaru Sulu to life in the rebooted series, one such unexpected possibility revolves around a scrapped, R-rated gangster epic conceived by Quentin Tarantino.
The idea, which was reportedly floated between Tarantino and writer Mark L. Smith, envisioned an alternate reality where the starship crew navigated an Earth-like world drenched in the atmosphere of the 1930s gangster era. It was a concept that borrowed heavily from the kinetic energy of episodes like Star Trek: The Original Series’s exploration of mob culture.
While the project never materialized, the concept itself proved highly appealing to those involved. Co-star Simon Pegg famously described the hypothetical film as “everything you would expect a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek script to be”, highlighting the inherent, thrilling tension that such a blend of science fiction and crime drama would generate.
Cho shared his reflections on this unrealized dream in a recent interview, admitting that the absence of the project has weighed on him. He confessed that while he heard rumors about the pitch during its development, the specific details were not relayed to him, leading to a sense of missed opportunity.
“I’m actually entering a deep depression right now that it didn’t happen,” Cho admitted. He pondered the inherent conflict in the idea: “Are we making a Star Trek movie or just using Star Trek to make a Quentin Tarantino movie? It’s a legitimate question, but I just wanted to make a Quentin Tarantino movie. That would have been a dream.”
Though the cinematic landscape continues to evolve rapidly, Cho is currently focused on his next endeavors. He remains actively involved in production, currently appearing in the film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, which is currently showing in limited cinemas.
Looking ahead, the industry is busy. While the specific Tarantino-infused space opera remains a nostalgic possibility, other projects are charting a course. Cho is connected to teams working on new ventures, including those tied to the successful concepts behind Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, although concrete timelines for these developments are still pending.
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