Rod Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment and son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, spoke about the pros and cons of Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek.

Rod Roddenberry, son of the legendary Gene Roddenberry, is celebrating 55 years of the unparalleled franchise Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry’s work has inspired artists in every medium, delighting millions of people with its unique language for generations. Even if you’ve never seen a single frame of any of these films, you’re probably familiar with the “Live Long and Prosper!” hand gesture.

So it’s no surprise that Rod Roddenberry has invested a priceless amount of time and effort into the content of this source material, which many hold sacred. As he admits, “I didn’t go looking for Star Trek in the beginning. I was a Star Wars fan, and I watched Knight Rider and Starsky and Hutch. It took me a while. I enjoyed Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I would say I didn’t get it,” he recalled. “It was the fans who taught me about Star Trek.”

“After my father died, I had fans constantly coming up to me to tell me how inspired they were by Star Trek. They told me these stories, whether it was an abusive relationship, a disability, or anything else. They said it gave them faith that we would be a society where we would accept each other one day. I was fascinated by that because Knight Rider never did that to me.”

The inspiration, life lessons and camaraderie of the community inspired Roddenberry to return to the world of Star Trek once again. With a worldwide audience of dedicated Trekkies confident that he will preserve these themes, it’s understandable that he is reluctant to hand over the baton to the wild card, Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has been vocal for years about his desire to try his hand in this cinematic universe.

“I’m struggling with this because I’m quite short-sighted about Star Trek,” the CEO said. “I mentioned that I grew up with fans coming up to me and saying that Star Trek inspired them and gave them hope for the future. It was the optimism and the messages in it that made Star Trek what it was. I genuinely believe that. If you create a Star Trek and it’s just action, it’s not Star Trek, in my opinion. That’s where it’s different from Star Wars, and I like Star Wars, but they can both fit together. And I love Tarantino’s work and the kind of film he makes. I try to keep an open mind.

“I’d be curious to see a script with his vision. I don’t think you could say we’re going to make a Reservoir Dogs-like Star Trek. I’ll be honest, that doesn’t work for me, but he’s a fan, and I think as a fan, he probably understands to some extent that Star Trek has to carry some message. I’d be curious and try to keep an open mind, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea” – summarised Roddenberry.

Rumours are swirling about what Quentin Tarantino’s last film will be, as he has promised that he has only one more of the ten films he wants to direct. He has hinted at a Kill Bill Vol. 3, but he has also shown immense interest in doing a Tarantino Trek. Perhaps after delivering us what The Bride and BB have been up to for the past twenty years, he could be persuaded to break that promise for a chance to be part of the Star Trek multigalactic enterprise. One reason for hope is that the last time he said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

Source: Syfy.com