On the small screen, the “Star Trek” franchise is looking healthier than it has in years with another season of “Star Trek: Discovery” on the way, new short films, a new Picard series and further shows planned. On the film front however things aren’t going so smoothly as breakdowns in negotiations with Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth seem to be stalling the progress of a fourth film in the J.J. Abrams-era rebooted film series.

One of the film’s stars, actor Karl Urban who plays Dr. McCoy, appeared at the Trekonderoga convention recently and says he’s confident that the salary dispute with the two Chrises will be resolved and the film will go forward. If not though, they have Quentin Tarantino’s proposed “Star Trek” project in the works as well with Urban confirming it involves the current film cast and looks to be targeting an R-rating:

Quentin Tarantino went in to [producer] J.J. [Abrams]’s offices and pitched him an idea for a Star Trek movie. I know a little bit about what that is, and it’s bananas. So, they are writing that as well. I was personally delighted he was not only a Star Trek fan, but also interested in working with our cast. It’s not only a new story, but he is just one of those filmmakers that has a very unique and specific vision. And he totally utilizes the camera to tell the story… I think that Tarantino would be able to do something quite unique. So, fingers crossed that will happen. It is in the hands of Paramount. If we don’t get to make [Star Trek 4] next year with Chris Hemsworth, then that’s ok, let’s make a really good Quentin Tarantino Star Trek movie. You shouldn’t worry that it is going to be full of obscenity and stuff. He wants an R-rating to really make those beats of consequence land. If it’s not PG, if someone gets sucked out into space, which we have all seen before, we might see them get disemboweled first…It allows some breadth…gives him some leeway to do that. To me, that was always one of the things I loved about what DeForest Kelley did. He would actually capture the horror of space. That look in his eyes of sheer terror always struck me when I was a kid.

Fellow cast mates Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg and John Cho are all expected to return for the new film with S.J. Clarkson still slated to direct the one involving Hemsworth which hasn’t set production or releases date as yet.

Source: TrekMovie