Paramount’s Star Trek film series not long ago seemed like a franchise that had stalled out. Star Trek 4 was apparently on hold and the future of the series was unclear.

Now, somewhat suddenly, there are two Star Trek movies in development. One is to be directed by SJ Clarkson, the first female film director in the franchise’s history, and another based on a pitch by Quentin Tarantino.

Now Simon Pegg, the Kelvin timeline Mr. Scott, is offering the first explanation of that sudden turn came to be.

“I think it was a coincidence,” Pegg told Film School Rejects. “We were gearing up for [Star Trek 4] and getting ready for that and then Quentin strolled into Bad Robot one day and said ‘listen to this.’ It was just really interesting and I think it just got out and so everyone started talking about it. And also, Star Trek is kind of, with Discovery and stuff, it’s in the public conscious. It never left it, really. It’s entering its second 50 years. I think it’s great that it’s being talked about so much.”

With Clarkson now attached to direct, Pegg is hopeful that development on Star Trek 4 will ramp up and that he and the rest of the crew will soon be back in front of the cameras.

“With SJ attached, it feels like we’re starting to round the corner on actual production,” he said. “I am hoping to get more info soon. They keep us in the dark as much as they can because they know we always get asked questions.”

As for Tarantino’s Trek, Pegg says fans should not underestimate the director’s range.

“I’m fascinated by the idea,” he said. “I know for a fact that he is very passionate about Star Trek. He has very strong opinions on it and he loves it. He doesn’t want to tear it down. I think everyone is like ‘Oh, it’s going to be like this. It’s going to be Pulp Fiction in space.’ I wouldn’t worry about that. I think it will be really interesting take on it, sure, but he’s not going to just recycle Star Trek. As a fan of Star Trek, I would be excited.”

The first three Kelvin timeline Star Trek movies - Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond - are all available now on home media. Star Trek 4 still does not have a production start or release date. It is unclear how Tarantino's Star Trek fits into the production schedule.