Quentin Tarantino Star Trek
Quentin Tarantino and Chris Pine as Captain Kirk. Getty Images / Paramount Pictures

Legendary director Quentin Tarantino has toyed with big, existing franchises before. He's directed episodes of TV series CSI and ER, and famously wanted to direct Pierce Brosnan in a James Bond movie that never came to fruition.

Now, he might have his eyes on another blockbuster series, and boldly go where his celebrated career has never taken him before. According to a report from Deadline, Tarantino has an idea for a Star Trek movie, and he might even direct it.

The director of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill has taken his idea to JJ Abrams – producer and former director of the rebooted series of Trek films – who is now assembling a writers' room.

Studio Paramount Pictures is helping bring together writers who will hear Tarantino's idea and attempt to put a film together based on it.

If it all goes to plan, Deadline says the Oscar-winner might even direct, with Abrams producing.

Both men have other projects to work on first, however. Tarantino is currently working on a period film set in Los Angeles around the time of the Manson family murder spree in the late '60s, which was recently set an August 2019 release date.

Abrams, meanwhile ,has a different sci-fi franchise to contend with. Following the high-profile departure of Colin Trevorrow from Star Wars 9 – the sequel to this month's The Last Jedi – LucasFilm turned to Abrams to take his place.

Abrams kick-started this new trilogy of Star Wars films with 2015's The Force Awakens, and will now return to conclude it in time for a December 2019 release date.

Star Trek last graced the big screen with 2016's Beyond, which celebrated the series 50th anniversary. A sequel was announced before that film arrived in theatres, one that was said to see Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as the thought-to-be dead father of Captain Kirk (Chris Pine).

The announced alluded to an idea being in place for the film's plot (you'd hope so, otherwise a studio mandate would be forcing writers into bringing a character back from the dead) but it seems Paramount and Abrams aren't married to the idea.

That, or they can't pass up the opportunity to hear what Tarantino has to say. Which is fair enough.

No date has been set for the next Star Trek film.