Tarantino's “Star Trek” recruits “Revenant” scribe

Quentin Tarantino's “Star Trek” movie project has gained momentum at Paramount Pictures with “The Revenant” screenwriter Mark L Smith hired to write the script.

Tarantino and JJ Abrams will produce and Tarantino may direct. Abrams will produce through his Paramount-based Bad Robot Productions. News of the duo working on the R-rated project first emerged on December 4, but details of the plot have remained under wraps.

Paramount has released 13 “Star Trek” movies since 1979's “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. The studio rebooted the franchise in 2009 with Abrams directing “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: Into Darkness” in 2013 before moving to 2015's “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Justin Lin directed “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016.

Tarantino is a fan of the original “Star Trek” TV series and is in pre-production on his ninth movie, an untitled project centered on the Manson Family murders, which Sony has scheduled for August 2, 2019.