Co-Writing Star Trek Beyond as Far as Simon Pegg Will Go for the Trek Franchise

Simon Pegg to Direct the Next Entry Into the Star Trek Franchise. Sounds like a pretty cool headline, huh? Unfortunately, according to Pegg, it’s never gonna happen.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pegg talked about how he was a bit reluctant to join Star Trek Beyond as a co-writer with Doug Jung both because of how daunting the task would be (he came on as co-writer after Roberto Orci departed as writer/director), and because he didn’t want to ruin the camaraderie he’d built up with the rest of the Trek cast:

I was slightly worried about being a co-writer on this movie, because the friendship we all have as a cast is very close, and I didn’t want to feel like I was leaving that in any way.

But actually it’s been the opposite of that. The cast has all been collaborating with Doug and I in a way that we can never begin to thank them for. Each and every one of them has brought things to the script that we will take full credit for and will never, ever admit that it was their idea.

However, after watching director Justin Lin at the helm of this massive, erm, enterprise (see what I did there?), Pegg doesn’t think that directing a Trek film is in his future:

Having watched Justin [Lin] making this movie … going behind the monitor to watch what he’s done makes me realize that I’m never going to direct a Star Trek.

It’s such an incredible, innate visual style. I see people do these things and I’m always impressed, but I could never hope to do them. I see people directing action and camera work in such an exciting way and just think, ‘Oh what’s the point?’ It’s probably best for everyone who goes to the cinema if I don’t. It would be fun, but I don’t envy [Lin’s] job.

Now, I’m imagining Pegg directing a smaller film set in the Trek universe. Starfleet Academy anyone? Or, while all the awesome officers are up in space having awesome adventures…what are the slackers of Starfleet up to? OOH! Maybe he should direct the inevitable film version of John Scalzi’s Redshirts?

Would you be disappointed if Pegg never tried his hand at a Trek film? What kind of Trek film would you like to see him direct? Or should he just stick to the writing and acting? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Star Trek Beyond is now filming in Dubai after having spent three months filming in Vancouver. And as we reported previously, the new release date is July 22, 2016.

(Image via vagueonthehow on Flickr)

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