Paramount Pictures will be taking their Star Trek film franchise to some interesting places. First there is the R-rated Star Trek being penned by Quentin Tarantino, and now the studio is looking to hire the franchise’s first female director. Reports are saying S.J. Clarkson, who directed Marvel’s Jessica Jones pilot for Netflix, is in talks to direct Star Trek 4. More on the story here below.

Per THR, Paramount is searching for a female director to helm Star Trek 4, which would be separate from the R-rated film that is being penned by Tarantino. Star Trek 4 would be a continuation of the reboot that was kicked off by J.J. Abrams in 2009.

Apparently, the hiring of a female director is a huge priority for Abrams, who has made an effort to make his Bad Robot production company more inclusive, as noted by his most recent hiring of Victoria Mahoney to helm Star Wars: Episode IX.

As for Tarantino’s Star Trek, it would be held in a separate timeline. No word yet on if the cast from the reboot would be a part of it. But it will be a while before we hear anything about it considering that he is currently working on Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

On top of that, there are no deals for headline stars Chris Pine, Zachery Quinto, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, and Karl Urban. However, Paramount considers Star Trek to be their “crown jewel.” So while fresh contracts would have to be drawn up, which would make the project a bit more expensive, it sounds like the studio will do anything to bring everyone back together.

As to what the fourth film could be about, well, based on what has been reported, it sounds like there will be a bit of time traveling. That or a few flashbacks. Chris Hemsworth, who played George Kirk in the first reboot, is That’s because signed on to make a return in Star Trek 4.

Moving on to Clarkson, she is best known for helming the pilot episode of the Netflix and Marvel Entertainment show Jessica Jones. She has also had a hand in other Netflix shows like Marvel’s The Defenders and Orange Is The New Black. Other credits include Bates Motel.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Paramount will move forward with these new Star Trek films. But one thing is for sure, adding more female creative minds to the industry is going to a huge benefit in the long run. Patty Jenkins, Cathy Yan, and Ava DuVernay are among the first female directors to helm big budget blockbuster tentpoles. And they won’t be the last. Pretty soon, other studios are going to realize that women want to tell these stories, too.

So it looks like Clarkson’s Star Trek will come out of the gate first, then Tarantino’s, but nothing is confirmed yet. We’ll keep you posted as new developments come in.

[Source: THR]