Quentin Tarantino's 'Star Trek' movie has hired Mark L. Smith to write the script.

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino

Paramount is said to have signed Smith up to the role after he took part in a writer's room with the Hollywood director, who recently shared his idea for the next Starship Enterprise story with J.J. Abrams.

According to Deadline, Paramount and Abrams have become huge fans of Smith after he penned World War II thriller 'Overlord'.

Smith was said to be in consideration for the screenwriting duty after Tarantino recently spent several hours discussing plot ideas with him, 'Godzilla vs. Kong' writer Lindsey Beer, and 'Iron Man 3' scribe Drew Pearce.

Tarantino is keen to direct the project and was recently said to have insisted on an R rating, which Paramount and Abrams have agreed on.

His movies have mostly been R rated - which means at least a 15 certificate in the UK - due to their use of extreme profanity and violence.

Smith is due to work on the script while Tarantino focuses on his next motion picture, a film about Charles Manson, which he had begun work on before the cult leader died in November this year.

Margot Robbie and Jennifer Lawrence are among the actresses he is said to have approached to play Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski who was stabbed to death by members of the Manson Family commune in August 1969.

Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are all said to have been in discussions for two male lead roles.