Photo by Andrew Cooper, SMPSP - © 2012 - The Weinstein Company
The legendary Quentin Tarantino is reportedly planning to make his swan song as a director with a final film he’ll be directing this fall.
Tarantino, who created some of the most iconic films of his era—including Pulp Fiction, two Kill Bill movies, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood—will be exiting his career with an offering called The Movie Critic, sources say. Tarantino himself wrote the script, said to be inspired by Pauline Kael, a legend in her own right.
It’s believed the story will unravel in late-1970s Los Angeles, when Kael briefly worked as a consultant for Paramount at the urging of Warren Beatty. Kael, who was film critic for The New Yorker, was known for her outspokenness and confrontations with the actors and directors she wrote about.
No studio has yet committed to the project, but Sony is rumored to be a strong contender due to Tarantino’s past history with them.
Sony was the distributor of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which won two Oscars and grossed more than $377 million worldwide. The deal was a sweet one for Tarantino, who will eventually acquire the copyright to the 2019 movie.
Tarantino, who turns 60 on March 27, has made nine films over his career and has said his tenth would be his last. He’s also talked about directing stage plays and in 2021 he penned a novel based on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
In 2012, Tarantino told Playboy of his future plans: “I want to stop at a certain point. Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end.
I am all about my filmography, and one bad film f—s up three good ones. I don’t want that bad, out-of-touch comedy in my filmography, the movie that makes people think, ‘Oh man, he still thinks it’s 20 years ago.’ When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.
”
Tarantino made his directorial debut in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs, a crime thriller. He won numerous awards over his 30-year career, including the Palme d’Or, two Academy Awards, and four Golden Globes.
Check out more of Edward’s articles