It has been a long and twisty road to principal photography on The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino’s latest foray into the western genre. First Gawker leaked the script, resulting in the filing of a lawsuit and Tarantino’s proclamation that he did not intend to make the film. What followed was a single public reading of the script, the lawsuit being dropped, and, finally, Tarantino’s announcement that he would make the movie after all. Now the day is finally here, as The Weinstein Company announces that the director has begun filming on The Hateful Eight.
The Hateful Eight takes place in post-Civil War Wyoming and follows a group of eight people who get trapped during a blizzard. Taking refuge from the storm at a haberdashery in a mountain pass, the group are soon involved in a plot of betrayal and deception. We can expect plenty of the good old Tarantino dialogue, and probably quite a lot of violence as well.
The main cast includes Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Walton Goggins, and Demien Bichir, but there have been recent additions that some Tarantino fans will also recognize. One of which is Zoe Bell, who appeared in Tarantino’s Death Proof and very briefly in Django Unchained. She’s primarily known for her stunt work, though, having worked on both Kill Bills and Inglourious Basterds, among many many others. According to IMDB, she joins The Hateful Eight as Six-Horse Judy. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to hearing the explanation for that name.
Other additions to The Hateful Eight cast include Tarantino regulars James Parks (Kill Bill), Dana Gourrier, Keith Jefferson, Lee Horsley, Craig Stark and Belinda Owino (all Django Unchained). The only new addition to Tarantino’s team is Gene Jones, who already has some neo-western cred with No Country for Old Men
Despite all of the problems that The Hateful Eight has faced, it’s nice to see that things are finally getting underway. What your personal feelings about Tarantino’s behavior surrounding this film, there’s no reason to doubt that this won’t be a good movie.
The Hateful Eight is scheduled to hit cinemas later this year.
