Ten films and out.
That’s been the mantra of Hollywood auteur Quentin Tarantino for generations and, true to his word, the illustrious filmmaker is now plotting his ninth feature. And it’s shaping up to be a doozy.
Deadline brings word that Tarantino’s latest, which is going by the working title ‘#9’, has now been shopped to every major studio – Disney notwithstanding – as the director searches for a new home following the scandalous allegations leveled against Harvey Weinstein.
His production banner, The Weinstein Company, was often called The House That Quentin Built by insiders (Harvey Weinstein included) after launching Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds and, more recently, Django Unchained. But it seems the filmmaker is ready to move on to pastures anew. And you can hardly blame him.
Amazon and Netflix are reportedly out of the equation, with Tarantino eyeing a theatrical release for #9 – alongside Christopher Nolan, the cinephile is one of the few remaining proponents of film.
Story-wise, Quentin Tarantino’s latest reportedly takes place in 1960 Los Angeles, and while it does center on the infamous Manson murders, sources claim that the project is as much about Charles Manson as Inglorious Basterds was about Adolf Hitler, which is to say that Manson will only be in the final product for a scene or two – if even.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence were originally said to be on the director’s radar – Jennifer Jason Leigh later clinched the part earmarked for Lawrence – though we understand Tarantino has carved out roles for Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. Suicide Squad‘s Margot Robbie is also in contention for the role of Sharon Tate, who was brutally murdered at the hands of Manson’s cult.
All in all, it’s a remarkable casting docket, but we should stress that no deals have been finalized at the time of writing, and while Pitt and DiCaprio have worked with Quentin Tarantino in the past, they’re two of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.
We will, of course, keep you posted as things begin to coalesce.
