Quentin Tarantino scrapped his tenth movie, The Movie Critic, explaining it felt too similar to his previous hit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. After six years since his last film premiered, the famed director revealed during an episode of The Church of Tarantino podcast that this new project, originally planned as an eight-episode mini-series set in 1970s Los Angeles, no longer excited him creatively.
Though The Movie Critic aimed to mark Tarantino’s first venture into television, it featured Brad Pitt, his collaborator from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Despite Tarantino’s assurance that the series was unrelated to his last work, he admitted that the overlapping setting and style led to the decision to halt production.
Challenges in Repeating Past Successes
Tarantino described the difficulty of revisiting familiar territory, particularly the challenge of authentically recreating Los Angeles without digital effects:
“It was too much like the last one,”
he said, referring to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s 1969 L.A. backdrop.
I wasn’t really excited about dramatizing what I wrote when I was in pre-production, partly because I’m using the skill set that I learned from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood [of] ‘How are we going to turn Los Angeles into the Hollywood of 1969 without using CGI?’”
His earlier films often explore distinct historical periods, such as World War II Germany in Inglorious Basterds and the antebellum South in Django Unchained. However, revisiting a time and place so close to a previous film removed the sense of challenge and discovery Tarantino typically seeks in his projects. He elaborated on the lack of creative puzzle to solve:
“The Movie Critic there was nothing to figure out. I already kind of knew, more or less, how to turn L.A. into an older time.”
The Story’s Struggles and Creative Ambitions
Besides its temporal overlap, Tarantino found the narrative subject problematic. The story centered around a movie critic, a profession he considered difficult to present as compelling cinema. He admitted to setting himself a personal challenge:
“The thing about The Movie Critic is I really, really like it. But there was a challenge that I gave to myself when I did it. ‘Can I take the most boring profession in the world and make it an interesting movie?’”
He questioned the appeal of such a concept bluntly:
“Who wants to see a TV show about a fucking movie critic? Who wants to see a movie called The Movie Critic?”
What Quentin Tarantino Is Working on Now
Despite shelving The Movie Critic, Tarantino remains active in the film industry. He has confirmed his intention to direct a total of ten films, planning his next feature to be his final one. Meanwhile, he is involved with a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spin-off, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which will be produced for Netflix. Director David Fincher is attached to helm the project, while Brad Pitt returns as Booth, the stuntman and fixer.
Additionally, Tarantino is preparing for a stage play debuting on London’s West End next year before returning to film direction, signaling his continued engagement with different storytelling formats.
Addressing Speculation About His Creative State
In response to rumors about being fearful or paralyzed regarding his tenth film, Tarantino expressed frustration, rejecting these characterizations. He imitated fans or commentators offering amateur psychoanalysis of his mindset:
“It’s a little crazy to listen to podcasts and hear all these amateur psychiatrists psychoanalyze as if they fucking know what they’re talking about about what’s going on with me, about how I’m so scared, alright, of my 10th film,”
he said.
“‘Oh my god! Oh my god! I’m so fragile about my legacy. What’s going on? I’m paralyzed with fear!’ I’m not paralyzed with fear. Trust me.”
Given Tarantino’s consistent history of delivering distinctive and engaging films, anticipation remains high for his upcoming projects, whether this final film counts as his tenth or an additional venture beyond that. Fans and critics alike expect anything bearing his name to be well worth the wait.
