Before Uma Thurman told her Me Too story and Quentin Tarantino had to spend several weeks doing damage control, the big Tarantino story was that he was making a movie about Charles Manson and the Sharon Tate murders. None of it sounded good, and I truly hoped that the project would be canceled at some point, given the behind-the-scenes drama. Drama which included: Tarantino taking this film to another studio following Harvey Weinstein’s downfall; the Uma Thurman revelations; Tarantino’s old Roman Polanski comments; and the fact that no one wants or needs a film about the Manson killings. But Tarantino steamrolled ahead, and Sony gave his film a macabre release date: August 9, 2019, the 50th anniversary of Sharon Tate’s murder. And now Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio have been confirmed as the leads.
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are reuniting with Quentin Tarantino to star in the filmmaker’s latest feature, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Sony Pictures announced Wednesday. Tarantino describes it as “a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor…Sharon Tate.”
The film is set to be released worldwide on Aug. 9, 2019. The movie is an expensive proposition for the studio, as both actors had been tipped to star in the project for weeks but negotiations had been strenuous. In fact, sources said DiCaprio was ready to walk away at one point in January. But Sony is now pointing to the Oscar breadth of the actors’ previous collaborations with Tarantino and the successful box office, as well.
“I’ve been working on this script for five years, as well as living in Los Angeles County most of my life, including in 1969, when I was seven years old,” Tarantino said Wednesday in a statement. “I’m very excited to tell this story of an L.A. and a Hollywood that don’t exist anymore. And I couldn’t be happier about the dynamic teaming of DiCaprio & Pitt as Rick & Cliff.”
What’s worse than the idea of Quentin Tarantino making a bloody, gory movie about the Manson killings? The fact that he’s making a movie about Sharon Tate’s murder and it’s about the two white dudes who live next door. I mean…??? Granted, I’m sure the script is a lot better than what we’re being led to believe. But good God, NONE of this sounds good. At all. It would be like making a show about the murders of Biggie and Tupac and having the focus and lead of the show be the white detective investigating the murders. Oh, wait.
Also: reportedly, Tarantino is looking to cast an actress as Tate. Possibly Jennifer Lawrence, possibly Margot Robbie.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
This is a terrible idea.
So so bad.
So, full stop, I’m a QT fan for decades and I feel like this movie is getting a bad wrap. He has said it’s not specifically a movie about the Tate/LaBianca murders, it is just around that time in that same area. Here is one of his quotes and the article it’s from with some more info:
“…however, the director has since clarified that the Manson murders are more of a backdrop than a main attraction. “It’s not Charles Manson, it’s 1969,” Tarantino told IndieWire on Monday. As Deadline puts it, calling the period project a Charles Manson movie is “akin to calling Inglourious Basterds a movie about Adolf Hitler, when the Nazi leader was only in a scene or two.”
Link: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/11/quentin-tarantino-next-movie-update.html
I know he is problematic, but I feel it’s important to fully understand something when it’s being talked about like this.
I am excited for this movie and I will see it in the theater, although Brad Pitt and Leo’s stunt double?? Really???
+1
If it’s about Manson as much as Basterds was about Hitler, people really are getting worked up over nothing. Hitler was in ONE scene and (spoiler) it wasn’t exactly a nuanced or glowing portrait of him.
I think this movie sounds really interesting.
I’m glad someone else is bringing this up. Thanks @Laura, @Diana, and @lannisterforever!
I’m looking forward to this film.
This is all a very bad no good idea on all fronts by all parties.
I’ve read somewhere that they’re already talking to Margot Robbie about this film. And they also want Tom Cruise in it too.
I am sorry.This is so sad.And casting Sharon Tate will be very hard.She was not only stunning on the outside but from the inside too.You can’t capture that unless you have it.It shines through.Just let her rest in peace and all the others that were killed.
@Peetee – You think Margot seems like a bad person on the inside? She seems perfectly nice and lovely to me.
Releasing the movie on that anniversary is so, so tacky. Good grief.
This whole movie sounds “tacky”. This is how Brad Pitt is going to get back into movies after all his problems? Partying with Tarantino and drugs plus Leo’s 19 year old Victoria Secret models.
I would be more worried if Tarantino was making a Sharon Tate or a Manson biopic. I think it’s a good idea to tell this awful story from an outsider’s perspective.
I agree. We haven’t seen the script and Tarantino may be a lot of things, but he’s never written a sh*tty script. This is not a retelling of the Manson murders, it happens to be set outside the perspective of the crime. This event will always be an historically significant occurrence about crime, mental illness and social class, which is fair game to me. If the story were a straight-retelling, that would be another matter entirely.
@Beatrix
I watched Hateful Eight a while ago, one of the worst movies ever. Made no sense, just a lot of N words and F words, plus beating a woman to a blood pulp for no reason at all.
I bet it will be great. Leo and Brad both great
I think it will be great too. I’m hoping, anyway. But the release date is cheezy.
Ugh it just really bothers me Tarantino is making a movie about the horrific Manson crimes, even if they are supposed to be the background of a different story. I’ve never liked how he glorifies violence, but at least in a fictional context it’s bearable.
No. Not gonna watch it. And Brad isn’t even some great actor. Man, wish Leo did something meaningful, like when he started
NOTHING about this movie sounds good: the premise, the idea, the planned release date, the decisions of the Lead White Males to be involved in something this abominable. Ghastly all around.
… and Tom Cruise and JLaw messes added to this mess? It stinks. Shame on you, Tarantino
Two good acts wish them all the best!
Yuck. Hate hate HATE Tarantino at this point. He needs to take his bad front combover and his obvious kitchen sink dye job and his “who farted” face and all go jump off a cliff.
A measured reaction.
It is creepy but I know I’ll watch it, as will millions of people who watch Snapped, Killer Couples, Murder Detective, 48hrs etc. There is definitely a crowd for this. Its gory but it’ll be watched. The audience already exists. One thing I’m curious about is what direction it will take since its a visual through the neighbours’ eyes…
Everything about this sounds bad. I won’t be going to see it.
Gross. Not for me.
They’re both great of course,but have worked with QT before. Was really hoping to see what he’d do with Tom Cruise who was rumored for a lead.
I would love to see Leo and Brad in a movie together, but not this one.
lol I just said the exact same thing down thread.
This all sounds horrible and exploitative. Isn’t the victim’s sister very against this?
I hope all actresses considering the part read Uma’s account. Imagine the abuse QT would try to inflict on them in this one.
I wondered about her sister as well, and also the LiBianca family. Any attempt to glorify those evil crimes has to be terrible for them, when they routinely fight to keep the perpetrators jailed.
If this movie were in the hands of a director who is female &/or of color, I might be curious about the treatment of such a tragic story. But on the list of some white dudes I’m so done with, Tarantino’s pretty high up there. I can’t wait to never see this movie and to never throw any more of my money at him.
I read that Hilary Duff was playing Sharon Tate?
Honestly, she’s not a good enough actress for a Tarantino movie. Hilary played Sharon Tate for a tv-movie recently.
Hillary Duff?!
She is playing her in a different movie, The Haunting of Sharon Tate, which if possible sounds even worse than this.
This is truly dumb on DiCaprio’s and Pitt’s part.
I mean, just, why.
I’m here for it. Versace has been done, OJ & Nicole have been done. I’m not surprised at this.
I would like to see those two in a movie together, just not this one.
All of a sudden people forgot what Tarantino said about 13 year olds. Then again Brad Pitt enjoyed dating teenagers when he was a grown man so it’s no wonder he’s good friends with QT. Brad Pitt is desperate for a hit tho because he’s had flop after flop after flop.
I wonder how this will work for his custody case and if Angelina can use it against him to get a faster divorce and sole custody? 🤔 No wonder he wanted an extension on the divorce.
I would rather see Angelina on the big screen and will not be paying to see anything involving Pitt or Tarantino.
Considering he said those things in 2003, people long forgot about it! Why would it affect Brad Pitt’s custody case what Tarantino said 15 years ago? Angelina worked with Oliver Stone, who unlike Tarantino has been accusing of misbehavior himself, so should that affect her case? Of course not.
Tarantino is, in my opinion, horrible and his comments were disgusting but we’re not at a point in which working with someone with terrible opinions will have your kids taken away.
I love me some Angelina but girlfriend made out with her brother on the red carpet and wore a vial of her ex husbands blood around her neck, and you think that Brad working with Tarentino (who made those comments 15 years ago) will mess up his custody fight?
Made out? It was a kiss and I find dating two underage children far worse than that. Eww. Do I have to put it in caps? BRAD PITT HAD SEX WITH TEENAGER AND TARRANTINO THINKS THATS COOL. EWW
Mina you make no sense trying to come up with ways to make Angelina look as bad as Brad. it’s almost like the Pitt fans trying to make Angelina the Harvey Weinstein victim look as bad as Brad because Brad worked with him and posed with him. Angelina made a point to never pose with Weinstein Btw, why that’s never been brought Up is a wonder.
This is why the women Tarantino abused onset come out to defend him. He can still ruin or help careers. Yuckity yuck again.
Could these people be anymore tone deaf? The shadyness from all of them, counts me out.
Tarantino-Has no problem with Polanski raping a 13yr old, Uma Thurman mistreatment. Weinstein Abuse.
Dicaprio-With his pussy posse.
Pitt-has been disappointing these last two yrs. Even after weinstein & paltrow, said he still liked the guy.
The insensitivity to the people that were slain is revolting.
Hope a good movie
He’ll probably have to go with an unknown for Tate…I have a feeling Robbie and Lawrence aren’t committing because of the whole Polanski/Uma crapstorm.
This is going to be a tedious movie, especially in the current climate. It will be interesting to see how they position it.
This sounds incredibly tone deaf and out of touch with the times. After the recent rebuke of Tarantino and scenes of tortured women. Sound like Sony is behind the times. Brad Pitt is taking a wrong foot, makes me wonder if Angie or his kids had been the ones to help direct his choice in picking good films to be involved with the last decade.
DiCaprio will champion Margo Robbie to take the role. She will take it as a smart career move. I don’t see Lawrence signing up to work with another Director that is not nice to his actresses.
I thought Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt hated each other after Interview with a Vampire?
I’ve come to the realization in the past couple of years or so that most Hollywood employees will swallow almost anything to get a job with recognition. There is no director too sleazy or director/pedophile to vile for them not to work with, if it means someone knows their name. There is no situation they won’t turn their back on if it means a job for them. Pitt and Cruise are no different.
edit: I should be clear here that it is the stars I’m referring to, not the lower level actors or nonfamous workers on site.
It’s unfortunate that Brad Pitt is going to be in this because I do like him and would love to watch him in just about anything EXCEPT another grotesque Tarantino flick. I’ve sworn off of disgusting movie creeps for good. I look at it this way – there are tons of talented directors and writers out there making great movies. I get my pick of the entire buffet. Why would I choose to support a movie made by a shitty person when I could pick one made by a person who doesn’t have a history of defending rapists? Simple.
This sounds odd, but we’ll see. I think he should cast an unknown as Sharon Tate. Find someone who actually looks like her – good luck with that! Maybe a model that can act.
So gross. I’ve been a Tarantino fan for decades but he is so canceled.
It sounds so boring and putting Pitt and Di Caprio together? Seems like it’ll be a mess. Please cast J-Law, so that I’ll have another reason as for why I’ll boycott this.
This has nothing to do with the Tarantino film, but … my friend, Tom, was one of the first cops on the scene to the murders. He said everywhere he looked there was blood and his description of Sharon Tate’s body was terrifying.