Quentin Tarantino's Unrealized Projects
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During his career, American film director
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects were officially cancelled and scrapped or fell into
development hell Development hell, also known as development purgatory or development limbo, is media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in a stage of early development for a long time because of legal, technical, or artistic ...
.


1980s


''Love Birds in Bondage''

Tarantino co-wrote ''Love Birds in Bondage'' with Scott Magill or McGill. Tarantino would go on to co-produce and co-direct the film. McGill committed suicide in 1987, but not before destroying all footage that had been shot. The film concerned a young woman who suffered a
traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...
after an accident leading her to act erratically. She is institutionalized in a mental hospital and her boyfriend figures out a way to get himself admitted. Tarantino also played the boyfriend.


''My Best Friend's Birthday''

Long before his first released feature ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'', Tarantino met with Craig Hamann and was introduced to his 30-40 page script, '' My Best Friend's Birthday.'' Tarantino helped expand the script up to 80 pages and agreed to direct the film. On a $5,000 budget and a 16 mm camera, the film was shot in the span of four years. It was often alleged that the completed run time came out to 70 minutes but due to a lab fire during editing, the film was nearly destroyed, and only 36 minutes remained. However, in the 2019 book ''My Best Friend's Birthday: The Making of a Quentin Tarantino Film'', written by Andrew J. Rausch, it was revealed the fire story was fabricated, with Tarantino choosing not to dismiss it as he thought it sounded interesting. In actuality, some rolls of film were simply discarded by mistake, and Tarantino, unsatisfied with the final product, edited together the scenes he liked, leaving the project unfinished. The 36 minute version was roughly edited together, and screened at several
film festivals A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent date and depe ...
.


''The Open Road''

Tarantino co-worker and collaborator
Roger Avary Roger Roberts Avary (born August 23, 1965) is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his work with Quentin Tarantino on the script for ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), for which they won Best Original Screenpla ...
wrote a 40–80 page script while working with Tarantino at
Video Archives Video Archives was a video rental store located in Manhattan Beach, California, and later moved to Hermosa Beach, California, owned and managed by Lance Lawson and Rick Humbert. History Filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary and Daniel S ...
. Avary likened it to
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's '' After Hours''. The story revolved around a buttoned-up business man who decides to leave his world for the open road. He ends up picking up a wild hitchhiker and they get into various adventures. However, Avary struggled to finish the story and some point Tarantino started to work on it and make changes. According to Tarantino the title of the screenplay was ''Pandemonium Reigns''. According to Avary, ''Pandemonium Reigns'' was a separate script about a boxer who does not throw a fight, and the origins of Butch Coolidge. At some point the script was named ''The Open Road'' and Tarantino ended up turning it into a 500 page screenplay with Avary. A significant change came when Tarantino changed the business man and hitchhiker into a comic book store worker and a
call girl A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who (unlike a street prostitution, street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by ...
named Clarence and Alabama. Clarence begins to write a movie script while the two of them are on the road about a psychotic fantasy version of him and Alabama. The couple are
serial killers A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
named Mickey and Mallory. Eventually story and plot from Clarence's script start to bleed into his and Alabama's life, blurring the lines of fantasy and reality. In spite of being 500 pages long, neither Tarantino or Avary could figure out how to end the story. They deconstructed the whole thing leading to the screenplays of ''
True Romance ''True Romance'' is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt ...
'' and ''
Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American romantic crime action film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims ...
'', as well as aspects of ''
Killing Zoe ''Killing Zoe'' is a 1993 crime film written and directed by Roger Avary and starring Eric Stoltz, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Julie Delpy. The story details a safe cracker named Zed who returns to France to aid an old friend in performing a doome ...
'' and ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
''.


1990s


Untitled John Woo film

In 1992, during a Toronto International Film Festival press conference for ''Reservoir Dogs'', Tarantino revealed he wrote a screenplay for a film directed by
John Woo John Woo Yu-sen ( zh, t= ; born 22 September 1946) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong film director known as a highly influential figure in the action film genre. The recipient of various accolades, including a Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Film Award ...
. The film went unproduced.


Untitled Silver Surfer film

Fresh off of the success of ''Reservoir Dogs'', Tarantino went to
Constantin Films Constantin Film AG is a German film production company based in Munich. The company, which belongs to Swiss media conglomerate Highlight Communications AG, is a large independent German maker and distributor of productions. Constantin has releas ...
with a completed script for a proposed
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
film. Ultimately, Constantin Films passed on his script.


Untitled Luke Cage film

After the release of ''Reservoir Dogs,'' Tarantino contemplated developing a film based on
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
. Being a huge fan of the character, Tarantino held a meeting with producer Ed Pressman, who owned the film rights to Luke Cage, and proposed a film based on the character and suggested casting
Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has gained recognition for his roles on stage and screen as militant and authoritative characters. List of awards and nominations received by Laur ...
as Cage. Despite liking the idea, Tarantino shifted his interest for ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
''.


''The Psychic'' remake

Sometime in the 1990s, Tarantino considered remaking
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
's 1977
giallo In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...
''
Sette note in nero ''Sette note in nero'' () is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci, co-written by Fulci with Roberto Gianviti and Dardano Sacchetti, and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Gianni Garko, Marc Porel, and Ida Galli. The ...
'' (''Seven Notes in Black''), released in America as ''The Psychic''. He intended for ''Jackie Brown'' co-star
Bridget Fonda Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is a retired American actress, known for her roles in films such as ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990), '' Single White Female'' (1992), '' Singles'' (1992), ''Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Ha ...
to star in the film. By the year 2000, Tarantino gave an update on the proposed remake: "It's a project in the murky future. I don't even own the rights to that stuff. It's one of those things where it's like if somebody buys the rights to make it, I won't make it. They can totally fuck it up. If it's meant to happen, it'll happen." No further remarks on the project were made until
Dardano Sacchetti Dardano Sacchetti (born 1944) is an Italian screenwriter who often worked with Italian directors Lamberto Bava and Lucio Fulci. Screenwriting Sacchetti was born in 1944, in Italy. His first screen credit was for Dario Argento's film ''The Cat o' N ...
, one of the original film's writers, revealed in an interview conducted for its 2019 Blu-ray release that he had been in contact with producers from
Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
, who were interested in having Tarantino or other directors remake the film.


''Black Mask''

In the early 1990s, Tarantino has stated that he originally planned "to do a '' Black Mask'' movie", referring to the magazine largely responsible for popularizing
hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...
detective fiction, but development on "it kind of went somewhere else".


''Killshot''

After completing ''Pulp Fiction'', Tarantino and
Roger Avary Roger Roberts Avary (born August 23, 1965) is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his work with Quentin Tarantino on the script for ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), for which they won Best Original Screenpla ...
acquired the
film rights Film rights are rights under copyright law to produce a film as a derivative work of a given item of intellectual property. In US law, these rights belong to the holder of the copyright, who may sell (or " option") them to someone in the film indus ...
to
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...
's novel '' Killshot''. Tarantino initially planned to write and direct ''Killshot'' and have another director make ''
Rum Punch ''Rum Punch'' is a 1992 novel written by Elmore Leonard. The novel was adapted into the film ''Jackie Brown'' (1997) by director Quentin Tarantino. The characters Ordell Robbie, Louis Gara, and Melanie Ralston first appeared in Leonard's novel ...
'', but he changed his mind after re-reading the latter, saying he "fell in love" with the novel all over again.


''Halloween 6''

In 1994, after completing ''Pulp Fiction'',
Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
approached Tarantino to write and direct a sixth installment of the ''Halloween'' franchise. Though a screenplay was never completed, Tarantino pitched a story idea involving Michael Myers and the Man in Black fleeing Haddonfield together and going on a
road trip A road trip, sometimes spelled roadtrip, is a long-distance Travel, journey traveled by a car or a motorcycle. History First road trips by automobile The world's first recorded long-distance road trip by the automobile took place in German Em ...
down
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
while murdering people, events which bear resemblance to those depicted in his screenplay for ''
Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American romantic crime action film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims ...
'', which he was pitching to Miramax Films at the same time. Tarantino ultimately declined the offer, but suggested ''
Evil Dead II ''Evil Dead II'' (also known in publicity materials as ''Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn'') is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, who co-wrote it with Scott Spiegel. The second installment in the ''Evil Dead'' film series, i ...
'' co-writer Scott Spiegel as a potential director.


''The Killer Inside Me''

In the mid-1990s, after the success of ''Pulp Fiction'', Tarantino was attached to direct an adaption of '' The Killer Inside Me''.
Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...
was set to star as Amy Stanton.
Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress, singer and musician. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark plots, themes and settings. Lewis gained prominence in American cinema during t ...
was considered for the part of Joyce Lakeland and
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...
was attached to star as Lou Ford. This effort fell through after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, because the film script was deemed too violent. The film was eventually directed by
Michael Winterbottom Michael Winterbottom (born 29 March 1961) is an English film director. He began his career working in British television before moving into features. Three of his films—''Welcome to Sarajevo'', ''Wonderland (1999 film), Wonderland'' and ''24 ...
in 2010, without the involvement of Tarantino.


''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''

Tarantino was briefly attached to a film adaptation of the 1960s TV series ''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents Napoleon Solo, played by Robert Vaughn, and Illya Kuryakin, p ...
''. He opted to do ''
Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on the 1992 novel ''Rum Punch'' by Elmore Leonard. It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United Sta ...
'' instead. Eventually, a
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of the show without Tarantino's involvement was released in 2015.


''Never Again''

In 1996, Tarantino was set to direct ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'' episode "
Never Again "Never again" is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The slogan was used by liberated prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp to denounce fascism. It was used by Jewish Defense Le ...
", but he was prevented by the
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...
; the guild noted that Tarantino, who was not a member, failed to join the union after directing the '' ER'' episode "
Motherhood A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case ...
", violating an agreement the two parties had made. A spokeswoman from
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
later noted, "Quentin approached us, we were very excited at the opportunity. We made some special arrangements, and we're disappointed that it's not happening. But we bow to Quentin's philosophical stance ndwe hope something can be worked out for the future." The episode was eventually directed by Rob Bowman and released in 1997.


''Modesty Blaise''

In 1997, it was reported that Tarantino would write the screenplay for a ''
Modesty Blaise ''Modesty Blaise'' is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by author Peter O'Donnell and illustrator Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talen ...
'' film for Mirimax, and planned as a franchise. An anticipated sequel, pending the first film's success, was to be written by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...
. In 2004, he would later serve as an executive producer on '' My Name Is Modesty'', an adaptation of the ''Modesty Blaise'' comic series.


Untitled Green Lantern film

In the late 1990s, Tarantino was offered to direct a
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
before there was even a script, but he declined the offer.


Untitled Iron Man film

In 1999, Tarantino was also linked to a live-action ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
'' film, as director and writer.


''Double V Vega''

When developing ''
Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 epic film, epic war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger ...
'', Tarantino began to consider making a prequel/origin story about the Vega brothers. The film would have starred Michael Madsen as Vic Vega (Mr. Blonde) from ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'' and John Travolta as Vincent Vega from ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...
''. In 2007, due to the actors' ages and because of their characters' deaths in their respective films, Tarantino claimed that the film, titled ''Double V Vega'', was "kinda unlikely now."


2000s


''Forty Lashes Less One''

In 2000, Tarantino was rumoured to be developing the
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...
novel, ''Forty Lashes Less One'', into a film. By 2007, he had written 20 pages of the screenplay. In 2015, he revealed that he still owned the rights to adapt the book, and that he was considering adapting it into a television miniseries.


''Kill Bill'' sequels and spin-offs

During the production of ''
Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael ...
'' and '' Kill Bill: Vol. 2'', Tarantino originally believed that he would do a further two live action ''Kill Bill'' films, tentatively believing that they would be made once every ten years. In April 2004, Tarantino told ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' that he was planning a sequel: Details emerged around 2007 about two possible sequels. According to the article, "the third film involves the revenge of two killers whose arms and eye were hacked by Uma Thurman in the first stories." The article adds that the "fourth installment of the popular kung fu action films concerns a cycle of reprisals and daughters who avenge their mother's deaths". At the 2009 Morelia International Film Festival, Tarantino stated that he intended to make a third ''Kill Bill'' film. The same month, he stated that ''Kill Bill 3'' would be his ninth film, and would be released in 2014. He stated that he wanted 10 years to pass after the Bride's last conflict, to give her and her daughter a period of peace. In December 2012, Tarantino stated: "I don't know if there's ever going to be a ''Kill Bill: Vol. 3''. We'll see, probably not though." In January 2016, it was reported that Tarantino had spoken with Thurman on a potential return for a sequel, but noted that he remained non-committal on actually making a sequel. In July 2019, Tarantino stated: "Me and Uma have talked about it recently, frankly, to tell you the truth, I have thought about it a little further. We were talking about it literally last week. If any of my movies were going to spring from my other movies, it would be a third 'Kill Bill.'" In December, Tarantino said he had spoken to Thurman about an "interesting" idea for a new film: "It would be at least three years from now. It is definitely in the cards", while Uma Thurman confirmed that "Tarantino wrote something". In June 2021, Tarantino stated that the film would take place 20 years following the original films, when Beatrix Kiddo and her daughter B.B. are forced to go on the run after a period of peace. He found the idea of casting Thurman and her daughter
Maya Hawke Maya Ray Thurman Hawke (born July 8, 1998) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of Hollywood actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. She began her career in modeling, and subsequently made her screen debut as Jo March in ...
in the two roles exciting, after having previously worked with Hawke on ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...
''. He also noted the possibility of Elle Driver, Sophie Fatale, and Gogo's twin sister Shiaki also appearing in the film. He also envisioned making separate animated films which would tell the origin stories of both the Bride, when she was with the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, and of Bill and his three Godfathers: Hatori Hanso, Pei Mei, and Esteban Vihaio. Tarantino had intended to make them following ''
Grindhouse A grindhouse or action house is an American term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter, and exploitation films for adults. According to historian David Church, this theater type was named after the "grind policy", a f ...
''. By 2021 however, Tarantino stated that none of the projects came to fruition due to his reluctance to take on more ''Kill Bill'' films following the fatigue he endured in the making of the first two.


Untitled kung-fu film

Following the success of his ''Kill Bill'' films, Tarantino began developing a kung-fu followup film that would be entirely in
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
. It was to be made before ''Inglourious Basterds''. The inspiration to do another martial arts film came from Tarantino seeing
Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 14 November 1950) is a Chinese filmmaker.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retrieved 21 August 2008. A leading figure of China's Cinem ...
's ''
House of Flying Daggers ''House of Flying Daggers'' () is a 2004 ''wuxia'' martial arts film from China, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, and Zhang Ziyi. It opened in limited release within the United States on 3 December 2004, in New ...
'' at the
2004 Cannes Film Festival The 57th Cannes Film Festival took place from 12 to 23 May 2004. American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino served as jury president for the main competition. While American filmmaker Michael Moore won the Palme d'Or for the documentary film '' Fahrenh ...
. It wasn't known if Tarantino would hire actors fluent in Mandarin or celebrities that would have to learn Mandarin. The plan on releasing was to have two theatrical cuts, one with subtitles and the other with an out-of-sync English language dubbing, similar to old-school re dubs. Since then, no updates have emerged from the ambitious project.


''Casino Royale''

In the mid-2000s, Tarantino expressed interest in directing '' Casino Royale'', the 2006 film adaptation of
Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...
's
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
and the debut of ''
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
''. However,
Eon Productions Eon Productions Limited is a British film production company that primarily produces the ''James Bond'' film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the UK. ''James Bond'' films Eon wa ...
had no interest in hiring Tarantino. He claims to have worked behind the scenes with the Fleming family, and believed this was the reason why filmmakers finally went ahead with ''Casino Royale''. Tarantino also said he would have set it in the 1960s and would have only made it with
Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starri ...
returning as Bond. By February 2005,
Martin Campbell Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director and producer. He is best known for his works in the Action film, action and thriller film genres, including the James Bond in film, James Bond films ''GoldenE ...
was announced as the film's director, and the film was released on November 14, 2006, to critical and box-office success.


Untitled disaster film

Tarantino wanted to take his hand at another popular '70s genre film, where ''Jackie Brown'' was with
blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
and ''
Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael ...
'' was with kung-fu films, this time with a
disaster film A disaster film or disaster movie is a film genre that has an impending or ongoing disaster as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include natural disasters, accidents, offensive (military), military/terrorism, terrorist att ...
. Taking inspiration from films like ''
The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...
'', '' The Poseidon Adventure'', and ''
Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
'', Tarantino wanted to get as many of his reoccurring actors as possible and jokingly dubbed this ''Airport 2005''. He remarked his casting choice as so: " Travolta could be the pilot,
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...
the stewardess,
Robert Forster Robert Wallace Foster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019), known professionally as Robert Forster, was an American actor. He made his screen debut as Private L.G. Williams in John Huston's '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (1967), followed ...
,
Michael Madsen Michael Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. Alongside his frequent collaborations with Quentin Tarantino—''Reservoir Dogs'' (1992), ''Kill Bill: Volume 2'' (2004), ''The Hateful Eight'' (2015), and ''Once Upon a Time in Hol ...
,
Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (; born 14 May 1961) is an English actor. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the " Brit Pack". After garnering attention in television productions '' Made in Britain'' (1982) and '' Meantime'' (1983), ...
,
Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...
,
Bridget Fonda Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is a retired American actress, known for her roles in films such as ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990), '' Single White Female'' (1992), '' Singles'' (1992), ''Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Ha ...
."


''Grindhouse'' sequel

Both Tarantino and
Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez ( ; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ...
have expressed interest in making a sequel to their 2007 double-feature film ''
Grindhouse A grindhouse or action house is an American term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter, and exploitation films for adults. According to historian David Church, this theater type was named after the "grind policy", a f ...
''. Tarantino said that he wants to shoot an " old-school Kung Fu movie in Mandarin with subtitles in some countries, and release a shorter, dubbed cut in others" for his segment. It has also been reported by
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
that
Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical Film genre, genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zo ...
may expand ''Don't'' into a feature film. According to
Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, namely splatter films, having directed the films ''Cabin Fev ...
, he and Wright have discussed the possibility of pairing ''Don't'' with ''Thanksgiving'' for a ''Grindhouse'' sequel. Roth is quoted as saying "We're talking to
Dimension In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus, a line has a dimension of one (1D) because only one coo ...
about it. I think they're still trying to figure out ''Grindhouse 1'' before we think about ''Grindhouse 2'', but I've already been working on the outline for it and I would do it in a heartbeat."


''Westworld'' remake

In 2007, after the modest success of ''
Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a Stunt performer, stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he says are "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
'',
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
had hired Tarantino to direct a remake of the 1973 science-fiction film ''Westworld''.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
was involved in the project as the lone gunslinger. However, Tarantino was fired due to creative differences with Warner Bros., specifically on the fact he wanted it to have a dark tone and was unsatisfied with Schwarzenegger. Eventually, the project was scrapped.


''Sgt. Rock''

Following the release of ''Death Proof'', Warner Bros. also offered Tarantino a film adaptation of the
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
character Sgt. Rock, with a script written by
David Webb Peoples David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who co-wrote ''Blade Runner'' (1982), and later wrote ''Unforgiven'' (1992) and ''12 Monkeys'' (1995). He has been nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. Peopl ...
. In June 2021, Tarantino called Webb's script magnificent, and believed he "would do a good job" if he directed it. He also noted that he doubted he would make the film, but still considered it "from time to time".


''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' remake

Tarantino expressed in January 2008 his interest in a raunchy remake of the 1966
sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, Low-budget film, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition o ...
film ''
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is a 1965 American exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran. It follows three go-go dancers who embark on a spree of kidnapping and murder in the California desert. The ...
''. The film has quite an influence on Tarantino; even going as far as to referencing the movie and giving co-writer/director of ''Faster, Pussycat!'',
Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American filmmaker. He was primarily known for writing and directing a successful series of sexploitation films featuring campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women, wh ...
, thanks in his 2007 film ''
Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a Stunt performer, stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he says are "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
''. Allegedly, the top casting choices would have been
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
,
Eva Mendes Eva de la Caridad Méndez (, ; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is a retired American actress. Her acting career began in the late 1990s with a series of roles in films such as '' Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror ...
, and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
, with
porn star A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinc ...
Tera Patrick Tera Patrick (born Linda Ann Hopkins; July 25, 1976) is an American former pornographic film actor, pornographic actress who was the ''Penthouse (magazine), Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for February 2000 and is an inductee of the NightMoves H ...
as Varla. When the rumor of Britney Spears playing Varla was brought to his attention, a source close to Tarantino replied that, "There is no truth to this." Actress
Tura Satana Tura Satana (July 10, 1938Some sources give her birth year as 1935, i.e. Dave Itzkoff"Tura Satana, Cult Actress, Is Dead" ''New York Times'', February 5, 2011; accessed January 8, 2014. – February 4, 2011) was a Japanese American actress, sh ...
clarified in an interview that she is working closely with Tarantino in rewriting the script. Since then, no other updates have emerged from his remake.


''Berlin Game'', ''Mexico Set'' and ''London Match''

When promoting the ''Kill Bill'' films, Tarantino stated that he wanted to adapt the first trilogy of novels by
Len Deighton Leonard Cyril Deighton ( ; born 18 February 1929) is a British author. His publications have included cookery books and works on history, but he is best known for his spy novels. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, D ...
about fictional spy Bernard Samson; ''
Berlin Game ''Berlin Game'' is a 1983 spy novel by Len Deighton. It is the first novel in the first of three trilogies about Bernard Samson, a middle-aged intelligence officer working for the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ''Berlin Game'' i ...
'', '' Mexico Set'' and '' London Match''. "I love England," Tarantino said. "It would be a wonderful life experience to have an excuse to work
here Here may refer to: Music * ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994 * ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016 * ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979 * ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012 * ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004 * ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...
for six or nine months." Tarantino also mused about working with British actors
Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...
,
Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Primarily known for her roles as headstrong and complicated women in independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Ac ...
,
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...
and
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
on projects.


Untitled John Brown biopic

Despite previous mentions of his general distaste for the "
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
" genre, in a 2009 interview with
Charlie Rose Charles Peete Rose Jr. (born January 5, 1942) is an American journalist and talk show host. From 1991 to 2017, he was the host and executive producer of the talk show ''Charlie Rose (talk show), Charlie Rose'' on PBS and Bloomberg L.P., Bloombe ...
, Tarantino said,


Untitled 1930s-set gangster film

Tarantino first teased at the
Morelia International Film Festival The Morelia International Film Festival (''Spanish'': ''Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia''; FICM) was founded in 2003 in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, México. It is an annual event that takes place during the second week of October. ...
in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
back in 2009 about possibly doing a crime film in the style of a 1930s
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
-type
gangster film A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform certain illegal acts. The ...
; nothing came from this since then.


Untitled screwball comedy

Tarantino had expressed interest in making a
screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film in the vein of
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...
films that would've starred two A-list leads. No other news updates have emerged since.


2010s


Untitled medieval film

In January 2010, Tarantino announced that his next film, after ''Inglourious Basterds'', will be a
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
film. He offered a role to
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (; born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov; 26 July 1945) is an English actor. With a career spanning over six decades of Helen Mirren on screen and stage, screen and stage, List of awards and nominations received by Helen Mirre ...
as a foul-mouthed
monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
. The film was to retain Tarantino's signature traits, bloody violence and foul language, and was to be set in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
's
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. Mirren had previously played a queen in 2006's '' The Queen'' as
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
and was willing to play a monarch yet again. Although she was interested in the role, no other updates have emerged from this project, and his follow-up film to ''Inglourious'' was ''Django Unchained.''


''Less than Zero'' remake

In May 2010,
Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...
, author of the 1985 novel '' Less than Zero'', confirmed in an interview that Tarantino had been "trying to get
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
to let him remake the 1987 film". In 2012, when asked whether ''Less than Zero'' would be remade, Ellis once again confirmed that Tarantino "has shown interest" in adapting the story.


Untitled family film

In 2011, Tarantino briefly mentioned that he would like to do a
children's film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that generally relates to children in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are made f ...
. He recalls in an interview on the
Reelz Channel Reelz (formerly known as Reelz Channel) is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. The network's programming was formerly devoted to entertainment-oriented programming focusing on the Hollywood ...
:


''Killer Crow''

In a late 2012 interview with the online magazine ''
The Root "The Root" is a song by American recording artist D'Angelo. It is the eighth track on his second studio album, '' Voodoo'', which was released on January 25, 2000, by Virgin Records. "The Root" was recorded and produced by D'Angelo at New York's ...
'', Tarantino described his next film as being the final entry in a "''Django''–''
Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 epic film, epic war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger ...
''" trilogy called ''Killer Crow''. The film will depict a group of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
-era black troops who have "been fucked over by the American military and kind of go apeshit. They basically – the way Lt. Aldo Raine (
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...
) and the Basterds are having an 'Apache resistance' – heblack troops go on an Apache warpath and kill a bunch of white soldiers and white officers on a military base and are just making a warpath to Switzerland." Since then, no updates have emerged.


''Django in White Hell''

In November 2013, Tarantino announced plans to direct another
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
film, following ''
Django Unchained ''Django Unchained'' ( ) is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Tarantino's A Band Apart and Columbia Pictures, it stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry W ...
''. The project began development as a sequel novel to ''Django Unchained'', and then a sequel film, before Django was removed from the script and the project was rewritten as his 2015 film ''
The Hateful Eight ''The Hateful Eight'' is a 2015 American western thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce De ...
''.


''Untitled prison film''

Around the time he almost shelved ''
The Hateful Eight ''The Hateful Eight'' is a 2015 American western thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce De ...
'' because of a script leak, he talked about doing a prison film from the inspiration of the Robert Blake case. He was potentially penning a script for a prison movie but no other updates have emerged from this project since then.


Untitled sci-fi film

At San Diego Comic-Con in 2014, Tarantino revealed he was contemplating a possible science-fiction film, saying "It might be science-fiction, but it wouldn't involve spaceships."


''Django/Zorro''

In 2015, a ''
Django Unchained ''Django Unchained'' ( ) is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Tarantino's A Band Apart and Columbia Pictures, it stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry W ...
'' sequel
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
comic entitled ''Django''/''
Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...
'' was released by
Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded in 2004 by Nick Barrucci in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, known for publishing comic book adaptations of licensed feature film properties, such as ''Army of Darkness'', '' Terminator ...
. In June 2019, Tarantino had picked
Jerrod Carmichael Rothaniel Jerrod Carmichael ( ; born April 6, 1987) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and filmmaker. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he later moved to Los Angeles, where his career began in the early 2010s comedy club scene. Carmic ...
to co-write a film adaptation based on the crossover comic book series. In December 2019, it was reported that Tarantino was looking to make a smaller, stand-alone film, leaving development on ''Django/Zorro'' in doubt.


Untitled ''Star Trek'' film

It was announced in December 2017 that Tarantino had pitched an idea to
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
for a new ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' film. A writers room, consisting of Mark L. Smith, Lindsey Beer, Megan Amram and
Drew Pearce Drew Pearce (born August 24, 1975) is a British screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on The Fall Guy (2024 film), ''The Fall Guy'' (2024), ''Hotel Artemis'' (2018), ''Iron Man 3'' (2013), ''Fast and Furious Presents: Hob ...
, was assembled to flesh out the concept. The plan would be for Tarantino to direct the film, with J. J. Abrams, who had previously directed and produced earlier ''Star Trek'' reboot projects, on board to produce. Smith later became the frontrunner to write the screenplay later that month. In May 2019, Tarantino confirmed that his ''Trek'' film was still in development, saying "It's a very big possibility. I haven't been dealing with those guys for a while cause I've been making my movie. But we've talked about a story and a script. The script has been written and when I emerge my head like
Punxsutawney Phil Punxsutawney Phil () is a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, United States, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration. Folklore On February 2 each year, Punxsutawney holds ...
, post-''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...
'', we'll pick up talking about it again." Tarantino discussed the project in June 2019, stating that Smith had turned in his script, and Tarantino would soon be adding in his notes. He asserted his intention for the film to be rated R. In December 2019, it was reported that Tarantino had left the project, looking to make a smaller budget film. In January 2020, Tarantino stated the film "might" be made, but he would not direct it. In August 2021, Smith stated that the film would have revolved around
Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterp ...
and his crew, with the film taking inspiration from
gangster film A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform certain illegal acts. The ...
s, and involving
time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
. It would have also been standalone in nature, similar to an episode of '' Star Trek: The Original Series''.


''Bounty Law'' TV miniseries

In July 2019, Tarantino revealed that he had written a
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
of five half-hour episodes of the
in-universe A fictional universe, also known as an imagined universe or a constructed universe, is the internally consistent fictional setting used in a narrative or a work of art. This concept is most commonly associated with works of fantasy and scienc ...
''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...
'' television series ''Bounty Law'', and that he intended to shoot the episodes in
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
and on film. Tarantino doubted that
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
, the actor who portrayed
Rick Dalton ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Picture ...
the star of ''Bounty Law'', would want to reprise the role, but would be pleased if he could. He had an outline for a further three episodes, and named
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
,
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
and FX as possible platforms for the series. Speaking about the project in July 2021, Tarantino stated that he had written "five or six" episodes of the show, and that it would be inspired by shows such as ''Wanted Dead or Alive'' and ''
The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...
.'' He believed it could be his next dramatic project following the stage adaptation of ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood''. Sony stated to Tarantino that they would make the series, should he decide to move forward with it, though he noted that was unlikely to happen for a "couple fyears". In September 2021, it was announced that a script for a ''Bounty Law'' episode, titled "Incident at Inez" would be included in the hardcover release of the ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' novelization.


2020s


''First Blood''

In June 2021, Tarantino revealed that he had an interest in directing a film adaptation of the novel ''
First Blood ''First Blood'' is a 1982 American war action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, the film was co-written by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, and Stallone, deriving from the 1972 no ...
'', which had previously been adapted into the 1982 film of the same name. He voiced interest in casting
Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, co ...
as the sheriff, and
Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor, recognized for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers. Driver made his film debut in ''J. Edgar'' (2011) and played supporting roles in ''Lincoln (film), Lincoln'' (2012), '' ...
as
Rambo Rambo may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *John Rambo, the main character from the ''Rambo'' franchise * Mary Rambo, female character in '' Invisible Man'' Films * ''Rambo'' (franchise), starring Sylvester St ...
. He states that the inspiration for his idea came from the dialogue in the novel, and
David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has earned numerous accolades including two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for five Academy Aw ...
's career, where Tarantino believed that for his film ''
The Fighter ''The Fighter'' is a 2010 American Biographical film, biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell, and stars Mark Wahlberg (who also produced), Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. The film centers on the lives of profes ...
'', that he got "over himself, over being the
auteur An (; , ) is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, thus manifesting the director's unique style or thematic ...
" and focused on making "a good movie," a strategy Tarantino would seek to emulate. However it was noted unlikely to be produced as Tarantino only intends to direct one more film.


''Lancer''

In July 2021, Tarantino opined that Robert Rodriguez could want to direct a ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' spin-off movie about fictional actor Rick Dalton's work in the real-world television series ''
Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
'', following up with "I could see that being a great Robert Rodriguez movie."


Untitled Cliff Booth project

When asked about ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' character Cliff Booth's time during World War II, Tarantino stated that, "Someday I'll do his adventure in the
POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...
."


''Snake Belly''

In October 2021, Tarantino revealed that he was developing a
Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
comedy titled ''Snake Belly''. He stated that he was "looking forward to shooting" the project, as each actor would speak a different language. The hero was set to be American, a "bad sheriff" was to be played by a German, a Mexican saloon girl was to be played by an Israeli, and a Mexican Bandido was to be played by an Italian.


''Justified: City Primeval''

In February 2022, Tarantino was set to direct an episode or two of '' Justified: City Primeval'', since he is a fan of
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...
, the writer who had created the show’s characters. Tarantino has taken inspiration from Leonard in Tarantino's own works, but April 2022, Tarantino was confirmed to not be directing episodes of the series.


''The Movie Critic''

In March 2023, it was reported that Tarantino had completed a script titled ''The Movie Critic''. The protagonist was based on a movie reviewer who wrote for a
pornographic magazine Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines or sex magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is ...
and to be played by a male American actor in his thirties. The character writes for a fictional magazine ''The Popstar Pages'' and the film takes place in California in 1977. The project was scheduled to begin filming in the fall of 2023 but delayed due to the
2023 SAG-AFTRA strike From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Pro ...
. The script then morphed into a continuation of the Cliff Booth character from ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...
'', with Pitt set to reprise his role. Tarantino also had a meeting with
Olivia Wilde Olivia Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn, , March 10, 1984) is an American actress and director. She played Thirteen (House), Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on the medical-drama television series ''House (TV series), House'' (2007–2012), and appeared ...
. One sequence was reported to film in 2024 to take advantage of $20 million in
California Film Commission The California Film Commission (CFC) was founded in 1985 by then California Governor George Deukmejian to act in an economic development capacity for the state. It is a part of the California Trade and Commerce Agency, formerly the Business, Tr ...
tax credits with full production beginning in early 2025. In April 2024, it was reported that Tarantino was no longer working on ''The Movie Critic''.


Other projects


''Cinema of the Outrageous''

''Cinema of the Outrageous'' was a book that Tarantino started about directors.


''Kill Bill'' video game

In 2002, it was announced that
Vivendi Games Vivendi Games (formerly known as CUC Software, Cendant Software, Havas Interactive, Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing and Vivendi Universal Games) was an American video game publisher and holding company based in Los Angeles. It was foun ...
(originally Black Label Games) had acquired the rights to develop a video game based on ''
Kill Bill ''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael ...
'' that was meant to coincide with the film's 2003 release, with Tarantino serving as creative consultant. The project was shelved in 2003, with some demo footage leaking online.


''Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair''

''Kill Bill'' debuted in its full form at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. This print of the film was later shown at Tarantino's
New Beverly Cinema The New Beverly Cinema is a historic movie theater located in Los Angeles, California. Housed in a building that dates back to the 1920s, it is one of the oldest revival houses in the region. Since 2007, it has been owned by the filmmaker Quentin ...
in 2011. This print included intermissions, and ran at 215 minutes. It differs in many ways from the theatrical cuts, with changes including the
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...
proverb included at the beginning of the film being replaced with a dedication to filmmaker
Kinji Fukasaku was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...
, a fight sequence no longer being in black-and-white footage, additional violence and gore, and the removal of the
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
reveal at the conclusion of ''Volume 1'', revealing The Bride's daughter to be alive. Also removed are the first film's end credits, and the second film's opening recap sequence. In July 2014, Tarantino stated that he and the Weinstein Company planned for ''The Whole Bloody Affair'' to have a limited theatrical release within the following year. This version of the film was set to include an extended anime sequence, which had been commissioned, financed, and produced by
Production I.G is a Japanese animation studio. Headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Production I.G was founded on December 15, 1987, by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto as I.G Tatsunoko, a branch studio of the animation giant Ta ...
based on the original script without Tarantino's request.


''The Hateful Eight'' stage adaptation

In early 2016, Tarantino announced that he plans to write and direct a stage play version of ''The Hateful Eight'', something that he still had an interest in pursuing by June 2021.


''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' extended cut

In August 2019, it was reported that a four-hour extended cut of ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' could arrive on Netflix, in a similar fashion to the extended cut of ''The Hateful Eight'', something actor
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...
confirmed in September 2019 as something Tarantino had discussed. In January 2020, Tarantino, stated that the extended cut would likely be available in approximately one year. In June 2021, Tarantino said the cut would probably be released "in a couple of years." It will be roughly three hours and 20 minutes and is currently intended for a theatrical release.


''Reservoir Dogs'' remake, stage adaptation, or novel

In June 2021, Tarantino stated that he had considered a remake of his 1992
directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many filmmakers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'', as his tenth and final film, though he quickly iterated that he "won't do it". His idea would have featured the main cast being portrayed by black actors. Tarantino indicated that he would instead prefer to make a ''Reservoir Dogs'' stage adaptation. Tarantino also stated, "I could see myself writing a
novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent ...
of ''Reservoir Dogs''". Later revealing that he had already written two chapters of it, before deciding to switch his attention to writing a ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' novelization instead.


''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' stage adaptation

In June 2021, Tarantino stated that he had written a stage adaptation of ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'', with it featuring material not featured in the original film or the 2021 novelization. Such material includes Rick Dalton's time in Italy, and him and the character Marvin having dinner with
Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer. He was one of the main exponents of the Spaghetti Western genre during the 1960s and 1970s, with his most notable work ...
and his wife at their favorite
Japanese restaurant Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan ( Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and othe ...
in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. In July 2021, Tarantino believed that it would be his next dramatic work, once he finishes '' Cinema Speculation''. He hopes also that it would debut in the
West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
s of London.


Untitled western novel

In June 2021, Tarantino stated that he had written two chapters of an original western novel, which he had described as "kind of pulpy".


''The Films of Rick Dalton''

In July 2021, Tarantino revealed that he had written most of a career book, recounting the
filmography A filmography is a list of films related by some criteria. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films they have appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular Film director, ...
of the ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' character Rick Dalton as if he had actually existed. It would include synopsis, critical quotes from the time, and recounting his film and television career through to 1988. It details every one of Dalton's appearances on episodic television, with most of them being real programs and episodes as opposed to fictional ones (such as ''Bounty Law''). The book's working title is ''The Man Who Would Be McQueen: The Films of Rick Dalton'' or simply '' The Films of Rick Dalton.'' One such film that would be described would be the fictional vigilante movie ''The Fireman'': By December 2021, Tarantino expected the book to be released following the publication of '' Cinema Speculation''.


Untitled film novelization

In July 2021, Tarantino stated, "What I'd like to do, though, at some point, is find a movie that's not mine and do a novelization," he said. "It has to be something that I could really go my own way, but not completely upend the apple cart."


''True Romance'' novelization

In December 2021, Tarantino stated that a novelization of ''
True Romance ''True Romance'' is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt ...
'' (1993), which he scripted, was a potential future project of his.


See also

*
Quentin Tarantino filmography Quentin Tarantino is an American filmmaker, actor and author who has made ten films. He first began his career in the 1980s by directing and writing ''Love Birds In Bondage'' and writing, directing and starring in the black-and-white '' My Best ...


References


External links

*
The Lost, Unmade & Possible Future Films of Quentin Tarantino
at The Playlist {{Quentin Tarantino unrealized projects Tarantino, Quentin Unrealized