A huge statement but it’s true
Ever since Quentin Tarantino sliced his way into pop-culture with his wonderful debut Reservoir Dogs, the gifted director has always had a gift for ensemble films.
Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight are proof of this, but his next film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is shaping up to have more stars in it than, erm, Hollywood.
As previously reported, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio will be playing the leads but Margot Robbie has now officially been added to the cast.
The star of I, Tonya and The Wolf of Wall Street has been linked with the role of Sharon Tate for months but she has finally signed on the dotted line.
Aside from this piece of casting news, Deadline are reporting that Tarantino looks set to add Burt Reynolds, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Kurt Russell to the 1960s-set movie.
Reynolds is in talks to play rancher George Spahn, whose property became the Manson Family’s home base.
As for the plot, DiCaprio will play Rick Dalton, former star of a western TV series, while Pitt will play his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth.
Tarantino previously shared details about the film’s plot to Variety. “Both men are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognise anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbour…Sharon Tate.”
Of course, Tate and four other people were murdered by members of the Manson Family in the home that she shared with her husband, Roman Polanski. At the time of her death, Tate was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with the couple’s son.
“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 7 years old. I’m very excited to tell this story of an L.A., and a Hollywood that doesn’t exist anymore. And I couldn’t be happier about the dynamic teaming of DiCaprio & Pitt as Rick & Cliff,” said Tarantino.
In terms of its style and tone, the Kill bill director said that “this is probably the closest to Pulp Fiction that I’ve done. It has two lead characters and a ton of supporting characters.”
The film will be released worldwide on August 9, 2019 – that’s the same day that marks the 50th anniversary of the Manson family committing the LaBianca murders and the day after Tate was killed.
