Quentin Tarantino is one of Hollywood’s most influential directors. The auteur is responsible for the critical and commercial successes like Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. He is also the proud recipient of multiple awards including two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes.
For the past decade, Tarantino has maintained he will retire as a feature film director when he clocks 60, saying he prefers to lay down his director’s hat while audiences still appreciate his work.
Nevertheless, there were speculations he could pivot and pick up another role in the entertainment industry.
Tarantino has now lent credence to this. During a recent interview with Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye, the controversial director admitted that he could direct a television series, a short film, or even a play.
In his words, “No, I could do a TV show. I didn’t say I’m going to go into the night darkly, all right? I could do a TV show. I could do a short film. I could do a play. All kinds of things I could do, but I’ll probably just be more of a writer.”
Tarantino’s interviewer could scarcely believe his ears. So, he pushed the filmmaker for details on why he took the decision.
In response, Tarantino stated, “It’s just time. It’s just time to go out. I like the idea of going out on top. I like the idea of giving it my all for 30 years and then saying, ‘OK, that’s enough.’ And I don’t like working to diminishing returns.”
He went on to express his distaste for what the filmmaking industry has become. He stated that he no longer knows what a motion picture is anymore and tagged movies that show on Apple (and streaming platforms in general) as diminishing returns.
Tarantino has long been vocal about his distaste for streaming platforms as well as superhero movies. Last year, he made a controversial statement that Marvel movie actors are not movie stars. His comments even resulted in a rebuttal from Simu Liu, who starred as Shang Chi in a Marvel movie.
Given his well-documented opposition to what the industry has become, his decision to retire before he becomes irrelevant is certainly understandable.
Tarantino is currently working on The Movie Critic which he will direct this fall. In March, we reported the auteur had already finished writing the film’s script but did not yet have a home for it. It appears that the situation still holds. However, he has revealed that he might make the film with Sony since it still gives priority to theatrical releases over streaming releases.
In his words, “I’m probably going to be doing the movie with Sony because they’re the last game in town that is just absolutely, utterly, committed to the theatrical experience. It’s not about feeding their streaming network. They are committed to theatrical experience.”
The Movie Critic is still in pre-production. Although Tarantino has kept details about the film tightly under wraps, we know it will have a female lead and will be set in late 1970s Los Angeles.
