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Quentin Tarantino's long-teased tenth and final directorial feature was originally set to be "The Movie Critic," a film centered on a film critic. However, last April, the project was abruptly halted, much to the surprise of fans. Now, Tarantino has finally detailed the reasons behind "The Movie Critic"'s cancellation during an interview on "The Church of Tarantino," a podcast dedicated to his work.
Tarantino revealed that "The Movie Critic" was initially conceived as an eight-episode television series. He pitched the eight-episode script to various networks, receiving positive feedback. However, he later pondered how it would fare as a feature film. Driven by a desire for "self-challenge," he began adapting "The Movie Critic" into a screenplay, finding the feature-length version promising enough to shift his focus to a movie.
Tarantino also noted that another major challenge for "The Movie Critic" was how to generate audience interest in a film with a critic as its protagonist. He quipped, "Every film bearing the Tarantino name carries high expectations, but 'The Movie Critic' was an exception. Who wants to see a movie about a film critic?"
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Tarantino clarified that he didn't abandon the project due to a failed challenge. Rather, he felt the challenges presented by "The Movie Critic" weren't as formidable as those in his previous works. In the past, each film required him to overcome unprecedented technical difficulties, such as in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," where he had to figure out how to recreate late-1960s Los Angeles without relying on CGI. Given that "The Movie Critic" was set in a similar era to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Tarantino felt it lacked a fresh challenge and covered familiar ground, leading him to lose interest in starting production.
He also clarified that rumors claiming Brad Pitt's character, Cliff Booth, from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," would appear in "The Movie Critic" were entirely fabricated. While set in the same universe, he had no intention of having Pitt make a cameo.
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Speaking of Cliff Booth, the sequel to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," titled "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," which elevates Cliff to the main protagonist, has recently begun production. Tarantino participated in pre-production rehearsals and visited the set. As for why Tarantino chose to only serve as screenwriter and hand over directing duties to David Fincher, his reasoning mirrored that for canceling "The Movie Critic": he felt it would be "self-repetition." He believes his final film must explore "uncharted territory," and thus, despite his affection for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth" script, he decided to pass it to another director.
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Regarding his decision to entrust the project to Fincher, Tarantino first boasted that he and Fincher are the best directors working in cinema today. He then stated that Fincher was genuinely enthusiastic about directing the script, and feeling Fincher's dedication, he felt confident entrusting it to him.
Furthermore, although Tarantino has previously criticized Netflix films for being forgettable and lacking cultural impact, he isn't opposed to releasing this film with Netflix, as the streamer invested a hefty $200 million in its production, making it the most expensive film he has been involved with. It also marks the first time he won't have to bear the pressure of theatrical box office performance, with a direct-to-streaming release offering him significant peace of mind.