Quentin Tarantino recently shared insights on why he chose not to proceed with what was announced to be his tenth and ‘final’ movie. Known for films like Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino’s work often features pop culture nods and a dark comedic tone that has captivated audiences.
His anticipated tenth film, titled The Movie Critic, was abandoned in April 2024. The story was set against the backdrop of 1977 California and centered around a film critic, but it never reached production.
Tarantino did not initially provide a clear reason for shelving the project, but he has since offered an explanation. During an appearance on The Church of Tarantino podcast, the director, who has expressed intentions to retire after completing ten films, shared his thoughts: “No one’s waiting for this thing per se. I mean, I can do it whenever I want. I mean, it’s already written. So OK, let me just not start it right now.”
He continued: “Let me try writing it as a movie and let me see if it’s better that way. And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, no, I think this is going to be the movie.’ And then it wasn’t. I pulled the plug on it. And the reason I pulled the plug, it’s a little crazy.”
Tarantino elaborated on the personal challenge he had set: “There was a challenge that I gave to myself when I did it. Can I take the most boring profession in the world and make it an interesting movie? Every Tarantino title promises so much, except The Movie Critic.”
“Who wants to see a TV show about a f****** movie critic? Who wants to see a movie called The Movie Critic? If I can actually make a movie or a TV show about somebody who watches movies interesting, that is an accomplishment.”
He also mentioned the film as being a “spiritual sequel” to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, sharing the same setting but without overlapping characters.
Speculation had arisen about Brad Pitt possibly returning as Cliff Booth, a rumor Tarantino refuted on the podcast, stating: “That’s all a bunch of bull****. That never was the case ever, ever, ever.”
Despite his affection for the script of The Movie Critic, Tarantino acknowledged its fate: “I was so excited about the writing, but I wasn’t really that excited about dramatizing what I wrote once we were in pre-production.”