Quentin Tarantino’s supposed last film is reportedly called ‘The Movie Critic.’ According to a report, the acclaimed filmmaker is planning to direct the film this autumn, which is likely set in late 1970s Los Angeles and stars a female lead. For now, one could simply assume who The Movie Critic will be based on, given that the director is notorious for basing his characters on existing material. The report believes the film might depict the story of Pauline Kael, the renowned US-based film critic, who briefly worked at Paramount Pictures as a consultant in the late 1970s. The timeline matches the reported setting of the script.
The report by The Hollywood Reporter claims that The Movie Critic currently does not have a production studio and that it would be pitched to buyers ‘as early as this week’. Tarantino has shown his admiration for critic Kael before, claiming that she was a huge influence on him — even publishing a book of essays called ‘Cinema Speculation,’ inspired by her works.
The filmmaker has also previously expressed thoughts about his retirement, claiming that directors get out of touch with age. “I want to stop at a certain point. Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually, the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film f*s up three good ones,“ he said in a 2012 interview (via Entertainment Weekly). “I don’t want that bad, out-of-touch comedy in my filmography, the movie that makes people think, ‘Oh man, he still thinks it’s 20 years ago.’ When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.”
Tarantino previously worked with Sony Pictures for the Oscar-nominated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which THR believes could be a strong contender to produce The Movie Critic as well. The film won two Oscars — Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt) and Best Production Design — after which the auteur published a novelised version of the same, marking his debut as an author. An audiobook for the same was also released in 2021, which was narrated by Jennifer Jason Leigh, who previously collaborated with the filmmaker on The Hateful Eight.
The Movie Critic will be the tenth and likely final film directed by Tarantino — if you combine both Kill Bill volumes into one mega-movie — as he attempts to evade the ‘horrible last movie’ curse (via MovieMaker). Late last year, the filmmaker also revealed plans to shoot an eight-episode-long limited series in 2023, rumoured to be with Netflix. He does have experience working in television — directing two episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2005. The finale of season 5 ‘Grave Danger’ earned him an Outstanding Director nomination at the 57th Emmy Awards.
