Director Quentin Tarantino is apparently at the end of his career. Well, his film directing career at least. For a long time, he’s said that he would like to end on a nice round number, with 10 films under his belt. Having completed his ninth movie, fans have been curious and excited to learn what his next and final film might be. Now that it’s underway, Hollywood may soon have to say goodbye to one of its most outstanding creative minds.
Tarantino has long said he’ll stop after 10 films
Tarantino made his directing debut with the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs and has had an illustrious career ever since. Other films he has written and directed include Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003/2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and most recently, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019). Right around the time he released Django Unchained (2012), he revealed that he intended to stop filmmaking eventually. “You stop when you stop, but in a fanciful world, 10 movies in my filmography would be nice,” he said. “I’ve made seven … if I stop at 10, that would be OK as an artistic statement.”
Tarantino doesn’t want to continue directing if his new films tank and taint the others that had previously been successful. “Usually the worst films in [directors’] filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film [expletive] up three good ones.”
He has reportedly confirmed his 10th film
Following the release of his ninth film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Tarantino fans began to hypothesize what his 10th film might be. One rumor going around was that it could be a concluding third movie to the Kill Bill franchise. If this were the case, fans were hoping it would serve as a loophole, as the first two are counted as one film.
Technically, Tarantino would have to put out another film after this to mark his 10th, giving fans more of what they want.
The Movie Critic
It’s been recently reported that Tarantino has written his 10th film and is preparing for shooting. This one is called The Movie Critic and though most information surrounding it has been kept secret, it’s said to be based in 1970s Los Angeles with a strong female as its lead. With that criteria, people are speculating if it is about Pauline Kael, whom Tarantino credited as the inspiration for his collection of essays titled Cinema Speculation.
Kael was a major influence during this time period. She began working as a film critic for The New Yorker in 1968 and carried on until her retirement in 1991. In 1979, she accepted a position from Warren Beatty as a consultant to Paramount Pictures. That endeavor was short-lived, but she maintained a strong impact on the Hollywood Renaissance that occurred between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s.
Why retirement is already on his horizon
Many have questioned Tarantino’s choice to retire after just 10 films, especially if he’s at the top of his game. Most directors achieve a much higher film count than that, but Tarantino knows why 10 is the right number for him. “I want to quit because I know film history and from here on end, directors do not get better,” he said. “At the same time, working for 30 years doing as many movies as I’ve done is not as many as other people, but that’s a long career. That’s a really long career. And I’ve given it everything I have.”
One of the reasons he feels ready to retire is that he doesn’t want to feel out of touch with the film industry as he gets older. He’s already noticed a difference in the industry since he started directing, and wants to leave on a high note. “I’ve been doing it for a long time… And it’s time to wrap up the show,” he said. “I’m an entertainer. I want to leave you wanting more.”
He likely won’t retire from everything
Lucky for Tarantino fans, retirement from directing doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be retired altogether. Instead, he has considered pursuing more writing opportunities after his directing career. He’s also considered branching into theater.
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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is also set to have a television adaptation, called Bounty Law, which is being developed by Tarantino himself. So although his film directing career may come to an end, we can likely expect much more from his brilliant mind.