In addition to being regarded as a brilliant auteur, Quentin Tarantino has long been seen as an actor's director. From the very beginning of his career he's made a habit of not only collecting some of the finest actors available for his ensembles, but even has rejuvenated more than a few careers. Now it appears as though he's ready to do it again with his next feature, as the developing Once Upon a Time In Hollywood had added a slew of brilliant stars to its cast.
We learned a few months ago that Quentin Tarantino veterans Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained) and Brad Pitt (Inglorious Basterds) will be the stars of the writer/director's ninth feature, but now Deadline reports they will be joined by Burt Reynolds, Margot Robbie, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell and Michael Madsen. It's being said that those last three stars will have comparatively small parts, but that Reynolds and Robbie are set to be key players in the period drama.
Specifically, Margot Robbie is set to play the role of famous actress/model Sharon Tate - as first rumored a few months ago - who happens to be the neighbor of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt's characters. Burt Reynolds, meanwhile, will play another real person, namely George Spahn. In the summer of 1969 Spahn was an 80-year-old man who rented his ranch property out to be used for Westerns, and he agreed to let Charlie Manson and his followers take up residence in the months before their horrific murders.
Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, and Michael Madsen have all starred in multiple Quentin Tarantino movies, but this will be a first for Burt Reynolds - and it's an interesting position for him to be set up in. Tarantino is famous for rejuvenating the careers of waning stars, including John Travolta, Robert Forster, and Pam Grier, and now it looks like he's ready to apply his magic touch to Reynolds. Because of this development, it's actually easy to imagine a near future where the actor earns his first Academy Award nomination since Boogie Nights.
In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt will star as Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth, respectively - a washed-up TV actor and his longtime stunt double. They are struggling to keep up with developments in the industry, but see an in-road back to glory when they discover that their neighbor is the lovely, famous Sharon Tate. It's not entirely clear how the Manson Murders tie into the whole thing, but they are expected to be a part of the narrative.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is going to be starting production this summer, so it would not be at all shocking to see more casting announcements pop up in the coming weeks. As always, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all the latest updates.
